The Regional Italian Cookbook: Recipes from the Silver Spoon

Italy’s most trusted home cooking resource presents a richly illustrated exploration of the country’s unique regional cuisines

Italy is formed of 20 regions, each with its own distinctive history, culture, landscape, and recipes. Organized geographically, The Regional Italian Cookbook: Recipes from The Silver Spoon celebrates the astonishing diversity of Italy’s cuisine, showcasing the culinary identity of each region through its most famous ingredients, dishes, and food traditions. Known throughout the world as the authoritative voice on Italian home cooking, The Silver Spoon Kitchen takes readers on a mouth-watering journey, pairing 160 classic recipes with evocative writing and vivid photography. Each region’s chapter begins with a dedicated introduction explaining its local ingredients and dishes, followed by authentic recipes for antipasti, primi, main courses, sides, and desserts.

Travel from Northern Italy, where hearty, rich choices such as Fonduta valdostana and Risotto alla Milanese reveal the geographic influence of the Alps and the Po River Valley, to the south, where the fertile soil and warm climate create a paradise for growing vegetables, citrus fruits, and olives. Discover how Central Italy, often seen as the heart of traditional Italian cuisine, embraces simple, high-quality ingredients - whether in Tuscany’s rustic Ribollita, or Lazio’s robust, pasta-centric cuisine - and how Sicily, with its melting pot of cultural influences, developed its distinctive dishes.

Featuring time-tested recipes for both iconic dishes and little-known gems, The Regional Italian Cookbook invites readers to bring a taste of Italy into their own homes.

First published in 1950, Il Cucchiaio d’Argento, published in English by Phaidon as The Silver Spoon, is the ultimate compilation of traditional home-cooking Italian dishes. A global bestseller, this book, together with its many offshoots, has taught home cooks around the world how to cook like an Italian and enrich their lives with fresh ingredients and delicious recipes.