Kitchen Arts and Letters—

These two books mark the start of a publishing program we want to see take root.

Oronzo Editions, based in New York, is translating a series of books on the food and traditions of different regions of Italy, originally published by the Padova-based Franco Muzzio Editore. Oronzo’s first two volumes are disarmingly simple in appearance, but they are also wonderful examples of that overused phrase, thinking outside the box.

Sicily is arranged not by course, but as a tour of the major cities and their local cuisine. Coria, a scholar of the Arab influence in Sicilian history, writes with an appealing frankness that would never survive an editor’s pencil at a US publishing house: The name of this dish is more interesting than the recipe itself, he notes at one point before offering a digressive sidebar worthy of Pellegrino Artusi. 

Puglia was Ferrante’s effort to chronicle the earthy cooking of her home region before it disappeared into the tide of culinary homogenization that threatens Italy and elsewhere. In place of Coria’s scholarly observations, she offers essays on staple foods (olives, pork), farming practices, and holiday traditions.

In short, this is an utterly diverting pair of books which we’re delighted to share.

Puglia: A Culinary Memoir 

In what is promised as the first in a series of regional cookbooks originally published by Franco Muzzio Editore, publisher Oronzo brings to America Ferrante’s tour of Puglia, nestled in the heel of Italy’s boot. Emphasizing traditional vegetable-based dishes and preparations some may characterize as “peasant food,” Ferrante does an exemplary job illustrating how Puglians make the most out of regional ingredients with dishes like a simple potato and artichoke gratin, stuffed zucchini and salt cod in a basic tomato sauce. Carnivores may be disappointed with the emphasis on vegetables; only a handful of chicken, pork and lamb dishes are included, though a recipe like “Rabbit with Potatoes” illustrates savvy use of inexpensive protein. Interspersed with stories about everything from weekly routines and evening pastimes to the glory of olives, readers will be hungering for a simple, traditional Puglian meal before they’ve finished a chapter.

—Publishers Weekly

Sicily: Culinary Crossroads

“Giuseppe Coria is one of the giants of Sicilian food writing and, in fact, of Italian food writing. In this excellent translation by Gaetano Cipolla those who don’t read Italian finally will be introduced to the most elegant and charming culinary writing to be found in any language. This is not just a compilation of recipes you’ve seen before. This is a deep, sympathetic, and rich exploration of the cuisine that exists on the island of Sicily and its influences told by one of the preeminent Sicilian experts. This book is a treasure and belongs in the library of anyone who cherishes tradition, gastronomy, and good food.” 

—Clifford A. Wright, author of Cucina Paradiso: The Heavenly Food of Sicily