OP: Parma: A Capital of Italian Gastronomy
Academia Barilla, Parma, 2005. Hardcover. Near Fine. First printing.
Situated in the fertile Po river valley, Parma historically found itself at the center of many trade routes, making it a thriving trade center. Though absorbing the influences of shifting empires and the merchants passing through, the city maintained a distinct culinary identity, which the folks at Academia Barilla (yes, the pasta brand) felt was important enough to be documented in this book.
Despite the branded partnership, Parma is not written to sell a product and does not name drop or put undue focus on pasta dishes. Rather, it is as thoughtful and intentional as Bugialli’s other regional books, maintaining the depth and rigor we’d come to expect and fitting in nicely to his complete oeuvre.
A few tempting offerings:
- Parpadelle with duck and porcini sauce
- Tripe simmered in a brothy tomato sauce, topped with Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Lemon-marinated trout baked in parchment with butter and rosemary
- Dessert potato bodino, flavored with almonds, rum, and candied orange peel and served with zabaione
Ours is a Near Fine first printing with light shelfwear and rounding about the corners. A relatively uncommon find in the US.
