Campania: Recipes and Wanderings Across Italy's Polychromic Coast

Among the manifold mysteries of the American publishing industry is the rarity of books on one of the most storied regions of Italy, Campania, which includes Naples, the Amalfi Coast, and countless historic sites. To say nothing of how many Americans of Italian heritage can trace their roots there.

This small, handsomely photographed book produced by the Belmond hotel group is more evocative than comprehensive, offering color-saturated photographs of coastline, street scenes, and food along with slightly more than twenty recipes.

The food is largely traditional, with an occasional flourish from one of the local chefs. Among the recipes:

• Vesuvius frittata, which instead of being fiery, emphasizes vegetables from the volcanically-enriched soil near the mountain

• Spaghetti with lemon and capers

• Caprese salad, employing buffalo mozzarella

• Caruso gimlet, made with Amalfi lemons rather than limes

Seven Italian food writers have contributed essays on Campania’s culinary character and the book concludes with a foreigner’s appreciation: an essay by Ireland’s own Darina Allen.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.