"An informed and enthusiastic culinary tour of the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna . . . [with] certifiably splendid . . . dishes" — Kirkus Reviews Just when you thought you knew the best of Northern Italy, along comes Lynne Rossetto Kasper to introduce you to Emilia-Romagna, a fertile wedge between Milan, Venice, and Florence, as gastronomically important as any land in the world. The lush homeland of balsamic vinegar, Prosciutto di Parma, tortellini, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, this is a region venerated by Italy's food cognoscenti. "Ask an Italian where to take only one meal in Italy, and, after recommending his mother's house, he will more than likely send you to Emilia Romagna" writes Kasper. The first American book to present the food of this singular northern region, The Splendid Table will take you from Parma, Bologna, Modena, Ravenna, and Ferrara to tiny villages in the foothills of the Apennines, from Renaissance banquet halls to the simplest of farmhouses, offering history, folklore, full-color photographs and substantive cooking tips along the way. With over 200 recipes with wine and menu suggestions, including over thirty desserts and a fifty-six recipe pasta chapter containing many dishes never before seen in America, The Splendid Table will become a good friend, well thumbed and lovingly stained over years of good cooking and good reading. "[Kasper] pays homage to recipes ranging from the 16th century . . . to the eighteenth . . . but pays equal and fascinating attention to modern inventions." — Publishers Weekly "One of the most informative and irresistible books ever written about the food of Italy." —Anna Teresa Callen, author of My Love for Naples and Food and Memories of Abruzzo