For many years this marvelously evocative book has been essential reading for the traveler wanting to savor the cuisine of Italy as well as to tour its cities and countryside. And it has been equally indispensable for the cook wishing to capture the subtleties of the Italian palate in his or her own kitchen. With great learning and omnivorous curiosity, Waverley Root explores all of the byways of a cuisine so nuanced that event the basic ragu Bolognese has some two hundred variations.