Learn about Cookbooks

"If you haven't cooked from a cookbook, I don't think you have given the book the love it deserves," says Paola Bacchia, fellow cookbook author and blogger at Italy On My Mind. I agree, and I'm really happy that she is giving some love to Preserving Italy on her beautiful blog. Paola says one of her goals this year is to cook more from all the cookbooks she owns ~ instead of just looking longingly at them. I love this idea, and I'm going to try to do the same, as I have dozens (and dozens) of books that I keep meaning to cook from but never seem to get around to doing it. This month, Paola shares the recipe for Ligurian cheese focaccia (my adaptation of the famous Focaccia di Recco). She pairs the focaccia with lentil soup and a honey ricotta cake from author Tessa Kirios (another culinary crush of mine). If you're not familiar with Paola's blog (she's based in Melbourne, Australia, but like me travels often to Italy for research and inspiration), you really should have a look ~ her recipes are inspiring, and her photos, both of food and of her travels throughout Italy, are stunning.