Mimi explores the beautiful coasts and countrysides of Italy in this lavishly photographed cookbook featuring simple, authentic recipes inspired by the country's devoted producers and rich food heritage.

Through her gorgeous cookbooks A Kitchen in France and French Country Cooking, a generation of readers fell in love with Mimi Thorisson, her lively family, and their band of smooth fox terriers. In their newest cookbook, the Thorissons put a pause on their lives in the idyllic French countryside to start a new adventure in Italy and satisfy their endless curiosity and passion for the magic of Italian cooking.

Old World Italian captures their journey and the culinary treasures they discovered. From Tuscany to Umbria to Naples and more, Mimi dives into Italy's diverse regional cuisines and shares 100 recipes for authentic, classic dishes, enriched by conversations with devoted local food experts who share their time-worn techniques and stories. You'll luxuriously indulge in dishes culled from across the country, such as plump agnolotti bathed in sage and butter from the north, the tomato-rich ragus and pastas of the southwest, and the multi-faceted, seafood-laden cuisine of Sicily. The mysteries of Italian food culture will unravel as you learn to execute a perfect Neapolitan-style pizza at home or make the most sublime, yet elemental cacio e pepe.

Full of local color, history, and culture, plus evocative, sumptuous photography shot by husband Oddur Thorisson, Old World Italian transports you to a seat at the family's table in Italy, where you may never want to leave.

Pages: 304

ISBN: 9780525610403

Mimi Thorisson is a French cook and writer living with her family between Médoc, France, and Turin, Italy. She is the author of A Kitchen in France and French Country Cooking and runs the award-winning food blog Manger, which documents her cooking adventures in Médoc and around Italy.

“This is an impeccably styled record from a keen-eyed outsider looking in.”—Publishers Weekly
 
“Each recipe and anecdote from her life in her adopted city of Turin is incredibly transportive—and, it turns out, easier to re-create than you might think.”—Domino 
 
“This time, [Mimi]’s traveled to Italy in Old World Italian, sharing her journey and dishes with us—something that feels especially novel and special, given many of us are unable to travel at the moment.”—Chowhound
 
“Thorisson is a thoughtful guide; her introductions to each chapter and recipe tell stories of the recipe’s origins, and she adds in whispering encouragements where needed.”—Epicurious
 
“A tribute to the home cooking of real families across the country.”—Wall Street Journal

“These stories and recipes are a real tribute to everything I love about Italy. Mimi has successfully shared what is important in the Italian culinary tradition: seasonal ingredients at their best, careful attention to local traditions, and regional recipes that are delicious and attainable for the home cook. The stories are written with a contemporary vision and appreciation for old-world cuisine, and the photos and recipes are exquisite. This book is a must-have for both younger and older generations who want to cook and understand the beauty of Italian food.”—Lidia Bastianich

“Passion, place, and family permeate the writing and recipes in Old World Italian.  As you get lost in Mimi’s poetic words, you are transported to Torino, Italy—you can almost taste the freshness of the basil and hear the kiddos running about as the adults ceremoniously sip their aperitivo.  Many of us dream of the romantic notion of picking up our lives to follow our heart—Mimi actually did it. And with ease, grace, and authenticity. Every recipe is imbued with love—these are not meals to look at, they are dishes to savor, that have a sense of history and tradition, captured through a modern and fearless lens.”—Athena Calderone

“Mimi’s words and recipes have the power to transport us to another time and place, one of magic and plenty, of deep feeling and treasured memories. But her most endearing trait, beyond how beautifully she writes and that her delicious and deeply relevant recipes always work, is how warm and inviting she is both on and off the page. Viva Italia, and viva Mimi! Old World Italian is a treasure—a guide to embracing life, and Italy, with open arms.”—Sarah Copeland