Introduction

From a very early age, I understood the basic principles of Italian food. That it should respect the seasons in terms of the ingredients used, that food should be sourced as locally as possible, and that ultimately the less you mess around with it all the better! I grew up celebrating the great love affair of my parents in a huge house in Tuscany filled with friends and family. Everything seemed to circulate around the activities of the dining room and kitchen. As a little girl and the youngest of a large brood, I would gravitate towards the kitchen, where my mother was often found discussing menus and recipes with various other members of the household. Over intense conversations about the quality of ingredients or the quantities required for the next lunch or dinner, the seeds of my growing passion for cooking and for food were deeply sown. And my understanding of the subtleties, which underlie something so apparently simple, was possibly the most valuable lesson of all.