Rosemary And Bitter Oranges

Patrizia Chen

This rich combination of cookbook and memoir tells the story of a family and the secrets of its kitchen in post-World War II Tuscany.

Suffused with the scents of simmering pots of cacciucco - a hearty local seafood stew - and the vibrant coastal blossoms Patrizia Chen's childhood was centred in the sun-drenched kitchen and adjoining herb garden of the family home in Livorno on the Tuscan seacoast. There in a world struggling to recover from the devastation of the Second World War Emilia the cook shared her craft with her young charge while Patrizia's grandmother Nonna Valentina managed a household still containing chamber pots sacks of chestnut flour and coal-burning stoves. Eccentric characters aromatic dishes white Carrara marble terraces and a magical garden come alive in a warm and humorous narrative.

Rosemary and Bitter Oranges will captivate readers with its simple delicious food and the author's wit and abiding love for tradition.

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