Faith Willinger

Check out Nanamuta, corso Italia 35, in Florence for a bargain lunch or well priced dinner, and say hello to fantastic host Lorenzo Guidi for me.

Ciao Paula Of course I'm a big fan. The new book is simply beautiful. I'm so glad that your books finally have color photography. So what's next?

It seems that the Michelin feels that great food has to be French, or styled like French food. Even in Italy. I have a hard time taking their efforts outside France seriously.

Nanamuta, corso Italia 35, Florence, tel.055-267-5612, cool new favorite, inexpensive at lunch, larger, somewhat pricer in the evening, tell owner Lorenzo Guidi that I sent you.

Ciao Matthew I also love Il Buco, think the owner Peppino is as fantastic as his restaurant. And they just got a Michelin star. And you didn't mention the wonderful selection of wines, especially well-priced gems from the region. a presto Faith Willinger

Ciao Marc I agree with you. Although I'm crazy about regional food, I do get bored with "la solita pappa", same old, same old. But Italy is a small country, easy to get to someplace nearby with new, exciting dishes. And I make a lot of dishes that I've learned all over Italy. Seasonal changes also contribute to the thrill of Italian cooking. Primizia, the first produce of the season, is the sweetest. But I'm wild about Ultimizia, the last of the season, say goodbye for another year. At my market this morning, tomatoes were just about over, but cavolo nero and turnip greens attached to their turnips were at my favorite stand, the Innocenti brothers, sons of Torquato, my vegetable muse. a presto Faith

Ciao Beccaboo No matter how you cook your risotto, the better the rice, the better your dish will be. A packet of supermarket rice of dubious age will never produce the results of a fantastic artisanal rice. Baldo, Vialone Nano or Carnaroli will hold up best. Arborio is the worst choice. a presto Faith

Ciao Kevin I see the European Union trying to eliminate some traditional foods through overzealous sanitary codes. It's impossible to dry anything in the sun, outdoors with the screens and tiled rooms required by law. But, at the same time, I see a renewed interest in regional cultivars of fruits and vegetables, regional breeds of poultry and meat, artisanal cheese and bread. So all hope isn't lost. Slow Food is doing a great deal to preserve traditional products all over the world and create an awareness of the incroaching standardization that's the goal of the agro-alimentary industry. a presto Faith

Ciao Alberto I love the Osteria, a grocery store that serves food. Don't forget to check out the chocolate ladies at Persichella. a presto Faith Faith, thanks for the opinion on Don Alfonso, I should really try it again next time I visit my relatives in Naples. L'Europeo is one of my favorites in Naples, though my last visit is not as recent as I'd like, instead I never heard of Antichi Sapori before. I'll definitely have to give it a try, thanks for the tip! ciao e grazie, Alberto ←

Ciao Ludja I hunted for the book but couldn't find it, but think it was published in German and Italian. You might ask the Biblioteca Culinaria if they can find it for you. a presto Faith

Ciao Pia Italians have always been open to new ideas--look how quickly they accepted the tomato. And the great navigating nations brought back exotic ingredients. I agree with Raspelli when he criticizes restaurants for ordering quality but standard ingredients instead of focusing on the best local stuff. But I accept new ingredients if they make sense. Spain and Japan have certainly influenced everyone in the world of cuisine. But the best chefs are applying these ideas within the Italian idiom. I find it interesting, if not what I want to eat on a daily basis. I really don't think foams and jellys are here to stay. a presto Faith

Ciao Kevin Loosen up. Arthur, Culinaria and Marcella are simply 3 options. Do what feels comfortable. a presto Faith I think Arthur Schwartz writes that Campanians don't do this in the intro to Naples at Table. In Culinaria: Italy the authors make a similar observation about the Pugliese. EDIT: Marcella Hazan says exactly what you do about adding the garlic later. I still mix 'em, though. ←

Ciao Roberto Have you ever noticed that Italians, in Italy, identify themselves as from the city where they're from. They only call themselves Italians when they leave the country. I think that, once across the boarder, Italian restaurants serve the food that their clients expect and think of as Italian, either pan-Italian (not regional) or creative cooking with Italian ingredients. Not what the Italians actually ate at home. But regional cooking is getting more respect and I think that many restaurants, like Beppe and San Domenico in New York, serve some genuine, traditional Italian dishes. a presto Faith PS They guys from Baia Beniamin once snuck me across the boarder, I was without my passport, to visit a great market in Menton. Loved the experience.

Ciao Judith I hope they have a good time. They shouldn't miss the gelato at San Crispino in Rome, not far from the Pasta Museum. a presto Faith

Ciao Francesco Anyone who makes lattume jokes with the Brits is okay in my book. I tasted lattume for the first time on the island of Favignana. I saw that it was sold on Esperya a few years ago, and ordered it, to be sent to some friends at the Oxford Symposium. It never arrived. I think they were relieved. a presto Faith thank you for your answer. With regard to lattume, it's my favorite thing to cite when I want to disgust my British friends and colleagues I have never tasted it as I am from Liguria and I've only been in Sicily once a long time ago. Esperya used to sell it when Tombolini was running the company, but now, and not surprisingly, they don't carry it anymore. Francesco ←