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Italian food is more complex than the romanticised image of busty mammas and capricious chefs would have us believe, according to John Dickie [¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Italian].

He argues that the cuisine of Dante's land is intrinsically linked to people and places. …

We learn, for example, that … in 1974, a group of Bologna's citizens were so concerned that tortellini should be made correctly that they filed a legal deed specifying the recipe for the filling.

Dickie's book brings to life the pride that Italians take in their food, and the strong sense of identity that accompanies it. Reading Delizia! all in one go would be a three-course feast, but it is an intriguing and eclectic book that can be dipped into over time.

Sarah Birke, 'New Statesman'