Di Palo’s Guide to the Essential Foods of Italy: 100 Years of Wisdom and Stories from Behind the Counter

Lou DiPalo (Di Palo Fine Foods) and Rachel Warner (Edible Manhattan /Brooklyn) tell the story of the Di Palo family’s specialty food shop in New York City, which stretches across four generations. After more than a century, this neighborhood Italian food mecca stands as a microcosm of world-class Italian gourmet specialties and is where, as Martin Scorsese’s introduction states, “memories of home” still echo. Di Palo describes history, culinary tradition, and sourcing of 15 classic Italian foodstuffs: mozzarella, pecorino, ricotta, grana, parmigiano-reggiano, piave, and mountain cheeses; sea salt, coffee, olive oil, balsamic vinegar; prosciutto, pasta, and speck. Dense with information about regional origins, the book also includes 16 family favorite recipes, such as Concetta Di Palo’s ricotta-packed meatballs and mamma Viola’s Lentil Soup with Prosciutto. Part travelogue and part users’ manual, Di Palo’s book is a personal geographical tour of Italian foodstuffs, artisans, and purveyors. (Sept.)