Enchanted Liguria: A Celebration of the Culture, Lifestyle and Food of the Italian Riviera [Hardcover]

David Downie (Author), Alison Harris (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 1997

To travelers, the Italian Riviera and its famous villages-- Portofino, the Cinque Terre-- have meant "vacation," "sea" and "sun" for more than a century. To food lovers everywhere its culinary triumphs such as pesto, focaccia and ravioli are icons of Italian cooking. Liguria is known as well for the trompe-l'oeil that decorates it architecture inside and out, and for its crafts-- furniture-making, boat-building and lace-weaving among others, for which it has been renowned for centuries.

This gorgeous book is devoted to Liguria, Italy's picturesque and culturally rich region that boasts a breathtaking Mediterranean seacoast and its mountainous "backyard." Downie's lively account of the fascinating history and lifestyle is matched by Harris's photographs of Liguria's dramatic locales, from Camogli, the "saltiest, most piratical town" on the Mediterranean, to the interior, a vast, vertical garden dotted with towns carved from the rugged landscape. Enchanted Liguria also includes rarely photographed interiors of grand aristocratic villas and elegant houses, some of which have been family homes since before the unification of Italy.

Thirty recipes from the region's best chefs reflect the taste of Liguria in a celebration of herbs, marvelous pastas, breads and seafood. The appendix is a guide to museums, villas, specialty food stores and workshops. Enchanted Liguria is a practical, essential and beautiful tribute.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David Downie is a contributing editor to Departures Magazine and Appellation, writes for a variety of international magazines and newspapers and is the author of a collection of travel essays on Paris.

Alison Harris is a photographer whose work appears in top magazines and in books featuring food, travel and portraiture.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli; First edition. edition (July 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847820076
• ISBN-13: 978-0847820078
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #564,446 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A native San Franciscan, I've called Paris home since 1986. I live and work in the Marais, and travel widely in France and Italy.
For over 20 years my travel, food, wine and arts features have appeared in about 50 magazines and newspapers worldwide, from Bon Appetit, Gastronomica, The Los Angeles Times and Town & Country Travel to the San Francisco Chronicle, concierge.com, epicurious.com, salon.com and gadling.com. I've been contributing editor, European arts editor or Paris correspondent for half a dozen magazines, and am currently a European correspondent for gadling, the popular literary travel website, as well as theramblingepicure.com, a site dedicated to real food.
My latest web venture is wanderingliguria.com, featuring everything you ever wanted to know about the Italian Riviera (Cinque Terre, Portofino, Genoa and more).
After writing a cookbook or two in the 1990s and early 2000s, I put together 30 essays about Paris and published them under the title Paris, Paris: Journey into the City of Light, with striking black-and-white photography by Alison Harris (www.alisonharris.com). The book got raves, went through multiple print runs, and was reissued in a fully updated, expanded and redesigned edition--with photos by Alison--in the prestigious Armchair Traveler series published by Broadway Books (Random House).
My other recent books include Paris City of Night, a classic thriller set in Paris; and three Terroir Guides--Food Wine Italian Riviera & Genoa, Food Wine Rome, and Food Wine Burgundy, published by The Little Bookroom.
In March 2011 the same publisher brought out the lavishly illustrated travel book Quiet Corners of Rome, with more stunning photography, again by Alison Harris.
For bite-sized portions, try some of the anthologies I've contributed to, from The Collected Traveler Paris, Southwest France and Italy to Salon.com's Wanderlust; Travelers Tales: Adventures in Wine Country; Saveur Cooks Authentic French and Italian; Pizza: A Slice of Heaven; the best-selling Secrets of the Code and Secrets of Angels & Demons; the humor anthology By The Seat of My Pants; and A Moveable Feast.
After a quarter century I continue to enjoy living in Paris, and working and traveling throughout Europe, especially Italy. And I enjoy sharing my experiences with my readers, and taking them on private tours of Paris, Rome, Burgundy and the Italian Riviera. Please visit my personal website www.davidddownie.com and my "Paris, Paris Tours" blog site: http://parisparistours.blogspot.com/. All the best, David

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Visit to the Italian Riviera, January 18, 2000

By 

David Wihowski (Milwaukee, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Enchanted Liguria: A Celebration of the Culture, Lifestyle and Food of the Italian Riviera (Hardcover)

If you are just looking for a bunch of regional recipes this book is not for you. If you want to make a vicarious journey to Liguria through the eyes of this book, then it is for you. Thankfully the authors do not overly romanticize Liguria. They take you into the backwoods, hills, and farms, not just the charming ocean villages. Only about 1/4 of this book is recipes. But when you come away with a "feel" for a region and not just a laundry list of recipes, you have a larger experience than just food. I wish more regional cookbooks gave you this kind of glimpse into the region. Despite all of this, I think there could have been more recipes. I learned so much about Liguria from this book. I just wanted more ways of bringing Ligurian food "home" to my kitchen. Whenever I can afford a trip to Italy, it will contain a stop in Liguria all because of this book.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars superb, August 10, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Enchanted Liguria: A Celebration of the Culture, Lifestyle and Food of the Italian Riviera (Hardcover)

It's the next best thing to being in Italy. William Murray, long-time New Yorker contributor and author of Italy, the Fatal Gift

For good reason, the region has been called "Enchanted Liguria" by authors David Downie and Alison Harris. In their lavishly illustrated book (Rizzoli, 1997), this husband-and-wife team have vividly captured the culture, history, and daily life of this delightful place in pictures and words. Lorna Sass, Los Angeles Times syndicate

David Downie investigates the unique and often misunderstood character of Liguria and how that is reflected in its architecture, lifestyle and cuisine. It's a fascinating but unromanticized view of an insular people... Daniel Young, New York Daily News

Beautifully presented... this book closes the way all fine things Italian must -- with a good meal, and Downie's flourish of fine wine and recipes leaves readers with a sense of Liguria that is as satisfyingly complete as it is mouthwateringl! y inviting. San Francisco Sunday Examiner

Complete with authentic recipes, stunning photography by Alison Harris, and a detailed guide to cultural and epicurean hot spots, the 208-page book captures the spirit and customs of the hidden hilltop villages and enticing Riviera beaches of northwest Italy's Liguria region. Appellation Magazine

Splendid illustrations and equally well written... This book is an act of love, but first and foremost a work of meticulous, heartfelt research... a tale of traditions, landscapes and beauties that, often, even Ligurians themselves do not know... Many will be surprised to discover a fantastic reality that they see every day and, precisely because of that, fail to capture. Il Secolo XIX, major Italian daily

The fruit of their labor is a very interesting book, destined to arouse the curiosity even of those who know -- or pretend to know -- Liguria inside and out. Il Giornale, major Italian daily

5.0 out of 5 stars Good read, January 2, 2012

By 

Eye Forget - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Enchanted Liguria: A Celebration of the Culture, Lifestyle and Food of the Italian Riviera (Hardcover)

I ordered this book to prepare for a trip to Liguria. We spend months in Italy every year and try to learn something about the region before we leave.

I found Enchanted Liguria a wonderful blend of history, culture and food. It's a quick read, I could not put it down. This is not a restaurant guide. If you are looking for that, there the three main Italian one's with Osteria d'Italia being the only I have found to be consistently reliable.