The Food Lover's Guide to the Gourmet Secrets of Rome [Hardcover]

Diane Seed (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 5, 2006

When in Rome, eat as the Romans do! Discover the hidden gourmet joys of eating and drinking in Rome just like the locals. Organized by neighborhood, the book is a tour through the gourmet treasures of the eternal city and features detailed reviews of it's best restaurants, markets, and specialty shops. Diane Seed, a locally based food expert and teacher, packs each section with details about which products or wines to seek out, which local eateries are musts, and which not-to-be-missed dishes are authentically local such as the fried artichokes of Trastevere or the Orvieto from the hills outside the city. Seed divides Rome into nine prime areas to explore, coordinating her culinary suggestions with the major sites in each area sure to be on a visitor's itinerary. Peppered throughout are forty traditional Roman recipes usually taught at the author's cooking school in the Piazza Venezia neighborhood.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Hot restaurants, open-markets, and small family-run shops among the stopos on these lavishly illustrated culinary tours." -- Nov06 FOUR SEASONS HOTELS & RESORTS

About the Author

Diane Seed, author of the best-selling The Top One Hundred Pasta Sauces, has lived in Rome for 28 years and runs a cooking school in her home in the beautiful Doria Pamphili palace in the centre of Rome at Piazza Venezia.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Universe (December 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789315009
• ISBN-13: 978-0789315007
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 0.9 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,438,712 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book ever on Roman dining!, March 25, 2008

By 

Julianne Klein "JBK Travel" (Boston MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Food Lover's Guide to the Gourmet Secrets of Rome (Hardcover)

I just returned from Rome having read Diane Seed's book prior to my departure. Armed with my notes for the kind of places and areas that I like, I ate exclusivley at her recommendations. They were all spot on; believe me, Diane Seed is the real deal! She knows her carciofi from her zucchini. I have lived in Italy in the past, was a former chef, speak Italian, and work in the travel world, and all I can say is for my last meal on earth I would request the Artichokes al Mattone at Evangelista for my piece of heaven on earth.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of the guides I used, May 1, 2010

By 

bearded academic (East Lansing, MI USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Food Lover's Guide to the Gourmet Secrets of Rome (Hardcover)

I just returned from using this book as one of my guides to rome.

A quick comment: I'm one of those folks who likes to shop the local markets while visiting. I'm less of a restaurant person.

The book was by far the best of the food guides. It led to many wonderful shops throughout Rome (the book divides Rome into several distinct areas). For example, I had three mozarellas that were very different and yet all much better than anything I've ever had in the US. I experienced several different espressos at different cafes.

The one serious drawback is that the book is a coffee table sized book. You cannot put it in your pocket and mid-day pull it out and say "what's a good market nearby?" You have to plan your day and make notes about where to visit and what to purchase. I hauled it to Rome anyway after photocopying pages created a pile of paper that seemed likely to get scattered and confused. I was glad I did.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SHE KNOWS ROME, March 11, 2011

By 

E. HOENSHELL WATSON "alma brasiliera" (hudson valley new york) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Food Lover's Guide to the Gourmet Secrets of Rome (Hardcover)

I HAVE JUST RETURNED FROM A TEN DAY STAY IN ROME AND THIS BOOK WAS AN INVALUABLE AND INSPIRATIONAL BOOK/GUIDE WHILE THERE IN THE ETERNAL CITY. I AM A FOOD PROFESSIONAL (ARTISAN BAKER), SO MY FOCUS WAS REALLY ABOUT FOOD, AND HOW IT IS SO INTEGRAL TO ITALIAN CULTURE. HER STORIES OF EACH NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE DETAILS OF THE INDIVIDUAL MARKETS, SPECIALTY FOOD STORES, BAKERIES AND RESTAURANTS WAS FABULOUS AND REALLY INFORMED WITH A PALETTE!

WHILE THE MYRIAD RECIPES ARE SCALED DOWN AND SIMPLIFIED, THE AUTHOR IS A WELL-KNOWN ITALIAN COOKING TEACHER IN ROME, SHE HERSELF IS RECOMMENDED IN OTHER GUIDE BOOKS AS AN INSTRUCTOR WITH COURSES TO TAKE AS A TRAVEL EXPERIENCE.

I PARTICULARLY LIKE HER INDIVIDUAL VOICE WITH REGARDS TO HISTORY AND HER INDIVIDUAL ROMAN EXPERIENCES. IT IS A BOOK TO STUDY AND TAKE NOTES FROM AND EVEN TRAVEL WITH AND READ WHILE THERE--NOT A BOOK TO WALK THE CITY WITH THOUGH DUE TO ITS SIZE.

I AM VERY GRATEFUL TO HER FOR THE INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE OF A CITY SHE THOROUGHLY LOVES--THIS LOVE IS INFECTIOUS!