In this very personal reflection on the nexus of great food, friends and sense of place, John Bersani takes you into the heart of his village of 2,750 souls and, by extension, into his kitchen.

This is a book filled with delicious recipes and spot-on smart advice for home cooks, presented through a series of up-close-and-personal encounters with the author’s circle of local friends. If you love Italy, love to cook Italian food, or just want to escape to a beautiful place from the comfort of your couch, this is a book for you.      

 
 

Part cookbook, part memoir, and part exploration of the lives of his friends in the village of Gaiole, Italy, longtime resident John Bersani compiles recipes and shares stories from 20 local chefs and home cooks. Together, they paint a vibrant portrait of the community and its culinary traditions, nestled in the heart of the Chianti wine region, providing an authentic glimpse into Tuscan home cooking.

Ideal for serious home cooks and those with a passion for Italy, this beautifully photographed book will inspire readers to either travel to this enchanting region or bring its flavors into their own kitchens.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Bersani is a writer, teacher and passionate advocate of Italian food, wine and culture. A 2nd generation Italian-American with roots in his grandparent’s kitchen, John’s cooking philosophy has been shaped by more than 20 years of living in a small hilltop town in central Tuscany. When he’s not in the kitchen, chances are John is off sharing his inside knowledge of the Tuscan countryside with small bespoke tour groups, discovering new culinary inspiration up and down the Italian boot, or spending time with his wife and three adult children.

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Nico Schinco is a free-lance photographer based in Queens, NY working in food, cookbooks, travel, still-life, and editorial. His recent work can be seen in: Pasta Every Day from Voracious, a 2024 James Beard Award winner and a New York Times Best Cookbook of 2023; Mayumu: Filipino American Desserts Remixed from Harvest, a 2024 James Beard Award winner and a New York Times Best Cookbook of 2023; and Snackable Bakes and Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes both from Countryman Press.

Publisher: The Collective Book Studio

Length: 272 pages
ISBN13: 9781685558192
Distributed by Simon & Schuster