βClose your eyes. Imagine a sunny garden with a long table laden with delicious food and wine. Picture the views around you, and breathe in the scents of the season. Everyone around the table is happy and relaxed. You have all the time in the world and, for a little while at least, tomorrow is far, far away. You are dreaming of Italy.β Italians take great pleasure and pride in communal eating, especially if there is something to celebrate. The Italian countryside has a rich and diverse culinary tradition that has evolved around special times of the year such as holidays, harvests and local festivals. With Festa Italiana, the highly anticipated follow-up to βA Kitchen with a View,β Letizia Mattiacci undertakes a culinary journey exploring the traditions of her native Umbria, their cultural significance and memories of family celebrations. This exploration of festive foods begins with a simple bread and its many wonderful variations, from Torta di Pasqua to Maritozzi, from Pan Nociato to Arvoltolo. Inspired by the seasons and by local events, Letizia presents a variety of dishes from rustic salads to delicate risottos, simple pastas to elegant mains and desserts. Letiziaβs style of cooking is contemporary, seasonal, light, and can be reproduced by anyone who wishes to cook and eat like a true Italian. Over the years her recipes have been enjoyed in many homes around the world by her readers and by the students of Alla Madonna del Piatto cooking school. Richly illustrated with atmospheric images of village festivals, Italian street life and mouthwatering food photography, Festa Italiana will find a special place in your kitchen and in your heart for joyous parties as well as everyday feasts.