Appetito: The Life, Soul and Tastes of Italian Home Cooking

by Alison Ranwell

From the rugged Alpine mountains to the glistening shores of the Amalfi Coast, Appetito paints a vivid portrait of Italy’s luscious landscapes, treasured traditions, and deliciously simple dishes. Bringing together her family’s favourites, Alison’s recipes focus on the magic of minimal, good quality ingredients. Told through generous glugs of olive oil, the click of Alison’s camera, and the joyous clinking of glasses, Appetito is more than just a cookbook it’s an intimate collection of photography and food stories that invites readers into the very heart and soul of an Italian family kitchen.

Find Italian classics such as
- Carbonara alla Romana
- Aubergine Parmigiana
- Spaghetti allo Scoglio
- Bucatini all'Amatriciana and
- Classic Tiramisù,

regional specialities like
- Fava Bean Soup with Chicory
- Focaccia Pugliese
- Tyrolean Canederli Dumplings
- Butter Baked Scallops and
- Torta Caprese Almond & Chocolate Cake,

and discover quirky Italian recipes, including
- Pesto, Potato and Green Bean Trofie
- Torta Pasqualina Easter Quiche
- Nonna Lili's Artichokes
- Chocolate Salame and
- Strawberry Tiramisù

264 pages, Hardcover

Published January 27, 2025

About the author

Writer, photographer, and passionate foodie, Alison is the owner of Italian food business Mangia Mangia ('Eat up, Eat up') and founder of ‘The Italian Way’ food, travel and lifestyle blog.

After 20 years in Italy, she opened Mangia Mangia in England intent on sharing her mother-in-law's lasagne. She now divides her time between Veneto and the cathedral city of Lichfield hosting culinary evenings, mixing spritzes at summer festivals, and stocking a market stall with homemade tiramisù and Nonna Lili’s Lasagne.

Outside of the kitchen, Alison can be found exploring Italian food markets or seeking out the lesser-known bàcari of Venice with Francesco and their daughters, camera in one hand, Campari spritz in the other.

Find 'Appetito' in the following indie bookshops:
Books for Cooks, Nottinghill, London, UK
Libreria Acqua Alta, Venice, Italy
Cook, Book, Bake, Brighton, UK
on Amazon, Waterstones, Kindle and Bookshop.org and from her publishers Meze through https://alisonranwell.com.
Keep up to date with Alison on https://www.instagram.com/alisonranwell/