Williams-Sonoma Foods of the World: Florence: Authentic Recipes Celebrating the Foods of the World Hardcover – September 1, 2004

Great cookbook I am giving it as a gift

After buying this cookbook for myself I liked it so much I bought them for some of my friends. Not only are their good regional recipes but beautiful pictures of the city as well as information about various areas and markets in the city and about the different wines, cured meats and different coffee drinks popular in the area - the descriptions were very informative to help you distinguish the differences between the items and taste your way through Florence. I have bought a few other books in the series and they were mehhh...this one is by far the best.

I've collected several of the Williams-Sonoma city series, and "Florence" is as remarkable as the rest. Beautiful photos of the locals with pages of recipes included.However, the series is dated. But then again that to me personally is actually a good thing here. The featured cities show them in the light of a bygone time that will not be replaced ever again. For instance, Florence in pictured here in the late 90's early 2000's. There was still an air of authenticity then. Nowadays Florence, while tiny, is packed with big chain stores in its historic core. So it looks like a shopaholic's mall albeit with cobblestones and historic buildings.

I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the hardcover book that there was an introduction to Florence with a map and in depth information regarding the food culture of Florence. Having spent 4 days in Florence during a trip through Italy, it was nice to get re-acquainted with this lovely city and it's foods. The recipes are easy to follow. Well worth getting if you love authentic Italian food!

If you have visited Florence, and liked it, you'll enjoy re-experiencing your visit via Williams Sonoma Foods of the World series cookbook 'Florence' through classic recipes and large photographs of the regional dishes. The recipes are authentic to Tuscano, easy to prepare, delicious, and require ingredients that are attainable in the US. The book is good sized, easy to read (no teeny tiny text that requires a magnifying glass), and inspires spur-of-the-moment answers to, "What's for dinner?" This is a serious book for conscientious people who love to cook.

I have all the Foods of the World books, I really enjoy them. The beginning of the book starts with info about Florence, the markets, the common food staples and the history of them. Then it goes through recipes of classic dishes from the area, from antipasti to desserts. Great for cooks who genuinely want to learn the building blocks of cooking from certain regions.

-nice light balanced healthy flavors-recipes easy to follow with consistent delivery

Florence is a glorious place and books/recipes connect you with the feel of travel. I purchase these kinds of books to reacquaint me with visits. I do try the recipes, but that's only for fun and what I can translate to home. I recommend such books, lest I forget the memories and tastes of the experience. Pat Smith