A Ligurian Kitchen is a sophisticated love story between the author and the land whose foods and people she vividly describes. It's a lively, pulsating account of the intermingling of life and cuisine in the best tradition of the cookbook memoir. Born and raised in Torino, Italy, Laura Giannatempo spent most summers growing up at her family's seaside house in Liguria, a narrow strip of beautiful coastal land in the northwest of Italy known as the Italian Riviera. Here she developed a passion for the region's vibrant food—refreshing and piquant, best known for its lavish use of fish as well as fresh herbs and produce.

Quintessential regional specialties such as Trofie con Pesto alla Genovese (Trofie Pasta with Pesto, Green Beans, and Potatoes) and focaccia fill the book's pages, along with original dishes like Maltagliati con Pesto Piccantino (Fresh Maltagliati with Spicy Purple Pesto) and Ciuppin con Crostoni di Paprika (Ligurian Seafood Bisque with Paprika Crostoni). You'll be tantalized by the delights of seafood lasagna and olive oil gelato—but breezy tales of lovable uncles and a lyrical account of making pasta in the midst of a thundering storm tempt just as much.

With 100 mouth-watering recipes and a beautiful selection of color photographs, Giannatempo takes you on a spirited gastronomic journey through "that extraordinary marriage of land and sea that is Ligurian cuisine." The recipes—rendered with a decidedly modern flair—are peppered by zestful portraits of artisanal bread bakers and wine makers, along with evocative reminiscences that are part memoir, part diary and travelogue with a dash of humor.