Florentine | Emiko Davies

Florentine: The True Cuisine of Florence is award-winning food writer Emiko Davies' love letter to her adopted home city. This exquisitely produced 256-page clothbound hardback with distinctive orange sprayed page edges earned both the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards' Best Italian Cuisine Book 2017 and the ABDA's Designers' Choice Book of the Year, testament to its exceptional quality.

Davies draws on more than a decade living in Florence to share recipes that transport readers to the Renaissance city's piazzas, pastry shops, and trattorias. The collection offers a local's perspective on Florentine cuisine—dishes uniquely tied to this specific place rather than generic "Italian food." Each recipe connects to the city's history, seasonal rhythms, and the proud Florentines who preserve their unchanging culinary traditions.

The book guides readers through a day in Florence, from morning rituals at la pasticceria (the pastry shop) and il forno (the bakery), through the fresh produce of il mercato (the market) and il maccellaio (the butcher), to the evening romance of la trattoria. Along the way, Davies shares beloved traditional dishes like schiacciata fiorentina (orange and vanilla cake), apricot jam crostata, piselli alla fiorentina (peas cooked in tomato sauce), and cinghiale con le olive (stewed wild boar).

From reassuringly nonna-esque torta di mele (apple cake) to mouthwatering pear and ricotta ravioloni, the recipes reflect Florence's devotion to seasonal ingredients and time-honored preparation methods. The 2020 edition includes Davies' comprehensive restaurant guide with neighborhood itineraries, shopping recommendations for gourmands, and a complete address book for eating and drinking like a true Florentine.