Flavors of Friuli: A Culinary Journey through Northeastern Italy

Plump gnocchi stuffed with juicy plums and then tossed in browned butter, sugar, and cinnamon? How about pasta filled with dried figs and ricotta, or even chocolate and walnuts? Yes, Italian food is more than just spaghetti, and tiny FriuliVenezia Giuliahidden from tourist mobs in Italys northeast cornerboasts one of the countrys most distinctive regional cuisines. With influences from Austria, Hungary, and Slovenia, the Friulian people cleverly merge humble, local ingredients with exotic spices from foreign lands, resulting in a cuisine that, while often surprising in its blend of sweet and savory flavors, never ceases to delight the palate. In Flavors of Friuli, Elisabeth Antoine Crawford has compiled eighty of Friulis traditional recipesincluding frico (Montasio cheese crisps) and gubana (dried fruit and nut spiral cake)and presents them with clear instructions that any home cook can easily follow.