I’d not known, and neither had a lot of friends, much about Istrian cuisine which is a rich blend of Venice and Vienna, Hungary and the Balkans. It was enlightening to read Istria: Recipes and stories from the hidden heart of Italy, Slovenia and Croatia.
This is Paola Bacchia’s second cookbook and is an inspiring guide through culture, history and traditions with many personal anecdotes.With beautiful photographs, its recipes encompass traditional soups, antipasta, pasta, gnocchi and risotto, savoury pies, veges and desserts.
From roasted fennel soup to homemade pasta eaten with rich ragu – to Palacinche (crepes), fish brodetto to apricot streudel, this is an outstanding cookbook.
reviewed by Karen Williams
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I am Paola (though I generally get called Paula) and my family is Italian – mamma was from the Veneto region and my father was from the Istrian peninsula (these days divided between Italy, Slovenia and Croatia). I live in Melbourne, Australia. My love of Italy and its food is part of the journey I am taking to embrace the growing, making and sharing of food through the culture that my parents gave me. Eating and sharing food go hand in hand. Our memories of food are often linked to places, people, events and feelings. I share stories about the food I cook at home and its memories.
I return to Italy every year to explore the food and culture, visiting friends and spending time with my extended family, sharing meals, talking and hearing stories of days long gone. I love sharing these visits through the photos that you will see in my blog posts and on my social media feeds. I have run food tours in Italy in previous years (pre-pandemic) and hope to again! My mother was from a tiny town on the outskirts of Treviso and she was my greatest food inspiration.
I started this blog in late 2011 and was (briefly) on Masterchef series 4 in 2012. I have written and photographed three cookbooks: Italian Street Food (2016; 2nd edition 2021), Adriatico (2018) and Istria (2021).
I would love for you to be inspired to explore your own memories of food and family; I hope you enjoy reading my stories, looking at my photos and cooking the simple Italian food that I love.
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