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Food & Wine

My New Rome Book Has Arrived!

My new book, Rome: A Culinary History, Cookbook, and Field Guide to Flavors that Built a City, has officially dropped,…

Guide to the Best Gelato in Rome

Gelato is one of Italy’s great culinary contributions, but the truth is, much of what’s out there in Rome is…

Best Gelato in Rome | Katie Parla

Recipes for the Feast of Seven Fishes

I grew up in an Italian American family in New Jersey, where’s it’s practically the law to celebrate Christmas Eve…

la marina ponza fish Katie Parla

Holiday Gift Guide: What to Get the Italy Lovers in Your Life

This year can end on a high note! I guess one way to do it is to craft yourself a…

A Gastronomic Road Trip From Rome to Naples

While the high-speed train zips between Rome and Naples in just over an hour, I much prefer to meander between…

People often ask me if I ever get tired of traveling. It's a reasonable question. I write guidebooks, host trips, spend a disproportionate amount of time thinking about far-flung restaurants, and seem to have made a career out of getting on trains. But no, I don't get tired of it. That's partly because traveling for work and traveling for myself feel like two entirely different things now. Guidebook research requires constant scrutiny. A recommendation can't rest on a good meal I had five years ago or a hotel I remember fondly. Places change, restaurants lose their way, hotels grow tired, and a perfectly good walking route can be disrupted by a bridge closure or by changes in a neighborhood an occasional visitor would never recognize. My job is to notice everything, verify it, and distill it through the eyes of someone arriving for the first time. I enjoy that work, but it demands a particular kind of vigilance and attention. When I travel for myself, I let all of that go. e curti pasta katie parla

Pesto Recipes from the Italian Islands

Certain brand names become eponymous with the products or foods they represent. Even in this new era of heightened awareness…