Ligurian cuisine is multiform, colorful, and above all rich in contrasts because Liguria is the same way: made of high mountains that run quickly toward the coast, of sea and forest, Levante and Ponente, of maritime and peasant culture but also mercantile and cosmopolitan, shy and reserved, yet open to the world.

The recipes contained in this book are just a taste of traditional Ligurian cuisine, a selection of the most famous recipes among the hundreds still hiding in the folds of the Ligurian valleys and behind the pastel-colored facades of its fishing villages. This book is an act of love for the flavors, terroir, and history of Liguria--a culinary journey through a region where everything is used, and where past and present, simplicity and creativity all have influence in the kitchen.

Enrica Monzani shares the tastes and aromas of home, the land that Ligurian sailors longed for while on their long voyages at sea.