Over the past decade, as regional Italian cuisines have been increasingly popular, Italy's Piedmont has become recognized not just for its industry, but also for wonderful food and wine. As the world's attention focuses on the 2006 Winter Olympics, to be held in Piedmont, Cucina Piemontese provides an opportunity to explore the region's cooking, known for its use of butter, cream, beef, and truffles, as well as humbler ingredients such as pasta, polenta, and root vegetables.

More than 95 recipes for such dishes as Breadstick Soup (Zuppa Valdese), Sweet-and-Sour Onions (Cipolline in Agro Dolce), and Panna Cotta (Budino delle Langhe) are clearly written with the American home cook in mind. This beautiful volume also includes historical and cultural information; a chapter on regional wines, including the famous Barolo; and seasonal menus.

Brian Yarvin and Maria Grazia Asselle make their home in Edison, New Jersey. A native of Piedmont, Asselle moved to the United States at the age of 25. She holds a PhD. in sociology from New York University and now works in the business world. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens and on Long Island, Yarvin, a professional photographer and food writer, is also the author of Hippocrene's Farms and Foods of the Garden State: A New Jersey Cookbook.