You first heard Katie Parla on our show a couple years ago when we recorded a live episode at Omnivore Books (hi Celia!) in San Francisco to discuss her then-newest cookbook, Food of the Italian Islands. [Listen to that chat here.]

Now, Katie’s back with her 11th cookbook and it’s a deep-dive into Roman history and cuisine. Born in New Jersey, Katie has called Rome home for more than two decades and she’s been obsessed with uncovering the city’s culinary—and non-culinary—history the whole time. She’s written culinary guides, hosted TV shows and podcasts, showed folks like Stanley Tucci and Andrew Zimmern where to eat in Rome, and built a tour company.

This new book distills much of what she’s researched—and ate—into a 350+ page opus titled Rome: A Culinary History, Cookbook, and Field Guide to Flavors that Built a City. Part guide book, part history book, part cookbook—this is a love letter to the city that’s been feeding people for over 2,700 years.

Late last year, I met up with Katie for an evening tour of Trastevere. What struck my most about our conversation is how Katie approaches Roman food as not a static collection of recipes, but very much a living and evolving story that reflects everything the city has been through: ancient empire, Renaissance opulence, cucina povera, Jewish ghetto traditions, modern immigration, and more.

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Additional Music Credits:

Beat Mekanik - Stylin' (FreeMusicArchive)

After more than four decades in professional kitchens—including twenty years as chef-owner of Portland's beloved Nostrana—Cathy Whims has published her first cookbook. The Italian Summer Kitchen captures the essence of Italian summer cooking through the lens of the Pacific Northwest, featuring simple, ingredient-driven recipes and beautiful watercolor illustrations.

This conversation was recorded in Bologna, Italy, at Sette Tavoli, one of Brian's favorite restaurants. We discuss Cathy's journey from vegetarian teenager to celebrated chef, her time training with Marcella Hazan and Dario Cecchini, the cult following around Nostrana's signature Insalata Nostrana, and how the pandemic changed her approach to this book.

In this episode:

• Growing up cooking with Julia Child cookbooks

• Working through every station at Genoa, Portland's premier fine dining restaurant

• The pivotal trips to Italy that changed everything

• Opening Nostrana and celebrating 20 years this year

• Training with Marcella Hazan and the tomato butter sauce that's been on the menu since day one

• The secret to the perfect radicchio salad

• Why she chose watercolor illustrations over photographs

• How COVID-19 shifted the book from restaurant cooking to home cooking

• The "less is more" philosophy of cucina povera

• An ingredient challenge game

Plus, on our Substack: Two recipes from the book—Spaghettini with Prawns and Yogurt Panna Cotta—and hear Cathy read an excerpt from The Italian Summer Kitchen.

Special thanks to Jaqueline and the team at Sette Tavoli in Bologna for hosting this recording.

Guest Cathy Whims

Book The Italian Summer Kitchen by Cathy Whims

Episode Length 45:28

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction & recording in Bologna

02:15 - Growing up in Chapel Hill, NC

04:30 - The vegetarian awakening and her mother's response

07:45 - Latin major turned professional cook

10:20 - Landing the dream job at Genoa

12:45 - Working through every station

15:30 - The trips to Italy that changed everything

18:00 - "The hundred dollar chicken" and knowing it was time to move on

21:00 - Opening Nostrana: a new vision

23:30 - Training with Marcella Hazan

26:15 - The Insalata Nostrana: origin story and technique

30:45 - The ice water secret

33:00 - Other influential cookbook authors

35:30 - The pandemic pivot: from restaurant book to home cooking

39:00 - Why illustrations instead of photographs

42:15 - Summer preservation techniques

45:00 - The ingredient challenge game

45:30 - Challenge #1: Seafood (spot prawns, bottarga, zucchini blossoms, truffle butter)

49:15 - Challenge #2: Agrodolce (hazelnuts, red wine vinegar, peaches, marshmallows)

53:00 - Challenge #3: Tuscan Crossover (chanterelles, guanciale, ricotta, kimchi)

57:30 - Closing

Credits

Host: Brian Hogan Stewart

Recorded at: Sette Tavoli, Bologna, Italy

Salt + Spine is part of the Heritage Radio Network.

Fashion designer Peter Som joins us to talk about his new cookbook Family Style, the Cantonese grandmother who taught him that food is love, and why entertaining should feel effortless. Plus: char siu bacon cheeseburgers, quick scallion pancakes, and an apple cake that will become your new holiday staple.