Five Quarters

Roddy is a gifted storyteller, and a masterful hand with simple ingredients' Guardian Cook

'Of course I thought Rome was glorious, but I didn't want to stay. A month, three at most, then I'd take a train back to Sicily to finish the clockwise journey I'd interrupted, before moving even further southwards . . .'

Instead, captivated by the exhilarating life of Testaccio, the wedge-shaped quarter of Rome that centres round the old slaughterhouse and the bustling food market, Rachel decided to rent a flat and live there. Thus began an Italian adventure. Five Quarters charts a year in her small kitchen, shopping, cooking, eating and writing, capturing a uniquely domestic picture of life in this vibrant, charismatic city.

Rachel shares over 100 simple and delicious recipes, offering you an authentic glimpse into daily Roman life. Combining her love of Italian food with a strong nostalgia for home and memories of growing up in England, this cookbook is a joy to read as well as to use in the kitchen.