Radicchio

A once-obscure vegetable with a reputation for bitterness, radicchio has deep roots in Italy where it has long been celebrated as a central part of Italian cuisine. Over the last several years, radicchio has undergone a renaissance in the United States, inspired, in major part, by the work of Lane Selman. Radicchio is now appearing in top food magazines and on restaurant menus across the country, and people are catching on. American farmers are also growing more radicchio, as it performs well in the field and brings color and beauty to the winter table.

A captivating cookbook for chefs, home cooks, gardeners, and anyone interested in Italian culture, Radicchio offers easy, delicious recipes by contributors from Italy and the US, including chefs, grandmothers, and farmers for using radicchio in pasta, rice, polenta, pizza, with protein, in salads, preserved, and in sweets, celebrating the exuberance of the world of radicchio in all its forms and permutations. With gorgeous photographs showcasing the connection between Italian and North American culinary culture, Radicchio is also the first in-depth book on the subject, sure to be considered the ultimate resource.

• “This is a beautiful tribute to radicchio and the people who grow it. By connecting with farmers, cooking, and the beauty of radicchio at the table, Radicchio celebrates the importance of biodiversity and organic farming.”

  Alice Waters, author of We Are What We Eat

• "Finally! Radicchio gets the respect it deserves in this beautiful and valuable book.”

  Mark Bittman, author of How to Cook Everything

• “Radicchio is one of the great vegetables of the colder months—beautiful, complex, and often misunderstood. In this thoughtful book, Lane Selman and Margarett Waterbury explore the history, diversity, and culinary potential of Italy’s beloved winter chicories. Part cookbook and part guide, Radicchio helps cooks understand and truly appreciate these remarkable bitter greens.”

  Joshua McFadden, chef and author of Six Seasons of Pasta

• “With this book, bittersweet, ruby-leaved radicchio now has the spotlight it deserves! Radicchio is equal parts educational and inspirational—essential reading for gardeners, cooks, and everyone who loves Italian cuisine.”

  Vicky Bennison, producer and author of Pasta Grannies

• “A deep dive into radicchio like has never been done before; essential for the fans of this most delightful of Italy’s vegetables.”

  Emiko Davies, author of Florentine

• “Seeds, farmers, food, and community are the dots Lane Selman connects in this beautiful book. Rooted in her Italian heritage and her passion for this humble vegetable, Selman’s enduring, resilient work through the Culinary Breeding Network has helped radicchio find its way into the spotlight. She tells the tale of a true success story: how a vegetable can become a symbol of community and reminds us how much our everyday lives still need such small miracles.”

  Fabrizia Lanza, author of The Food of Sicily

• “To love something is to know it, and Radicchio offers an impeccably researched and generously comprehensive ode to the chicory that enchants farmers, chefs, and eaters alike. Complete with history, producer stories, garden and kitchen tips, and a whole trove of *chef’s kiss* recipes, tuck into this ode to find out why.”

  Abra Berens, author of Ruffage, Grist and Pulp

• “An immersion in the breadth and beauty of radicchio, this book is thorough, informational and inspirational. Gorgeously shot and a delight to read, I recommend Radicchio to anyone with curiosity about one of the most delightful lesser-known vegetables.”

  Dana Cowin, Founder, Progressive Hedonist and former editor of Food & Wine magazine

• “Radicchio is a gorgeous book of culinary and botanical history, written and photographed with an untiring passion for this captivating winter vegetable. The creative recipes are a vast celebration of palate and palette, abandoning any preconceived notions of radicchio; one is invited to worship at the altar of its many colors, textures, and forms. Inspired by radicchio's Italian heritage, its versatility in these pages goes well beyond traditional wisdom to include imagination and heart. The cast of characters devoted to radicchio’s cultivation and degustation is lovingly documented, and after spending time with this book, you too will fall under its spell.”

  Sarah Owens, Culinary Educator and author of Sourdough

• "Lane Selman has devoted her life to connecting farmers, chefs, and eaters with the vast, unruly world of radicchio. In this obsessively researched book by the subject's most tireless advocate, radicchio anchors the narrative, but the real subject is the ecosystem around it. Farmers, cooks, and landscapes come into sharp focus in a work that is at once precise and far-reaching.”

  Katie Parla, author of Rome

• "I thought I was a vegetable nerd, but Lane’s work keeps blowing my mind—even after a decade of collaborating on Culinary Breeding Network events. This gorgeous book captures that same sense of discovery, revealing the delicious complexity of breeding, environment, and flavor behind a single ingredient—and its surprising versatility in the kitchen."

  Arielle Johnson, PhD, Flavor scientist and author of Flavorama