John Irving

Polenta has come a long way from its roots as a peasant staple writes John Irving...

A sense of faded grandeur once cast a pall over Turin, but after a facelift and an infusion of creativity the former Italian capital exudes dynamism and could just be the country’s best-kept secret.

Even if you don’t know your tortellini from your tortelloni, there’s an Italian cooking class to suit in a Tuscan farmhouse or a Piedmontese palace. John Irving rolls up his sleeves.

The Roman glitterati flock to the Argentario coast for summer hedonism in clifftop villas. John Irving returns every year for the area’s wild beauty, its famed bottarga and a taste of la dolce vita.

John Irving raises a glass to the original aperitivo as we know it, the Italian concoction of herb-charged wine...

Italy’s relationship with chinotto has been a bittersweet affair...

Welcome to the Maremma, a former wild frontier that’s home to charming medieval villages and restaurants rich in regional tradition. John Irving introduces his favourite corner of Tuscany.

The Aztecs may have first cottoned on to cocoa and it has become a calling card for the Swiss and Belgians but Turin is the real chocolate capital of the world, writes John Irving.

Once the seaside destination of Italy’s jet set, the Riviera di Ponente today moves at a quieter pace that’s ideal, writes John Irving, for exploring Liguria’s history, culture and, of course, food.

Head to the heel of the boot and succumb to Puglia’s simple charms, from its dream-like landscape and rustic cuisine to rolling olive groves and distinctive conical trulli.