Book excerpt: Finally available in paperback, Saveur Cooks Authentic Italian takes a new generation of readers into the kitchens of Italy to sample pasta and risotto made the right way, fish and shellfish dishes redolent of the sea, hearty treatments of meat and game, and tempting desserts. Along the way, the traditions behind this wonderful cuisine are revealed, from a seafood feast with a Venetian fishmonger to the secrets behind pesto in Genoa. Readers will enjoy a lasagna-making lesson in Bologna and learn the lore of white beans in Tuscany. Featuring award-winning writing, hundreds ofstunning color photographs, and more than 120 recipes, here is a celebration of the world's best-loved cuisine.