In Al Dente, William Black travels the length and breadth of Italy to get to the roots of Italian food. His quest for the most delicious and authentic cooking and the very finest ingredients takes him to wonderfully familiar places and hidden delights. He drinks great coffee in Turin, and views the mattanza, the annual tuna catch, off the coast of Sardinia. And as he eats his way to the country's culinary heart, he unearths the fascinating story of his own family's role in Italian history.