By Melissa McCart 

Regional Italian restaurants have been opening in Pittsburgh at a fast clip, from Senti in Lawrenceville with a menu inspired by the Abruzzo region, to Taglio in East Liberty, serving Roman-style tray pizzas. It would be great if being Italian or dining Italian lent a thorough understanding of a region. Instead a restaurant offers a taste of place that, when the cooking is captivating, makes us want to know more.

Lucky for us, this season brings a slew of books that illuminate the ways of Italians. John Hooper's "The Italians" (Viking, $28.95) is the must-read primer, while "Eating Rome: Living the Good Life in the Eternal City" (St. Martin's Griffin, $24.99) by Elizabeth Minchilli offers a leisurely portrait of how Romans eat and drink, recipes included.

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Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/