First Light is honored to welcome Katie Parla to Austin.

Join us for an evening of conversation about Katie's adventures in food and her marvelous new cookbook, Rome. Joined by friend-of-the-shop Tracy Malecheck-Ezekiel of Birdie's Restaurant & Wine Bar, it is sure to be a lovely evening.

The event will begin with an author reception from 6–6:30 p.m., followed by a seated author talk.

Tickets include a copy of the cookbook and a reserved seat. Unreserved seats are available on a first come, first served basis.

ABOUT THE BOOK

From Italy’s foremost culinary authority, historian and The New York Times bestselling author Katie Parla, Rome: A Culinary History, Cookbook, and Field Guide to the Flavors that Built a City offers a comprehensive portrait of Rome and the evolution of its food culture, then and now. With rich historical context spanning recipes, features, and a contemporary guide, Parla crafts a compelling ode to the city she’s devoted herself to for the past two decades. The transportive book establishes how the Roman table, like Rome, is still being set and worth continually exploring.

Rome launches with a thorough history through a culinary lens, beginning with its murky Iron Age origins, tracing the impact of conquests through the Roman Republic to the expansion of trade routes during the Empire and a scrappy period through the Middle Ages to ready Rome for its revival into the Renaissance era. Parla covers the political, societal, and economic shifts of the 18th and 19th centuries, from Napoleon to Mussolini and the post-war boom that introduced the “dolce vita” lifestyle, illustrating how people ate through the eras to bring readers into the mindset of present-day Rome.

The book contains over 110 recipes, drawn from experts (home cooks, restaurant pros, and food artisans alike) and is organized with a thematic approach. While the city’s beloved supplì, cacio e pepe, and maritozzi traditions are well represented, Parla finds opportunities to showcase a wider swath of Rome’s dining culture with recipes such as a hearty fettuccine al sugo di coda oxtail pasta and a warming minestra di broccoli e arzilla, or romanesco and broccoli soup.

More than a mere cookbook, Rome contains in-depth features that range from reflections on the fetishization of the cucina povera to the rise of the city’s urban dairy trade. An appendix highlights the forces shaping Rome’s drinking culture, spanning the categories of water, wine, craft beer and cocktails, followed by Parla’s essential recommendations to eating, drinking, and shopping in Rome today. Accompanied by playful illustrations and custom maps by designer Ian Dingman, the stories and ingredients of the Eternal City are brought to life in Rome with expressive photography by Ed Anderson.

In Rome, Parla shapes the ultimate guide to Rome and its food culture, capturing historical significance and establishing modern-day relevance along the way.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Katie Parla is the New York Times bestselling author, publisher, television and podcast host, journalist, culinary guide, and educator based in Rome. Her latest title is Rome: A Culinary History, Cookbook, and Field Guide to the Flavors that Built a City, her second non-guidebook and cookbook focused on the city she’s called home for the past two decades. She has written, edited or contributed to more than 40 books including the cookbooks American Sfoglino, Flour Lab, Food of the Italian South, Tasting Rome, and The Joy of Pizza. In 2022, Katie founded Parla Publishing, independently publishing her cookbook Food of the Italian Islands. She co-hosts Gola, a podcast about Italian food and drinks culture. In addition to appearing as an expert on television programs such as “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy” and Netflix’s “Chef’s Table,” Katie hosts culinary shows on Recipe.TV including her Emmy-nominated food and travel series “Katie Parla’s Rome,” “Katie Parla’s Roman Kitchen,” and “Gola on the Road.”

Katie is joined in conversation by Tracy Malecheck-Ezekiel, the Chef and Co-Owner of Birdie's, a small restaurant and wine bar in Austin with a fine dining-caliber menu and counter-service format. In homage to Tracy’s longstanding love of fresh ingredients, Birdie’s menu consists of simple, seasonally inspired food that takes heavy cues from French and Italian cooking.

Birdie’s was named Food & Wine's 2023 Restaurant of the Year, and The James Beard Foundation named Tracy a 2024 finalist for “Best Chef: Texas." Tracy's food and Birdie's reimagined restaurant model that places sustainability and equity at its core has been celebrated in Bon Appetit, Esquire, The New York Times, and Wine Enthusiast. In 2025, Tracy was named to Cherry Bombe’s inaugural Power List and was also recognized as an Innovator by the TIME100 Next. She is a member of World Central Kitchen’s Chef Corps and serves on the Texas board of Wholesome Wave.