Another Oxford link with gastronomic excellence is Oxford University Press, which has published several unrivalled publications on food and drink over the years. Perhaps the most famous, and the one which no serious foodie would be without, is The Oxford Companion to Food (£40) by the late Alan Davidson, first published in 1999 and recently updated by Tom Jaine to keep pace with what has now become a rapidly changing subject. This book answers virtually every question you have ever wanted to ask about the food we eat and produce.

Earlier this year, Oxford University Press published The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink, edited by Andrew Smith (£40), and Jancis Robinson's The Oxford Companion to Wine (£40) has remained an essential reference guide for more than a decade.

Now we have The Oxford Companion to Italian Food (£19.99, pictured above) by Gillian Riley, which contains an extraordinary range of information and covers all aspects of the history and culture of Italian gastronomy. Everything from dishes, ingredients and delicacies to cooking methods and implements, regional specialities and outside influences on the Italian cuisine are included, making it the essential work of reference.

Even the topic Food in Art is covered, with entries devoted to artists such as Caravaggio, Crivelli, Garzoni and Munari. The tempestuous Caravaggio, for example, who once threw a plate of artichokes at the head of a waiter, earns his place in this book through his paintings that show foods and products available in 17th-century Rome.

Throughout this book, Gillian Riley's passion for, and knowledge of, Italian food is apparent. She brings equal measures of enthusiasm and expertise, with many of her entries reading like mini-essays.

Her sense of humour shines through, too. Who else, on writing about Modena, would say: "The city is famous as the home of a sports car and an opera singer, but its aceto balsamico tradizionale di Modena surpasses them both."