VENETO: SIX RECIPES FROM SEASONS: AN ITALIAN A NEW COUNTRY WAY WITH KITCHEN VEGETABLES Valeria Necchio Faber, £20
Italian-born food photographer and writer Valeria Necchio captures the spirit and flavours of North Eastern Italy in her first cookbook, which was inspired by her popular recipe blog. This is essentially a book of Venetian home cooking, with ideas inspired by what’s good at the local markets. The recipes are straightforward and comforting – think tagliatelle with rabbit ragu, barbecued pork ribs, pancetta and sausage with rosemary, and stir-fried fine beans with basil and garlic. For those with a sweet tooth there are some delights including almond polenta shortbread tart, baked peaches with mascarpone cream, and lemon sorbet with Prosecco and grappa. It’s all brought together with some beautiful photographs that will make you want to jump on the next plane to Veneto.
Joshua McFadden with Martha Holmberg Artisan, £30
Chef Joshua McFadden spent years cooking in some of the finest kitchens in New York, Chicago and San Francisco, but it was his two years on a farm in Maine that changed his understanding of how to make vegetables taste extraordinary. Divided into six seasons, rather than the traditional four, to give a more accurate reflection of what’s happening in the fields, this book is a groundbreaking look at cooking with vegetables. Each chapter opens with recipes that feature raw vegetables straight out of the soil and, as each chapter progresses, McFadden uses grilling, steaming, sautés, panroasts, braises and stews. An important book, its highlights include pasta carbonara with English peas; green bean, tuna and mushroom ‘casserole’; cauliflower ragu; and roasted beet, citrus and olive salad with horseradish.
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VEGAN RECIPES FROM THE MIDDLE EAST
EAT, DRINK, LIVE
Fran Warde Ryland Peters & Small, £14.99
Parvin Razavi Grub Street, £18.99
Iranian-born Parvin Razavi says the starting points that inspired this book were ‘enjoyment, hospitality, tradition, creativity, sustainability and joy of life’, which certainly seems to have most things covered when it comes to home cooking for family and friends. Think of Middle Eastern cuisine and you may immediately think of meat, but vegetables are treated with the utmost respect and this book makes them the star. Taking the varied cuisines of Iran, Armenia, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco and Turkey, many of the dishes in the book are based around grains, nuts, vegetables and fruits. The recipes include cool and fragrant soups, delicate preserves, pilaff, breads, pickles, relishes and pastries. We particularly like the stuffed aubergines with walnut and pomegranate, and the roast cauliflower with tahini dip.
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Chef Fran Warde’s philosophy is ‘to give people the confidence to cook and laugh in their own kitchens’, using ingredients that are readily available at the local supermarket. The 150 simple recipes are designed to leave time for sharing with friends and family, with inspirational ideas for table decorating. From weekend brunches with friends and roast dinner with the family to romantic dinners for two and summer picnics, the range of recipes includes Middle Eastern barbecued lamb with preserved lemon and tomato pickle, Turkish toasted bread and watermelon and rosewater salad, and potato and watercress salad with mustard seeds. Backed up with some stunning lifestyle photography from Debi Treloar, this is an invaluable book for those who want to eat well despite having busy lives.