Venice: Four Seasons of Home Cooking

Who’s the author: Russell Norman was an award-winning restaurateur, writer and broadcaster, and founder of the POLPO restaurant group. As well as writing several successful cookbooks, Russell contributed regularly to Esquire magazine and in 2021 opened the much-acclaimed Trattoria Brutto.

What’s it about: Returning to his beloved Venice, the city that inspired a restaurant empire, in his latest cookbook Russell explores the simplicity and wonder of Venetian home cooking across the seasons, from Grilled Spring Vegetable Pizza to a wintry Slow Roasted Veal Shin. Interspersed between 130 inspiring and accessible recipes for everything from pizza, pasta, risotto, meat dishes and plenty of seafood, as well desserts and authentic cocktails, you’ll find notes on Russell’s favourite markets, suppliers and places to visit, complete with stunning photography of this beautiful city. It’s a true love letter to Venice, its food, people and customs, that’ll have you booking a trip as soon as possible and trying out lots of the recipes in the meantime.

Recipes we love: Spring: Baby Artichoke Risotto. Summer: Swordfish Puttanesca. Autumn: Ribollita. Winter: Wild Boar Ravioli.

Perfect for: Italophiles will swoon over this culinary exploration of Venice and love getting stuck into Russell’s gorgeous recipes. As it’s such a beautifully presented book, it is also a great gift for any foodie in your life.