I was hugely excited when this book arrived in the post (I'd greedily pre-ordered it) as I've long been a fan of the food at the restaurant of the title. But the actual book actually exceeded expectations, not only for its recipes but for its (so far as I know) novel design: the spine of the book is such that you can open the book completely flat which makes it very easy to read and cook from in the kitchen. I chose a recipe that I usually order only in restaurants rather than make at home, but I can't wait to try this version; zucchini shoestring fries are one of Italy's most dynamic and delicious culinary inventions.
Polpo: A Venetian Cookbook (Of Sorts) by Russell Norman (Bloomsbury, 2012).
Photos by Jenny Zarins.