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Cookbook review: The Food and Cooking of Tuscany

Valentina Harris is one of the most respected promoters of real Italian food in the UK. She has had a successful career encompassing cooking, writing and TV series. Her name might not seem entirely Italian but her pedigree doesn’t come any better, being a member of a noted family tracing its roots back to the Renaissance. That wouldn’t necessarily make her the best person to teach Italian cooking but she also has a personable style which allows her to transmit her passion for this fine cuisine.

Many of us profess to love Italian food even though we might not have travelled south of Calais. We cook pasta because it’s quick and easy and we rustle up an approximation of that sauce we had at The Golden Gondola last Friday night. This book will introduce you to dishes other than your beloved spaghetti bolognaise, but for those who are dedicated to pasta there is a collection of truly authentic pasta dishes.

The Food and Cooking of Tuscany is a large-format volume with stunning photographs by Martin Brigdale. There are 65 recipes and over 370 photographs to illustrate food preparation and finished dish. It’s the sort of book that begs to be cooked from. It’s coffee table quality but eminently practical. Each recipe has clear instructions as well as nutritional information. The step-by-step photographs make this an ideal volume for even a novice.

If you love Italy as well as its food then this is a book for you. Valentina introduces the reader to festivals and celebrations which have food at their centre. Italians eat when they are happy, they eat when they are sad, they eat when they celebrate and they eat when they mourn. It’s a culture steeped in culinary tradition and pride. The Food and Cooking of Tuscany is a recipe book and a culinary travelogue which touches on not only the food of Tuscany but also that of its neighbours Umbria and Le Marche.

I have a dear friend in Ancona so I was drawn to the Brodetto All’Anconetana. This is a hearty fish stew. It’s more substantial than a soup and has all the ingredients that transport one to warmer climes: olive oil, garlic, red wine and some monkfish. Just add some crusty bread and satisfaction is assured. But if you’re after a proper and traditional soup then Valentina offers La Ribollita. It’s a celebrated Tuscan bean and cabbage soup flavoured with either Italian or boar sausage. Just right for a cold northern European winter ...or a cold northern European summer for that matter. It’s an economic dish but still with the unmistakable flavours of the south.

My favourite Italian recipes are all here. Tagliatelle with shrimp and cuttlefish (I confess I use squid) is a real crowd pleaser. Stuffed deep-fried giant olives are spectacular and simple to prepare. Polenta with canned tuna (buy the best you can find) is a quick and comforting meal and it’s good to be given permission to open a tin.

But then there are desserts and I could happily list all those in the chapter. Tuscan cream and chocolate pudding. It might sound a fiddle to make but it’s quite straightforward - the pictures alongside the recipe are a help so do try this one. I Ricciarelli are soft almond sweetmeats and particularly popular around Christmas. These would be lovely nibbled on those festive evenings when friends drop by to deliver gifts (we hope). A glass of chilled sweet wine served with a couple of these treats would make for easy but smart entertaining.

My pick of the book has got to be the soft Tuscan rice cake, La Torta di Riso. It has few ingredients, it’s simple to prepare and, in my opinion, can be enjoyed for any meal or at any time between meals. It’s labelled “budino” in cafés and pastry shops in Tuscany, but it is more of a dense cake than the pudding that the Tuscan name might suggest. I dare you to make this just once.

The partnership of Valentina Harris and Anness Publishing has proved to be a winner. One always expects charming and accessible books from Valentina and this one is no exception. It’s full of recipes which are suitable for both the novice and the experienced cook. A great gift for a food lover, an Italian food lover or anyone who appreciates good cookbooks. One of my top-ten reads this year.

Cookbook review: The Food and Cooking of Tuscany
Author: Valentina Harris
Published by: Anness Publishing
Price: £15.99
ISBN-13: 978-1-903141-74-8