In this exquisitely designed and photographed volume, Britain’s favourite Italian chef brings forth the work of a lifetime: combining old Locatelli family stories and recipes with the contemporary must-have dishes from his celebrated London restaurants. I am an Italian chef who has cooked in Paris and come of age in London,a?? says Giorgio Locatelli. Innovative, imaginative food is what people expect from me, but everything I do has its roots in classical, regional Italian cooking.a?? This is the book that fans of Locatelli have been waiting for ever since he first made his name at Zafferano. The recent opening of Locanda Locatelli, widely regarded as one of the most exciting restaurants in London, has fuelled interest in this master chef. Locatelli lights up Locanda with his big, welcoming personality, seamlessly marrying style with an all-Italian mission simply to bring people together at the table to share food, relax and enjoy good company and conversation. In the same way, his delight in food shines through on every page of this exciting new book. Whether he is reminiscing about the dishes of his native Lombardy, suggesting a starter combining the simplest and freshest ingredients, or explaining how to make the ultimate risotto, Locatelli transports the reader into his own kitchen to savour the real tastes of Italy. Full of the insight and historical detail you might expect from a food writer, combined with the hands-on expertise of a top chef, peppered with evocative stories, and funny and often outspoken observations on the state of food today, this is the contemporary Italian food bible, from the acknowledged master of modern Italian cooking.
By unspooling charming stories and encyclopedic information about ingredients, Locatelli, chef at London’s Locanda Locatelli, conveys the atmosphere in a busy restaurant kitchen after hours. When Locatelli waxes sweetly sentimental about the joy derived from feeding others—first discovered at his family’s restaurant in the small town of Corgeno, Italy—and what he has learned from having a daughter who is allergic to some 600 foods and once went into anaphylactic shock after eating a bit of smoked salmon, he comes off as an Anthony Bourdain without the bluster. With reams of good information about everything from cheese and eel to how to judge a dish of pasta by sight, this volume is a major addition to the English-language Italian cookbook shelf, particularly as a reference. The savory recipes are mostly carefully considered Italian classics like Linguine with Pesto and Chargrilled Chicken Breast with Spinach, though desserts are not the simple pieces of fruit Locatelli admits that Italians prefer, but presumably restaurant-derived showstoppers like Blood Orange and Fresh Loquat Salad with Violet Jelly and Yogurt Foam. At more than 600 pages, the range of recipes is almost as large as Locatelli’s personality. One caveat, though: Britishisms abound, as when Locatelli refers to tomatoes as “the steak and kidney pie of Italy.” Despite that, this is an impressive achievement, marking Locatelli as a major talent, comparable to Marcella Hazan in his ability to explain Italian cooking.”