Polpo - by Russell Norman (Hardcover)

About the Book

A luscious cookbook of little known Venetian specialties

Book Synopsis

A luscious cookbook of little known Venetian specialties from one of London's hottest restaurants, accompanied by luminous photographs.

Tucked away in London's edgy Soho district, Polpo is one of the most irrepressibly buzzing restaurants in town. Critics and food aficionados have been flocking to this understated bacaro where Russell Norman serves up small dishes-think tapas-from the back streets of Venice. A far cry from the tourist-trap eateries of the famous floating city, this kind of cooking is unfussy, innovative, and exuberantly delicious. The 120 recipes in this book range from salads and snacks to small main courses, drinks, and desserts, including asparagus with Parmesan and anchovy butter; warm duck salad with beets and walnuts; crispy baby pizzas with zucchini, mint and chilli; scallops with lemon and peppermint; soft-shell crab in Parmesan batter with fennel; fizzy bellinis and glasses of bright orange spritz; panacotta with poached rhubarb; and warm autumn fruits with amaretto cream.

The recipes are accompanied by luminescent photography within a dazzling design, including a distinctive stripped-away spine to reveal colorful Japanese stitching--a feature that also allows the book to lie open flat on a chef's workstation. Polpo captures the unfrequented corners, bustling bacari, and sublime waterways of Venice as they've never been seen before.

Review Quotes

"Inspiring." - Daily Telegraph

"Brilliant." - the Observer

"This one's a winner for sure." - Evening Standard

"The hottest table in town." - Metro

"Could become a Soho institution."
- Sunday Telegraph

"A smash hit in the making." - Harden's

About the Author

Russell Norman is an award-winning restaurateur, writer and broadcaster. He operates several restaurants under the POLPO banner in London and beyond. His book Polpo - A Venetian Cookbook (of Sorts) won Waterstones Book of the Year. He presented The Restaurant Man, a six-part prime-time documentary for BBC2, and his second book Spuntino - Comfort Food (New York Style) won the Guild of Food Writers Award for best food and travel book. He is a contributing editor for Esquire magazine where he writes a monthly column as The Accidental Cook. For three consecutive years he has been recognized by Debretts as one of the 500 most influential people in the UK. He lives in London and Kent.