Product Description

Signed by the author - Paolo Arrigo. Go to a market in Italy and you can buy tomato seeds, tomato plants, tomatoes and everything made with the tomato - this is food from Seed to plate and I have written my book from a London Italian perspective. I have been brought up in my fathers deli, in the garden and at the table and so the book covers not only which varieties to grow but how and then has 30 signed recipes from chefs and restaurants like Giorgio Locatelli, HFW, Fifteen, Ursula Ferrigno, JC Novelli and many others, plus about 65 recipes handed down through our family from Piemonte, Parma and Venice. The ideal gift for the 'gardener' or 'foodie' alike or just to read the many anecdotes and stories of London Italian life! i'm sure you'll enjoy - Waitrose magazine top 5 books of the month and Harvey Nichols cookbook of the month Oct 2009.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #117687 in Books
• Published on: 2009-03-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

About the Author
Paolo Arrigo is passionate about food. Born and brought up in London, he is still very much an Italian at heart and was taught from an early age how to pick mushrooms, grow and cook vegetables and shout loudly when watching football. His whole life has revolved around food in one way or another and his company, Seeds of Italy, is an extension of that passion.

Customer Reviews

A very special book
This attractive book is confused (in a good way) as it can't decide whether to be a cook book, a gardening book, a guide to Italy or simply a family history. It is all of these things but presented in such a way that it is does not detract from its main purpose of showing you just what to do with your vegetables when you've grown them (with a few hints about HOW to grow them too).

The presentation of this book is superb, the pictures are lush, the language is friendly. In style it is like a combination of the classic 'Gardener Cook' by Christopher Lloyd and 'Jamie's Italy' by Jamie Oliver (perhaps with a nod towards 'Passione' by Gennaro Contaldo).
This is an excellent book, the recipes are easy to follow and they inspire you to want to grow stuff (rather than simply pop to the market) just to then eat it.

While not strictly a book for vegetarians, because the emphasis is on growing and then eating vegetables it means that any veggie who loves Italy will find this book a great investment.
The author also runs the seed company 'Seeds of Italy' which is very helpful to know if you want to know where to buy authentic Italian vegetable seeds - but this book is most certainly not simply an advert for that company.

This is a great (cook) book and as much inspiration as anyone could want to become as passionate about growing/cooking vegetables as (we are told) most Italians already are. Indeed even if you are only an 'arm chair vegetable grower' or have not (yet!) been to Italy, you'll still find much to love about this lovely, inspiring (and practical) book.

Italians do it better!
A fantastic book that offers an insight into what to Italians is second nature, being self sufficent and growing your own. Arrigo offers a unique insight into Italian family cooking with often humourus anecdotes and helpful tips. From my experience of running a cooking school in Italy I know that people are often so unaware of where their food comes from, this book addresses this brilliantly. Paolo Arrigo shares his family's practical traditions and 'passione' for food. The book includes recipes from Paolo's own family, delicatessens, favourite restaurants and chefs such as Georgio Locatelli, Antony Worrall Thompson and Rose Prince this is a book that persuades us to look at food in a different way - the Italian way or the healthy way!.

Highly recommended
Great book full of planting guides, seed selection and cooking tips.The stand at Chelsea was always full,and I recommend anyone to get their catalogue and give it a shot.