WH SMITH

Polpo: A Venetian Cookbook by Russell Norman

Tucked away in a backstreet of London's edgy Soho district, POLPO is one of the hottest restaurants in town. Critics and food aficionados have been flocking to this understated bacaro where Russell Norman serves up dishes from the back streets of Venice. The 140 recipes in the book include caprese stacks, zucchini shoestring fries, asparagus with Parmesan and anchovy butter, butternut risotto, arancini, rabbit cacciatore, warm duck salad with wet walnuts and beets, crispy baby pizzas with prosciutto and rocket,  and scallops with lemon and peppermint. With luminescent photography by Jenny Zarins, which captures the unfrequented corners, the bustling bacari and the sublime waterways of Venice, POLPO is a dazzling tribute to Italy's greatest hidden cuisine.