A Taste of Venice

by Donna Leon and Roberta Pianaro

(2009)

Publisher: William Heinemann

Food plays an important role in Donna Leon’s bestselling Commissario Brunetti novels. In A Taste of Venice, Roberta Pianaro invites readers into the Brunettis’ kitchen to learn how to prepare for themselves the delicious meals Paola Brunetti cooks for her family. We are given the secrets to Brunetti’s favourite pasta (penne rigate), Paola’s famous apple cake, a lasagne recipe from Brunetti’s mother, Donna Leon’s favourite meal (risotto di zucca), and a host of other sumptuous and authentic Italian classics.

Leon’s novels are known for their mouth-watering descriptions of food. Multicourse lunches and dinners at home with his wife, Paola, and his children, delectable snacks grabbed at a bar with a glass of wine or two, or a working meal at an unassuming neighborhood trattoria in the course of an investigation have all delighted Commissario Brunetti, as well as Leon’s countless fans. And then there’s the coffee, the pastries, the wine, and the grappa.

In Brunetti’s Cookbook, Donna Leon’s best friend and favorite cook, Roberta Pianaro, brings to life those fabulous Venetian meals: orrechiette with asparagus; ravioli with squash, butter, and sage; artichokes stuffed with prosciutto; baked branzino; and pork stew with porcini and polenta —these are just a few of the nearly one hundred recipes for antipasti, pasta, fish, seafood, meat, and dessert in Brunetti’s Cookbook, ready for you to prepare and savor at home. The traditional Italian recipes are joined by excerpts from the critically acclaimed novels, four-color illustrations, and original essays by Donna Leon on food and life in Venice. Charming, insightful, and full of personality, they are the perfect addition to this delightful book.

Beautifully illustrated with vignettes by Tatjana Hauptmann, and with culinary stories by Donna Leon and extracts from the Brunetti novels, this is so much more than a cooking guide – it is a wonderful journey, full of ideas for recreating the delights of Venetian cuisine in your own home. So whether you want to eat spaghetti with clams, aubergine and prosciutto roulades or baked omelette with courgettes, you’ll find all you need here to create the perfect Venetian feast.