Gino's Italian Adriatic Escape: A taste of Italy from Veneto to Puglia

The book is filled with wonderful recipes.

I am planning a trip on the Adriatic coast because of Gino's book.

Great book ! Highly recommend it.

Gino's recipes are easy to cook at home

Easy, affordable recipes. Great book.

I loved the TV series, and this is the tie-in publication, with some added material for good measure. Wonderful, easy-to-follow recipes interspersed with colourful shots of some dishes, along with delightful scenery on-location, presented by a likeable chap with inimitable style and a gorgeous accent…currently my favourite chef. The current LOOK INSIDE facility above gives the full list of recipes, at the front. ooOoo ~ TITLE : GINO'S ITALIAN ADRIATIC ESCAPE : A TASTE OF ITALY FROM VENETO TO PUGLIA ~ AUTHOR : GINO D'ACAMPO ~ PUBLISHER : HODDER & STOUGHTON ~ 2018 ‘Printed and bound in Germany’ ooOoo Measuring around 24.5 cm x 19.5 cm x 2 cm, Gino is grinning on the eye-catching bright YELLOW hardboard cover; a natural looking pose. The book opens to an equally eye-catching bright RED for the inside cover and you just get the feeling that this is going to be a sunny, atmospheric publication over the 224 high quality, shiny pages. The CONTENTS are up next, divided into the various chapters, then an idyllic map, of the coastline, by MINNIE SANDBACH, starting at Venice moving down to the journey’s end: ‘My last destination was Santa Maria di Leuca, at the tip of the heel of Italy, where the Ionian Sea meets the Adriatic’…I ended my journey out at sea, gazing back at this wonderful coastline and reflecting on what incredible places and people I had met on my journey ~ and, of course, all the amazing food I had enjoyed. So, this book is the culmination of my culinary journey. I want to share with you the dishes I discovered on my trip and bring a taste of Italy to your homes. The recipes are simple to prepare, look great and taste absolutely delicious. I am quite sure that you, your family and your friends will love them every bit as much as I do. Buon appetito and ciao! Gino xxx’ Handy CONVERSION TABLES are on page 8. Each main chapter starts with a double-page spread, with the title & summary on one page and a full colour shot on the other. The recipes are clearly laid out with the title in English, with the Italian in red underneath, an opening note, then the number servings, list of ingredients and a numbered method. The text colour for the in-between chapters is RED, e.g. FOOD FROM PUGLIA, pages 154/155, but it remains easy to read, in my experience (last image below refers). Some recipes are accompanied by a full colour relevant photograph, from DAN JONES, and, for me, it was hard to get past the delicious looking ‘ROASTED BEEF RIB WITH GARLIC AND HERBS’, on pages 70 & 71, with a carafe of red wine nonchalantly placed in the background! PUGLIAN LAMB STEW, a few pages later is a wonderfully comforting evening dish as the temperature sinks here in the UK, at the time of writing. VEGETABLES & SIDES is a colourful chapter, culminating in an AUBERGINE & CACIOCAVALLO CHEESE BAKE. Occasionally, a recipe spills over the page, e.g. BUTTERNUT SQUASH, RED ONION, CAVOLO NERO AND DOLCELATTE PIZZA WITH WALNUTS, pages 140-142, and can be tweaked for vegan friends or BAKED STUFFED PACCHERI WITH ARTICHOKE PURÉE, pages 125-127 that can be made with cannelloni, and tweaked for vegetarians, if required. Of course, the FISH & SEAFOOD section is key, and I can recommend the PRAWN & MONKFISH SOUP, from pages 60 & 61, with any white fish working well, accompanied simply by chunks of rustic bread on the side, in my case. From DESSERTS: ‘We Italians have a bit of a sweet tooth. We love our ice cream, of course, and all kinds of pastries and biscuits. We don’t overdo it – just a taste here and a nibble there – but there’s no doubt that we absolutely adore something sweet.’ This is my kind of book ~ Italy, here I come! The book finishes with PANETTONE & HONEY PUDDING WITH CHARGRILLED FRUITS AND RICOTTA, ahead of an alphabetical index and a note of thanks to his team, from Gino. [18 images attached © GINO D'ACAMPO/DAN JONES/2018, although mine are duller than the book]

Love Gino! Great recipes anyone can try even if you don't live in Europe.