Cucina del Veneto: Delicious Recipes from Venice and Northeast Italy

A cooking instructor, food journalist, and author of more than 25 cookbooks, Ferrigno (Cucina di Amalfi) has dedicated her life to introducing cooks to all of Italian cuisine but seems to have a special affection for the many culinary delights of Venice, which she explores in her latest gem. Opening with a short historical survey, in which she explores the distinctive flavors and foods of the seven different provinces that compose Venice, her book divides 75 recipes into chapters such as small bites, vegetables, and meat, fish, and poultry. Sprinkled among dishes such as Venice’s famous risi and bisi (risotto with peas) and spicy sausage and polenta lasagna (which uses polenta in place of pasta sheets) are fascinating culinary tidbits: Venice has its own version of soft-shelled crabs, for example, and air-dried cod, which appears in a recipe for creamy salt-cod mousse, was originally introduced by Norwegians to Venetians centuries ago.