GENNARO'S ITALIAN FAMILY FAVOURITES:

'Cosa mangiamo per pranzo?' ('What shall we eat for lunch?') was a constant refrain for Gennaro Contaldo in his family's home in Italy. To him, the table is the altar and food is a beloved ritual. Now he has published 100 simple and authentic recipes to bring people together while also offering his own meditations on the world of cookery. The book is split into a range of sections including soup, pasta, quick and slow meals, special occasions, sides, dough, and preserves. Sunday lunches in Italy are described in stunning detail, with Contaldo recalling 25 people gathered around a table with a spread everyone had contributed to including his father who sometimes hunted rabbit or quail for a dish. Today, Contaldo is joined by his children, sister and nephews to forage for mushrooms ahead of a Sunday lunch and his recipes in the section are mouthwatering, including a 'Carre' d'agnello con carciofini' (rack of lamb with artichokes and sun-blushed tomatoes) and details on his family's special meat ragú. Everyday dishes such as Trofie pasta with green beans and basil, Ricotta dumplings and Beetroot salad sit alongside special occasion meals such as Roast chicken with lemon and herbs and Homemade ravioli. The author brings fun to the kitchen in his recipe for lemon and strawberry ice pops which have a consistency more akin to ice cream and he suggests that, by placing thin slices of strawberry on the sides of the moulds, the lollies will have a pretty effect. Some of the recipes also include details that make them practical for families such as Contaldo's wife's recipe 'penne al pomodoro e verdurine' (penne with tomato and vegetables) which has tips for parents making the dish for older babies and toddlers. Contaldo outlines how a parent should omit the stock powder and blend the sauce once it is cooked so it is easier for a little one's palette. Readers will have no option but to cook the recipes after they see photos of what the dish will look like, such as the stuffed rolled pork belly bathed in sauce, vibrant green risotto with asparagus, courgette and peas, and white wine jelly with fruits of the forest and strawberry sauce served in wine glasses. Loved ones will be asking 'what shall we eat at lunch' every day once they experience the recipes in this book. Paperback, colour images, 240pp.