We should cuoco

Last year I was asked by my friend Adrian Henry if I would contribute two recipes to his first book."Cuoco, recipes from Umbria's larder" The first thing that came to mind was the crossover between the Italian and Portuguese kitchens.Take for example  Zuppa con Fave e piselli novelli.This recipe has so much Algarve in it -"favas à algarvia” (broad bean dish) and “ervilhas à moda do Algarve” (pea dish).So too salt cod fritters. For my saltimbocca with a difference I took the classic Umbrian dish and exchanged the traditional veal with delicious slices of Portuguese pork loin and Spanish jamon serrano.Finally my alchemists pudding, "A dollop of Italy, a Spanish thread and a drop of Portugal", which Adrian has put his own stamp on, and a very special edition stamp too, that I feel should be valued in any collection of recipes, no more so than alongside all the other mouth watering recipes he has collated in Cuoco.Well, a year down the line this livro/libro has come to fruition and landed on our doormat last week.Supported by the beautiful photography of Adrian´s partner Rachel Williams, a graphic designer and painter in her own right,this first work deserves a place on the bookshelf of anybody keen to get to the heart of the Bocca em Umbria.Back here at Casa Rosada it has got us thinking  that perhaps we should Cuoco too, meanwhile I look forward to "Cuoco 2."
If you want to buy a copy of Cuoco click here.