A HOUSE PARTY IN TUSCANY

Set on a hillside not far from Florence is Arniano, a gorgeous 18th-century farmhouse and the childhood home of author and home cook Amber Guinness. This book brings together 75 of the recipes closest to her heart, recipes she has grown up with and perfected over the years. Arniano is also home to The Arniano Painting School, which Guinness established with friend and artist William Roper Curzon. This marriage of food and art celebrates Amber's love of cooking and hosting, and William's talent for imparting his knowledge and passion for painting. Amber says: 'As I look through the recipes and think about the common thread that binds them, I realise that they all exemplify a fundamental principle of Italian home cooking. Which is that simplicity - and keeping ingredients as close to their original form as possible - leads to the most delicious and rewarding food. The beauty of Italian cooking is that it is not about fancy sauces or preparation techniques. Rather, it is about bringing out the best in what you are cooking, through patience, constant tasting and the development of flavour - sometimes using nothing but some olive oil and salt.' With essential ingredients for an Italian pantry; feast curation; menu suggestions for every season; notes on Italian wines; day trips from Arniano along the nearby 'Via Francigena', the ancient pilgrim's route leading to Rome; tricks and rules for cooking that can be applied to any lunch or dinner party, whatever the season; and guidelines for seemingly effortless cooking and hosting, this is a book to make everyone feel welcome.