Risotto with Nettles

Del Conte’s love of the culinary tradition of Italy is bound together with a huge affection for the broader culture that inspired it. This is la cucina di casa – home cooking – and all life’s experiences come together here: the magic of the oven, hearth and table is distilled in these pages, as the culinary wizardry mingles with hard-won experience. In the re-creation of a meal she opens the door of memory, and friends long past or far away are with her still.  

Along with her recipes, she shares glimpses of the delights and disappointments of her own life: lemon granita is made from snow off the roof of her family home in Milan; the Second World War’s ending is celebrated with American soldiers and tagliatelle. Conjure all this up in your mind’s eye but, better still, cook it and share the magic with the people sitting around your own table.