Passione: The Cookbook

Full of colourful and modern recipes that evoke Italian life at its most enticing, 'Passione' is the first cookbook from Gennaro Contaldo - the man who Jamie Oliver calls his "London dad". Gennaro's passion for fresh, seasonal ingredients and his lifetime passion for food is shared here with the enthusiasm for which he is famous.

Born just twenty metres away from the sea on Italy's Amalfi coast, Gennaro learnt from his father how to seek out wild food - free-diving for oysters, foraging for wild mushrooms and missing school to go fishing.

At the age of twenty, he moved to Britain, where he worked with, among others, Antonio Carluccio at his Neal Street Restaurant in Covent Garden. In 1999, Gennaro brought his love and passion for Italian food to bear on his own restaurant on London's Charlotte Street, where he is still the first to arrive each morning to make the day's fresh batch of focaccia.

Beautifully illustrated with photographs from his childhood, and stunning food photography, 'Passione' shares the secrets of Gennaro's personal recipes as well as the best-loved dishes from his restaurant: Fillet of Sea Bream with Honey and Vinegar, Lamb Cutlets with Herbs and Prosciutto, and Limoncello and Strawberry Ice-cream are just a taste of what is to come. Buon appetito!