Mark Hix adores this classic cookbook

Mark Hix is a celebrated food writer and renowned restaurateur. He has five acclaimed restaurants, pens a weekly column in the Independent on Saturday magazine, and has written several award-winning cookbooks. Hix has an impressive 2,500+ volume cookbook collection, but he admits he really only reads a few of these with any regularity. One of those is Anna del Conte’s seminal work Gastronomy of Italy. Hix explains his love for this particular cookbook. 

He admires Gastronomy of Italy so much that he purchased a second copy as a backup. In addition to the accurate and authentic recipes found in its pages, what Hix appreciates about the book is Anna’s writing style. It “really encapsulates the Italian approach,” he says. He also draws parallels between Italian dishes and those found in his homeland. “Take the classic bifsteak Fiorentina, the simple approach to fish, and to vegetables and salads – all these Italian stalwarts find an echo in what we make in the UK,” Hix notes. 

One of his favorite recipes from the book, Caponata, is included in the article. Hix likes the addition of chocolate to the ingredient list, finding that it contributes to the perfect balance of sour and sweet. The dish is easy to make and doesn’t require hunting down exotic ingredients, making it even better.