A Table in Venice by Skye McAlpine (PREORDER)

On a family estate in the countryside south of Palermo, the Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School has spent decades keeping Sicily's food culture alive. It's now run by Fabrizia Lanza, the founder's daughter, and The Food of Sicily carries the school's spirit: part cookbook, part history lesson, and all of it delicious.

Most visitors see Venice from a gondola. Skye McAlpine sees it from the kitchen.

She moved to Venice from London when she was six, and she learned the city's food the way locals do: at shared tables with family and neighbors, on days when the tide floods the streets and lunch is a bowl of creamy risi e bisi. A Table in Venice is that everyday Venice, the one the tour boats skip.

Its 100 recipes mix traditional Venetian dishes with favorites she's reinvented over the years: Bigoli with Creamy Walnut Sauce, Scallops on the Shell with Pistachio Gratin, Grilled Radicchio with Pomegranate, and a Chocolate and Amaretto Custard to finish. McAlpine's own photography makes it as much a portrait of the city as a cookbook.

Inside you'll find:

• 100 Northern Italian recipes, both classic and reinvented
• Venetian home cooking learned at family and neighbors' tables
• Dishes for weeknights and for gathering a crowd
• The author's photography of Venetian life and food

Venice beyond the postcard: the version you want to eat.

*QB Cookbook Club Pick: This book was chosen for our July-August 2027 Italian cookbook club selection, where we’ll cook 1 recipe each week from the book. Learn more about the QB Cookbook Club.