THE DA FIORE COOKBOOK: Recipes from Venice's Best Restaurant

According to Martin, Venetians have "famously adventurous taste buds." This taste for the exotic is due in part to the city's position at a crossroads of sorts, where East meets West. The ingredients themselves may not necessarily be exotic to Americans (many recipes feature familiar vegetables like radicchio and artichokes), but the combinations do surprise, such as the Guanciale-Wrapped Grouper with Broccoli and Thyme Soufflé, or the Shrimp, Artichoke, and Scamorza Cheese "Pot Pie." However, much of the book's charm lies in the simplicity of the recipes, which generally don't demand complicated techniques. Martin, whose parents founded the 25-year-old Osteria da Fiore, sums up these dishes when he notes that Venetian cuisine is "humble and ambitious, rustic and refined, earthy and exquisite." Naturally heavy on fish—Martin is particularly fond of the popular Venetian fish red mullet as well as sea bass, shrimp and clams—the book offers an array of antipasti, primi piatti, zuppe and secondi piatti that should please chefs with a propensity for Italian fish dishes. Winning recipes include Baby Artichokes with Oranges and Parmigiano Shavings, Spaghetti with Clams, Rolled Red Mullet with Radicchio and Spinach, and Seared Tuna Slices with Rosemary. Although not every recipe has an accompanying photo, most do. And a section with tips on buying, storing, cleaning, scaling, filleting and cooking fish—along with basic recipes for fish broth and polenta and sidebars explaining Venetian staple ingredients—will encourage neophytes. (Nov.)

Forecast:The book should find a welcome audience: Da Fiore's dishes have been featured in international cookbooks, and the restaurant has been written about in American and European culinary magazines. And unlike the cuisine of Tuscany and other popular Italian regions, Venice's gastronomy is only now becoming the subject of several cookbooks.