This week I bring you a book that really excites me. It’s called 'Pasta Grannies', a book full of love and real food, written by Vicky Bennison. It delves into the world of pasta and gnocchi, and the grannies who make this incredible food, which is photographed so beautifully here. If only there were a similar modern version of our Scottish grannies—I wonder what would be in it?

One quote from Lucia, aged 85, is: “When you have good ingredients, you don’t have to worry about cooking, they do the work for you”—and this is so true. We all know Italy has incredible produce, but here in this book, the methods of making old types of pasta by hand are extraordinary. The history of food is a powerful thing. Many of the nonnas in this book have their little secret ways of doing things, a twist or sneaky tip that makes what they do sing.

Sadly, this book arose because younger people aren’t that interested in making their own pasta—they say “Why, when you can buy it?” This book took five years to write, covering different regions, seasons and ingredients, dotted around the beautiful Italian countryside.

It’s a book that makes you want to go to the local deli, buy some good flour and eggs, and get rolling pasta. The different shapes and techniques fascinate me. It makes me hungry just reading the recipes, looking at the pictures, and imagining myself on a sun-drenched terrace perfumed by the smell of lemons and herbs.

A great food book—I simply adore it, and I adore all the grannies here too.