He had a real sense of hospitality, as well as joy, intelligence, generosity and an eye for detail. He had a magpie tendency: he would take inspiration from restaurants in Italy, New York and London and bring them all together.”

In a large mixing bowl, gently combine the octopus and potatoes with the garlic, parsley and chilli flakes. Season with salt and pepper and dress with olive oil and lemon juice. Broad bean, mint and ricotta bruschette Turn the oven up to 240C/gas mark 9. Put the sliced onion into a roasting tin and place the pork belly on top, skin-side up. While the oven comes up to temperature, score the skin of the pork with a very sharp knife or a razor blade. You could use a clean Stanley knife from your toolbox. He was highly intelligent, very beautiful and just a really good man,” he said. “I have so many memories of sitting with him and our friends in tiny Venetian bars, drinking Aperol spritz and talking to the people who owned the bar after all having had a good lunch. He was a great friend to so many people.” This stunning brand-new cookbook offers outstanding recipes from Russell Norman's acclaimed new restaurant, Trattoria Brutto, alongside an ode to one of Italy's most beloved cities, Florence, and specifically the bohemian district of Santo Spirito.Russell Norman has died aged 57 following a cardiac arrest. BBC Saturday Kitchen star Norman was known for starting the Polpo chain of restaurants, as well as spin-offs Spuntino and Polpetto. This is easily one of the most popular dishes on the summer menu at Polpo. The bright colours are such strong indicators of the flavours that are to follow, but despite the assertiveness of the ingredients, it is still a subtle and delicate combination. Norman and Verdigel were due to travel to Venice on Tuesday for a celebratory trip after the publication of Brutto. He died on Thursday evening. Norman was also, Parker Bowles said, a “consummate professional”. “He had a passion and he could talk to you about it, write about it, do it and make it: he was a chef, a restaurateur. There was no pretence there. No artifice. He was a proper person.”

Remove the octopus from the cooking water and allow it to cool. Cut the cooked and cooled octopus into bite-sized pieces, discarding the eyes, beak and the mush inside the head. Remove the skin. Rinse the cut pieces in clean water. After at least 30 minutes, but ideally when doubled in size, your dough is ready. Divide the dough into 12 large golf-ball-sized pieces and then roll them into thin 20cm discs. Top with the rest of your ingredients (below) and cook. If you want to use the dough later, place the balls of dough on a tray, cover with a damp cloth and leave in the fridge for up to 12 hours. Just remember to take them out 30 minutes before you're ready to use them. The Guardian described Russell as "a macchiato-sipping, cigarette-smoking caricature of an anxious restaurateur" He loved seeking the offbeat place; the places frequented by the locals and in which you feel like you are escaping from the conventional worldview.” It is important that you buy your sliced prosciutto from a good Italian delicatessen. The slices should be so thin that you can almost see through them. You will also get your ricotta salata here – it's a salted, firm variation of the normally soft cheese and is perfect for grating.This recipe is the only instance in this book where you are permitted to use a microwave, and only because it is the technique used by Mirella at Alla Vedova in Cannaregio. The version here is based on the dish that she serves at her charming osteria. I love the gentle spice in this salad; it reminds me of the use of smoked paprika in the traditional Spanish preparation of octopus. Transfer the dressed octopus to a large serving plate and cover with clingfilm. When you are ready to serve, put the dish in a microwave on full for 30 seconds so that the potatoes and octopus gain a little warmth. Core the radicchio and remove all the leaves, tearing the larger ones in half. Place in a large mixing bowl. Use the warm pork fat and juices to dress the radicchio salad with the toasted and chopped hazelnuts.

A luscious cookbook of little known Venetian specialties from one of London's hottest restaurants, accompanied by luminous photographs. Remove the squash from the oven and while still warm put on plates, drape over the thinly sliced prosciutto, grate over the ricotta salata and drizzle with a little olive oil. Sprinkle over the pumpkin seeds for texture and a little added crunch. Zucchini, basil and parmesan salad He lived in Italy for a year so that, he said, he could “learn to cook like a 90-year-old Venetian granny” for his third book, Venice: Four Seasons of Home Cooking. His latest book, Brutto: a (Simple) Florentine Cookbook, was published this month. First you need to soften up your octopus. You do this simply by freezing it and then thawing; this breaks down the toughness in the cellular structure of the flesh. In a very large pan, simmer the octopus in unsalted water on a medium-low heat with the fennel, onion, celery and parsley stalks until tender enough to push a fork easily through the flesh. This should take no more than 1 hour. Ricotta is readily available from Italian specialists and even in good supermarkets now. This dish is a joy to prepare. I don't know about you, but podding and skinning broad beans is one of my favourite kitchen pastimes. No, really, it is.

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Brutto ma buono - ugly but good. This is the food of Florence - rigorously simple, few ingredients, exceptionally good. Remember that your pizza will benefit from being placed directly on to a hot baking sheet or pizza stone within a preheated oven – our pizzas take no longer than 5 minutes. At 250C/gas mark 9, yours will take about 6-8 minutes. The newspaper described meeting Russell: "A macchiato-sipping, cigarette-smoking caricature of an anxious restaurateur," who "also seemed perversely thrilled, vibrating with the nervous energy of someone facing an enormous challenge. For our very first Waterstones Book of the Year, we wanted a book that reflected publishing’s response to the growing threat of the internet. A book that showcased fine production standards, something beautifully-written, a volume unafraid to celebrate the niche and showcase that to a much wider audience.