La Trattoria

A celebration of simple Italian cookery and the atmosphere of family-run restaurants, this is the first book from Dara Klein, the chef behind Tiella at the Compton Arms

Rustic southern Italian cooking inspired by la cucina povera of Puglia.

Raised in the hustle and bustle of her parent’s Italian restaurant, Dara Klein has been helping to build lasagne and stealing spoonfuls of tiramisu since early childhood. After her two-year stint as resident chef at London’s famous Compton Arms pub, Dara returned to her home kitchen ready to distil a life of culinary experience into unfussy, honest recipes like Sugo di pomodoro (slow cooked tomatoes), Braised Ox Cheek and the perfect seasonal side salad. A natural teacher, Dara presents her kitchen know-how in the same way she trained her team of chefs to really interrogate how to build flavour into your cooking. You’ll enjoy the process and learn how to cook instinctively, just like an Italian mamma.

Featuring insights into life behind the scenes at London’s buzziest eateries and the tips and tricks you can use to get exceptional quality food at home, La Trattoria is an indispensable guide to Italian cookery and an ode to family restaurants around the world.