Siciliano

The recipes are inspired by Joe's Sicialian heritage and mother's home cooking. The Vargetto home in a Melbourne bayside suburb was like a small Sicilian farm with his father growing edible plants in the backyard with seeds bought back from Sicily, and mother using fresh seasonal produce in the kitchen to feed an extended family, Joe's love of food led him to some of the best kitchens in Italy and France and apprentiships in Melbourne's finest restaurants. Now he expresses his authentic take on Sicilian cuisine every day in his own restaurants, Mister Bianco and Massi and in the delicious recipes of Siciliano, his first cookbook.

Each with their own story, the mouth-watering recipes in the book feature the fresh seasonal produce, vibrant colour and distinctive flavours of Sicily. Dishes such as Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Scallops; Blood Orange Risotto with Yoghurt & Tuna Carpaccio and Chinotto Poached Quince with Rum Gelato, all exquisitely photographed with easy to follow recipes, will ensure that Siciliano becomes a much - used cookbook in your kitchen

About the Author

With a passion for cooking and an apprentiship at Melbourne's famed Florentino under his belt, Joe Vargetto travelled to Italy to work under one of the founders of modern Italian cuisine, Guattiero Marchesi. Returning to Melbourne, he cooked with leading chefs, Jacques Reymond, Philippe Mouchel and Jeremy Strode at Langton's. won the Bocuse D'Or competition in Australia and opened The Venetian in South Yarra. Joe then moved to Number 8 at Crown before teaming up with Luke Stinger and Frank Wilden at Oyster Little Bourke, Melbourne's version of New York's Balthazar. He then opened Mister Bianco, his modern Sicilian restaurant in Melbourne's Eastern suburbs, and then Massi in the CBD.