In this cookbook, Tuscan-based, Australian-born writer and photographer Emiko Davies has compiled and adapted her Italian family’s best-loved recipes from Capalbio, Monte Argentario, Giglio Island and inland to the hot springs of Saturnia and the ancient Pitigliano.

It is a celebration of the region that’s named for the shimmery salt-and-pepper sand along this part of the Tyrrhenian Sea, its rolling hills, long beaches, overgrown fig trees, rambling vineyards – and rich culinary history. The latest iteration of Acquacotta features a beautiful new cover and a vegetarian and gluten-free index that highlights a different side to Italian cuisine.

In words and pictures, Emiko guides readers through the use of local ingredients, as well as sharing the history of rustic, storied dishes including scampi and potato soup, hand-rolled strozzapreti noodles, spinach and ricotta tortelli, chestnut gnocchi and the classic fig and chocolate bread, pagnotella. Plus, of course, the book’s namesake acquacotta, a quintessential Maremman peasant dish that captures the spirit of this special place.

Cicchetti (pronounced chi-ke-tee) are little morsels; think of them as appetisers, aperitivo or hors d’oeuvres – but cicchetti are undeniably, distinctly Venetian and a delicious nod to Venice’s casual way of life.

In Cinnamon and Salt, Italy-based food writer Emiko Davies delves into the rich, multicultural history of Venice and its unique cuisine, detailing more than sixty classic and modern recipes, from fried to sweet and from small plates to drinks.

Try sweet and sour radicchio, the legendary fried meatballs, or creamy whipped cod on squares of polenta. Indulge in Venetian soft-shell crab before moving on to rose petal jam and sugar-coated fritters. You’ll even find recipes for a spritz, a Bellini and a thick hot chocolate, and be let in on the secrets to creating your own authentic cicchetti.