'Valentina Harris truly cooks from the heart' Giorgio Locatelli

Renowned cookery writer Valentina Harris has an extraordinary family history to tell: political activism, scandalous love and exile. Against a backdrop of different cultures and cuisines, Valentina narrates these beautiful and powerful stories along with her discovery of pure, intense happiness from cooking. Each of her recipes tells a tale - you'll find the Chinese Tea-Smoked Duck, her grandmother's legacy of a life in Peking, the Seafood Risotto that Beppino, their cook, taught her in Italy and the Nougat Semifreddo that she used to eat with her father on the via Veneto in Rome.

Here are 85 recipes that have been handed down through the generations or inspired by family stories and experiences. This is the culmination of Valentina's career and the book of her heart and soul.