Ebury Press scoops cookbook from acclaimed London restaurant Brutto

Ebury Press has signed Brutto – A (Simple) Florentine Cookbook by Russell Norman, who opened the Tuscan trattoria in London in 2021.

Ebury’s deputy publisher, Lizzy Gray, bought world all-language rights from Cathryn Summerhayes at Curtis Brown. The book will be published by Ebury on 2nd November 2023, and is designed by the creative team behind Polpo, Praline, with photography by Jenny Zarins.

The publisher says: “Trattoria Brutto, Russell’s acclaimed restaurant and inspiration for this new book, launched in the middle of the pandemic to become a huge success, a testament to the flair and drive of the man behind it. Brutto – A (Simple) Florentine Cookbook combines delicious simple recipes of Florence with the style and bohemian spirit of a unique area of the city, Santo Spirito, through Russell’s captivating stories and insider advice, resulting in a stylish and joyous tribute to Italy’s greatest rustic cuisine. Brutto ma buono – ugly but good. This is the food of Florence – rigorously simple, very few ingredients, exceptionally tasty.”

Recipes in the book will include: anchovy with cold butter and sourdough; penne with tomato and vodka; sausages with braised lentils and mustard and country-style bread and tomato salad.

Norman is an award-winning restaurateur, writer and broadcaster, and the founder of the Polpo restaurant group. Norman’s book Polpo – A Venetian Cookbook (of Sorts) was published by Bloomsbury and was named the first-ever Waterstones Book of the Year in 2012. In 2014 he presented “The Restaurant Man”, a six-part prime-time documentary for BBC2, and his second book, Spuntino – Comfort Food (New York Style), won the 2016 Guild of Food Writers Award for best food and travel book. He is a contributing editor for Esquire magazine and writes a monthly column as “The Accidental Cook”.

Russell said: “When I opened Brutto, a Tuscan trattoria in London, I wanted to get back to the basics of authenticity, honesty and simplicity. We all needed comfort cooking served in the true spirit of hospitality. My book allows the home cook to achieve this in the setting of a domestic kitchen which, after all, was my inspiration from the start.”