Add the lemon zest and juice, then the rocket (arugula) and avocado and check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper to taste.

Deep frying is not my forte but cooking with confidence means that you can place your trust in a good recipe with clear instructions and feel okay with the outcome. Scarpaccia means “nasty/old shoe” and no one really knows why such an uninspiring name; it is possibly something to do with the appearance of this dessert: a genuine scarpaccia should be a fairly thin and crusty affair – like an old, over-worn shoe. Claire Thomson, who has made something of a habit of releasing practical, down-to-earth cookbooks over the past five years.Cavolo Nero; and Fried Chilli Butter Sesame Eggs with Kale on toast, which I very much wish I were eating right now! This book lets you opt firmly for column A, whilst avoiding the obvious titles and throwing in some unexpected regional dishes to boot. The recipe I’ve chosen to share with you, and which I am itching to make, is Thomson’s Caramel Apple Cake, which appropriately enough comes from the Autumn section.

What I appreciate about Thomson’s book is the variety of recipes, while her cooking is not plant-based there is a clever index of vegetarian recipes at the back of the book that helps for quick and easy reference. The Dairy Diary has been Britain’s favourite home diary since 1982 with sales of over 25 million copies!

With over 3 million sales it is a firm favourite, with Celebrity MasterChef and Bake Off winners listed among its fans! On a hot, summer day in Lucca, few places are more agreeable to have lunch at than under the stone arches of the old trattoria Da Giulio, well protected from the gaze of the sun.