Inspired by the delicate paintings of Giovanna Garzoni, the seventeenth-century Florentine artist, Mike Newton has created an exquisite collection of still-life photographs of all varieties of fruit. The gentle art of the court miniaturist to the Medici is reflected in these delicious images, from fresh, sun-warmed figs to the season's first sweet strawberries and the velvety seductiveness of the peach. Lorenza de-Medici, renowned Italian cookery author and direct descendent of Garzoni's patrons, complements these photographs with an elegant narrative and over 100 Tuscan-inspired recipes. Using well-known fruits such as apple, fig and apricot as well as the more unusual medlar and quince and exotic fruits such as guava and papaya, she provides recipes that allow a celebration of the arrival of each season with new colours, textures and tastes.
