The hard-cover publication Farm to Flame mixes recipes using fire as the only fuel source through the story of Nicola Coccia – the owner and chef of twice-hatted Bowral restaurant Bistro Officina.

 “It’s about my journey, my family, my farmers and my food,” Coccia said.

“Food didn’t come to us on a truck or in a packet. The seasons changed, and we ate what we grew, always cooked over fire.”

Charred, smoked and wood-roasted – Farm to Flame’s recipes alternate between signature restaurant dishes like smoked eel macarons, grilled gnocchi and beef rib lollipops, to meals shared with family and friends like leftover Sunday lunch pasta bake or beach-fired South Coast lobster.

The book also pays tribute to Coccia’s network of local producers such as Red-Leaf Farm, Moonacres Farm and Pecora Dairy – opening up about the strong bonds developed as a result of trust and a mutual respect for food, produce and the environment.

Quicksand Food publisher Stefan Posthuma, photographer Ashley Mackevicius and artist Thomas Bucich have collaborated to produce the 230-page book which will be released on November 16.

 FARM TO FLAME Cooking without rules in the Bistro Officina kitchen. By Nicola Coccia.  RRP: $59.95

Visit www.bistroofficina.com  or www.quicksandfood.com  for more information

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