Globe-Trotting Tobbie Puttock’s passion for cooking, surfing and skateboarding has taken him around the world and it’s obvious he’s serious about food, particularly Italian. He’s also meticulous about what he does and takes account of allergies like dairy intolerance, lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance and irritable bowel syndrome. That’s refreshing to see.

Daily Italian published by Mitchell Beazley (£20) is a celebration of his favourite Italian recipes created and collected during his career.It has seen him work double-shifts, logging 18-hour days in Italian-speaking kitchens as well as spending time in celebrated kitchens line the River Café in London and Fifteen London. He is now head chef in Melborune’s Fifteen. He sticks by the guiding principle of great Italian cuisine that cooking is an act of love.

Tobie’s recipes in this his debut publication are mouth-watering and relatively easy to prepare but his love of food is, however, detrimental to the book. Busy people, I believe, don’t have the luxury of time to source swordfish, time to wait for homemade gravlax, seek out bresaola – air-dried beef which comes from the little Italian town of Chiavenna, in northern Lombardy, or, even, buy squid which is only available from specialised fishmongers or speciality stores. Braised rabbit with olives and rosemary sounds appetising, but how many people have a quality local butcher nearby which stocks rabbit!

Pumpkin soup – a favourite of his father – sounded great, but where do you find a pumpkin 24-7? People want, quick, easy but stimulating recipes which can be prepared over a glass of wine after a busy day at work.  The Daily Italian title initially sounded to me as if I could flip open a page and quickly prepare something different. Not so. There are nuggets, however.

Strawberries with balsamic vinegar was absolutely delicious. They took seconds to prepare and five minutes in the oven at 200 degrees C to cook. Opening the aluminium foil and smelling the end product was fantastic and, with ice cream or cream, the taste burst into your month. However, there were too few of this type of recipe.