I just picked up my copy of "The Silver Spoon," which has just been translated into English.It has everything you can imagine-over 2000 recipes.What fun!

Thanks for the review, massagediva. I have it on my wishlist at BN.com for my husband and forgot to get it for him; I guess I'll save it for his birthday. Enjoy!

Thanks for the heads up, M.

I just ordered my copy.

Mine's been "on order" for a while. I'm hoping to see it the morning of the 25th . This is an exhaustive collection of every Italian dish and technique. One example: five different ways to prepare calves head! Mmmm!

22 recipes for Coniglio(rabbit!)

There was a review of this translation in the NYT. Evidently some of the ingredients don't really translate well into English and it can be confusing.

I am tempted, but in my experience, it is not the recipes, it it the ingrediants.

To me, what makes Italian food in Italy so wonderful, is fresh food, simply prepared. The uniform vegtables that one finds in UK supermarkets just don't taste as good.

Bought mine a few weeks ago at Costco. Nice, uncomplicated recipes.

You know when I moved to Italy I discovered that "Italian " food is an something you eat outside of Italy, and when you are in Italy what you are eating is regional cuisines (even pizza is a Neopalitana dish. Since I live in Piedmont I have a passion for Piedmontese cuisine and wines which I regard as being arguably the finest in Italy, therefore my choice of best cookbook is funnily enough called "Passion for Piedmont" written by Matt Kramer who is a wine and food writer, combines history of Piedmont's cuisine with recipes and anectdotes about many wonderful cooks

It is true on the whole that "The uniform vegtables that one finds in UK supermarkets just don't taste as good." : but there is an obvious answer which is to buy vegetables elsewhere. I buy mine mostly at a farmers' market; or if I was looking for something particularly continental & seasonal (e.g. very good tomatoes, peaches, cima di rape) I'd go to an Italian shop which imports its produce from Italy. Supermarket organic fruit & veg can be OK, though : I've recently been buying quite nice, if small, knobbly unwaxed Italian lemons from Tesco.

You're right Caroline, it's simply not true that you can't buy good produce in the UK, you simply have to be prepared to shop around, and spend a bit more.

I think we're actually spoilt for choice quite often - the range of goods in Italian supermarkets is far more limited. I had one hell of a time trying to buy fresh basil last time I was there!

Hi Kate. Wow, that's incredible that you had a hard time buying basil - this would be in southern Italy too ?

Sampaguita, your "Passion for Piedmont" sounds great; I'll check into it. Favorite recipe? Thanks. J.

My all time favorite cookbook is Marcella Hazen's "Classic Italian Cooking". I wore out one copy so my husband bought me a spare. I have purchased copies for my three daughters so that when they leave home they will have at least one good Italian cookbook to rely on.

Well, I made dinner last night using the new Silver Spoon- polenta with Gorgonzola,chicken breasts stuffed with mushrooms and mascarpone , and braised broccoli. I found the recipes to be very easy to follow.Delicioso!

Mm, sounds fantastic !

I tried to buy this book a few weeks ago but the first print run here had already sold out, it seemed. Looking forward even more now to getting hold of it !

My husband and I also enjoy Marcella's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. In fact we just sent a copy to my sister-in-law for Christmas.

I flipped thru it at Costco , but decided to stick with my Marcella Hazen and Lorenza de Medici books.

It's only been the best-selling cookbook in Italy for fifty years,it's probably not very good.