Fine Art of Italian Cooking

I consider this the sourcebook for all of Giuliano's cooking. This is the second edition of this book (that I own as well). You can't go wrong with this. He provides more insights than Marcella Hazan whose two volume book is a similar compendium....ahhh, but Giuliano is a Tuscan !

Northern Italian cuisine -- it's not a cookbook that's stuck on pasta! My favorite recipe is "chicken in the manner of a suckling pig."

Simply put, this book is pretty much my cooking bible. I have made many of the recipes, and they have all been astoundingly fabulous. Do yourself a favor, and get yourself a copy immediately, and be sure to try some of the recipes that call for home made fresh pasta (the duck lasagna in particular). They can take a while, but are well worth the time and effort.

This book is jammed with great recipes. I highly recommend it if you want to challenge yourself in Italian cooking. We have enjoyed a few dishes and will continue to dive into this great book.

While not exactly for the beginner, this book will allow anyone with some basic cooking skills to create absolutely marvelous dishes. Be forewarned that many of these recipes take quite a bit of time. You might be better off starting with simpler recipes (such as risotto or sformati) and working up to a more complex one, like the stuffed whole boned chicken.I have made many of the recipes in this book over the last several years. It has just the right amount of detail on technique--I refer to it from time to time to clarify techniques that are missing in other cookbooks. I cannot imagine a kitchen library without it.