Even if the recipes weren't wonderful, I love the photos and commentary. But ohmyfrikkingod, the pizza dough alone is worth buying this book.

My review over at 101 Cookbooks Library (yes, I am too lazy to retype it):

May 12, 2010

This is one of my favorite cookbooks, hands down. The photographs are beautiful, the recipes are easy to follow, and you can feel Jamie's passion for this food emanating from every page. This is also one of my toddler's favorite cookbooks - she will thumb through and gaze at each page slowly, taking great care to pick just the right recipe for that evening's meal.

The photography and recipes in this cookbook really captures what I call "everyday Italy." Yes, the famous sites and dishes are great (and worth seeing and eating if you go), but Jamie focuses in on what it's like to live in the country on a day to day basis. It's simple and delicious food using the best ingredients you can get your hands on; it's focusing on getting off the beaten path and trying something new/something you never thought you could make successfully at home. I enjoyed this cookbook before I ever set foot on Italian soil, but love it even more after spending my honeymoon traveling around the country.

Beautiful photos of food! Enjoyed reading the recipes.

magnificent photographs and fantastic stories to prove, once again, that the pleasures of food extend far beyond just the food.

Would be better without bloody dead animal pictures.

wasn't too jazzed about the rabbit meals and the tres realistic pictures of meat.. but otherwise, great book.

Got this from the library for a ceci recipe. Someone ripped out several pages in 2008. Did they ever slaughter and roast a pig?!

He can be annoying... but the recipes are simple and delicious

Some of the best recipes I've ever used. Oh, and I loved the television series too.

Wouldn't usually sit down and read a cookbook like a 'regular' book, but I found this in the local 'little free library' and it was enjoyable to page through on a hot day. Jamie Oliver sometimes annoys me but there are some good-looking recipes in here.

The recipes in this book are generally expensive and time consuming to make, but it's a gorgeous production and full of interesting ideas.

As far as the recepies, they are quite good, some with a real italian feeling other easy to cross them as just italianized.... (Not sure it is a proper word....) I have the Portuguese version for some years now than bought the original one 2nd hand to check it but my feling the same.... This one had just better small notes on some recepies....If you get it with a good deal is excelent....