Top 3 Italian Cook BooksThe more I rant and rave about cooking pasta, the more Italian cook books friends and family seem to buy me. While I love receiving and trying them all, I've found that 3 books stand head and shoulders above the rest. So to broaden your skills beyond pasta and learn more about scrummy Italian 'cibo' (food), I recommend you try these: 1. The Silver Spoon
The Silver Spoon has been educating Italian cooks for decades, but was only recently translated into English. Covering every type of Italian dish – from pasta and meat to risottos, fish meals, antipasti and desserts, it’s cleanly presented and its instructions are concise and straight to the point. More than that, it’s a book to grow with, as some recipes are simple, while others can be tackled when you’re a little more accomplished. Whatever your level, you’ll always have tons of dishes to go at. Recommended recipes: Where to buy it: (About The Book Depository: It’s an online bookstore I discovered recently. They ship books to anywhere in the world for FREE and their prices are very competitive with Amazon’s. Well worth a look!) 2. Jamie Oliver - Italy
Well his foodie jaunt obviously paid off as this book is packed to the brim with real winners. In addition to some glorious photographs and easy-to-follow instructions, each recipe also starts with an anecdote about the dish or person who taught it to him, which gives the book real Italian character. Whether it’s Jamie describing the cute-as-a-button Sara and her moreish lemon cake, or why the Sicilians know a thing or two about making meatballs, this approach really does work a treat. Recommended recipes: Where to buy it: 3. The Food of Italy: A Journey for Food Lovers
Arguably not as beginner-friendly as the 2 books above, I can report that its pizza dough recipe (which involves leaving your dough to rise for 8 hours) is quite a find. It takes practice of course, but I managed to impress a bunch of Neopolitan pizza lovers with it, so kudos where kudos is due – it works! Recommended recipe: Where to buy it: I'm sure these 3 books will help develop your Italian cooking skills, and they should also guarantee that you don't run out of tasty recipes to try for many years to come. Alternatively, search out more Italian cook books on Amazon below... Whichever book or books you choose, I wish you buon appetito!
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If you only buy one Italian cook book your whole life, make it this. (And hey, if you then never use this 1200-page monster, you have a helluva doorstop!)
Love him or loath him, there’s no disputing that Mr. Oliver cooks up some tasty tucker. And who wouldn’t be jealous of the trip he took around Italy to find authentic recipes for this book?
This was the first Italian cookbook I got stuck into and it’s about as authentic as it gets. 
