I have to disagree with the reviewer who said this book was a disappointment. It does not pretend to be a recipe book - not a traditional one at least. What it is, on the otherhand, is a complete guide to Italian food and cooking. There is a lot of priceless information, doubtlessly-well researched, about how the various ingredients work together, their availability in various regions, and, of course, mouth-watering recipes. What the previous reviewer failed to see, perhaps, was that the recipes given in this book are very easily adaptable, and having read the background info at the beginning of each chapter, one can very easily create a multitude of traditional Italian dishes, based on the recipes found within the same chapter.
I am a great fan of Italian cuisine, and a firm believer that cooking is an art, not a task. If all you need is a bible-full of straightforward recipes, with little or no background info, then perhaps something like The Silver Spoon would suit your needs better. However, if you enjoy adding your touch to the dishes you create, then Complete Italian Food is the book for you. It not only presents instructions....it makes the recipes work for you, and makes them so easily adaptable that before long you'll soon be creating your very own repertoire of Italian delicacies....your style!!!