I didn’t really know anything about the author Benedetta Parodi until I picked up this book. What little information I found was that she is a journalist turned cooking show TV host, but back home she is one Italy’s best loved culinary celebrities. She has written several recipe books, although this book seems to be the first released in English. She admits herself in the intro that she isn’t a professional chef, but a working woman that loves to cook, which is fine by me.

The book is a door-stopper of a thing. The hard back version is easily a good couple of inches thick, but not surprising since it contains 400 recipes. It’s great value for money, even if it is hard on the wrists.

The recipes are largely savoury, but there is a final chapter of desserts. The recipes are broken into chapters: Antipasti; First Courses; Entrées; Breads, Side dishes, Salads and Snacks; Desserts. As the title states, the recipes within are everyday and unpretentious. The ingredients are all fairly commonplace and you should not have any difficulty obtaining them from most supermarkets or delis.

I guess since there is such a large number of recipes, something had to give. There is only one photo per handful of recipes, which is a shame as the dishes sound lovely. As any foody knows, we eat with our eyes first. It would have been preferable to have more pictures included, especially since a lot of the dishes may be unfamiliar with many of the readers, and it is always useful to have a reference.

As this book is aimed at an American audience I am not surprised to see that the ingredients listed in imperial and cups measures. As the author is Italian, I am not surprised to see that the ingredients are listed in metric, too. The recipe instructions are brief and very succinct. I did, at times, think a little more direction would be beneficial. For example, one stew recipe calls for fresh sage leaves, but it doesn’t state if these should be whole or chopped. I, personally, wouldn’t want to eat a whole sage leaf. Because of this, I think a certain amount of experience is required for this book, so I would not say it is for a complete novice.

If like me, Italian food is one of your favourite cuisine, then this book will really help you get to the heart of the Italian home, the kitchen.

This book is available now in hardback from Rizzoli.