I don't know how the person who was disappointed with it could claim it wasn't "authentic". Maybe they were comparing it to restaurant food. Well, Italian restaurants are like Chinese restaurants in what they cook for the customers is usually much different than what they would cook at home. So, maybe the misconception stems from there.

Trust me. It's authentic. The only better book I've seen is The Sicilian Gentleman's Cookbook (of course, being Sicilian I'm biased) which I believe is out of print. My Scottish-German wife now cooks like my grandma used to :-)

This book reminds me of an Italian version of The Joy of Cooking. Straightforward recipies from Nona's kitchen. No frills, just good eats.

20 of 20 found the following review helpful:

The only Italian Cookbook you will ever need...  Apr 03, 2000
By Laurie Pritchett
I asked a great Italian cook(from the heart of a Bronx Italian neighborhood) for some of her old family recipes. She wrote to me and said that this book was an excellent accumulation of family recipes from Italian families everywhere. The recipes are wonderful, easy and have received rave reviews.

12 of 12 found the following review helpful:

Just Like Mama Julia Made  Nov 15, 2001

This book brings back wonderful memories for me! I was fortunate enough to grow up two doors away from an Italian lady, Julia, who made wonderful homemade pasta dishes. She made huge family meals and would share the leftovers with my family! I have been a lover of Italian food ever since. I don't live near Julia anymore, so she suggested that I buy this book and make my own Italian meals. I am happy to report that the recipes are simple, delicious and reminiscent of the Italian cooking I grew up with. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves authentic Italian food.

4 of 5 found the following review helpful:

Great Italian Cookbook!  Jan 09, 2007
By Jan
I lost this cookbook during a divorce recently and just HAD to buy another one to replace it. It is a collection of wonderful authentic Italian recipes compiled by a community of wonderful authentic Italian cooks.

A Great Italian cook book with the memory of the past  May 02, 2010
By Visa "butch"
It brought back memory of the stuff my grandmother use to make when i was a kid.
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