Molto Italiano
Certain cookbooks look beautiful, you buy them, and then they hang out on the shelf and are never used. Molto Italiano will not be that kind of cookbook. I admit, I was going to buy the cookbook no matter what but did not realize how delighted I would be.
First of all, the book is beautiful. More importantly, it is incredibly well written. Mario is one of the more verbose, amiable and smart characters that you will ever meet and it comes through in every recipe. He tells you exactly what he thinks. He even whispers in your ear. For instance, the recipe for Eggplant Involtini with Ricotta and Scallions (sounds good and is quite easy) he comments "it would be better to overcook them by five minutes than to undercook them by one."
As you are cooking in your kitchen, that is exactly the kind of hints that you need.
He is a music fan. "Antipasto can be as basic and yet sublime as a few slices of proscuitto or salami on a plate all by themselves, ringing in my head and on my tongue like a guitar solo by Jim Hendrix". You gotta love that.
I can hardly wait to make the Soft-Shell Crabs with broccoli rabe and sundried tomato pesto.
None of the recipes are that difficult. As he says, they all start with good ingredients then you are on your way.
Bravo to Mario. This is one book my kitchen will see again and again and again.