With lots of great pictures, and little snippets of 'wisdom' from the man himself, this is more than a collection of recipes - it's an aspirational manual for a better attitude to eating. Moreover, it's probably the best piece of free marketing the Italian tourist board could have ever wished for.

The recipes vary, as with all recipe books, from the straightforward (and sometimes a little too obvious perhaps) to the advanced. Depending upon your attitude to cooking this can be a blessing or a bit inhibiting. If you've got a bit of practise then you'll be able to enjoy most of the recipes in this book without too much trouble.

Jamie Oliver's take on Italian food is balanced neatly between the traditional and the modern. His personal variations on staples like minestrone, lasagne and pizza all reflect his own flair and passion for fresh ingredients, but also his respect for the "proper way" of doing things. All the recipes that I have sampled have turned out very well. Personal favourites have been "Hunter's Lasagne" and the exquisite Cauliflower Risotto (seriously, you'll never frown upon a cauliflower again).

All in all this book comes highly recommended - it's a pleasure to read and work from.