It’s hard to believe this book was written and published in the ‘50s, when watery pot roast and martinis were America’s idea of fodder for dinner parties. I loved Pellegrini’s story about searching for olive oil in a friend’s medicine cabinet, so he could dress a chicken - no one used olive oil for cooking then! You can skip every fancy book out now on Tuscan cuisine, trattoria cooking, etc., once you have this book, because it has the best recipes for risotto, rabbit, chicken, polenta, greens, cardoons, and more importantly, it makes an argument for eating well but in moderation - a more sensible way to keep weight down without spoiling one’s enjoyment of food. Gardeners should also read this book, or his book, The Food Lover’s Garden . He writes just as lovingly about working in his garden as he does about cooking the foods he grows in it. Forget expensive organic produce at your local grocery and follow his instructions for a home garden to eat from, especially if you live in a mild climate like Prof. Pellegrini did (Seattle, WA).