I would like to start this review with a little story: my grandmother - who was in charge of the cooking in our house for nearly 80 years - did not have any cookery books at home. When she died, at the grand old age of 101, my mother took command of the kitchen, and the only book she ever brought into the house was Il Cucchiaio d'Argento (aka The Silver Spoon), so my view may be a bit biased.
However, my familiarity with a lot of the recipes was an advantage when it came to review it as, at more than 1,000 pages, The Silver Spoon is not a book that you can get through quickly.
Written for the home cook, the book was first published in 1950. Since then it has been revised, expanded and updated eight times and to my mind it has only got better. It contains more than 2,000 recipes which are prepared every day in thousands of homes all over Italy and is traditionally given as a wedding present.
The recipes have been translated in a beautifully simple format, colour-coded for easy use. There are 15 chapters in total, kicking off with one on sauces, marinades and flavoured butters and including others on eggs and frittata, fish and shellfish, and cheese, as well as ones on various meats.
Throughout the book there is a very good representation of recipes from all the regions of Italy, showcasing regional products, and the vegetable (verdure) section has some nice suggestions for more modern, lighter dishes.
This is a great book for home, but also a good reminder for all of us Italian chefs who had forgotten that gorgeous dish that Nonna used to make when we were children. Inspiration indeed.
Giorgio Locatelli, chef-proprietor, Locanda Locatelli, London
The Silver Spoon
Phaidon, 24.95
ISBN 0-7148-4467-5