"Who were the subtle Europeans who showed a raw young Australia how to eat well and enjoy the food the land produced?  How did they perform that exuberant labour of kitchen love, the Italians who began arriving in Melbourne three or four generations ago? Mietta's Italian Family Recipes interweaves a loving story of Mietta's own family and friends with a clear and practical exposition of all the good Italian sense she learned in the kitchen at home - the secrets Mietta drew on as one of Australia's most celebrated restaurateurs. The social history is fascinating, the kitchen wisdom beyond praise, and Mietta's family snaps are a delight." - Peter Robb

Mietta's Italian Family Recipes presents over 185 recipes, covering antipasto, soups, risotto, pasta, fish, meat, pizza and desserts. Together they demonstrate the ways in which original Italian recipes can be re-interpreted to suit modern Australian life, ingredients and equipment.