In keeping with a traditional Italian menu, the book is divided up into antipasti, soup, pasta, risotto, fish, meat, and dessert. The recipes span the family food of Locatelli's childhood in Lombardy, all the way to the present day contemporary dishes available in his London restaurant, Locanda Locatelli.

Delicious winter warmers include Borlotti Bean Soup with Spelt, Classic Risotto with Grana Cheese, and Chargrilled Lamb with Peppers and Aubergine Purée. But there's also a fair share of impressive dinner party dishes, such as Swiss Chard Envelopes with Fontina, and Poached Peaches with Fresh Mint Nougat Glace and Amaretto Jelly.

At the beginning of each section, Locatelli gives us something close to an essay on how to choose and use the ingredients featured. For example, in the antipasti section he devotes two pages to vinegar. These pages are peppered with quirky facts, like that true balsamic vinegar is made not from wine but the must of the Trebbiano grape, then blended with aged wine vinegar and matured for at least twelve years.

True to Italian nature, Locatelli invites us into his home and opens up his life. He maps his love of food, revealing childhood memories of watching warm panettone hang in his uncle's pastry shop, to his pride in his first chef's jackets aged nine, and onto how he still puts into practice the cooking tips of his grandmother.

This is a rare insight into the techniques, ideas, and opinions of one of Britain's most respected chefs. It's a treasure you won't want to put it down, and believe me it's heavy!