I have not tried a single recipe from this book, because other than the picture on the cover, there isn't a single picture in the book except of Father G. If a book is going to be called Baking Secrets, many Americans are not familiar with what Italian names for cookies and pastiries describe, so at least have some pictures of what those items are. The book is mostly breads. After reading the recipe for the pastry on the book cover, there aren't instructions to get your product to look as good as the one on the cover, and I wonder if Father G made the one on the book cover at all? The directions say spoon the filling into the shell. Doing that would NOT look like the pipped filling on the book cover. The recipies I read also didn't reveal any secrets. For example one says combine the ingredients and drop on a baking sheet. What is the secret in that? Petrali cookie, no description is given, so what kind of cookie is that, why would I want to try it or make it? Grandmother's cake, also no description, no picture, what kind of cake is that? I guess the secret is if you bake these recipes, you'll then figure out what they look like then. $16.00 for a book with no pictures is a joke save your money and by U. ferrigno's La Dolce Vita, at least that has pictures.La Dolce Vita: Sweet Things from the Italian Home Kitchen (Mitchell Beazley Food)