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					Originally Posted by  T.G
					 
				 
				Then I would think that books are probably your best bet. 
 
For Italian, I would recommend "The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Italian" by the late Jeff Smith.  Wonderful book - four hundred something authentic and old world recipes all adapted for the American kitchen, history & cooking techniques.  I've been using my copy since it was first released about 20 years ago now. I'm pretty sure it's long since out of print, so, if you buy, I would recommend the hardcover version, over the paperback, as the paperbacks are probably falling apart at this point. 
  
			
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 This is one of my favorites. I use the encyclopedia of Italian cooking a lot too(will look up the info when I get home). 
I also like magazines. They have tested recipes with details on technique, plus shiny pictures.