During his long career Australian chef Tobie Puttock has cooked his way around Europe but always finding himself in Italian kitchens he has developed a true passion for Italian food.

He said: "It is about the sheer brilliance of a cuisine that has endured and evolved over the centuries - about its flexibility, healthiness, tastiness, lack of fuss and the sheer love with which it is cooked, served and shared."

Now he is sharing some of the lessons he has learned with his book, Daily Italian ( Mitchell Beazley, £20), which features his favourite recipes as well as dishes he has discovered, reinvented and perfected working as a chef in some of the world's great Italian restaurants.

He's been a cooking pal of Jamie Oliver's for 10 years, becoming the launch head chef at Fifteen in London and now executive head chef at Fifteen in Melbourne.

In the foreword to his book Oliver, who first met Tobie when they worked together at the acclaimed River Cafe, says: "The thing with cooking is that recipes are just recipes and cooking really is just cooking. But what makes food taste special - and inspires other people to get cooking or try new things - is whether the person cooking it has personality, a smile on their face and a sense of celebration and fun. Tobie has all these qualities."

Here is one of his mouthwatering recipes to try.

WHAT DO I NEED?Serves 4-6 as a starter1kg (2lb) mussels3tbsp olive oil60g breadcrumbs2 cloves garlic, finely choppedhandful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped1 fresh chilli, finely choppedextra virgin olive oil for flavoursea saltfreshly ground black pepperWHAT SHOULD I DO?Preheat the oven to 180C (360F). Rinse the mussels under cold water and remove their beards - a sharp tug usually does it. Scrape off any barnacles by using the sharp end of one mussel against the shell of another. Select a saucepan that has a lid and is large enough to hold the mussels comfortably. Heat three tablespoons of oil over a medium-to-high heat, add the mussels and cover. Once most of the mussels have opened - a couple of minutes - remove the saucepan from the heat, discarding any unopened ones. Wait for the mussels to cool, then remove and discard their upper shells. Using a spoon, loosen the flesh from the bottom shell.

Combine the breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, chilli and a lug of extra virgin olive oil in a small bowl, then spoon the mixture over the mussels in their half shells. Season with salt and pepper then place the mussels side by side in a baking dish. Brown in the oven for about five minutes. Serve immediately.