Ciao Italia: My Lifelong Food Adventures in Italy

by Mary Ann Esposito

Overview

Legions of loyal fans of Mary Ann Esposito’s groundbreaking PBS cooking show CIAO ITALIA have enjoyed cooking with and learning from this beloved television personality, a trailblazer who helped spark a billion dollar food media industry and paved the way for countless other television chefs. Fans have three words to describe her cooking style: traditional, authentic and passionate. From creating and launching CIAO ITALIA in 1989 to authoring 12 cookbooks, Esposito has inspired a worldwide audience who want to know more about Italian food and culture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781942155171
Publisher:	Mary Ann Esposito
Publication date:	11/01/2018
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	102,271
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 10.10(h) x 1.20(d)

Editorial Reviews

08/06/2018
Esposito has hosted PBS’s Ciao Italia cooking show for nearly three decades and has written 12 previous titles, and her experience shows in this wide-ranging compendium of Italian classics. Recipes for regional treats include stuffed olives from the Marche region of Eastern Italy and sebadas, fried cheese-filled turnovers from Sardinia that are drizzled with honey and served for dessert. Encyclopedic in scope, the book covers rice, pasta, and bread, including a paper-thin, stracchino cheese–filled focaccia from Recco in Liguria and a traditionally unsalted Tuscan loaf. Sometimes organization falters: a dish of spaghetti with calamari crops up in the fish chapter, far from its pasta brethren, and it would make more sense to house panettone with desserts rather than sandwiching it between basic bread dough and pizza. Recipes are workmanlike and clear, but the standouts here are the sidebars, which include practical information (such as an alphabetical list of various types of cheese) with informative history (like a mini-essay on how the chalky soil sets apart the olive oil of Umbria, and has been the choice of popes for centuries). This is another worthy volume in Esposito’s long and sage list of cookbooks. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

11/15/2018

Esposito, a PBS host (Ciao Italia) and veteran author (Ciao Italia Family Classics), combines "recipes and food experiences from all over the boot, along with stories that bring them to life." Divided into courses, starting with antipasto and closing with sweets and fruit, dishes are presented in Italian alongside the English translation (i.e., minestra con pane sotto, soup with bread). Staples such as soup, rice, pasta, fish, meat, poultry, and salad, as well as side dishes such as pasta sauces and breads, join ziti con pomodori e melanzane alla Siciliana (ziti with tomatoes and eggplant, Sicilian style), vignarola (Roman-style spring vegetables), pesce al cartoccio (fish in paper) and tanti biscotti (a lot of biscotti). Esposito discuses common ingredients such as cheeses and olive oil and later explores the benefits of the Mediterranean diet and offers advice on bread making and starting a vegetable garden. VERDICT With intriguing photos, Esposito shares her love of the food and culture of Italy. Can't make it to Italy this year? This book is a great start.—Barbara Kundanis, Longmont P.L., CO

Library Journal

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