CIAO ITALIA: Bringing Italy Home
Mary Ann Esposito, CIAO ITALIA: Bringing Italy HomeIn her newest cookbook, the host of the PBS series Ciao Italia
continues to share the breadth and simplicity of authentic Italian cuisine made from fresh, seasonal ingredients, with a focus this time on regional specialties, highlighting the distinctive foods of Southern, Central and Northern Italy and their origins. (For example, according to Esposito, there are no olive trees in Venice, because the area lacks sunshine; therefore, Venetians substitute butter for olive oil in many of their recipes.) These 130 new recipes, which she is promoting concurrently on her TV show, are, for the most part, rustic and unpretentious: foods eaten by real families as part of their daily lives, such as the Venetian dishes Tortellini di Zucca con Ragù (Pumpkin-Stuffed Pasta with Meat Sauce) and Cappone Agrodolce (Capon with Sweet-and-Sour Sauce). Yet, at the same time, the recipes have an elegance and complexity of flavor that belie their origin. Scaloppine al Limone e Capperi (Veal Cutlets with Lemon and Caper Sauce) has flavors that are clean and clear; Tuscan Zuppa di Funghi (Mushroom Soup) is concentrated and rich; and Sicilian Biscottini di Vino (Little Wine Cookies) make an unusual and sumptuous accompaniment to a glass of red wine. Fans of her earlier books (Nella Cucina,
etc.) and TV series will welcome Esposito's travel stories, family memories and tips, which infuse the recipes with a warm and personal touch. Similar in many ways to her earlier books, Esposito's new offering should appeal to Italian-Americans in search of the traditional foods and flavors of their ancestors. (May)
closeDetailsReviewed on: 04/02/2001
Genre: Nonfiction
In her newest cookbook, the host of the PBS series
Reviewed on: 04/02/2001
Genre: Nonfiction
