Famed for its bustling cities rich with art, history, and centuries-old traditions, as well as for its gently rolling landscapes filled with vineyards, cypress trees, and olive groves, Tuscany is one of the most popular regions in Italy. Mary Ann Esposito, host of the longest-running television cooking show, invites us to experience the tastes, smells, and traditions of this wonderful region, one delectable meal at time. With eighty delicious recipes accompanied by anecdotes, travel essays, and cooking tips and techniques, this collection shares and explores the essence of Tuscan cooking. Cucina povera, country-style cooking, is the backbone of the Tuscan culinary heritage, and you'll see it in practice on an agricultural estate just outside of Siena, at a palazzino in the heart of Florence, at a popular restaurant in an industrial city, in medieval villages, and in the charming cities and towns across the region. Simple, flavorful ingredients are transformed into authentic, mouth-watering dishes such as Scarola e Fagioli (Escarole and Beans), Pappa al Pomodoro (Tomato Bread Soup), Patate con Olio e Ramerino (Potatoes with Olive Oil and Rosemary), Bistecca alla Fiorentina (Grilled T-bone Steak), Gnocchi di Patate con Salsa di Pecorino e Panna (Potato Gnocchi with Pecorino Cream Sauce), Panforte, Ricciarelli di Siena (Siena-Style Almond Cookies), and much more. Complete with information on mail-order sources, Web sites, and Tuscan restaurants, this celebration of the region of Tuscany is a tribute to the people practicing and preserving its rich culinary traditions.

Just east of Tuscany, Umbria is lush with rolling hills and rustic small towns - and delicious, healthful, traditional Italian cooking. In her most intimate and personal cookbook to date, popular cooking-show host Mary Ann Esposito, beloved for her long-running series "Ciao Italia," takes us through this delightful, unspoiled region - cooking, eating, and making friends along the way. With 60 authentic recipes along with anecdotes, profiles, and cooking tips, this companion to "Ciao Italia" is a "traveling cookbook" that transports us to the unforgettable foods of Umbria and the people who prepare them. You'll visit bustling food markets, glorious street festivals, aroma-filled home kitchens, family-run vineyards, top-secret truffle fields, and a heavenly chocolate museum. You'll also find information on mail-order sources, web sites, and Umbrian restaurants. Everyone who loves Italy will savor the bounty of Umbrian specialties on these pages, including hearty gnocchi, sizzling vegetables and pork sausages alla griglia (on the grill), delectable black truffles, simple ragus, healthful lentils and farro, hearty country breads, and Perugian chocolate desserts. So pull up a chair, pour a glass of Sangiovese, and come along to Umbria - and bring your appetite!

Damian and Johnny return with a colorful volume of hearty fare of Tuscan derivation. From the antipasti to dolci, these chefs offer intensely flavored dishes from that fabled west-central Italian region crowned by Florence.

What could be better than an authentic Italian dinner like this that takes only thirty minutes to prepare? Little Ciabatta Toasts with Ricotta and Salami Skillet Breaded Pork Chops with Rosemary Cherry Tomatoes with Leeks and Thyme Dried Figs in Red Wine From years of cooking in her Ciao Italia television kitchen, Mary Ann Esposito understands what many people with busy lives, as well as those just beginning to learn their way around the kitchen, want to know: How do I prepare an authentic Italian meal without spending hours in the kitchen? In Ciao Italia, Pronto!, Mary Ann shows everyone how to prepare an authentic Italian meal in thirty minutes with more than eighty mouthwatering recipes from the entire gamut of Italian cuisine. She's gathered together a treasure trove of antipasti, soups, pasta dishes, main courses, vegetable side dishes, pizzas, calzones, and deserts that make easy and delicious meals for family and friends. Besides recipes for dishes like quick chicken cacciatore, macaroni with a rich lamb sauce or Cornish game hens with tomatoes and potatoes, Mary Ann shares her how-tos of cooking Italian quickly and authentically: · how to maximize your time in the grocery store · how to create a Pronto! pantry filled with staples · how to have a cooking plan and multitask as the preparation gets underway · how to get several meals out of a single preparation · how to use seasonal fruits and vegetables to greatest effect. For good measure, Mary Ann adds a dozen Pronto! menus to show readers how to combine the dishes, as well as a select list of mail order and online sources for specialty items. So, instead of bringing home fast food or prepared frozen dishes from the grocery story, involve the whole family, spend thirty minutes with Mary Ann, and bring a little la dolce vita---as Italians would say, "the good life"--- to your kitchen. Without fuss or bother, Mary Ann Esposito shows you how to bring an authentic taste of Italy to the table for your friends and family.

A “complete, authoritative and accessible guide to Italian ingredients, cooking and cuisine” from the host of America’s longest-running cooking show (Kirkus Reviews). On Ciao Italia, which has been airing on PBS for more than twenty years, Mary Ann Esposito has taught millions of fans how to cook authentic Italian dishes. Now Mary Ann returns to her family’s humble beginnings to bring us a treasure trove of more than 200 time-honored recipes. They represent traditional, everyday foods that she regards as culinary royalty—always admired, respected, and passed down through generations. Even better, they’re easy to make and guaranteed to please. Try such classics as: - Sicilian Rice Balls - Spaghetti with Tuna, Capers, and Lemon - Risotto with Dried Porcini Mushrooms - Lasagna Verdi Bologna Style - Homemade Italian Sweet Sausage - Veal Cutlet Sorrento Style - Roasted Sea Bass with Fennel, Oranges, and Olives - Almond Cheesecake - Orange-Scented Madeleines With appetizing full-color photographs and homespun essays about Italian cooking and family traditions throughout, Ciao Italia Family Classics will inspire you again and again. “Esposito has been demystifying rustic cooking from her ancestral homeland for decades. In this volume, which compiles favorite recipes passed down from her grandmothers and mother, Esposito argues for a return to the family dinner table, where meals are shared alongside memories and the traditional Italian values of food and togetherness are celebrated.” —Publishers Weekly

In Mary Ann Esposito's new book, Ciao Italia Five-Ingredient Favorites, she shows home cooks how to turn just five ingredients into an easy, delicious and economical Italian dish for the family dinner table. Mary Ann Esposito knows that the genius behind great Italian cooking is the simple philosophy of using just a few quality ingredients to create something delicious. In Ciao Italia Five-Ingredient Favorites, she shows home cooks how to make that philosophy work for them so that they can save time and money without sacrificing flavor. With seventy five authentic Italian recipes--from antipasti to pastas, main courses and desserts -Esposito draws on the Italian culinary tradition of simplicity in the kitchen to create such effortless and tasty dishes as: - Prosciutto di Parma, Fontina and Fig Wraps - Spicy Soppressata Tartlets - Cheesy Stuffed Meatballs - Pistachio Dusted Pork Chops - Oven-Poached Halibut with Shallots and Fennel - Escarole Salad with Mustard Dressing - Chocolate, Hazelnut, and Banana Tartlets - Buttermilk Panna Cotta Infused with Vanilla With Ciao Italia Five-Ingredient Favorites, Mary Ann Esposito serves up a surefire way to please family and friends with easy recipes that are quick and delicious.

Esposito, host of the long-running PBS series "Ciao Italia," takes it easy with the slow-cooked classics of Italian cuisine, using techniques such as braising, roasting, baking, and simmering. 8-page color photo insert.