Ciao Italia Five-Ingredient Favorites | Cookbook Review

Author: Mary Ann Esposito
Item Reviewed: Ciao Italia Five-Ingredient Favorites Cookbook

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 to 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 Shallot and Fennel
• Escarole Salad with Mustard Dressing
• Chocolate, Hazelnut, and Banana Tartlets
• Buttermilk Panna Cotta 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.

Mary Ann Esposito is the creator and host of the long-running PBS series Ciao Italia, celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2010. She is the author of eleven successful cookbooks, including Ciao Italia Slow and Easy and Ciao Italia Pronto! She lives in Durham, New Hampshire.

My Thoughts

I love cookbooks and this one is proudly sitting in my kitchen right now after recently cooking a delicious recipe from it, one that my family loved and will be a regular on our menu. We tried out the Cheesy Stuffed Meatballs but had them on subs with melted provolone and spicy tomato sauce and oh my gosh did we ever love this meal! I have yet to try the meatballs in pasta but that is on the schedule next week for a dinner we are having with family. I think they will all love these meatballs too. I recommend this tasty recipe book be on everyone’s kitchen shelf.