Join us for a book talk and signing with Mary Ann Esposito, host of the long running chow Ciao Italia, and author of many books, including her latest, Ciao Italia: My Lifelong Food Adventures in Italy. Samples too!
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.
Praise for Ciao Italia:
"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." --Publishers Weekly
"Is there room on the shelves for another Italian cookbook? If Esposito's phenomenal output (this is her thirteenth cookbook), her ongoing PBS Show (also called Ciao Italia), and her knowledge of the region alone don't convince, then 160 new and familiar recipes will. An intriguing variety and quantity of learn-more sidebars cover a cheese alphabet, Thomas Jefferson and the illegal importing of Italian rice, an explanation of DOP (protected designation of origin status) and the many ingredients earning that label, a paean to prosciutto di Parma, and many other new delectable subjects. Recipe directions tend not to run longer than one page; the emphasis is on simplicity, streamlining, and reinventing the classics. Tuna-stuffed celery gets one half-page. Eggplant parmesan is deconstructed, as is cannoli. Tiramisu is adorned with cherries and its traditional chocolate. Zucchini, that overgrown bane of vegetable gardens, is repositioned in meatballs and quick-bake fig bread. Updating dishes from fish stew to risotto, she proves that variety really is the spice of life." --Booklist
Chef, author, and TV personality Mary Ann Esposito is the creator and host of the nationally televised PBS series Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito™. The author of twelve cookbooks, most recently, Ciao Italia Family Classics, Mary has worked beside world-renowned chefs Julia Child, Jacques Pepin, Martin Yan, Jasper White, and countless others. Through Ciao Italia and appearances on other television programs—including The Today Show, Regis and Kelly, QVC, the Food Network, Discovery Channel, Fox, Martha Stewart Radio, RAI International, The Victory Garden and many others—she has shared traditional Italian cooking with audiences around the world.
