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.

What could be welcoming in your kitchen than a big warm pan full of lasagna, a pot of braised short ribs or a casserole dish holding fragrant mussels, tomatoes and herbs? When you think of comfort food, the first cuisines that comes to mind is Italian and nobody knows that better than Mary Ann Esposito, host of the longest-running television cooking show in the U.S., Ciao Italia. In Ciao Italia Slow and Easy, Mary Ann tells us how to slow down, take it easy and fill the kitchen with Italian slow-cooked goodness. By braising, baking, roasting and simmering, she gives readers a treasure trove of wonderful dishes like -stove top lasagna with artichokes -prosciutto-wrapped chicken baked in parchment -tomato braised short ribs with rigatoni -pasta shells stuffed with a ragu of pork and cream -one-skillet chicken supper with tomatoes and green beans -layered polenta pie with mushrooms and sausage -mussel, potato and tomato casserole Ciao Italia Slow and Easy is filled with Mary Ann's sensible advice, knowledgeable asides about the history of Italian cuisine and, most of all, a sure sense of what tastes good.

A beautifully conceived cookbook representing the best of Italian cooking brought to us by the trusted host of the longest-running television cooking show in America 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 delicious, authentic Italian dishes. In her previous books, she has shown us how to make a quick meal with just five ingredients, helped us get dinner on the table in just thirty minutes, and encouraged us to slow down and take it easy in the kitchen while re-creating the rich aromas of Italy. 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 are easy to make and guaranteed to please. You'll be dog-earing the pages to try such classics as: - Sicilian Rice Balls - Spaghetti with Tuna, Capers, and Lemon - Risotto with Dried Porcini Mushrooms - Lasagna Verdi Bologna Stylegnese - Homemade Italian Sweet Sausage - Veal Cutlet Sorrento Style - Roasted Sea Bass with Fennel, Oranges, and Olives - Almond Cheesecake - Orange-Scented Madeleines Georgeously designed with appetizing full-color photographs of recipes and homespun essays about Italian cooking and family traditions throughout, Ciao Italia Family Classics will have fans old and new pulling it off the shelf again and again.

From the Foreword by Jasper White, chef, restauranteur and author; "Fabulous recipes aside, this book is worth possessingjust for the in depth dissertations Mary Ann gives on so manyingredients like olive oil, cheese, rice, lentils, pasta, pasta sauces,tomatoes, bread, artichokes, radicchio, prosciutto, mortadella,balsamic vinegar and other stars of Italian cuisine. She teaches theimportance of each and their connections to particular regions, citiesand villages with a knowledge that can only come from firsthandexperience. Mary Ann tells fun stories of Saints and extraordinarypeople and their connections to particular customs, history, holidays,farming and techniques of food preparation. These delightful tales,like the one of her grandmother preparing elaborate dishes honoringSt. Joseph for granting her wish of saving her husband's life, give usa deeper understanding of how food is so much more than fuel forthe body. It is a celebration of love and of life.Mary Ann Esposito has spent her life cooking, traveling andteaching. The pages that follow are the culmination of her amazingcareer accomplishments, vast experience, intelligence, and most ofall her connection to the food and the people she loves. Grazia, MaryAnn, for sharing your great adventure with us.""In Ciao Italia, her very personal gastronomic journey, Mary Annreveals to us the extraordinary diversity and complexity of Italiancuisine and the importance of traditions, ingredients and regionalcooking. Full of useful information and historical references, her livelystory is told with the right touch of flair and confidence and revealsthe soul of Italy." -Jacques Pépin, chef and author

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.

Share the joys and secrets of simple but sophisticated baking with Mary Ann Esposito, bestselling author and host of public television's Ciao Italia. From her Neapolitan grandmother's kitchen in America to the kitchens of Italy, Mary Ann Esposito has watched Italian bakers create all sorts of crusty breads and savory delights of every shape and size and adapted them in her latest book, especially designed for the home baker. She presents three simple, versatile doughs that offer endless possibilities for baked goods. There are recipies for every meal, for every course, for every part of the day -- a small, savory snack, a light brunch, a hearty supper, a breakfast coffee cake, or a dazzling dessert. Whether it is stuffed, filled, baked, or rolled, you will find it in What You Knead. Working with yeast dough is a pleasure, not a mystery. Mary Ann's easy-to-follow techniques give you confidence and ensure success with every baking endeavor. Using just the foundation ingredients of water, yeast, and flour, you'll be surprised by the wide range of possibilities: Make delicious and eye-catching pizzas; snack on fragrant, crusty foccacia; enjoy savory and hearty pot-pies...and that is just the beginning. Come and learn the secrets of becoming an accomplished home baker with Mary Ann Esposito. Fashion her basic Straight Dough into a homey loaf of country bread; use it as a container for Italian Country Chicken Pie; make it the envelope for double-crusted rosemary and sweet pepper foccacia or the base for Spring Spinach, Prosciutto, and Fontina Tart. Sharing the techniques passed down from her grandmother, Mary Ann shows you how to make Nonna's Sponge Dough and turn it into dozens of delights such as Roasted Vegetable Calzones or robust Pumpkin Seed, Sage, and Panchetta Bread. Her easy-to-work-with Simply Sweet Dough offers delicious choices too, from an impressive Fig, Chocolate, and Walnut Tart to the perfect coffee cake. Try a selection of her holiday breads, such as the dense and rich Almond Paste Holiday Bread or Sweet Spiral Wreath. And for special occasions, indulge in Mango and Dried Cherry Pie, Almost Apple Charlotte, and delicate donuts, reminiscent of those found in Sicily, oozing with velvety pastry cream. What You Knead is the bread book that the home baker can call a friend. Mary Ann Esposito offers you a clear and diverse selection of recipies that are almost effortless. Along the way, step-by-step technique photographs demonstrate the basic building blocks for making dough. With more than 50 recipies and over 170 tantalizing color photographs, this is a must-have for anyone interested in the simple methods of working with yeast doughs.

Every Recipe and Skill You Need To Be A Great Cook Here’s the truth: making food worth savoring and showing off isn’t as difficult as you like to think it is. All it really takes is a solid foundation of cooking techniques, and lucky for you, celebrity chef and self-proclaimed Mr. Miyagi Jet Tila is ready to pass all his know-how on to you. Jet and his pastry partner-in-crime, Ali have carefully selected the most essential recipes that pull double duty by tasting delicious and teaching you foundational cooking skills that will easily transfer to other cooking endeavors. Mastering perfect pan-roasted rib-eye steak means both that your dinner is going to be delicious and that you are ready to season and sear other cuts of meat like a pro. southwestern BBQ and ranch chicken salad helps you build must-have knife skills, and crumbly apple pie will arm you with the ability to make the perfect flaky pie dough that can be used in countless other desserts. 101 Epic Dishes teaches you the most important cooking skills you need to kick your kitchen game up a few notches—all while whipping up some delicious dishes.

This new edition of the Modern Italian Grammar is an innovative reference guide to Italian, combining traditional and function-based grammar in a single volume. With a strong emphasis on contemporary usage, all grammar points and functions are richly illustrated with examples. Implementing feedback from users of the first edition, this text includes clearer explanations, as well as a greater emphasis on areas of particular difficulty for learners of Italian. Divided into two sections, the book covers: traditional grammatical categories such as word order, nouns, verbs and adjectives language functions and notions such as giving and seeking information, describing processes and results, and expressing likes, dislikes and preferences. This is the ideal reference grammar for learners of Italian at all levels, from beginner to advanced. No prior knowledge of grammatical terminology is needed and a glossary of grammatical terms is provided. This Grammar is complemented by the Modern Italian Grammar Workbook Second Edition which features related exercises and activities.

A beautifully conceived cookbook representing the best of Italian cooking brought to us by the trusted host of the longest-running television cooking show in America 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 delicious, authentic Italian dishes. In her previous books, she has shown us how to make a quick meal with just five ingredients, helped us get dinner on the table in just thirty minutes, and encouraged us to slow down and take it easy in the kitchen while re-creating the rich aromas of Italy. 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 are easy to make and guaranteed to please. You'll be dog-earing the pages to try such classics as: - Sicilian Rice Balls - Spaghetti with Tuna, Capers, and Lemon - Risotto with Dried Porcini Mushrooms - Lasagna Verdi Bologna Stylegnese - Homemade Italian Sweet Sausage - Veal Cutlet Sorrento Style - Roasted Sea Bass with Fennel, Oranges, and Olives - Almond Cheesecake - Orange-Scented Madeleines Georgeously designed with appetizing full-color photographs of recipes and homespun essays about Italian cooking and family traditions throughout, Ciao Italia Family Classics will have fans old and new pulling it off the shelf again and again.

In the nonfiction tradition of John Berendt and Erik Larson, the author of the #1 NYT bestseller The Lost City of the Monkey God presents a gripping account of crime and punishment in the lush hills surrounding Florence as he seeks to uncover one of the most infamous figures in Italian history. In 2000, Douglas Preston fulfilled a dream to move his family to Italy. Then he discovered that the olive grove in front of their 14th century farmhouse had been the scene of the most infamous double-murders in Italian history, committed by a serial killer known as the Monster of Florence. Preston, intrigued, meets Italian investigative journalist Mario Spezi to learn more. This is the true story of their search for--and identification of--the man they believe committed the crimes, and their chilling interview with him. And then, in a strange twist of fate, Preston and Spezi themselves become targets of the police investigation. Preston has his phone tapped, is interrogated, and told to leave the country. Spezi fares worse: he is thrown into Italy's grim Capanne prison, accused of being the Monster of Florence himself. Like one of Preston's thrillers, The Monster of Florence, tells a remarkable and harrowing story involving murder, mutilation, and suicide-and at the center of it, Preston and Spezi, caught in a bizarre prosecutorial vendetta.