Host of the PBS series Ciao Italia and author of 11 previous cookbooks, 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. Following a brief primer on the Italian pantry, the book opens up into an expansive collection of recipes from antipasti to dolce. Standards like baked ziti with meatballs, and chicken cutlets with Marsala wine and mushrooms, appear alongside Espositos own innovative creations like fava bean and parmigiano-reggiano cheese cylinders, and watermelon and strawberry salad. There are even a few homey American-style dishes like a chiffon cake with lemon curd. Recipes are unintimidating and Espositos interwoven narratives are by turns personal and educational. While it breaks no new ground, this book will be welcomed by Espositos fans, and it will make a useful guide for anyone new to Italian cookery. Photos. (Nov.) Copyright 2011 Reed Business Information. -- Publishers Weekly
