Ciao Italia

By Mary Ann Esposito
St. Martin’s Press, $29.99, 150 pages

Ease of recipe navigation is a revered quality in any cookbook, let alone one promising “good” Italian food. A TV chef on PBS, Esposito uses her well of knowledge to serve up a book-bound nod to busy Americans, with a surprising twist: each meal in Ciao Italia is prepared using just five ingredients.

In concise terms, the reader is informed that quality components are the secret to great cuisine, not necessarily the number of them or the complexity of their preparation. The authentic names of each dish (and subsequent English translations) will be quite helpful should one visit a good Italian restaurant. The author’s use of “time-saving” basic stock items (like frozen prepared pizza dough and canned tomatoes) may raise a few eyebrows, warranting pause in serving said dishes to visiting Venetians. However, the recipes sampled proved they were indeed simple to prepare, surprisingly delicious, and useful for fresh-made dinners and casual parties.

Among the various dishes to choose from shone out unique takes on traditional favorites: Fontina-Stuffed Meatballs, Mushroom, Spinach & Cheese Tart, Spinach & Pear Salad, and Almond Crisp Cookies. Despite the minimal number of ingredients, Esposito’s recipes bring home the fact that good, quality food is not only easy to make, but often the healthier alternative to fast food. This upcoming holiday season, it may behoove folks to bring a bit of Italy into the kitchen.

Reviewed by Meredith Greene