Ciao Italia in Tuscany: Traditional Recipes from One of Italy's Most Famous Regions »

Mary Ann Esposito is the host of the public television series Ciao Italia, now in its fourteenth season. She is the author of seven successful cookbooks, including Ciao Italia in Umbria and Ciao Italia—Bringing Italy Home. She lives in Durham, New Hampshire.

Praise for Ciao Italia in Umbria

" Delicious...Page after page of charming stories, photos, and mouth watering recipes invite readers to come and explore this lovely region with their favorite cook as a guide. No one has done more to introduce us to the pleasures of Italian cooking than Mary Ann."

—Michele Scicolone, author of Savoring Italy and Italian Holiday Cooking

" Mary Ann Esposito's love of Umbria and its rich culinary traditions shines through on every page. Vive Umbria! Viva Mary Ann!"

—Nick Malgieri, author of Perfect Cakes and Great Italian Desserts

Praise for Mary Ann Esposito

"Real Italian food comes from the home, and Mary Ann Esposito invites us to accompany her on a journey through the authentic home cooking of her favorite regions of Italy. Her food will warm the heart as well as the belly of those who prepare it."

—Jacques Pepin, author of Jacques Pepin Celebrates

"It is from great colleagues like Mary Ann Esposito that I can learn something new every time I—Arthur Schwartz, author of Naples at Table

"Mary Ann Esposito has been a pioneer in the world of cooking shows. Ciao Italia is authentic and entertaining, like a great Italian meal, prepared for and eaten with friends and family."

—Mario Batali, author of The Babbo Cookbook

Library Journal

Last year, Esposito, host of a long-running PBS series, explored another part of the "heart of Italy" (Ciao Italia in Umbria); this season, she's moved slightly north to the better-known region of Tuscany. She chose as her base a restored, centuries-old villa and farm not far from Siena, and several of the series episodes captured in this companion volume (e.g., "The Mindful Gardener" and "When Tuscan Women Cook") were filmed there. Other episodes include "Dinner in a Palazzo," "The Merchant of Prato's Biscuit," and similar culinary excursions, with recipes for regional specialties from Bistecca alla Fiorentina to Panforte. Buy for demand. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.