This is a fabulous cookbook,it is filled with great recipes and most are quite easy! ( )

Oooh, a cookbook. I got to review a cookbook. Yay for me! And an Italian cookbook at that. My hubby surprised me with a trip to Italy for my 39th birthday. I know why not my 40ieth, but hey! I got to go to Italy for two glorious food and art filled weeks. The food. The food. It was some of the best food I had ever eaten in my life; the best meal? Roast chicken. Can you imagine? All of Italian food before me and the best meal I had was a roast chicken. It was delicious. It was then that I discovered the key to good cooking; fresh, simple, local food. And I have tried to cook that way ever since.

The premise of Ms. Esposito's cookbook is just that - simple food using staples you have on hand. The recipes call for 5 ingredients (not counting salt, pepper, flour or oil) and come together very quickly. While I found some of the recipes to be extremely basic others where more intriguing. Each chapter starts with an short story and 5 tips relevent to the topic at hand; pasta, soup, sauce, etc.

The instructions are written in some of the recipes - including the cookie recipe I tested - for someone who has some cooking knowledge under their belt. You will see what I mean when I get to showing you my cookies. It doesn't mean a novice couldn't make these recipes it just might lead to questions. Overall, though I am happy to add this book to my ever growing cookbook collection. ( )

is a cookbook that focusses on quick and easy Italian recipes and is written by Mary Ann Esposito who is the host of public television's program Ciao Italia. She shows cooks how to turn just five quality ingredients into a delicious Italian dish.

The cookbook contains seventy five authentic Italian recipes including recipes for antipasto, soup, pasta, sauce, meat and poultry, fish, vegetables, salads, and sweets. She also details five seasonal five course meals. In keeping with the theme of five ingredients, each section contains five recipes.

This is a hardcover cookbook with a dustjacket. The paper used, is a high quality, heavy paper so the cookbook has a very expensive feel to it. Scattered throughout the cookbook are a number of gorgeous photographs of the recipes listed in the cookbook.
The recipes are very well written with step by step instructions so that even a novice cook should be able to follow them without a problem. The recipes are mouthwatering and will leave you feeling as though you've splurged at a fancy Italian restaurant without leaving your own home.

A few of my favorite must try recipes include Cheesy Stuffed Meatballs and Puffy Merringues. The Chocolate, Hazelnut and Banana Tartlets are high on my list of must tries too!

I only enjoy cooking a meal if it is easy enough that I can enjoy the process and the end results. Ciao Italia Five-Ingredient Favorites has recipes for hearty Italian cusine that are inexpensive and easy to prepare. She begins the cookbook with a wonderful introduction to the basic ingredients to keep on hand. Of course, five ingredients for the pantry, five for the refrigerator, and five for the freezer. Each recipe section begins with a clever introduction and five tips for that food type. For example, the Pasta section begins with her introduction, "Pasta Police", an amusing comment on incorporating pasta in your diet in a healthy way.

My first-to-try recipes include Zuppa di Paradiso (Paradise Soup), Cheesy Stuffed Meatballs, Coal Miners’ – Style Spaghetti and Tortine di Gianduja e Banana (Chocolate, Hazelnut, and Banana Tartlets). Mmmm- Nutella is one of the ingredients!

As in my other cookbook reviews, I always consider the ingredients needed and whether I will be able to easily find them in my small-town area. There were a few cheeses that I am not familiar with, but even in the two small towns around here, there is a good cheese selection. I don't think I will have any problem find them. One of the towns has a large Italian heritage population, and the local grocery store reflects that in its selection of products.

This is definitely a great gift for a bridal shower gift, Christmas gift, or an addition to your own cookbook collection. A great everyday book! ( )

My Thoughts:
Grilled Mortadella and Fontina Cheese Panini - This is just one of the simple and delicious sounding recipes tucked into this new adventure into Italian cooking by Mary Ann Esposito. The parsley butter spread was creative and started me to thinking about what other little gems I'd find thoughout this book.
I'm not a great cook, but I do love to try new things and need to be less inhibited in the kitchen. The simple explanation as to the difference between stock and broth was a real eye-opener for me. The fact that each recipe is llimited to five simple ingredients convinced me that I could afford to shop for the ingredients, and that the preparation time would not require that I sacrafice precious time needed for other pursuits.
Mary Ann Esposito champions the use of pasta in a healthy diet. Something I was glad to see since I really love pasta of every shape and size.
The soft creamy page color, helpful tips, simple directions, and fabulous color photos, all come together in a cookbook that you'll want to add to your shelf of keepers. If I had one disappointment, it was that I would have like more photos of finished dishes. I always like to know what a particular dish is supposed to look like. If you saw some of my finished recipes, you'd understand the need for illustrations. *grin*

Favorite Quote:
'Stale cookies and cake crumbs become the perfect instant "crust" that can be made in minutes for a gelato pie.'

Rating: 4/5 ( )