Amy Riolo is an award-winning author, chef, television personality, food historian, and culinary anthropologist. She is known for simplifying recipes for the home cook. She leads culinary tours in Italy, is the co-founder of A.N.I.T.A. (National Italian Academy of Food Traditions), and has her own line of private-label Italian products.

• Introduction 1About This Book 2Foolish Assumption 4Icons Used in This Book 4Beyond the Book 5Where to Go from Here 5Part 1: Introducing the Art of Italian Cooking 7Chapter 1: Cooking the Italian Way: That’s Amore! 9Appreciating How History and Geography Shaped Italian Cuisine 10Back to Basics: Applying Ancient Strategies in the Modern Kitchen 11Building on base recipes 12Enjoying the seasons at the table 12Get Ready, Get Set! 13Gathering the tools you need and then some 14Stocking important pantry items 14Keeping courses and food pairings in mind 15Get Cooking! Eyeing Authentic Italian Recipes 15Chapter 2: Pizza, Pasta, and So Much More: Appreciating Italian Tradition 17The Role of Culture in the Italian Kitchen 17Touring Important Events in Italian Culinary History 18How Romans and Greeks laid the foundation for Italian cuisine 19How terrain and climate shaped regional cuisine 21How foreign powers influenced cuisine across geographic locations 22Mastering Time-Honored Italian Traditions 23La bella figura: Using food to make a good impression 24Staying the course: Italian meal planning 25Pairing complimentary dishes 26Chapter 3: Base Recipes: The Backbone of the Italian Kitchen 27Introducing the BFFs of Italian Home Cooks 28Waste not: Making breadcrumbs, crostini, and bruschette 28Savory stocks: The unsung heroes 28Beans and legumes provide boundless possibilities 29Fruits and vegetables for the healthy win 30Chapter 4: Cooking with an Eye on the Calendar 43Seasonality in the Italian Kitchen 43Sampling Everyday Menus for Every Season 44A sample springtime meal 45A sample summertime meal 46A sample fall meal 47A sample winter meal 47Savoring Extended Sunday and Holiday Meals 49Sunday suppers 49Christmas and winter holiday menus 52Lent, Easter, and spring holiday menus 53Ferragosto and summer special occasion menus 56Chapter 5: Stocking an Italian Pantry 59Identifying Prized Italian Products 59Geographic indicators make a difference 60Looking for other important labeling 60Choosing a quality olive oil 61Weighing your wine options 64Cooking from the Pantry 66Keeping essentials on hand 67A note about the products I prefer 70Using pantry recipe formulas to create meals in minutes 71Part 2: Appetizers and First Courses 73Chapter 6: Starting Meals the Italian Way: Antipasti/ Appetizers and Aperitivi 75Appreciating the Italian Appetizer 76Noting Differences between Dining In (At Home) and Out in Italy 77Enjoying antipasti at Italian eateries 77Welcoming guests with appetizers at home 79Following the aperitivo ritual 79Making a delicious first impression: Antipasti recipes 80Chapter 7: Dressing Dishes with Italian Sauces 89A Delicate Balance: Combining Foods and Sauces 90Preparing Traditional Sauce Recipes 91Introducing Tomatoes: Modern Sauce Recipes 91Chapter 8: Using Dried Pasta in Daily Meals 105Dried Pasta Basics 106Comparing homemade and dried pasta: Separate but equal 106Considering quality when purchasing dried pasta 107Preparing pasta “al dente” 108Pairing Pasta with Sauces 108Creating a Meal that Compliments Your Pasta Pairing 113Chapter 9: Making Fresh Pasta: A Labor of Love 123Stepping Inside the Pasta Maker’s Kitchen 124Getting the Most Out of Your Pasta-Making Experience 125Meeting Your Pasta Maker: Rolling Pin or Pasta Machine 126Chapter 10: More Delicious First-Course Dishes 147Moving Beyond Pasta: A Primo Primer 148Risotto 148Soups 149Polenta 151Gnocchi 153Part 3: Main Courses, Side Dishes, and Salads 175Chapter 11: Secondi/Main Courses: Fish and Seafood 177Appreciating the Importance of Fish and Seafood in Italian Cuisine 178The Feast of the Seven Fishes: An Italian American tradition 179Celebrating Italian-style seafood recipes 180Chapter 12: Secondi/Main Courses Take Two: Eggs and Poultry 191Enjoying Eggs the Italian Way 192Preparing Poultry Dishes Fit for an Italian Table 193Chapter 13: Secondi/Main Courses Take Three: More Meats 205Preparing Types of Meat in Traditional Italian Recipes 205Goat 206Veal 207Lamb 208Beef 208Chapter 14: Adding Contorni: Authentic Vegetable Side Dishes 219Making the Most of Seasonal Produce 220Chapter 15: Insalate/Salads 233Enjoying Italian Salads and Authentic Dressings 234Dressing to impress 234Adding variety to your salad course 234Part 4: Breakfast and Other Sweet Treats, Baked Goods, And Desserts 245Chapter 16: Starting Your Day With Colazione: Italian Breakfast 247Keeping It Short and Sweet: What Italian Breakfasts Look Like 248Biscotti and rusks 249Breakfast cakes 249Bomboloni and fried treats 250Caffé to Go: An Italian Coffee Primer 250Chapter 17: Fruit, Cheese, and Nuts: Bridging the Gap Between Dinner and Dessert 267Fruit and Nut Plates 268With Cheese: An Italian Cheese Primer 268Exploring Italian cheese categories and types 269Making a (cheese) course of it 271Buying in to quality cheese production 272Chapter 18: Classic Dolci/Desserts: Elevating the Everyday 283Creating Classic Italian Desserts 284Dolci al cucchiaio/“Spoon desserts” 284Cake and pastry shop favorites 285Chapter 19: Baking Treats for Holidays and Special Occasions 311Baking Is Love Made Edible 311Chapter 20: Making the Dough You Know and Love: Bread, Pizza, and Focaccia 327Baking Bread: A Time-Honored Italian Tradition 328Making a Premier Pizza Pie 331Getting Familiar with Focaccia: A Bread for Many Occasions 332Part 5: The Part of Tens 351Chapter 21: Ten Commandments of Italian Cuisine 353Honor Thy Food and Those Who Make It 353Respect Culture and Tradition 354Choose Your Ingredients Wisely 354Waste Not, Want Not 354Nonna’s Always Right in the Kitchen 355Choose Whom to Eat with before Choosing What to Eat 355Know the Classics 355Learn the Rules of an Italian Kitchen (Even though Occasionally They Are Broken) 356To Each Recipe his Own Season 356Keep Your Food (Growing) Close 357Chapter 22: Ten Fun Ways to Master Italian Cooking 359Brush Up on History 359Go to Italy, Do a Stage with an Italian Chef, or Watch Italian Food Shows 360Read Cookbooks by Italians 360Expand Your Italian Kitchen Vocabulary 360Follow Italian Meal Patterns 360Discover How to Pair Food 361Cook Your Way through Recipes 361Learn to Read Labels 361Make It a Priority 362Familiarize Yourself with Authentic Foods 362Appendix: Metric Conversion Guide 363Index 367