Recipes From Fabio’s Italian Kitchen

Fabio Viviani, owner of California’s Café Firenze and one of the stars of Bravo’s Top Chef, has published his first cookbook of authentic Italian fare. A gorgeously illustrated cookbook, Fabio’s Italian Kitchen (2013 Hyperion Books) is a celebration of food and family that brings all the joy, fun and flair that Fabio Viviani embodies to your kitchen. Viviani grew up in Florence, Italy, where the centre of his world was the kitchen; where his mother, grandmother, and especially his great-grandmother instilled in him a love for cooking and good food. Now he shares the best of Italian home cooking while telling the story of his hardscrabble childhood, his success as a chef in the United States, and the women in his family who inspired him. Here, try easy appetizers, beef meatballs and a creamy panna cotta dessert.