Cooking with Chef Silvio

Book excerpt: Join Anthony Riccio and Chef Silvio Suppa for a guided tour of the rich culinary history of southern Italy. Known to the Romans as Campania felix, or "fertile countryside," Chef Silvio's home region of Campania is blessed with rich volcanic soil and warm sea breezes, which has resulted in an exuberant and varied cuisine that draws not only on the region's abundant fresh vegetables and herbs but also centuries of Roman, Arab, Spanish, and French influence. From traditional favorites like eggplant parmiggiana and pasta e fasul to family recipes like Aunt Irma's stuffed peppers and Maria Suppa's zabaglione, Cooking with Chef Silvio offers hearty and heartwarming fare as well as the stories behind the food, a cultural and social history of a region as told through its cuisine.