But this is more than just a sampling of Italian classics. Nick's recipes for pizza, pasta and panini are imaginative and contemporary interpretations. Traditional pizzas are enlivened with unusual ingredients. Nick makes pasta-from-scratch as simple as 1-2-3. And the breads, for which Italy is famous, become works of art in Nick's hands -- but are often as easy as paint-by-number. And throughout the book Nick shares his own cooking secrets and those of the great chefs and cooks he has encountered in his journeys through Italy and America.

Nick Stellino's Passione speaks as much to the heart as it does to the taste buds. Nick draws on the rich culinary history of his native Italian and adds his own unique touches to create an entertaining and engaging book that is a joy to read as well as pleasure to use.