Simply Italian

Book excerpt: The very best of Italian cooking with Michela, Romina and Emanuela in Simply Italian. 'Wales and Italy, family and food: for us, these four things are inextricably linked and at the root of our upbringing. Whether at the family home in Wales or when we spend holidays in the small hilltop village we are from in northern Italy, we have always heard Dad say that 'la tavola' (the table) is the central focus of our lives. It's where we cook, eat and socialise as a family.' Michela, Emanuela and Romina Chiappa grew up in Wales in the heart of a close-knit Italian community where food was always at the centre of family and social gatherings. Whether searching for porcini in the hills near their parents' home, or making pasta for Christmas Eve with the whole family, to sharing food at the annual Welsh-Italian summer picnic, the three sisters have been immersed in the Italian way of cooking all their lives. In their first cookbook they share their cherished family recipes, including all the pasta dishes recently seen in their Channel 4 series Simply Italian. From snacks, soups and salads, to mains, side dishes and desserts, Simply Italian brings you good, simple, fresh Italian food. Michela works as an agent in a sports management company, as well running a coffee and pizza café in Cardiff with her husband. Of the sisters, she's the risotto expert and also loves to make pasta sauces. Romina works for a luxury fashion brand is London, and loves to bake for friends and family. Emanuela runs an online business selling bespoke homemade gifts for children, and works as a nanny. She loves to cook time-consuming meals and entertain large groups.