Easy-to-prepare specialties for Italian-style celebrations include a Traditional Sicilian Buffet, Risotto with Mascarpone Cheese, Macaroni in a Pastry Crust, and Veal Scallops with Fontina. 75,000 first printing. Tour. Esposito, host of the long-running PBS series Ciao Italia and author of two popular collections of her own homestyle cooking, Ciao Italia (Hearst, 1991) and Nella Cucina (LJ 5/15/93), now offers recipes and menus for special occasions and seasons of the year. This larger-format book presents festive but mostly easy traditional dishes for weddings, holidays, and other celebrations. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. What invigorates and personalizes the more than 200 recipes presented here, some of which are old and some new, are the stories behind and fables associated with various festivities. Blurbs preface and punctuate every recipe with suggested menus. Barbara Jacobs Mary Ann Esposito is the author of the best-selling Ciao Italia, Nella Cucina, and Celebrations Italian Style. She is the host of the PBS television show Ciao Italia. She lives in New Hampshire.