Fabio's American Home Kitchen by Fabio Viviani

It's impossible to pin down American food, with its regional variations and influences from other cultures, as Fabio Vivani discovered through his travels. Inspired, the charismatic executive chef and owner of Cafe Firenze in Moorpark and celebrity chef, created an American cookbook infused with an "Italian accent." From appetizers to dessert with a side trip to breakfast, Vivani starts each chapter with his trademark humor, enthusiasm and encouragement for what follows. In Great Grain, the pasta and rice chapter, Viviani even offers to come to people's homes to cook the pasta for them. As he hopscotches across America, he takes cooks from Shrimp and Grits with Chorizo from Old Friends in South Carolina to an entree of Old Bay Clams and Crab Bake from Maryland. Yes, there are Italian dishes, too, like the Spaghetti Olio e Aglio with Peperoncini. (It's right next to the Red Beans and Rice recipe.)

Fabio's American Home Kitchen: More Than 125 Recipes With an Italian Accent
by Fabio Viviani (Hatchette Books, 2014)