“Good cooking and a lot of flavor don’t have to take a lot of time,” says Fabio Viviani, chef, restauranteur and TV personality, explaining why he wrote "Fabio’s 30-Minute Italian." His beautifully photographed cookbook is filled with wonderfully accessible recipes. “The whole premise is easy,” he said.
Viviani, who lives in the Chicago area now but grew up in Florence, Italy, started working in a bakery when he was 11. He started his job not so much from a love of food but because his family needed the money. But labor developed into a passion. Now 28 years later, he’s amassed a food empire with two California vineyards, several cookbooks, stints on several "Top Chef" shows, restaurants, including two in Chicago — Siena Tavern and Prime & Provisions — and his Mercado eateries in Chicago, Tempe, Arizona, and Benton Harbor, Michigan.
