"Ciao Italia" TV cooking show host Mary Ann Esposito in her new book starts at the beginning of her award-winning recipes, at the very beginning, in her garden.

Her new book, "Ciao Italia: Plant, Harvest, Cook," which was published Nov. 15, tells how to create a successful garden, letting readers in on her and her husband Guy's secrets and tips they've learned from 35 years of growing their own vegetables in a garden in the back yard of their Durham home.