The Niagara region is populated with tens of thousands of residents of Italian descent, including those with Sicilian lineage. A new, profusely illustrated book celebrates Sicily and other Italian islands and the food that’s prepared in their cities and villages.

Katie Parla, an American from New Jersey who moved to Rome, Italy, to immerse herself in the dynamic world of all things Italian, especially cooking, is making a stop in Buffalo to publicize her cookbook, “Food Of The Italian Islands: Recipes from the Sunbaked Beaches, Coastal Villages, and Rolling Hillsides of Sicily, Sardinia, and Beyond.”