Italian-American cuisine (more simply known as “Italian food” in the United States) is the cuisine of Italian-American immigrants and their descendents, as influenced by American culture and the immigration patterns of Italians to the United States. As immigrants from different regions of Italy settled in different regions of the United States and became “Italian-Americans,” they brought with them diverse traditions of foods and recipes that were particularly identified with their regional origins in Italy and yet infused with the characteristics of their new home locale in America. Many of these foods and recipes developed into new favorites for town peoples and then later for Americans nationwide; as, for example, the "Muffuletta" sandwich from New Orleans, Louisiana or the "toasted ravioli" (actually breaded and deep-fried) from St. Louis, Missouri.Prominent American chefs and cooks working in the Italian-American style include: Lidia Bastianich, Mario Batali, Michael Chiarello, Mary Ann Esposito, Giada de Laurentiis, Rocco DiSpirito, and others. In addition, many other chefs such as Rachael Ray incorporate substantial amounts of Italian influence in their cooking.