My Calabria by Rosetta Costantino
My Calabria on Amazon
Rosetta Costantino was born in Calabria and moved to America with her family at age 14. Although they left behind much of what was familiar to them, the Costantino family never lost their culinary traditions — and now Rosetta shares them with us in My Calabria: Rustic Family Cooking from Italy’s Undiscovered South.
When paging through My Calabria, you feel like an honorary member of the family at the table as you learn about how Rosetta’s father recreated their Calabrian garden in Oakland, California; how various members of the family make the same dish; and also the 11 ingredients every Calabrian pantry should have on hand.
Rosetta also shares information about the historical and cultural influences on Calabrian cuisine and lifestyle, so aside from being a wonderful collection of recipes (150) that includes appetizers through dessert, My Calabria is simply a wonderful resource book on the region — you’re getting so much more than a cookbook here.
The recipes themselves are authentic as they come and easy to follow — one of the best things about Calabrian cooking is that it’s user-friendly as it uses so few ingredients — and the book is just gorgeous. There are plenty of full-page and other sized color photos throughout, not only of recipes but also of various sights from around Calabria.
From a personal standpoint as someone who has been making Calabrian food ever since I could cook — first from my grandmother’s recipes and now also from P’s mom’s — I give this book five very full espresso cups out of five. Rosetta is a wonderful tour guide through this region’s food, history, and culture, and I highly recommend My Calabria for anyone who is interested in Calabria, southern Italy, or southern Italian cuisine.
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You can find out more about Rosetta, her book, and her culinary tours at Cooking with Rosetta and her blog, Calabria from Scratch. You can also listen to Rosetta’s interview in the Eye on Italy podcast, which I co-host.
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94 Beans of Wisdom to “My Calabria by Rosetta Costantino”
Recipes
Wouldn’t mind some nice warm dish from Calabria to munch on while the snow and ice is coming down on my cars and lawn. It would be interesting to see how some of these recipes compare to the Sicilian ones my wife got from my grandmother.
I would love to read the book and try the recipes- thanks for the giveaway!
Well definitely decided to buy this – if I don’t win a copy. And how did I not know about the podcast???? I’m not keeping up with things.
I liked My Calabria on Facebook and am following @RosettaCalabria on Twitter.
Thanks for the opportunity!
I would love to have the book. Both sets of my maternal grandparents are from Calabria. I love reading about the culture. and food. I want to learn more because it seems Calabria gets little attention. compared to other sections of Italy.
I am very excited about this book…I have to get one!
I am also following My Calabria on facebook!
I’d love to win a copy!!
I would love to give this book to my mom….after I read it of course!! Thanks.
I’d love a copy! Sounds perfect.
Just clicked “like” on Facebook to increase my chances of winning. 🙂
Just followed on Twitter too. Maybe three’s a charm!
What a great give away. My daughter married a Calabrian here in Connecticut. He always talks about his mamas cooking.
I am now “liking” on facebook.
and now “following” on twitter. I have to go back there cause i see she said she has recipes on her blog.
Oh this book sounds great – am off now to “like” on facebook
Wow! what a coincidence. I just received a string of peperoncini calabresi (dried) to use for something, and didn’t know for what best to use them… now I may have some extra ideas, hopefully. Sounds like a wonderfully enjoyable cookbook in any case.
Its getting cold and I’m craving Calabrese cuisine!!! I need this book, and some peperoncino 🙂
Crepi il lupo.
OK i have now “liked” My Calabria on Facebook
And i am now following @RosettaCalabria on Twitter,
Sounds like a fantastic cookbook!
I “liked” My Calabria on Facebook.
I would love to win this book for my 11 year old grandaughter. She loves to cook with me, and claims she will someday be the next Giada. Thank you so much for this great offer.
Nedra aka “Nonna”
twitter, done, this is two (still hoping for a cookbook)
facebook as well… three (here’s hoping)
I was first introduced to Rosetta through your facebook page, Michelle, and I have been collecting recipes on her website and San Francisco newspaper articles since! I’d love to win a copy of her cookbook!
Pat
I am following Rosetta’s twitter feed!
I am also :liked” My Calabria on facebook and also Eye on Italy as I don’t want to miss Rosetta’s podcast interview!
Thanks!
My father always stated that his kids may have been Irish but they have Italian stomach. I went a step farther and married an Italian and well after almost 12 yrs of marriage I try at Italian cooking and sometimes succeed and sometimes not so much. I have a lot to learn.
My head is about to pop off with the instructions for extra entries. This is not your fault but mine. (Not enough coffee). So, I will hop over to My Calabria, find her on FB &
Twitter & let you know, Michelle.
PS: I am enjoying the podcasts…behind by about 3. Eek. I listen to you guys while I’m getting ready to go to bed…gives me sweet Italian dreams:)
I “liked” on facebook and look forward to reading more!!
I would love to win a copy. Have Liked Calabria on FB
How could I pass up trying to win something rated 5 espresso cups? Maybe I can finally cook like my family in Guardia Piemontese:)
I would love to win a copy!
I am so excited to see this book! I liked it on Facebook! I would love a copy!
please enter me. I would love to add to my cookbook collectin
Supposedly, I am not allowed any more Italian cookbooks (so I sneak them in). Love Calabrian regional cooking (although my grandparents were from Basilicata – Calabria’s cuisine seemed to have overflowed.) I’m hoping you do manage to post a tidbit… a recipe for us to pounce on!
I also “Liked” on Rosetta’s FB site. I have the book and just love it….can’t put it down…I love the stories about coming to the US, her father’s garden, mother’s style of cooking. My family is from southern Italy and I wish I paid more attention to my grandmother when she cooked but now I have Rosetta’s cookbook which brings back some memories and educates us in these new, but old recipes.
She has also inspired me to increase my garden next spring and do some preserving of vegetables and fruit.
Wish me luck!!
Would love a chance to win! Can’t wait to try some of the recipies!
Such a beautiful book with what seems to have tremendous amount of heart and soul poured into each recipe. It would be such an honor to win a book of this magnitude. Thank you so much for the opportunity to enter.
I like you on Facebook (Cheryl HeartnSoulmom)
I follow you on twitter @HeartnSoulmom
I liked it on FB, as well. xo
I would love to win this!
This June, when it’s still pouring and 50 degrees in the Pacific Northwest, I’ll be wishing that i was IN southern Italy!
I am currently trying to organise a week long trek in Calabria centered on MY village. The book would be one more way in which I could “pick” a place to walk to and maybe be able to organise a “typical” meal when we have trekked there.
I would love to win a copy of this book! I was planning on buying it anyway but it would be great to win it! My father is from Calabria & I can’t wait to see how the family recipes compare!
This book is on my Christmas wish-list but, just in case I haven’t been good enough, here’s my entry. Oh, and I’ll be back with the Facebook & Twitter entries.
I’m following @RosettaCalabria on Twitter & Facebook. Hoping she’ll tweet more.
Wow, now that’s some review with 5 very full espresso cups! 🙂 Please add me to your list for the giveaway. Grazie mille!
PS: Just popped over and I now “Like” My Calabria on Facebook and I’m following Rosetta on Twitter. Thanks for sharing the different ways to connect with her online. 🙂
I would love to win a copy! I have “liked” on Facebook too!
Would love a copy of this book. My grandparents also are from Calabria.
I would love to have a copy of Rosetta Costantino’s, “My Calabria” cookbook. I follow her blog and enjoy the recipes she posts. Thanks so much!
Wonderful review! I would love to add this cookbook to my collection!
I would love to win this cookbook. I also “liked” it on facebook.
I hope I win, my mouth is watering already!
I have a huge cookbook collection and would love to add to it
I “like” My Calabria and would be honored and thrilled down to my fire roasted peppers to win a copy of the book. thank you for the chance!
Sounds like a wonderful book. Lovely cover photo. Would enjoy owning it!
I would love to win this cookbook. Part of my Italian family is from Calabria and I would really enjoy learning authentic recipes from that area in Italy! Thanks!
I “like” My Calabria on Facebook 🙂
I follow @RosettaCalabria (chrissycam)
I just listened to the interview with Rosetta on your podcast. Great show by the way! I’d love to have this cookbook. : )
It sounds wonderful. If the cover is anything to go by, then the recipes should be a delight.
This sounds like a wonderful cookbook that I could enjoy reading and cooking from.
joosbornenc at yahoo dot com
I like My Calabria on Facebook
joosbornenc at yahoo dot com
I follow Calabria on twitter as @southerncooker
joosbornenc at yahoo dot com
I would love such a beautiful book! Calabria sounds like an amazing place.
I “like” My Calabria on Facebook too!
Love the Eye On Italy podcasts!! I listen to them as I jog. When I laugh out loud at the funny comments, people give me funny looks, but I don’t care. You gals are the greatest!!!!
I would love a copy of Rosetta’s cookbook so as to practice more Italian cooking for family and friends.
Sounds like a great book I could use to cook my dad his favorites from Calabria!
I was sitting in Barnes and Noble tonight (11/10/10) in Charleston, SC sipping my latte and reading magazines, when I came across a small blurb about this cookbook. My first thought was, “I wonder if Michelle knows about this?”
So I got on the computer as soon as I got back to the truck and did a Google search for the book – when I found your post! Why doesn’t it surprise me that you already know about it AND gave it five espresso cups??
OK, so this is my comment – please enter me in the contest. I’d love to win this one! (Oh, and I “liked” it on Facebook too!)
so glad i found you! we are planning a trip but not sure how far down the “boot” to go, thanks for inspiring me to venture further down!!
i would love to win that cookbook.
🙂
Definitely will be adding this to my collection(admittedly a very small collection 🙂 )
Thanks Michelle!
Great review of this book! I’ve liked it on FB and sure hope to win a copy! Thanks!!!
Oh I’d love to win a copy of her book.
I am now following Rosetta on Twitter.
I “liked” Calabria Cooking on FB as well.
What a great giveaway!!!!! I went over to Facebook and “like” it. Oh gosh – wish me luck! And good luck to everyone.
I’d love a copy, it sounds like a great book!
I am excited about trying new Calabrian recipes using the book!
Che bello! It’d be the best present ever to have little bit of Italy in my kitchen again. Grazie, tesoro!
Bella Mia,
Voglio vincere sempre così molto, ho indossato come entrare più. … Certo lei potrebbe inviarmi appena uno libero.
Seguo Rosetta Constantino ora.
L’amore e la Luce,
il riccardo alias ezduzit777 sul cinguettio
eheheheh
Please enter me also i would love to have this in my kitchen and learn some more beautiful traditional recipes….going to like on facebook too……
Grazie ….
Love your site. Got my daughter hooked on Goatberries. (She loves goats!) Liked Eye on Italy on FB – got the dreaded whale on Twitter! I do love these blogs. So many inspiring ideas. Keep it up and thanks!
would love to add this to my collection
I have a Like on my facebook for my calabria-grazie
I need this book in my life!! Will like on FB as well 🙂
do sign me up for this please.
Don’t know if i’m too late, but ‘meglio tardi che mai!’ Cristina
My parents are from Calabria. My Mother passed away in 2000 and I wish I had her recipies. I would love a copy to try out and see how close they are to her cooking.
Hi Lisa, the contest is now closed to entries, but you can still enter to win another copy at the Eye on Italy podcast until November 22. Good luck!
Wow! Thank you for this great giveaway!