Archive for 2010
Beyond the Pasta by Mark Leslie
Beyond the Pasta by Mark Leslie on Amazon
Our most recent guest on the Eye on Italy podcast was Mark Leslie,* author of Beyond the Pasta: Recipes, Language & Life with an Italian Family, published by Gemelli Press.
I received a copy of Mark’s book last Thursday afternoon, just in time to do a little interview prep for Monday evening’s taping. I was hoping to get at least most of it read by the time we’d be speaking with Mark — and that turned out to be no problem at all. I flew threw this book in just a couple days. To be honest, I wish I could have savored it a bit more but the approaching interview gave me an excuse to keep picking it up. And believe me, no one had to twist my arm to do so.
Beyond the Pasta is about Mark’s month with an Italian family in Viterbo, learning both the Italian language and Italian cuisine. The book is Mark’s journal of experiences during that time, each curiosity and peculiarity noted and explored, with mysteries often left to be answered in subsequent chapters. I particularly enjoyed how we live through Mark’s time in Viterbo without misunderstandings corrected until they were done so in real time, even something so basic as the nickname of one of his hosts — I think many of us can identify with mishearing/mispronouncing/misunderstanding Italian names you’ve never heard before!
Mark Leslie, Author of Beyond the Pasta
Oh, and as an added bonus, you get nearly 30 of Nonna’s authentic Italian recipes, including a previously secret ricetta for what looks to be a delicious yogurt cake Mark calls “Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa” because the ingredients are measured out using the empty yogurt cup.
Mark’s love for both Italian culture and his adopted family shines through his writing; his enthusiasm is contagious and kept me turning pages. I was truly sad when Mark’s time with his adopted family was over and even shed a tear or two. I remember very clearly what it was like to leave Italy reluctantly, and all that came flooding back to me with Mark’s words.
Even as someone who has lived in Italy for seven-plus years, I found Mark’s story lively and engaging — and believe me, that doesn’t always happen for me with books in this genre. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves Italy and all things Italian; of course it would make a perfect holiday gift for the Italophile on your list.
You can keep up with Mark at his website BeyondThePasta.com, follow him on Twitter @beyondthepasta, and like his book on Facebook at Beyond the Pasta.
*
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A Norwegian Christmas at Washington, D.C.’s Union Station
For 14 years counting, the Royal Norwegian Embassy and the people of Norway have given Washington, D.C. officials a 30-foot tree that holds some 8,000 lights and added a decidedly Scandinavian flair to an already gorgeous train station.
Read on...Hearting Milan’s Pinacoteca di Brera Museum & More with AmaMi Card
I’m sorry to say I didn’t notice which exact street these hearts were on, so if you’re ever in Milan, you’ll just have to wander around until you find it:
Hearts paving the way in Milano
I do remember they were in the general vicinity of the Pinacoteca di Brera gallery (more photos and info coming), and indeed the time stamps on my photos tell me it was about a six-minute walk from those hearts to the museum.
The Pinacoteca di Brera, by the way, is one of the fabulous museums you can visit through the AmaMi card, which gives you discounts at nearly 20 museums, various stores, and cultural events as well as free transport on the metro:
And it fits so well with Love Thursday to boot!
As the website says: “AmaMi card: 25 euros and 48 hours to fall in love with Milano.”
Happy Love Thursday!
What to Do in New York City for Christmas
If I could do it every year, I would. There’s nothing quite like walking around New York City at Christmastime and just soaking everything in.
Read on...Melissa Design for Your Logo & Web Design Needs
If you read Bleeding Espresso or Goat Berries in feed readers and haven’t stopped by the actual sites lately, please pop over as they both have all-new looks.
They are similar because I wanted to have some continuity between the sites, and they are tied together by fabulous new logos by Melissa Muldoon of Melissa Design.
Have you seen Melissa’s portfolio of logos and web design projects?
I absolutely love my new Bleeding Espresso cup and beans as well as the Goat Berries heart and goat tracks, of course, but Melissa has so many other examples of great work, including the new and improved World Nutella Day logo and the websites of Bella Vita Italia and Bella Vita Italia Rentals.
Melissa Muldoon, Melissa Design
I highly recommend Melissa if you have a graphic design and/or web design project in mind. She’s professional, fast, full of great ideas, and also really listens to the client’s requests — which can be a problem with some designers. In a nutshell, Melissa was just a joy to work with, and I really can’t recommend her services highly enough, so do have a look at the rest of her profile to get an idea of what else she’s done lately.
FYI You can also find Melissa Design on Facebook, and Melissa at her blog Diario di una studentessa matta (in italiano).
And for those who have asked me about the site designs of Bleeding Espresso and Goat Berries, I am using the Luxury WordPress Template by Curt Ziegler, also known as cudazi over at Theme Forest, and tweaked from there. Curt’s designs are *so* easy to tweak; they’re already user-friendly with so many choices for customization, but Curt also does instructional sheets and even videos — and is also available for questions. He generally responds within *hours* people. Seriously. I highly recommend both Theme Forest and Curt’s designs.
P.S. I also use one of Curt’s themes for MichelleFabio.com, and Melissa also did that logo as well. What can I say? I just love their work.
So there you have it for those of you who were curious about the design of the new sites. And hey, as the holidays approach, why not treat you and your website to a whole new look? If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask — it’s always nice to be able to offer glowing recommendations, so thank you again to Melissa and Curt!
Michelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived.
Calabria Guidebook
Recipes
