Archive for the ‘book reviews’ Category
Speak Italian Magically by Antonio Libertino
Through the use of both a book and audio files, Speak Italian Magically by Antonio Libertino offers an innovative way to learn Italian — during a “state of relaxed alertness.”
If you’ve ever listened to meditation or yoga music — or type away on OMMwriter as I do — the basic theory behind the audio files will sound familiar to you. Essentially, by putting your brain in a relaxed state, it becomes more open to accepting the new words you are about to absorb.
The listener is instructed to get comfortable and imagine a time when you have learned something important to you — note that these are *not* lessons that you should listen to in your car on the way to work.
The lesson continues with the speaker alternating between Italian and English, side by side, and as the lessons progress, you will hear more and more Italian. I love this concept since we all know, especially those of us who have lived through it, how well the “sink or swim” or more properly called “full immersion” method of language learning works.
You can also follow all of the audio files with the book, which would be extra helpful for someone like me who is a visual learner — I need to see words to remember them, and not just in my mind. I especially love the intermingling of Italian phrases right next to their English counterparts throughout; it does seems that this would help your brain equate the two, especially with the repetition that is built into the lessons and also which you can do on your own.
As someone who already understands and speaks Italian daily, I can’t definitively say whether Speak Italian Magically is an effective way to learn the language. That said, I will say with absolute certainty that I would love to see Antonio also release intermediate and advanced level books and audio files; I truly believe this methodology is something that would work for me to absorb more advanced grammar rules and vocabulary, so I hope future volumes are in the works.
Find more information online: SpeakItalianMagically.com.
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Pieces of Someday by Jan Vallone
Pieces of Someday, the memoir of Jan Vallone, tells the story of an Italian-American woman who, after decades of striving to fulfill the wishes of her parents, comes to realize that she hasn’t yet discovered her true self.
So, at age 44, Jan leaves her law practice to teach English in a yeshiva high school — perhaps a curious career move for a Catholic lawyer, but there’s no doubt that for Jan, a whole new journey had begun. Jan’s search to balance her career and family with her own individual pursuit of happiness had been a lifelong struggle, but once she began following her heart, good things followed.
The book takes us through Jan’s life in New York, Seattle, and various trips to Italy — and she never skims over the difficult parts, namely a strained relationship with her father, marital problems, infertility, and struggles with her own faith. Instead, Jan carries us with her through her conflicting emotions and values, often with a sense of dry humor that I found entirely relatable.
Jan’s word selection is superb and her rich descriptions pick up the reader and gently drop her into each scene. One of my favorites is toward the end of the book when Jan and her family go to Sicily to see the remembrance of her grandmother that, as family legend had it, her grandfather had erected back in their small village of Castelvetrano:
We walked silent, filed around it, skirting a rusty railing collapsed at its feet. The grotto — ivy shrouded, suckers crumbling its surface, shoot tips tasseling its mouth. Inside, bird-soiled Mary prayed with fingerless rosary-strung hands, and the altar, sooty, fractured, was ankle-deep in trash. Outside in the porcelain photo, my grandmother, half my age, smiled above the tarnished plaque….
I give Pieces of Someday four espresso cups out of five and recommend it to anyone who has struggled with balancing what is expected of you with what you truly want — and also to those who simply enjoy good, descriptive writing.
More about the book:
Pieces of Someday has won two Reader Views Reviewers Choice Awards, placing first nationally in the memoir category and first across genres in the Pacific region. It is also now available on Kindle ($5.99 as of this writing).
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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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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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Georgia’s Kitchen by Jenny Nelson
Georgia's Kitchen by Jenny Nelson on Amazon.com
If you’re in the mood for an escape to Italy but your bank account doesn’t quite agree, have a look at Georgia’s Kitchen, a charming book that will transport you to a trattoria nestled in Tuscany’s rolling hills. You’ll also spend a good deal of time in bustling New York City, where Georgia lives full-time as a chef until her career takes a hit from a bad review and her romantic relationship crumbles. Off to Italy it is, then, for Georgia, where her passions become clear to her — and to a local named Gianni.
Georgia’s Kitchen is a fun, delicious read that just may inspire you to dig deeper and follow dreams simmering below the surface. Nelson’s writing is descriptive but tight — and foodies will love reading about Georgia’s exquisite creations, particularly as she strives to create the Tuscan trattoria’s signature dish. This book would be great to take on vacation or even just to cuddle up with for a little while each evening, savoring each chapter. Four espresso cups out of five!
And now, my interview with Jenny Nelson:
1. I know Bleeding Espresso readers are dying to know more about your Italian connection, so can you please share a little more about this?
Beyond being a complete and total Italia-phile – I love Italian food, wine, art, architecture, fashion, language, films and, of course, people – my mother-in-law’s entire extended family lives in Milan. My husband grew up making frequent trips to Italy and speaks Italian fairly well. We’ve traveled extensively throughout the country, particularly in the Tuscan region, where we were married. In Georgia’s Kitchen, there’s brief reference to the wedding of an American couple at the former villa of Dante Alighieri – that’s our wedding!
2. Georgia’s Kitchen is grounded in the inner workings of the restaurant industry, particularly in New York City. Do you have experience in it? If not, how did you go about researching this aspect of the book?
I’ve never worked in a professional kitchen but, fortunately, I have many friends who have. Even more fortunately, they were all too happy to share stories with me and to provide crucial details when interviewed. So when I needed to know “the Rolls Royce of espresso makers” I knew just who to ask.
3. Tuscany also plays a major role in your book, and I know from a previous interview you’ve spent a lot of time there. What are your favorite places to visit in Tuscany and favorite meals to have while you’re there?
I adore Florence and could spend hours walking just walking around that amazing city. I love the Pitti Palace, the Boboli Gardens, the Church of San Marco, Farmacia Santa Maria Novella (the ancient pharmacy), and Cibreo. In the countryside, I really like Lucca (a great way to see the city is on a bicycle) and Greve, but to be perfectly honest, I’ve yet to meet a Tuscan town I don’t love. As for food, my favorite Tuscan dishes are the simplest: pappa al pomodoro, panzanella, ribolitta, Tuscan beans.
Visit Jenny Nelson's website
4. I’m always curious to read about how other writers create their work; can you tell us about your writing process?
I generally don’t get going until the afternoon. In the mornings, I’m with my daughters and after I drop them at school I tend to have errands and other things that keep me busy (read: checking email). I write in an office on the third floor of my house and if I’m having a tough time I’ll break to walk my dog, or make a cup of tea – I drinks buckets of tea. If I’m really into a scene I’ll come back to it after my daughters go to sleep, but otherwise I sign off in the late afternoon or early evening only to return the next day. I also keep a notebook handy so that I can jot down phrases or ideas as they strike. If I’m working on a particularly sticky plot point, I go for a run. It seems that almost all of my “aha moments” (when I’ve successfully worked through a tricky issue) come while running.
5. Who or what inspires you as a novelist?
My daughters, stories in the newspaper, films, theater, other writers – the list is endless!
6. In the interview published at the end of Georgia’s Kitchen, you mention working on a new book about a woman whose husband is imprisoned for white-collar crime and who moves to the country — and ends up raising goats. As someone who raises goats (and writes about them at Goat Berries!), I just have to ask for a little more scoop on this book. How is it coming along? And do you have any interesting goat research stories to share?
This book, as they say, has been turned out to pasture. I love goats and I love goat cheese even more, but I’ve put this project aside for the time being. I’m working on something else now, but I’d rather wait until I’m a bit further along to talk about it. I will say that it explores some of the same themes as Georgia’s Kitchen: love, food, self-discovery, to name just a few.
Thanks so much Jenny!
I’m really looking forward to reading your next novel — even without a goat!
Jenny Nelson is a former web executive and consultant and past editor and producer at iVillage, Vogue.com and Style.com. She lives with her husband, twin daughters and dog in Millbrook, NY and Manhattan. You can find Jenny on her author website JennyNelsonAuthor.com, on Twitter @jennygnelson, and on Facebook with Georgia’s Kitchen.
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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
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