Ciao!
A Thousand Days in Venice: An Unexpected Romance was one of those paperback novels that you pick up on those ubiquitous "Summer Reading" tables at the bookstore. Call these "beach reads" or "fun reads," I typically don't expect a whole lot from this genre. That being said, this "Summer Reading" table is where I was first introduced to Marlena di Blasi.
A Thousand Days in Venice: An Unexpected Romance was one of those paperback novels that you pick up on those ubiquitous "Summer Reading" tables at the bookstore. Call these "beach reads" or "fun reads," I typically don't expect a whole lot from this genre. That being said, this "Summer Reading" table is where I was first introduced to Marlena di Blasi.
Di Blasi, a former chef from St. Louis, chronicles a solo
trip to Venice, a trip in which she falls in love with the "The Floating
City" and with a Venetian named Fernando.
She speaks a little bit of Italian.
He speaks less English. A Thousand Days follows her spontaneous decision
to live life and share her heart with Fernando (“the stranger”), immersing herself in the food, culture and
people of Italy.
It is a love story between a man, a woman and a truly beautiful
city. Di Blasi also includes some authentic recipes such as Prugne Addormentate (Sleeping Pears), Pappa
al Pomodoro, and Porcini Brasati con Moscato (Wild Mushrooms Braised in
Late-Harvest Wine) to name a few. In this very
romantic memoir, she describes their exploration of the city, their developing
romance, and the realization that they have both found their soul-mates.
I soon became an über fan.
A Thousand Days in Venice led me to the sequel, A Thousand Days in
Tuscany, which led me to The Lady in the Palazzo, then to That Summer in
Sicily, and finally Antonia and her Daughters.
(All of these books follow Marlena and Ferdinand as they explore Italy
together.) She is also the author of two regional cookbooks: Regional Foods of Northern Italy (a James
Beard Foundation Award finalist) and Regional Foods of Southern Italy.
I am sure that re-reading A Thousand Days in Venice will
spark me to pick up di Blasi's other books: Dolce e Salata (a book that falls between their adventures in Venice and Tuscany) and Amandine: A Novel.
Submissions for this round of CTB are due September 30, 2014. Anyone can join in the Cook the Books fun by reading and blogging about
the book and cooking up a dish inspired by its contents. Just contact me when your
entry post is up by commenting on this post and/or sending me an email at eliotseats@gmail.com.
If you're new to Cook the Books, check out our About and Guidelines pages or leave a question in the comments here. Please also check out some of the previous Round-Ups for examples of members' posts.
Arrivederci,
Debra (Eliot's Eats)
Arrivederci,
Debra (Eliot's Eats)
Postscript: I am also über excited to be hosting my first CTB selection as an official co-host, so I hope you all enjoy this selection and get inspired to make something romantic, decadent, and delicious.
