MARIANI’S
Virtual
Gourmet
MARCH
3, 2024
NEWSLETTER
Founded in 1996
ARCHIVE
"The Lemon Tree of Sorrento" By Vincenzo Magliaro
THIS WEEK
EATING AROUND BOSTON
PART TWO: COQUETTE
By John Mariani
NEW YORK CORNER
ROBERTO'S
By John Mariani
THE MAGDALENE LAUNDRIES
CHAPTER NINE
By John Mariani
NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR
TENUTA CUCCO WANTS TO BRING MODERN IDEAS
TO TRADITON-BOUND BAROLO
John Mariani
Part Two
COQUETTE
By John Mariani
No
matter which way you turn in the lobby of
the Omni Boston Hotel, opened in 2021, you
will enter a food and drinks place with
varying degrees of extravagance, from Kestra
Mediterranean restaurant and The Sporting
Club with its wall-to-wall TV screens to the
Crescendo Lobby Bar for cocktails and light
bites and Lifted on the fifth floor. In
summer you can also drink and nibble at the
rooftop pool area.
But the most special of them is
Coquette, a huge space composed of bar and
café and dining room, all done with consummate
flamboyant décor of brickwork,
archway, white oak floor, pastels, brass, gold
and silver, table lamps, rose-colored
chandeliers, including a fresco above the bar.
It’s a delight just to see it all, and
you wonder how the kitchen, led by Chief Culinary
Officer Tom Berry, can turn out so many
dishes, both rustic and sophisticated, in a
space that seats more than 200 guests.
Multiply that by turn-over, especially on
weekends, when the “vibe”—a modern 
term meant to convey
a high decibel level meshed with blasting
bass and drum sounds—comes close to
deafening.
You may begin with items from the raw
bar, nibble on a decent thin-crusted pizza
($18-$21), toasted focaccia with cacio e pepe
butter and pecorino ($9) or the irresistible
nonna buns ($10) that are suffused with warm
parmesan to be pulled apart and salted and
peppered.
Atlantic crab fondue ($24) is a bright
idea, a rich mixture of melted fontina,
taleggio and provolone cheeses with green
pesto, pignoli and toasted focaccia with which
to scoop it all up. Similarly, potato
croquettes Sicilian-style ($21) contain red
crab, pecorino, roasted garlic, aioli and
fennel salt for popping in the mouth. There
are also “small/petite” dishes, including
succulent, well-seasoned lamb meatballs
enriched with crème fraiche, an orange-date
glaze, crushed hazelnuts and harissa oil
($21), not an item you’ll find in the North
End.
Photo
by Josh Jamison
I
say without fear of contradiction that
Coquette is the only restaurant in
Boston—perhaps anywhere else but Nice—that
serves merda
dé can (left; $18), which are
basically plump spinach dumplings with a
tomato, brown butter, Roquefort cream and
hazelnuts (they use a lot of hazelnuts here!).
They are absolutely delicious and make a good
pasta starter—despite their name in Niçoise
dialect meaning “dog shit,” because they
usually come in an unappetizing looking and
smelling anchovy sauce.
Portions are generous, not least the
truffled chicken ($43), half a bird,
impeccably golden brown with a truffle gravy
and fines herbes. The meat, sliced from the
bone, is juicy and the flavor of good poultry.
Dorade royale ($42) may not come from off the
New England coast but this meaty Mediterranean
seabream is savory
with a tomato brown butter and hazelnut
panzanella ($37). This being America, though,
there are several cuts of beef available,
including a 16-ounce pork tomahawk ($49).
Don’t miss the pommes
frites ($12) which are glossed with an
aioli and fennel salt. You won’t find better
in town.
Obviously, in a place with this
largess, desserts will be big and lovable,
including a double chocolate torte sandwiched
with dark and
milk chocolate mousse, salted halva fudge,
toasted white sesame, praline crunch, cocoa
crumble, passionfruit sauce, guava ice cream
($14), big enough for two or three to share,
and a pleasant olive oil and
orange tinged semolina cake with luscious lemon 
mascarpone
cremeux, wafer crȇpe, pistachios, blackberry,
strawberry gin jam (left; $14).
The restaurant company behind Coquette,
COJE Management Group, doesn’t neglect any
aspect of what is modern upscale dining,
including a 350+-label wine list in the care
of general
manager and sommelier Nick Morisi, who favors,
with good reason, wines from France and
Provence, as well as some trophy Burgundies.
I am anxious to return to Coquette,
knowing now exactly what I’d order again but
open to whatever is new, for this kind of food
is exemplary of a concept well thought out,
then just as well put into place. When I do
return it will be mid-week and early in order
to avoid the cacophony that ensues later on.
With a portion of merda de
can and a roast chicken, accompanied by
a nice Bandol rose, I would be very happy to
go home and watch anything on TV wherein
Juliette Binoche is cooking.
Open for dinner
nightly; lunch and brunch Sat. & Sun.
❖❖❖
NEW YORK CORNER
ROBERTO'S
603
Crescent Avenue
718-733-9503
By John Mariani
Although a number of the Italian
restaurateurs in the Belmont section of the
Bronx—whence originated the doo-wop trio Dion
& the Belmonts—centered by Arthur Avenue
won’t admit it, Robert Paciullo’s namesake
trattoria brought an attention to the
neighborhood at the beginning of this century
that it had long lacked. It also made them up
the ante.
At
the time, most of the restaurants in the
neighborhood (about a mile from the Bronx Zoo
and Botanical Gardens) served more or less the
same sacrosanct southern Italian dishes beloved
by their customers over decades dating back to
when the neighborhood was settled by Neapolitan
and Sicilian immigrants early in the last
century—linguine
con vongole, lasagna, veal parmigiana and
plenty of good pizzas. (The best is at Mario’s.)
Some of those dishes are on Roberto’s menu, but
you’ll find many more that never appear
elsewhere, written on a daily changing
blackboard menu. They’d be tough to find in
Manhattan or Brooklyn.
On any given day at Roberto’s rustic
trattoria of just 50 seats you might encounter crostini
toasted bread with smoked scamorza
mozzarella ($16) or a starter of scottaditi—“finger
burners”—small juicy lamb chops you pick up by
the bone and eat in one bite ($14). 
Recently on a Thursday afternoon I was
faced with the delectable dilemma of deciding
among those dishes as well as artichoke hearts
with prosciutto, fava beans, spiced oil and
melted smoked mozzarella; bucatini “modo mio”
($24) in a creamy zucchini sauce; spaghetti
cooked in
cartoccio ($28), an aluminum foil pouch
that is sliced open so that aromatic steam fills
the air, and the spaghetti is suffused with a
red pepper sauce alla
diavolo.
Rigatoni
lashed with a veal ragù and the wholly
unexpected addition of cantaloupe, as well as
prosciutto and ricotta. For a
main course there was chicken cooked on the bone
for flavor, with eggplant caponata and provolone
($24). Veal scallopine is treated to Speck
bacon, grilled tomato, melted Taleggio and a
wine reduction ($32), and you can also get one
of those massive tomahawk steaks he has hanging
in his humidified cold locker up front.
For dessert go with the pastiera
cheesecake ($11) made with wheat berries.
All the food is lusty, served without
fanfare. You get a good bread basket and olive
oil for dipping, and the wine list is
exceptionally wide-ranging, largely Italian and
Californian, stored beneath the dining room
where there are party facilities.
You’re likely to find a passel of New
York Yankees or Mets down there, and upstairs a
clientele that includes Marisa Tomei, Joe Torre, Larry
Fishburne and Chazz Palmenteri.
Roberto, who was born in Salerno, south
of Naples, has turned his hard work and belief
in his culinary heritage into a small empire. He
also has a somewhat more traditional pizzeria
and trattoria called Zero Otto Nove (089 is the
calling code for Salerno), with branches in
Manhattan and two in Westchester County’s
Tuckahoe and Armonk. He bounds from one to the
other, but he’s usually at Roberto’s during the
week at lunchtime. Weekends are packed. Pay him
a visit. No, pay him some homage for adding so
measurably to Arthur Avenue, whose other
restaurants are all the better now after he
challenged them to be so.
Open for lunch and dinner Tues.-Sat.
THE MAGDALENE LAUNDRIES
By John Mariani
Spring Valley, in Rockland County, was
southwest of where David lived along the Hudson
River and about five miles from the New Jersey
border. David and Tommy Sullivan has visited
each other occasionally—he retired a year before
David did—sometimes going fishing in the lakes
and rivers in their respective counties.
Sullivan’s work had taken a toll on him
after twenty-five years on the force. It was not
so much dealing with the child abuse, spousal
abuse and rape, but seeing too often how the
perpetrators were never put away. It all depended
on the legal system, from public defenders forced
to plead on behalf of so many despicable offenders
to judges who had too many cases on their dockets.
The more a client could pay for a lawyer, the more
likely he’d get off with a suspended sentence and
parole. After
a while, Sullivan had had enough, and Spring
Valley—thirty miles from his Manhattan
Precinct—seemed far away from all that.
His aluminum-sided house had an
above-ground pool in the backyard, where he and
his three kids spent most of the summer. His wife
Megan did some part-time secretarial work at the
local school.
David and Katie arrived around four
o’clock. Tommy Sullivan was already waiting for
them in the front yard. First words out of his
mouth were, “So this is the great Katie Cavuto I
heard so much about.”
Katie, who was dressed in light blue shorts
and a white tennis shirt, looked every bit as
beautiful as David had described her. Katie and
Tommy shook hands and he said, “Now, why the hell
would you traipse around the world with this old
man?”
“I carry her bags,” said David.
The Sullivans ushered them inside and Megan
asked if they’d like tea and cookies. David
glanced at Katie and said that would be just fine.
“So, David,” Tommy began. “you want to talk
about child molestation among the good priests,
brothers and nuns?”
“Well, I assume such cases came across your
desk.”
“Yeah, they did. More often than you’d
think. Wretched stuff, some of it went on for
years, and the kids had terrible psychological
scars from it. Y’know, cops don’t like to bring
work home with them, but sometimes I came through
the doors sobbing and had to tell Megan what was
going on.”
“What forms of abuse are you talking about,
Tommy?” asked Katie.
“Just about every form of pedophilia you
can think of, including outright rape. Most of
the time it begins with a child who is often
troubled, or maybe bullied by the other kids,
going to the priest or nun who’s like his
protector, someone the kid’s been confessing sins
to, which may be sexual in nature. The priest
picks up on that, offers the child a safe haven,
then it gets to a warm embrace, then it gets more
intimate, and before the kid knows it, this adult
he trusted is trying to convince the child sex is
a natural thing.”
Megan returned with the tea and a tin of
cookies. Aware of what her husband was narrating,
she showed palpable sadness in her face.
“How do the children feel about this
attention?”
“Some of them know damn well it’s a
complete lie on the priest’s part. The older the
child, the more they know about sex. With the
girls it’s a situation she might well have been in
with boys her age or older. Those are the ones who
are repulsed by it, but rarely do they ever tell
anyone what happened.”
“And the others?” asked David.
Tommy dragged his hand down his face. “The
others. There are many different reactions. Some
accept what these bastards are telling them. It
all starts out real gentle and loving, then when
it gets down to real sex, they give in because
they feel trapped and fear exposure. In every case
I saw, the priest or brother or nun made the
children swear not to say anything about their
activities. Some of these bastards said they would
have the child excommunicated from the Church.
They’d burn in hell.
Others actually threatened violence. You’ve
got to remember, these cases go back to the days
when these people were allowed to beat children,
even in grammar school, for misbehaving.”
David and Katie well remembered those days,
for only in the past decade had corporal
punishment been prohibited by the Church. Prior to
that, a slap on the hand with a ruler had become
part of most Catholics’ memories, even to the
point of nostalgia.
Every child had a story about Sister
So-and-So and her ruler, or an Irish Christian
Brother who had a leather or rubber strap held in
his cassock.
It was part of every Irish and Italian
comedian’s repertoire of jokes. And the punch line
was always, “And whatever the nuns did to me, I’d
get it twice as bad at home if my father found
out.”
“Some of these bastards were out-and-out
sadists,” Tommy continued. “ I saw the
marks on the kids’ buttocks. The red marks on
their cheeks. A busted ear drum.”
“And how did these cases come to your
attention?” asked Katie, writing in her notebook.
“Y’know,
that’s
one of the worst things about it. Parents were
extremely reluctant to go to the cops because they
were holy men and women of the Church they’d be
accusing of the vilest sins. Others may have
believed their own child instigated the problem.
But most didn’t tell the cops because if it came
to a court hearing, their child—six years old, ten
years old, seventeen—would have to admit to what
happened and the priest’s attorney would just
grill these kids, torture them with questions no
child should have to answer.”
“So, how did these cases come to you?”
“In a lot of cases, other kids, the older
ones, would tell us they believed Father So-and-So
was molesting one of their friends and wanted us
to nail the bastard. It was never much to go on,
and we’d have to contact the parents first and do
some investigating before going to see the alleged
offender.”
“So, how many of these cases resulted in
indictments?” asked Katie.
Tommy
Sullivan looked at his wife, who seemed on the
verge of tears.
“Not one,” Megan said. “Tommy did as much
as anyone to bring these horrible men and women to
justice, but nothing ever happened.” She wiped her
eyes, then said, “I was once the best Irish
Catholic girl you ever met. I even thought maybe
I’d become a nun. Then, after years of hearing
about this abuse from Tommy, I just stopped even
going to Church. Like Tommy said, he never brought
his work home, but when he couldn’t help these
children . . . these babies,
it broke his heart. And it broke mine. I no longer
believe in the Catholic Church. God I don’t even
know anymore.
How could God let those things happen to
those children?
I can’t make any sense of it.”
© John Mariani, 2018
❖❖❖
TENUTA CUCCO WANTS TO BRING MODERN IDEAS
TO TRADITON-BOUND BAROLO
By John Mariani
Serralunga Castello, Piemonte
Italy's Piemonte region has over the last several decades made its reputation on the basis of its Nebbiolo-based Barolos and Barbarescos whose producers have come to rank with the best in the country. Ironically, after the war, Barolos and Barbarescos were not held in the same regard as those named just Nebbiolo and others like Dolcetto, Spanna and Gattinara, while Barbera is made with grapes of the same name.
It was not until 2002 that the Rossi Cairo family bought vineyard land in the region for their winery named La Raia with the purpose of heightening awareness of the white varietal Gavi. Giorgio Rossi Cairo, a consultant, wanted to pursue his investment in sustainable farming, including at the new winery called Tenuta Cucco as of 2015. At first his daughter Caterina ran La Raia, then his son Piero took over both wineries as CEO. I interviewed him in New York about how he began with little knowledge of wine and eventually took over the management, with winemaker for both wineries Clara Milani.
What
were you doing before becoming involved in wine
making?
After graduating in
business administration and law, I worked for five
years for a big law firm in Milan. The first year I
was in capital markets, while the remaining four I
was in the M&A department. It was only when my
family acquired Tenuta Cucco at the end of 2014, and
my sister got completely absorbed by her school at
La Raia, that I was asked to step in and manage the
wine business. It took some convincing, but I feel
very lucky to be granted such an opportunity. To
work and create value for myself and my family and
not just for my clients and the law firm I was
working for.
What was your father’s
role in the idea of founding a winery?
I believe that when my
father decided to acquire a winery, as an engineer
he wanted to pursue his passion, the countryside,
also a place where we would produce something. Hence
the decision to acquire a winery, which at that time
was selling wine only as bulk. My sister Caterina
immediately moved into the estate to live with her
husband Tom and their one-year-old Matthias.
Something my father might never admit is that he
also acquired La Raia in order to make it a reunion
point for our family. Which it became, slowly,
fascinating to our entire family with its beauty.
Now that my sister has stepped down from the wine
business, she still manages a Waldorf school inside
the estate.
What part of Piemonte is
your winery located and what is special about its
terroir?
La Raia is a 180-hectare
estate, hence we are proud to host quite a variety
of soils. We are also proud to be certified
biodynamic since 2007—way before being organic,
biodynamic or natural started to be used as a
marketing leverage. From highly marly white soil we
may encounter red soil rich in minerals, in
particular iron. Tenuta Cucco, acquired in 2018, is
a 12.5-hectare estate which dominates the hill of
Serralunga d'Alba. At altitudes between 330 and 410
meters above sea level, the soils are of marine
sedimentary origin, dating back to the "Piedmont
Tertiary Basin,” characterized by the presence of
sedimentary calcareous clay marl, alternating layers
of marl and sand or sandstone.
These soils feature the "Lequio Formation"
characterized by evident layers of sand alternating
with sandstone and marl.
What is the meaning of
the name Tenuta Cucco?
Cucco is the local dialect for
the top of the hill, where the winery is actually
located.
This was already vineyard
land with old vines, correct?
The Tenuta Cucco winery
(formerly known as Cascina Cucco) was acquired by
the Stroppiana family from the Cappellano family in
1966. The vineyards were already there. Actually the
Cerrati Cru is one of the oldest crus of
Serralunga.
Clara
Milani, winemaker
Since you were not knowledgeable about wine in
2015, whom did you turn to to help establish the
winery?
2015 is the year when I
jumped onboard the ship, which was
already navigating since 2002 with the help of my
sister and her husband Tom. So they actually matured
for 13 years of experience in farming and in wine
production before my arrival. I started from the
business development part of the business, with
particular focus on the export markets. It is little
by little that I gained knowledge and experience in
the farming and wine making part. I started creating
my own team, with our external wine consultant Piero
Ballario, who has been with us for almost 15 years,
and Clara Milani, our winemaker, who now is in
charge of the wine making at both La Raia and Tenuta
Cucco. I also started a winemaking degree, although
I must admit that I never found the time for taking
any exam. Hopefully, one day, I will be able to
continue.
Was the wine being
produced before you owned the property of good
quality?
With particular focus on
Tenuta Cucco, nobody of the Stroppiana family was
managing the wine business. Hence investments were
not really made. Therefore, we immediately saw a
great unexploited potential in the Nebbiolo
vineyards, which were next to the cellar within the
historical center of Serralunga d'Alba.
What did you seek to
change about it?
We started from the
beginning with farming. We immediately initiated the
conversion to organic farming, which granted us the
certification from the 2018 vintage. New tractors
and farming equipment were the first things to be
introduced, then we started to invest in the
winemaking process in the cellar with the removal of
the overused French oak and the introduction, year
by year, of new big oak barrels (botti) of
25HL made with Slavonian oak, some medium toasted
and some not, along with new big oak casks where the
fermentation takes place. New cellar machinery was
bought and recently a moisture and temperature
control system has been introduced in part of the
cellar dedicated to aging the wine in
oak.
You have a very avid
passion for ecological and sustainable practices.
What have you done that is innovative?.jpg)
We believe farmers hold
the keys to the fruits of our soil, which is one of
the most important resources on planet Earth. Every
day which passes it becomes scarcer, and it is our
mission to be able to deliver to the new generations
the keys to an even richer and healthier soil. The
mastermind behind the promotion of biodiversity in
our wineries was my sister Caterina, who at the end
of 2002 immediately decided to convert La Raia to
organic and biodynamic farming, anticipating by far
what has become a big trend in the farming industry
in the recent years. And of course our winemaker
Clara Milani (below).When we acquired Tenuta
Cucco at the end of 2014, it was a logical
consequence to transition to organic farming
practices also there. At La Raia we are lucky to
have ample distance from neighboring farms. At
Tenuta Cucco, on the other hand, we face proximity
to traditional farming neighbors, making it
challenging to implement the biodiversity-promoting
biodynamic approach we believe in.
Why do you not age your
Nebbiolo?
The Barolo appellation
requires Barolo to be aged at least 18 months in
wood (either oak or chestnut). We produce more than
40,000 bottles of Barolo at Tenuta Cucco. We think
that Nebbiolo, when not expressing itself as Barolo,
also deserves an interpretation without any
contamination from oak, hence our decision to work
on our Langhe Nebbiolo in stainless steel, which
leaves intact the original fruit and flavors of the
Nebbiolo grape.
Your family lives in
Houston and you are bi-continental. How often are
you in each place, and isn’t that difficult to run
a family business from the U.S.?
My
move to the USA is just temporary. I felt like a
more continuing presence in the market was necessary
for the commercial expansion of Tenuta Cucco.
Therefore, 2024 became the year in which I decided
to go all in. We are pushing for establishing the
brand, promoting the 2019 vintage, which is getting
great reviews and recognition. However, my business
decisions need to harmonize with my personal life. I
am an entrepreneur but also a father. My present and
my future is in wine and, hopefully, my generation
(my sister and I) will be able to leave these
estates as a legacy to our children. I couldn't stay
for so long without my family and I knew this
experience abroad would be beneficial for them, too.
We moved but without distorting our essence. So, for
example, my son Leonardo still attends a Waldorf
school in Houston as he was doing at La Raia. It is
hard to travel so frequently. Luckily I have a
wonderful team in Italy that maintains the standard
and the vision at the estates when I am not there.
What do you see for your
company in five years?
I hope that both wineries,
Tenuta Cucco and La Raia, really achieve the high
goals and global success we have set for them: to
produce great wine while guaranteeing to future
generations the availability of a land, soil and
landscape more vital, rich and beautiful than when
we received them at the start of our wine and
farming journey. And I would really love one
day to see in consumers the appreciation of the hard
work we are carrying forward, consumers who
hopefully will become even more responsible in their
choices. Because life on our planet really depends
on this, on our everyday choices.
❖❖❖
"Panic, panic.
My best laid plans have fallen through and I have
nowhere to eat. How has this happened? I’m an idiot.
I’m a clown." By Charlotte Ivers,"Silver Birch
Restaurant Review," London Times (2/11/24)
❖❖❖
Any of John Mariani's books below may be ordered from amazon.com.
The Hound in Heaven
(21st Century Lion Books) is a novella, and
for anyone who loves dogs, Christmas, romance,
inspiration, even the supernatural, I hope you'll find
this to be a treasured favorite. The story
concerns how, after a New England teacher, his wife and
their two daughters adopt a stray puppy found in their
barn in northern Maine, their lives seem full of promise.
But when tragedy strikes, their wonderful dog Lazarus and
the spirit of Christmas are the only things that may bring
his master back from the edge of despair. WATCH THE VIDEO!
“What a huge surprise turn this story took! I was completely stunned! I truly enjoyed this book and its message.” – Actress Ali MacGraw
“He had me at Page One. The amount of heart, human insight, soul searching, and deft literary strength that John Mariani pours into this airtight novella is vertigo-inducing. Perhaps ‘wow’ would be the best comment.” – James Dalessandro, author of Bohemian Heart and 1906.
“John Mariani’s Hound in Heaven starts with a well-painted portrayal of an American family, along with the requisite dog. A surprise event flips the action of the novel and captures us for a voyage leading to a hopeful and heart-warming message. A page turning, one sitting read, it’s the perfect antidote for the winter and promotion of holiday celebration.” – Ann Pearlman, author of The Christmas Cookie Club and A Gift for my Sister.
“John Mariani’s concise, achingly beautiful novella pulls a literary rabbit out of a hat – a mash-up of the cosmic and the intimate, the tragic and the heart-warming – a Christmas tale for all ages, and all faiths. Read it to your children, read it to yourself… but read it. Early and often. Highly recommended.” – Jay Bonansinga, New York Times bestselling author of Pinkerton’s War, The Sinking of The Eastland, and The Walking Dead: The Road To Woodbury.
“Amazing things happen when you open your heart to an animal. The Hound in Heaven delivers a powerful story of healing that is forged in the spiritual relationship between a man and his best friend. The book brings a message of hope that can enrich our images of family, love, and loss.” – Dr. Barbara Royal, author of The Royal Treatment.
 |
The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink by John F. Mariani (Bloomsbury USA, $35) Modesty forbids me to praise my own new book, but let me proudly say that it is an extensive revision of the 4th edition that appeared more than a decade ago, before locavores, molecular cuisine, modernist cuisine, the Food Network and so much more, now included. Word origins have been completely updated, as have per capita consumption and production stats. Most important, for the first time since publication in the 1980s, the book includes more than 100 biographies of Americans who have changed the way we cook, eat and drink -- from Fannie Farmer and Julia Child to Robert Mondavi and Thomas Keller. "This book is amazing! It has entries for everything from `abalone' to `zwieback,' plus more than 500 recipes for classic American dishes and drinks."--Devra First, The Boston Globe. "Much needed in any kitchen library."--Bon Appetit. |
"Eating Italian will never be the same after reading John Mariani's entertaining and savory gastronomical history of the cuisine of Italy and how it won over appetites worldwide. . . . This book is such a tasteful narrative that it will literally make you hungry for Italian food and arouse your appetite for gastronomical history."--Don Oldenburg, USA Today. "Italian
restaurants--some good, some glitzy--far
outnumber their French rivals. Many of
these establishments are zestfully described
in How Italian Food Conquered the World, an
entertaining and fact-filled chronicle by
food-and-wine correspondent John F.
Mariani."--Aram Bakshian Jr., Wall Street
Journal.
"Equal parts
history, sociology, gastronomy, and just
plain fun, How Italian Food Conquered the
World tells the captivating and delicious
story of the (let's face it) everybody's
favorite cuisine with clarity, verve and
more than one surprise."--Colman Andrews,
editorial director of The Daily
Meal.com. "A fantastic and fascinating
read, covering everything from the influence
of Venice's spice trade to the impact of
Italian immigrants in America and the
evolution of alta cucina. This book will
serve as a terrific resource to anyone
interested in the real story of Italian
food."--Mary Ann Esposito, host of PBS-TV's
Ciao
Italia. "John Mariani has written the
definitive history of how Italians won their
way into our hearts, minds, and
stomachs. It's a story of pleasure over
pomp and taste over technique."--Danny Meyer,
owner of NYC restaurants Union Square
Cafe, The Modern, and Maialino.
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MARIANI'S VIRTUAL GOURMET
NEWSLETTER is published weekly. Publisher: John Mariani. Editor: Walter Bagley. Contributing Writers: Christopher
Mariani, Misha Mariani, John A. Curtas, Gerry Dawes, Geoff Kalish.
Contributing
Photographer: Galina Dargery. Technical
Advisor: Gerry
McLoughlin.
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