Dear Francesca

Format:	Hardback 352 pages

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Synopsis

If your mother had been brought up in an extended Italian family that was passionate about food, and gone on to run one of the country's most successful delicatessens, would you not want a record of all the knowledge and experience she had acquired? Dear Francesca provides just that, in a form that can be shaerd with other families and other cooks. Addressing her daughter Francesca, Mary Contini has written not only a wonderful cook book, but also a compelling and often moving account of her family history. She describes the life her grandparents led in a poor mountain village in Italy, their emigration to Scotland and the culinary traditions the extended family has kept alive in their adopted country. Informative, humorous and always passionate, this is a cookbook to read as well as to cook from day after day.

Book details

Published
09/05/2002

Publisher
Ebury Press

ISBN
9780091881764

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UK Kirkus review

In this unusual book Mary Contini has combined a family history with traditional Italian recipes as a legacy for her daughter Francesca. Having described her family's history in Italy and their subsequent emigration to Scotland, Contini then records family recipes, adding tips on everything from ingredients to cooking methods. Each chapter deals with an aspect of Italian cooking, including soups, pasta, risotto and cakes, and Contini broadens her scope by adding some international dishes such as traditional roasts and a recipe for Irish stew. There is even a card game - scopa - described in the drink section of the book. All the recipes are thoroughly described and easy to follow, although sadly there are no illustrations of the finished dishes! Photographs and reminiscences of family members appear throughout the book, reminding us of the book's roots and giving an interesting insight into how the Continis keep their Italian traditions alive. Highly recommended both for cooks and for those interested in social history and biography. (Kirkus UK)