Bruculinu, America: Remembrances of Sicilian-American Brooklyn, Told in Stories and Recipes

by Vincent Schiavelli

Reminiscences of life in the Italian neighborhoods of Brooklyn are accompanied by recipes for traditional dishes as prepared by the author's grandfather, a Sicilian master chef

Genres: Italy, Cookbooks

336 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1998

Reviews

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bruculinu, the Sicilian borough of New York City, is the setting for this warm and tender memoir. Schiavelli, who is about my age, grew up here with his extended family of Sicilians. My father lived here, too, about 1914-1930. This book made me wonder what my life would have been like if he had never left for the west coast. But then, of course, he wouldn’t have met my mother, and there wouldn’t have been a me at all.

It’s half memoir, half cookbook. Schiavelli, whose name may be familiar to you from its Hollywood connections, sprinkles this book liberally with recipes for Sicilian food. Pasta with sardines and fennel, cucciaddatu, tumal, biscotti…

Like many memoirists, he has a tendency to look back with rose-colored glasses at a time and place that existed like an imported delicacy, right in the heart of NYC.

[Rosalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book for both the stories and the recipes. The stories brought back great memories of my grandparents, older family members, and fellow immigrant friends. I also appreciated finding recipes for many of the foods that I grew up with. This book has a place of honor on my cookbook shelf, but I also find myself reading through the stories "just for fun." I recommend it, especially for anyone of Sicilian heritage.

[Dominic · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It's a very quick read about life in the Sicilian-American community of Bushwick, Brooklyn in the 1940s to 1960s. The stories are really charming and I can see some of my own family in them (despite being Italian-American, not Sicilian). Recipes are placed at the end of each chapter and correspond to the season or holiday in the story. Although I borrowed this book from the library, I plan on buying myself a copy.

[Salvatore DiMartino · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a look back at the author growing up and coming of age in Brooklyn. The child of Sicilian inmigrants his stories are interwoven with recipes that he grew up on. Brought back a lot of memories for me.

[Mary Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet nostalgia for any Italian-American who grew up in Brookly.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable light read.
And, as I have seen a few of his films,
I was able to hear his voice in my head
as I read.