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Beyond the Pasta; Recipes, Language and Life with an Italian Family
[NEW for 2014 ~ 10 BONUS recipes, including gluten-free dishes, are included in this newly updated hardcover edition. Same heartfelt, award-winning story; now with ten more reasons to bring your family to the table!] Several years ago, on a break between theatrical gigs in Alabama, Mark traveled to Italy and fell in love with the people, food and culture. Armed with just enough courage, minimal Italian language skills, and a certain proficiency in the kitchen, he enrolled in a full-immersion cooking and language program. He would travel south of Tuscany to Viterbo, Italy and live with an Italian family. His teachers were beyond his wildest dreams-he learned to cook from the grandmother, or Nonna, of the family, who prepared every meal in a bustling, busy household, as women in her family have done for generations. Her daughter, Alessandra, taught him the language with patience and precision. Besides culinary secrets and prepositions, they opened their lives to him, and made him a real part of their extensive family. Though the book contains authentic, delicious family recipes Nonna shared with Mark, Beyond the Pasta delves into food memoir subject matter not found in a typical cookbook. It was the day-to-day shopping with Nonna, exploring the countryside and le gelaterie, where he truly developed his language skills, and a new, more joyful and uniquely Italian way of looking at the world.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2010
21 people are currently reading
407 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
June 10, 2018
I read this lovely read shortly before our recent trip to Italy, but I didn’t want to review it until I had tried out at least one of the recipes. This is my new rule when reviewing cookbooks. I can’t believe that I have reviewed cookbooks in the past without trying out a single recipe. What was I thinking? Anyway, now that we have returned from Italy, I started skimming the book once more and I’ve decided that I would love to reread it very soon, to relive the memories of our fabulous time there.
The author spent a month living with an Italian family, learning the language, learning to cook, and simply immersing himself in Italian culture. This delightful book is part travel log and part cookbook. It was set up in a daily journal format, each day ending with a recipe. I love books like that! My only complaint is that I do wish that the book had more illustrations, and color ones at that. How can one publish a book on Italy with grainy, drab-looking black and white pictures?
I’ve tried out five of the recipes so far and will be trying out more. Four out of the five recipes have been absolute hits and the other one was still pretty good.
The Yogurt Cake was wonderful. I made some slight tweaks, as I sometimes do when cooking. Rather than using regular flour, I substituted with cake flour, to make the cake as light and spongy as possible.
The Zucchini and Onion Frittata was absolutely delicious. The family couldn’t get enough of it and I will be doubling the recipe from now on.
We loved the Spaghetti with Garlic and Anchovies. These recipes all reminded us of Italy!
And don’t even get me started on the Bean and Onion Bruschetta!
The Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives was packed with flavor and good, but not the best. I made a few mistakes, which I can remedy next time.
I wasn’t sure if I should give this book four or five stars. At one point I was even going to give it 3.5. Yet the more that I’ve re-read some of the parts, the fact that the recipes are so good, and finally, there’s simply nothing like reliving all the memories of Italy that he shares so beautifully, well, I just had to give it 5 stars.
Some of my favorite quotes:
“La dolce vita celebrates the fact that life is not only about a paycheck ... Life is about savoring the sunset, taking a rejuvenating nap in the middle go the day, pausing to appreciate the beauty of a rose on the side of the road, having your children's laughter fill your soul - letting those moments inspire your life. That might be more of a romantic perception than the exact truth of the situation, but it is certainly the truth I have come to witness, embrace and appreciate while living in Viterbo.”
“For me, the ‘Sweet Life’ is going into the kitchen, preparing food and serving it to the people I love and cherish. La Dolce Vita is found in those moments of life around a table where stories are told - old memories are relived and new memories are given life. It is where food ultimately unites us through the juxtaposition of laughter, tears, joy, sorrow, happiness, pain, and ecstasy.”
“Walking along the bank of the Tiber, I headed into Trastevere, the original Jewish ghetto of ancient Rome. Trastevere means “to traverse or to cross over” and it is still very much a working class neighborhood. The streets are very narrow and the well-worn and aged buildings are very close to each other, providing a time-forgotten atmosphere. This is not the prettiest part of Rome, but it feels the most authentic and that makes it beautiful.”
Here's a picture that we took when we visited the beautiful Trastevere neighborhood in Rome.
The author spent a month living with an Italian family, learning the language, learning to cook, and simply immersing himself in Italian culture. This delightful book is part travel log and part cookbook. It was set up in a daily journal format, each day ending with a recipe. I love books like that! My only complaint is that I do wish that the book had more illustrations, and color ones at that. How can one publish a book on Italy with grainy, drab-looking black and white pictures?
I’ve tried out five of the recipes so far and will be trying out more. Four out of the five recipes have been absolute hits and the other one was still pretty good.
The Yogurt Cake was wonderful. I made some slight tweaks, as I sometimes do when cooking. Rather than using regular flour, I substituted with cake flour, to make the cake as light and spongy as possible.
The Zucchini and Onion Frittata was absolutely delicious. The family couldn’t get enough of it and I will be doubling the recipe from now on.
We loved the Spaghetti with Garlic and Anchovies. These recipes all reminded us of Italy!
And don’t even get me started on the Bean and Onion Bruschetta!
The Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives was packed with flavor and good, but not the best. I made a few mistakes, which I can remedy next time.
I wasn’t sure if I should give this book four or five stars. At one point I was even going to give it 3.5. Yet the more that I’ve re-read some of the parts, the fact that the recipes are so good, and finally, there’s simply nothing like reliving all the memories of Italy that he shares so beautifully, well, I just had to give it 5 stars.
Some of my favorite quotes:
“La dolce vita celebrates the fact that life is not only about a paycheck ... Life is about savoring the sunset, taking a rejuvenating nap in the middle go the day, pausing to appreciate the beauty of a rose on the side of the road, having your children's laughter fill your soul - letting those moments inspire your life. That might be more of a romantic perception than the exact truth of the situation, but it is certainly the truth I have come to witness, embrace and appreciate while living in Viterbo.”
“For me, the ‘Sweet Life’ is going into the kitchen, preparing food and serving it to the people I love and cherish. La Dolce Vita is found in those moments of life around a table where stories are told - old memories are relived and new memories are given life. It is where food ultimately unites us through the juxtaposition of laughter, tears, joy, sorrow, happiness, pain, and ecstasy.”
“Walking along the bank of the Tiber, I headed into Trastevere, the original Jewish ghetto of ancient Rome. Trastevere means “to traverse or to cross over” and it is still very much a working class neighborhood. The streets are very narrow and the well-worn and aged buildings are very close to each other, providing a time-forgotten atmosphere. This is not the prettiest part of Rome, but it feels the most authentic and that makes it beautiful.”
Here's a picture that we took when we visited the beautiful Trastevere neighborhood in Rome.
December 30, 2010
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.
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!
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.
The star that's missing in my review is because there were some Italian (grammar and spelling) mistakes throughout the book, and that's a pet peeve of mine personally; some were there because Mark is a novice in the language and that's OK, but others should have been caught through tight editing. That said, I don't this it takes anything away from the wonderfulness of the book for most readers, and I would give it 4 3/4 stars if I could. P.S. I'm told these errors will be fixed in a new edition, so we're *really* close to five stars here.
Indeed, I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves Italy and all things Italian; it would make a perfect gift for the Italophile on your list.
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!
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.
The star that's missing in my review is because there were some Italian (grammar and spelling) mistakes throughout the book, and that's a pet peeve of mine personally; some were there because Mark is a novice in the language and that's OK, but others should have been caught through tight editing. That said, I don't this it takes anything away from the wonderfulness of the book for most readers, and I would give it 4 3/4 stars if I could. P.S. I'm told these errors will be fixed in a new edition, so we're *really* close to five stars here.
Indeed, I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves Italy and all things Italian; it would make a perfect gift for the Italophile on your list.
November 23, 2015
There's nothing better than a good foodie memoir, except maybe one combined with travel and recipes. And if it happens to involve Italy, all the better.
In Beyond the Pasta, Mark Leslie was looking for a different kind of Italian vacation experience, and found it with the Stefani family. It took the form of a total immersion language and cooking course. Mark stayed with the family for a month, cooking with Nonna (the grandmother) and learning Italian from her daughter, Allessandra. He participated in nearly every aspect of family life - daily trips to the market and food preparation with Nonna, afternoon language lessons, family dinners, and frequent postprandial strolls... invariably involving gelato. Mark also spent several days in Rome and attended social events with the family.
The book is set up in a journal format, with every day a separate chapter. Of course food (planning, shopping, preparation, and eating) plays the most prominent role. Each day/chapter concludes with a recipe or two. The easy, conversational tone makes this memoir immensely readable.
I enjoyed reading about Mark's trips to the market and detailed scenes from the kitchen... although less description of proper squid cleaning technique would have been fine with me! I cheered his increasing language proficiency, and especially appreciated discussion of the culture, and general philosophy surrounding food and eating - la dolce vita.
Growing up with my very own Italian grandmother, this book made me nostalgic for childhood days spent in her kitchen. Nearly all the recipes are familiar and I look forward to trying several:
Pasta e Fagioli alla Veneta (Venetian Pasta and Beans)
Minestra di Patate, Piselli e Tubettini (Potato, Pea and Pasta Soup)
Cuppa, Cuppa, Cuppa (Yogurt Cake)
I suppose I must mention a couple of downsides, too. First, the author does not use the oxford comma. I always do and never imagined its absence would bug me so much, but it really did - starting with the title, in fact. Second, the photography could have been better. Granted, pictures aren't the main attraction, but the black and white photos weren't very clear. I also would have appreciated pictures of the food.
Favorite Passages:
With Italian, you always pronounce all of the letters in the word. The only silent letter is "h"; otherwise, each and every letter gets pronounced. For example, ciao - hello and goodbye - is pronounced "chee-ah-ow." It is starting to feel that the way to succeed in speaking Italian is to chew on the words. Every syllable, every bite! p.25
The cutlets - le cotolette - were not prepared until after we had finished eating the pasta... I am learning the importance of this type of preparation. First, the food always come sot the table hot and perfectly prepared. Second, it gives you some time between courses to digest your food, drink some wine and feel as if you have eaten a lot when actually, because the portions are smaller, you have eaten less than you would sitting at an American table. p. 102
La dolce vita celebrates the fact that life is not only about a paycheck ... Life is about savoring the sunset, taking a rejuvenating nap in the middle go the day, pausing to appreciate the beauty of a rose on the side of the road, having your children's laughter fill your soul - letting those moments inspire your life. That might be more of a romantic perception than the exact truth of the situation, but it is certainly the truth I have come to witness, embrace and appreciate while living in Viterbo. p.170
For me, the "Sweet Life" is going into the kitchen, preparing food and serving it to the people I love and cherish. La Dolce Vita is found in those moments of life around a table where stories are told - old memories are relived and new memories are given life. It is where food ultimately unites us through the juxtaposition of laughter, tears, joy, sorrow, happiness, pain, and ecstasy. p. 311
Bottom line: A very enjoyable read - probably the next best thing to a trip to Viterbo.
In Beyond the Pasta, Mark Leslie was looking for a different kind of Italian vacation experience, and found it with the Stefani family. It took the form of a total immersion language and cooking course. Mark stayed with the family for a month, cooking with Nonna (the grandmother) and learning Italian from her daughter, Allessandra. He participated in nearly every aspect of family life - daily trips to the market and food preparation with Nonna, afternoon language lessons, family dinners, and frequent postprandial strolls... invariably involving gelato. Mark also spent several days in Rome and attended social events with the family.
The book is set up in a journal format, with every day a separate chapter. Of course food (planning, shopping, preparation, and eating) plays the most prominent role. Each day/chapter concludes with a recipe or two. The easy, conversational tone makes this memoir immensely readable.
I enjoyed reading about Mark's trips to the market and detailed scenes from the kitchen... although less description of proper squid cleaning technique would have been fine with me! I cheered his increasing language proficiency, and especially appreciated discussion of the culture, and general philosophy surrounding food and eating - la dolce vita.
Growing up with my very own Italian grandmother, this book made me nostalgic for childhood days spent in her kitchen. Nearly all the recipes are familiar and I look forward to trying several:
Pasta e Fagioli alla Veneta (Venetian Pasta and Beans)
Minestra di Patate, Piselli e Tubettini (Potato, Pea and Pasta Soup)
Cuppa, Cuppa, Cuppa (Yogurt Cake)
I suppose I must mention a couple of downsides, too. First, the author does not use the oxford comma. I always do and never imagined its absence would bug me so much, but it really did - starting with the title, in fact. Second, the photography could have been better. Granted, pictures aren't the main attraction, but the black and white photos weren't very clear. I also would have appreciated pictures of the food.
Favorite Passages:
With Italian, you always pronounce all of the letters in the word. The only silent letter is "h"; otherwise, each and every letter gets pronounced. For example, ciao - hello and goodbye - is pronounced "chee-ah-ow." It is starting to feel that the way to succeed in speaking Italian is to chew on the words. Every syllable, every bite! p.25
The cutlets - le cotolette - were not prepared until after we had finished eating the pasta... I am learning the importance of this type of preparation. First, the food always come sot the table hot and perfectly prepared. Second, it gives you some time between courses to digest your food, drink some wine and feel as if you have eaten a lot when actually, because the portions are smaller, you have eaten less than you would sitting at an American table. p. 102
La dolce vita celebrates the fact that life is not only about a paycheck ... Life is about savoring the sunset, taking a rejuvenating nap in the middle go the day, pausing to appreciate the beauty of a rose on the side of the road, having your children's laughter fill your soul - letting those moments inspire your life. That might be more of a romantic perception than the exact truth of the situation, but it is certainly the truth I have come to witness, embrace and appreciate while living in Viterbo. p.170
For me, the "Sweet Life" is going into the kitchen, preparing food and serving it to the people I love and cherish. La Dolce Vita is found in those moments of life around a table where stories are told - old memories are relived and new memories are given life. It is where food ultimately unites us through the juxtaposition of laughter, tears, joy, sorrow, happiness, pain, and ecstasy. p. 311
Bottom line: A very enjoyable read - probably the next best thing to a trip to Viterbo.
April 13, 2014
Wow! So much more than a cookbook! This is a captivating diary of the author's stay in Italy learning the Italian language and taking an intense Italian cooking class. There are recipes, but this is not primarily a cookbook. Reading about the author's Italian experience made me feel like I'd traveled to Italy on an extended vacation.
Within the pages, you'll visit 41 churches in Italy! You'll walk around Italy at night! You'll learn how to pronounce bruschetta correctly (brew-sket-tah). You'll discover that, in Italy, it is considered high treason to have pasta not used and served immediately after being cooked.
Don't get me wrong. There are recipes and lots of useful tips like how to easily flip a frittata and how to debone a chicken while keeping it whole. Some of the recipes are Zucchini & Onion Frittata, Eggplant Meatballs, Eggplant Pizza, Fried Zucchini, Baked Tuscan Trout, Spicy Roasted Cauliflower and Spaghetti with Tuna. The recipes are not complicated. A HUGE Thank you to the author for noting recipes that can easily be made gluten-free. LOL! You'll even learn how to describe kitchen mishaps! ("Disastro")
I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever thought they'd like to visit Italy, stay with a family there and immerse yourself in simple Italian cuisine! This is a treasure trove! After you've had a glorious day laughing and learning with this book, you'll want to shout "Bellissimo!"
5 Stars!
Within the pages, you'll visit 41 churches in Italy! You'll walk around Italy at night! You'll learn how to pronounce bruschetta correctly (brew-sket-tah). You'll discover that, in Italy, it is considered high treason to have pasta not used and served immediately after being cooked.
Don't get me wrong. There are recipes and lots of useful tips like how to easily flip a frittata and how to debone a chicken while keeping it whole. Some of the recipes are Zucchini & Onion Frittata, Eggplant Meatballs, Eggplant Pizza, Fried Zucchini, Baked Tuscan Trout, Spicy Roasted Cauliflower and Spaghetti with Tuna. The recipes are not complicated. A HUGE Thank you to the author for noting recipes that can easily be made gluten-free. LOL! You'll even learn how to describe kitchen mishaps! ("Disastro")
I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever thought they'd like to visit Italy, stay with a family there and immerse yourself in simple Italian cuisine! This is a treasure trove! After you've had a glorious day laughing and learning with this book, you'll want to shout "Bellissimo!"
5 Stars!
Read
May 1, 2012loved it! took my first how to make homemade pasta with mark last month-----the class was great, the book better and my first experience making pasta-----pappardelle was fantastic!!!!!!!!
dnf
November 13, 2022The author vaguely annoyed me the whole time I was reading. I finally realized the Italian grandmother was the ONLY part of the book I cared about, so after that I just skimmed for stories about Nonna.
August 20, 2014
Beyond the Pasta is an engaging, inspiring, fun, and at times very moving, account of a month that changed not only the author's life, but also touched his host family's life. In fact, the book is dedicated to his host family in Viterbo, near Rome, who opened not just their home to the author, but their warm hearts. Mr. Leslie comes across as a respectful, serious, warm-hearted, funny, kind and sweet man, so it is no wonder that the family embraced him.
Beyond the Pasta is created from Mr. Leslie's journal, which he kept while in Italy. The book is divided by day, and includes events from that day with the family and other Italians, and his advances and setbacks in acquiring the Italian language.
His gentle humor adds to the book, as I am sure it added pleasure to his host family's month with this American in their home.
I would suggest the book be read in sections, a few "days" at a time. Then take a few days to try out those "day's" recipes. Then move on to reading a few more "days". The recipes are for Italian home-cooking specialties, and they are very clearly explained in the recipe sections at the end of each "day", and at the end of the book.
Read the full and illustrated review at Italophile Book Reviews
http://italophilebookreviews.blogspot...
Beyond the Pasta is created from Mr. Leslie's journal, which he kept while in Italy. The book is divided by day, and includes events from that day with the family and other Italians, and his advances and setbacks in acquiring the Italian language.
His gentle humor adds to the book, as I am sure it added pleasure to his host family's month with this American in their home.
I would suggest the book be read in sections, a few "days" at a time. Then take a few days to try out those "day's" recipes. Then move on to reading a few more "days". The recipes are for Italian home-cooking specialties, and they are very clearly explained in the recipe sections at the end of each "day", and at the end of the book.
Read the full and illustrated review at Italophile Book Reviews
http://italophilebookreviews.blogspot...
January 24, 2014
Fantastic!
Much more than a cookbook this is a lovely journal of life with an Italian family – a visit that has gone on to include yearly visits. A glimpse into the day to day life that a typical tourist would never see. The family embraces cooking and trips to the market become adventures to explore and share. This is a well written book that is a pleasure to read. Enjoy! NetGalley and Gemelli Press LLC provided an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Much more than a cookbook this is a lovely journal of life with an Italian family – a visit that has gone on to include yearly visits. A glimpse into the day to day life that a typical tourist would never see. The family embraces cooking and trips to the market become adventures to explore and share. This is a well written book that is a pleasure to read. Enjoy! NetGalley and Gemelli Press LLC provided an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 16, 2024
This book was recommended by a friend and I wasn't sure I would care for it
but I couldn't have been more wrong. It made me laugh and cry. Having been
to Italy, I was trying to picture the places Marco was visiting. It is an amazing
book. I'm sure I will be trying some of the recipes in the book!
but I couldn't have been more wrong. It made me laugh and cry. Having been
to Italy, I was trying to picture the places Marco was visiting. It is an amazing
book. I'm sure I will be trying some of the recipes in the book!
June 27, 2019
This was a good cookbook with good stories to go along with the recipes. The author taking a trip to Italy and learning to cook from an Italian family mostly from the grandmother or Nonna. The area in which he was learning was a little different from where my family was from, so some of the recipes were different. Yet some of the ingredients were the same. I found that to be interesting. This book also took me back to my father teaching me to cook from his grandmother’s recipes. He was the eldest son in our family it didn’t matter boy or girl the eldest was expected to help in the kitchen and he did. His love of stories and food was passed down to me and that was what this book brought back to me. The smells of the kitchen when cooking certain Italian foods is like no other, with a glass of wine while cooking and then sharing with family or friends or both is what cooking is all about. I got that from this book. The recipes were all easy to follow and overall this was a very good book. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com
October 21, 2018
What a great memoir! Complete with travel observations and recipes from an Italian Nonna. I also learned a little Italian along the way. Mark Donovan Leslie has a wonderful way with words, describing everything from daily tasks to historical sites to family gatherings to personal emotional moments. He has a wonderful sense of humor and easily laughs at himself. I will use this book in reference to future travels and cooking!
My thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this informative and highly entertaining book!
My thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this informative and highly entertaining book!
March 12, 2018
Loved it! Fun, easy to read, and I laughed along with him as he adapts to living with an Italian family for a month, in their home, by their rules. Nonna's rules to be precise.
March 6, 2013
Could this have been the start of a plot for a feature film?
Read the following from the book's publicity material with a deep "Hollywood Trailer" voice: "Several years ago, on a break between theatrical gigs in Alabama, Mark traveled to Italy and fell in love with the people, food and culture. Armed with just enough courage, minimal Italian language skills and a certain proficiency in the kitchen, he enrolled in a full-immersion cooking and language program. He would travel to Viterbo, Italy and live with an Italian family. His teachers were beyond his wildest dreams: he learned to cook from the grandmother, or Nonna, of the family, who prepared every meal in a bustling, busy household, as women in her family have done for generations. Her daughter, Alessandra, taught him the language with patience and precision."
And so it continues… but it sets the scene well in any case. Here is a book that mixes the author's memories, a bit of a cultural travelogue and a lot of recipes. Whilst the book seems interesting and has potential, it felt a bit too much of a muchness, a bit of a book whose direction was lost in part. Not quite lost in translation. You need to focus on this book a lot more than perhaps should be necessary. Maybe the design, or lack thereof, played its part even though it shouldn't.
Cutting to the chase, if you drill down to the recollections of cookery lessons you stand to gain a fair bit of useful history, background information and techniques to help shape your own Italian cuisine skills. It is, however, not a traditional "teach yourself" type of book. The recipes that accompany the book are different and not necessarily mainstream or typical - and that is a good thing - and you really get a lot more context and understanding. It is akin to sitting on the author's shoulder during his time in Italy.
Unless you have a particular affinity to Italian cuisine or to the country as a whole it is probably not going to be one of the first books you pick up, particularly with its price tag. It is not full of colourful photographs of finished dishes, Italian scenery or travel photographs. It is quite spartanly illustrated, in fact. Many things seemed to irrationally make this reviewer feel cold towards the book, yet there are many things that similarly just conspire in the background to reverse these negative feelings.
It is probably best to say that, should you have interest in it, you really need to see it, hold it and browse through it to really determine if you can gel with it. Despite this reviewer's reservations, a qualified recommendation may be given as it has a lot of potential, a lot of hidden charm and an interesting take on things. It is just so damn hard-going. In some ways it is a book you should perhaps read first on vacation or when you are lying ill in bed feeling sorry for yourself - and then use the recipes when you are back in the kitchen.
Beyond the Pasta: Recipes, Language and Life with an Italian Family, written by Mark Leslie and published by Gemelli Press. ISBN 9780982102367, 334 pages. Typical price: USD32.95. YYYY.
// This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. //
Read the following from the book's publicity material with a deep "Hollywood Trailer" voice: "Several years ago, on a break between theatrical gigs in Alabama, Mark traveled to Italy and fell in love with the people, food and culture. Armed with just enough courage, minimal Italian language skills and a certain proficiency in the kitchen, he enrolled in a full-immersion cooking and language program. He would travel to Viterbo, Italy and live with an Italian family. His teachers were beyond his wildest dreams: he learned to cook from the grandmother, or Nonna, of the family, who prepared every meal in a bustling, busy household, as women in her family have done for generations. Her daughter, Alessandra, taught him the language with patience and precision."
And so it continues… but it sets the scene well in any case. Here is a book that mixes the author's memories, a bit of a cultural travelogue and a lot of recipes. Whilst the book seems interesting and has potential, it felt a bit too much of a muchness, a bit of a book whose direction was lost in part. Not quite lost in translation. You need to focus on this book a lot more than perhaps should be necessary. Maybe the design, or lack thereof, played its part even though it shouldn't.
Cutting to the chase, if you drill down to the recollections of cookery lessons you stand to gain a fair bit of useful history, background information and techniques to help shape your own Italian cuisine skills. It is, however, not a traditional "teach yourself" type of book. The recipes that accompany the book are different and not necessarily mainstream or typical - and that is a good thing - and you really get a lot more context and understanding. It is akin to sitting on the author's shoulder during his time in Italy.
Unless you have a particular affinity to Italian cuisine or to the country as a whole it is probably not going to be one of the first books you pick up, particularly with its price tag. It is not full of colourful photographs of finished dishes, Italian scenery or travel photographs. It is quite spartanly illustrated, in fact. Many things seemed to irrationally make this reviewer feel cold towards the book, yet there are many things that similarly just conspire in the background to reverse these negative feelings.
It is probably best to say that, should you have interest in it, you really need to see it, hold it and browse through it to really determine if you can gel with it. Despite this reviewer's reservations, a qualified recommendation may be given as it has a lot of potential, a lot of hidden charm and an interesting take on things. It is just so damn hard-going. In some ways it is a book you should perhaps read first on vacation or when you are lying ill in bed feeling sorry for yourself - and then use the recipes when you are back in the kitchen.
Beyond the Pasta: Recipes, Language and Life with an Italian Family, written by Mark Leslie and published by Gemelli Press. ISBN 9780982102367, 334 pages. Typical price: USD32.95. YYYY.
// This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. //
February 8, 2017
This review originally published in Looking For a Good book. Rated 4.5 of 5
It's a shame that it took me so long to read this, and in the course of full disclosure I should say that I know Mark through our work together. So what took me so long to read it? A backlog of books to read, for one, and the fact that I have no history with Italian culture and so I was not sure that I would be able to really immerse myself in this. But this book isn't so much about a love of Italian culture or food as it is a memoir of one man's journey to his Italian heritage, learning the language and the food (which might be considered a language to the Italians) during his month-long visit, which opens him up to a number of revelations. The book is lovingly sprinkled with recipes because ... well ... Italian.
Author Mark Leslie is very open through the course of the book about a number of things - from his being a gay man, to his visitation by the spirit of an old friend while staying in Italy - and it is this openness that is most appealing and charming and what pulls the reader in. It is interesting to note, however, that in all the private matters that Mark shares with his Italian family, being gay is the one thing that he keeps to himself. He comments on this more than once through the course of the narrative and it is strange that as close as he is to his Italian family, he doesn't feel like he can share the true nature of his self with them.
But I should acknowledge that I can empathize without fully understanding. I am not in his position but I suspect I would find it difficult as well.
Leslie's opening up to the reader about a nighttime spiritual 'visitation' is one of the things that I will think about for a long time after reading this book. It is extremely personal and revealing and it is honest in a way that you won't typically find in a memoir of this sort. It is a very powerful few moments.
I haven't made any of the recipes myself (I've book-marked a few for later) but I've been fortunate enough to try a few items that Mark has made himself. Supremely satisfying!
The book really is a journey of discovery and growth and it happens in the course of a month. Mark is changed by the experience and reader will be too.
Looking for a good book? Beyond the Pasta by Mark Leslie is an extraordinary memoir of one man's journey immersing himself in a culture and language very foreign to himself and the perspective he takes away from it.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
It's a shame that it took me so long to read this, and in the course of full disclosure I should say that I know Mark through our work together. So what took me so long to read it? A backlog of books to read, for one, and the fact that I have no history with Italian culture and so I was not sure that I would be able to really immerse myself in this. But this book isn't so much about a love of Italian culture or food as it is a memoir of one man's journey to his Italian heritage, learning the language and the food (which might be considered a language to the Italians) during his month-long visit, which opens him up to a number of revelations. The book is lovingly sprinkled with recipes because ... well ... Italian.
Author Mark Leslie is very open through the course of the book about a number of things - from his being a gay man, to his visitation by the spirit of an old friend while staying in Italy - and it is this openness that is most appealing and charming and what pulls the reader in. It is interesting to note, however, that in all the private matters that Mark shares with his Italian family, being gay is the one thing that he keeps to himself. He comments on this more than once through the course of the narrative and it is strange that as close as he is to his Italian family, he doesn't feel like he can share the true nature of his self with them.
But I should acknowledge that I can empathize without fully understanding. I am not in his position but I suspect I would find it difficult as well.
Leslie's opening up to the reader about a nighttime spiritual 'visitation' is one of the things that I will think about for a long time after reading this book. It is extremely personal and revealing and it is honest in a way that you won't typically find in a memoir of this sort. It is a very powerful few moments.
I haven't made any of the recipes myself (I've book-marked a few for later) but I've been fortunate enough to try a few items that Mark has made himself. Supremely satisfying!
The book really is a journey of discovery and growth and it happens in the course of a month. Mark is changed by the experience and reader will be too.
Looking for a good book? Beyond the Pasta by Mark Leslie is an extraordinary memoir of one man's journey immersing himself in a culture and language very foreign to himself and the perspective he takes away from it.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
March 3, 2013
**A copy of Beyond the Pasta was provided to me by the publisher and NetGalley for review purposes.**
Travel and food are two of my very favorite things in the world and I find both to be excellent storytellers. That's why, any book that revolves around the Italian culture and the food that I grew up eating (my family being Italian) immediately makes its way onto my 'must read' list.
Beyond the Pasta is a personal memoir of a southern man who travels to Italy for four weeks to live and learn language and food from a true Italian family. Over the course of a month, he becomes part of their home - cooking daily meals with Nonna, learning Italian from the matriarch of the household and as a result, exploring the way of life of this different culture.
A trip such as this is one I'd adore to take myself and from the opening pages, I was jealous of Mark's bravery and ability to have such an experience. As someone who grew up surrounded by similar recipes and life lessons, I enjoyed watching the author acclimate to the Italian way of life (and good-heartedly stumble through a few moments). While I didn't enjoy the entry like style that made up the book (I know the chapters were from the author's own personal journal that was recorded during his trip - I think I would have found it more cohesive if it was adjusted slightly) I did appreciate knowing I was reading the exact feelings he had while on the trip.
Travel and food are two of my very favorite things in the world and I find both to be excellent storytellers. That's why, any book that revolves around the Italian culture and the food that I grew up eating (my family being Italian) immediately makes its way onto my 'must read' list.
Beyond the Pasta is a personal memoir of a southern man who travels to Italy for four weeks to live and learn language and food from a true Italian family. Over the course of a month, he becomes part of their home - cooking daily meals with Nonna, learning Italian from the matriarch of the household and as a result, exploring the way of life of this different culture.
A trip such as this is one I'd adore to take myself and from the opening pages, I was jealous of Mark's bravery and ability to have such an experience. As someone who grew up surrounded by similar recipes and life lessons, I enjoyed watching the author acclimate to the Italian way of life (and good-heartedly stumble through a few moments). While I didn't enjoy the entry like style that made up the book (I know the chapters were from the author's own personal journal that was recorded during his trip - I think I would have found it more cohesive if it was adjusted slightly) I did appreciate knowing I was reading the exact feelings he had while on the trip.
September 11, 2014
This was a great book, especially for someone who is in love with Italy (as I am)! Mark is a natural storyteller, one I would honestly love to hear more from! He kept me fully engaged in his adventures throughout the entire book. It was very interesting to read about the various experiences Mark had while in Italy with the Stefani family in Viterbo, from meeting the France-obsessed Jimmy to eating gelato several times a day to his mornings spent running errands with Nonna. I also loved the inclusion of authentic Italian recipes and mini glimpses into his language lessons with Alessandra. I found myself laughing out loud more than once while reading this book, and even felt like I was included in the inside jokes Mark shared with Nonna and the rest of the family during his stay (Povero Jimmy! Ha.)
I mostly read this book for the inside look at a real Italian family. My grandfather was born in Italy and lived there until he was a young adult, so I am constantly seeking to further understand Italian culture. This book definitely showed me a bit of what Italian families look like (albeit from an American perspective) and was very entertaining.
So yes...this was an excellent book! I recommend it to anyone who likes to read about traveling, Italy, different cultures in general, and/or cooking and food.
I mostly read this book for the inside look at a real Italian family. My grandfather was born in Italy and lived there until he was a young adult, so I am constantly seeking to further understand Italian culture. This book definitely showed me a bit of what Italian families look like (albeit from an American perspective) and was very entertaining.
So yes...this was an excellent book! I recommend it to anyone who likes to read about traveling, Italy, different cultures in general, and/or cooking and food.
December 15, 2014
"Beyond the Pasta" was written journal style by Leslie. I love journal styled books of all sorts, so this was a plus for me. It shared his personal journey and growth. Leslie was completely honest and open about everything. Anything he wrote down while in Italy was shared here. Thus, we got to experience things in 'real time'. If Leslie didn't know something, we didn't know it either. And of course, since it was set in Italy, "Beyond the Pasta" satisfied a small part of my ever-growing wanderlust.
As you might imagine from some of my 'pluses', they were also negatives. Because the journal was so personal and 'real time', I was frustrated by not knowing. I would have like some tighter editing, cutting out the things that pertained to just Leslie and focused more on Italy and the cooking. I would have LOVED more recipes! We got one for each chapter, but Leslie mentioned dozens more that I would love to have.
Overall, it just wasn't the book for me. I found Leslie's voice chunky and repetitive. I wanted so much more, more travel aspects, more recipes, more! Perhaps it will be the right book for others, but it wasn't for me. 1 out of 5 stars from me.
-I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
As you might imagine from some of my 'pluses', they were also negatives. Because the journal was so personal and 'real time', I was frustrated by not knowing. I would have like some tighter editing, cutting out the things that pertained to just Leslie and focused more on Italy and the cooking. I would have LOVED more recipes! We got one for each chapter, but Leslie mentioned dozens more that I would love to have.
Overall, it just wasn't the book for me. I found Leslie's voice chunky and repetitive. I wanted so much more, more travel aspects, more recipes, more! Perhaps it will be the right book for others, but it wasn't for me. 1 out of 5 stars from me.
-I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
August 8, 2017
I've read quite a few of these travel/food memoirs about Italy, and this is right up there with the best of them. The author spends a month living with an Italian family in an effort to learn the Italian language and to master some traditional recipes.
What I always enjoy most about this type of book are the moments where the author gets to know people - in this case, his host family the Stefanis - or in evocative descriptions of exploring Italian towns and countryside. There's plenty of both here, with an emphasis on the former. Watching the author embrace his "adoptive" family (and vice versa) made for a very pleasant and sometimes funny reading experience.
Naturally, each chapter ends with a recipe. I've bookmarked a number of them to return to later and try my hand at. I would gladly read more travel memoirs from this author - he says that he has not spent another month as a student but has returned to Italy on a yearly basis, so surely there is plenty of material waiting to be written.
Thanks to the publisher, Gemelli Press, for providing a review copy via NetGalley.com. I didn't notice any formatting or OCR errors, and the working recipe index at the end of the book was a convenient addition.
What I always enjoy most about this type of book are the moments where the author gets to know people - in this case, his host family the Stefanis - or in evocative descriptions of exploring Italian towns and countryside. There's plenty of both here, with an emphasis on the former. Watching the author embrace his "adoptive" family (and vice versa) made for a very pleasant and sometimes funny reading experience.
Naturally, each chapter ends with a recipe. I've bookmarked a number of them to return to later and try my hand at. I would gladly read more travel memoirs from this author - he says that he has not spent another month as a student but has returned to Italy on a yearly basis, so surely there is plenty of material waiting to be written.
Thanks to the publisher, Gemelli Press, for providing a review copy via NetGalley.com. I didn't notice any formatting or OCR errors, and the working recipe index at the end of the book was a convenient addition.
January 18, 2016
Part foodie tribute, part cookbook, part memoir- all parts come together to create a unique look at one man's experience immersing himself in Italian culture. While living with a family in Viterbo, Italy, Mark Leslie gets a hands-on education in authentic Italian cooking with Nonna, the grandmother of the family and receives daily language instruction from the mother of the family during his four week stay. This educational program goes far beyond a simple teacher-student relationship as the family welcomes Mark with much warmth. This reads like a diary, or a blog, with each day given a chapter that highlights his touristy sight-seeing and personal experiences with his host family in addition to the cooking and language lesson happenings. With each chapter concluding with a full recipe, it became fun to guess throughout each chapter which of the delicious sounding foods he was talking about would be presented in full at the end. I love the personal tone that this book takes, showing one person's perspective on immersion into the Italian culture with respect, awe and determination to experience everything to the fullest.
February 13, 2017
A lovely light read that brought me back to my visit to Tuscany.
September 10, 2015
Beyond the Pasta goes way beyond an Italian cookbook. It is impossible to not become invested in Mark Leslie’s stories. I love the charming conversational tone of this book. Mark not only shares mouth-watering recipes, but memorable stories to go along with them. I was especially moved by his description of his day in Florence, when he heard the news of the World Trade Center tragedy—a touching account of his disbelief.
I recommend this book, not only to garner fabulous Italian recipes, but to become immersed in Italy’s culture and charm. Loved this book!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the NetGalley book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The options I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
I recommend this book, not only to garner fabulous Italian recipes, but to become immersed in Italy’s culture and charm. Loved this book!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the NetGalley book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The options I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
August 19, 2015
Thanks to the publisher for a free digital copy!
When I first started reading these journal entries, I thought "Why should I care about this guy's experience in Italy?" The writing wasn't terribly impressive - not bad at all, but there's nothing lyrical about it - and there wasn't anything really remarkable about his experience. But Mark Leslie is filled with so much good-will toward his host family and their country that it was impossible to not like him immensely as I kept reading. His experiences reminded me of mine as an exchange student, and his Italian in the book is at about my level, so I felt really drawn to his mistakes and his triumphs. Plus, his opening essay on mourning with Italians as they watched September 11th unfold brought me to tears. Filled with lots of appealing recipes, this made me want to immerse myself in my Italian roots.
When I first started reading these journal entries, I thought "Why should I care about this guy's experience in Italy?" The writing wasn't terribly impressive - not bad at all, but there's nothing lyrical about it - and there wasn't anything really remarkable about his experience. But Mark Leslie is filled with so much good-will toward his host family and their country that it was impossible to not like him immensely as I kept reading. His experiences reminded me of mine as an exchange student, and his Italian in the book is at about my level, so I felt really drawn to his mistakes and his triumphs. Plus, his opening essay on mourning with Italians as they watched September 11th unfold brought me to tears. Filled with lots of appealing recipes, this made me want to immerse myself in my Italian roots.
August 19, 2016
I did enjoy this ramble into a homestay into an Italian family learning to about life and food. There are some wonderful recipes in this book, unfortunately no photos of the end results which would have added to the book. Being Italian I did find the constant translation of the conversations a little tedious, but that is a personal issue as I can read both, it was like reading the same sentence twice. I eventually worked it out and skipped one or the other. (the Italian is in italics)
The book is a lovely depiction on every day life, and how easily the author immersed himself into family life of a Italian family, who opens their home and kitchen to him. This book was provided to me in return for an honest and unbiased review
The book is a lovely depiction on every day life, and how easily the author immersed himself into family life of a Italian family, who opens their home and kitchen to him. This book was provided to me in return for an honest and unbiased review
September 13, 2014
This book was definitely my perfect slice of Italy….now the only thing that’s missing from this book…well... is me.. in Italy…oh mamma mia, disastro! I need a plane ticket to Italy now! Beyond the Pasta will leave you wanting more and more, and I highly recommend this book.
NEW for 2014 ~ 10 BONUS recipes, including gluten-free dishes, are included in this newly updated Kindle edition. Same heartfelt, award-winning story; now with ten more reasons to bring your family to the table!
My Full Review: http://myohosisters.webs.com/apps/blo...-
September 22, 2014
2 “ Italian vacation versus Italian Cookbook “ Stars
ARC provided via netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.
Honestly, I only wanted this book because I love Italian food and I just learned how to make pasta from scratch and its so yummy and easy and I thought why not figure out what else I could rock at.
This really feels like a memoir. We visit museums and churches and have some Italian lessons and learn about a family.
I wanted an Italian cookbook . This was a memoir with a few recipes.
I may change my review based on tastes of foods as I attempt them.
ARC provided via netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.
Honestly, I only wanted this book because I love Italian food and I just learned how to make pasta from scratch and its so yummy and easy and I thought why not figure out what else I could rock at.
This really feels like a memoir. We visit museums and churches and have some Italian lessons and learn about a family.
I wanted an Italian cookbook . This was a memoir with a few recipes.
I may change my review based on tastes of foods as I attempt them.
August 11, 2013
This is a great book. I read it in an afternoon and have since reread it. The author fulfills several of my dreams through this book; to visit Italy, to learn Italian and to cook with an Italian Grandmother. His writing style is smooth and conversational, his stories hilarious and the recipes OMG, they are so good. I've used many of them and found them easy to follow with great results. One really gets the feeling that they are there with him during this adventure. I highly recommend this book.
December 12, 2014
Above all (including the non-traditional recipes), the book was a fantastic memoir of cooking lessons and travel.
I thought the narrative was well written and easy to follow--I felt like I experienced a lot of the stories first hand--a nod to the author's writing abilities.
To me, this book was unique in that it was almost a memoir, journal, and cookbook all wrapped into one. The fact that the recipes went beyond the traditional carbonara, pesto and alfredo was a huge bonus.
I thought the narrative was well written and easy to follow--I felt like I experienced a lot of the stories first hand--a nod to the author's writing abilities.
To me, this book was unique in that it was almost a memoir, journal, and cookbook all wrapped into one. The fact that the recipes went beyond the traditional carbonara, pesto and alfredo was a huge bonus.
March 5, 2014
What a fantastic, heartfelt book! You really feel as if you are right there in Viterbo with Marco, Nonna and the rest of this wonderful, loving Italian family, as you are reading this book. And I personally cannot wait to try my hand at some authentic Italian cooking with recipes straight from Nonna herself that are included in each chapter! Buonissimo (is that right?)
September 19, 2015
This was a super book. The story line was good and entertaining but the recipes were even better. I have already tried "Sugo di Nonna" (real pasta sauce) and it's wonderful. I find myself referring back to this book for recipes that I remember reading and want to try. A cook's book.
November 23, 2015
A good-natured man goes to Italy and lives with a family for a month so that he can experience Italian life, but mostly to learn how to cook from the grandmother in the household. Like the food, (and yes recipes are included) this book goes down effortlessly. Light and entertaining.
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