Excerpt from 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go and **Four Giveaways**
Posted on: May 10, 2010
Susan Van Allen, author of 100 Places In Italy Every Woman Should Go, writes that taking a cooking class in Italy is like getting a backstage pass to the country’s soul. Here’s an excerpt from the book, where she tells the story of her cooking vacation in Calabria, with Tropea-based In Italy Tours:
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Marianna Giuditta reminds me of mothers I grew up around in my New Jersey neighborhood. It makes sense, since so many of them were descendants of folks from Calabria, this region in the toe of Italy’s boot. Marianna even moves around the kitchen like they did—a tigress going in for the kill.
“The pig is the meat of Calabria,” she tells me, hacking away at a chunk of pork and tossing big fatty pieces of it into a pot to start off her sugo Calabrese.
Cooking by Marianna’s side is taking the straight shot into the rustic, generous spirit of the region.
Her classroom is a hilltop cottage, what around here is called a casetta. It’s surrounded by lemon and fig trees, a chicken coop, tiny gardens where Tropea’s famous red onions, herbs, chard, fava beans, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, and melons grow.
There’s an outdoor woodburning stove. It’s a typical Calabrese set-up: a slapped-together country getaway townies build to have a place to grow their own food and cook great fresh meals.
Marianna’s evening class is a whirlwind of picking vegetables from the garden and then working on a huge outside table, doing everything from chopping onions to making meatballs that go into pasta al forno. Her husband Franco pours prosecco and adds fresh-picked strawberries to our glasses.
We nibble on pecorino paired with the garden’s fava beans—a divine combo.
While the tomato sauce bubbles along, Marianna teaches me how to make fileja, Calabria’s signature pasta. It looks a little like what back in Jersey was called cavatelli, pronounced gava-deels by those moms of my past.
The sunset turns the sky pink and orange. It’s dark out by the time class is finished. Loads of stars. We dine outside by candlelight, and when Marianna breaks out the limoncello, we realize it’s two in the morning.
The Cooking in Tropea school is the creation of Tania Pascuzzi, an Australian-Italian whose parents were born in Calabria and then emigrated to Melbourne. Tania, who grew up around delicious Calabrian food, came to live in Tropea after fourteen years of high-pressure work as a New York stylist. She’s a sophisticated woman in her forties, the type who looks chic even when she’s wearing faded jeans.
The cooking program includes a food tour of Tropea, where with Tania by my side, everyone treats me like I’m part of la famiglia. This is hot red pepper territory. They’re dried and tied up in garlands all over the place. They’re minced up and made into n’duja, a spread that sizzles on the tongue or has me choking and gasping, depending on intensity.
And now for the giveaways!
Susan’s publisher, Travelers’ Tales has offered My Bella Vita readers, Facebook Fans and newsletter subscribers four Italian titles to help them prepare for their vacations to Italy.
Here are the details:
- Leave a comment on **THIS** post between today, Monday May 10 and Thursday, May 20 at 5:00 PM Italy time for a chance to win a copy of Susan’s book, 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go.
- Retweet, repost on Facebook or otherwise show social networking love to this post by Thursday, May 20 at 5:00 PM Italy time and tell me you did so either in the comments, via Facebook or Twitter and you’ll be entered into a separate drawing for Travelers’ Tales Tuscany: True Stories.
- 30 Days in Italy: True Stories of Escape to the Good Life and Travelers’ Tales Italy: True Stories of Life on the Road will each be given away to fans and subscribers. One book will go to a random Facebook Fan and the other to a random newsletter subscriber. If you aren’t a fan or a newsletter subscriber, you should quietly take care of that here and here before next Thursday, May 20.
Books will be shipped anywhere in the world, so get going and in bocca al lupo!
Traveling to southern Italy? Click here to see how I can help you plan your trip to Calabria or southern Italy.
Photo: Agnese Sanvito and Tania Pascuzzi
Great excerpt! Now I’m dreaming about a cooking vacation in Italy… Sounds fabulous!
I know, right?
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Mamma mia! I’d love any of these prizes. And I’ve Twittered you too…
Grazie!
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What a great post! Susan’s book has been at the top of my reading list for a while- and after this excerpt I can’t wait to read it!
Thanks, Vanessa. In bocca al lupo!
.-= Vanessa ´s last blog ..SNL Revival =-.
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*Someone reported an issue when she tried to comment. If you have a problem, email me at cherrye.moore (at) gmail.com and I’ll post your comment for you. *
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Wow an amazing giveaway.. just in time for planning our next trip to Italy
Perfetto.
.-= anne´s last blog ..Back home now….and a Postcard Post…. =-.
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I can’t cook, so I hope I win a copy.
Great post as always Cherrye.
In bocca al lupo!
.-= travelingsuep´s last blog ..The Lost Girls – a new travel memoir =-.
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I’d love any of these prizes. And I’ve Twittered you too. Thanks for the opportunity. Have a great day!
Thank you, Beth.
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OMG, cooking in Italy…what a dream come true!
Definitely.
.-= Andi´s last blog ..imgp2629 =-.
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What a wonderful idea! I have Susan Van Allen’s outstanding book, which I reviewed, but haven’t read the other titles you’re offering yet.
I’ve been traveling to Italy for 35 years, but will take Susan’s book with me on my next trip—it’s full of new experiences, many golden moments for me!
I just got the book, as well. I’m looking forward to going through it as I travel.
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So excited to see this post after I ordered a copy of her book this morning for a friend’s birthday present. I’d love a copy too. I’ve just been accepted for dual citizenship (after working on it for over 4 years), so I’m proud to say I’ll be registered in Calabria, home of all 4 grandparents.
Auguri, auguri, auguri!
.-= Lenora´s last blog ..Italy for the Gourmet Traveler =-.
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My flight for Rome leaves on June 17th, not that I’m counting down the days or anything. Haven’t made flight plans for Sicily yet, but will work on it next.
I was wondering about your trip to southern Italy. Glad to see it is still a go!
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Great giveaway! Your site is always so informative and enjoyable to read.
Haven’t been to Calabria since I was 18 but my husband and I were just discussing that it would be wonderful to take a trip down there. I still have family near Cosenza.
Yes! You must come. I *heart* Cosenza!
.-= Loulou´s last blog ..Shurpa Lagman =-.
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Hi Cherrye
Been meaning to email you as we have decided on Calabria for our summer holidays. Naples has treated us really well in the last 6 months. So I will have a good look at your site for things to do on our holidays.
Tropea is great, beautiful spot. I wanted to go back and now I have an excuse.
Cheers
Michelle
Yea! When are you heading our way?
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Hey Cherrye!
The school and the book sound fantastic! Calabria is *so* on my list of want-to-see spots.
Hope you make it here oson, Valerie!
.-= Valerie´s last blog ..La Cucina Rustica =-.
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[...] Excerpt from 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go [...]
[...] the meantime, be sure to enter the drawing for four Italy travel books to be given away next [...]
I love tropea onions! I can’t wait till they come in at the Calabrian store on Via dei Serpenti in Rome each year.
Elizabeth
http://www.elizabethminchilli.com
Yum! I just bought some on the side of the road a few days ago. They were FABULOUS!
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I am going to Italy for the first time this fall. I am going for a month and hope to follow the food. As a foodie and loving to cook — I am looking for a similar cooking experience. Would love to get more details!
Just wait. I have an interview with the owner coming up on Friday.
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I love to cook. A cooking “vacation” sounds like a great idea.
Definitely!
.-= nyc/caribbean ragazza´s last blog ..You’ve Got Mail! Girl Scouts Samoas Cookies =-.
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Fun! I would love a cooking vacation…only, um, can someone else do the cooking?
Ha, yea, every day here is a cooking vacation, Michelle, what do you mean?
.-= Michelle | Bleeding Espresso´s last blog ..Cavolfiori al Forno – Baked Cauliflower =-.
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These books are all on my wishlist!!!
Oooh, in bocca al lupo!
.-= Skinny Sushi´s last blog ..Why I Failed… =-.
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And I retweeted and shared on Facebook!
Thank ya, SS.
.-= Skinny Sushi´s last blog ..Why I Failed… =-.
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Oh, I dream of seeing Italy! Alas, with a two year old in the mix it doesn’t seem like an option for me, yet. I’ll visit vicariously through the book!
.-= Jenilyn´s last blog ..Posing My First Challenge =-.
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This book sounds great! A cooking vacation would be so fun.
Maybe we can do one next time you are here!
.-= andrea´s last blog ..Chicago, Chicago =-.
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Cooking and Italy – what’s not to love? I would love me a copy of this gem
Amen!
.-= My Melange´s last blog ..France Travel Series : The Nice Side of Cemeteries =-.
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This was a particularly enjoyable entry. My mouth was drooling and my heart was aching with homesickness, even though Calabria itself is not my home … it’s just that the way you describe it makes me think of my nonna and her home and the way she lived. Thanks for the little tear you brought to my eye.
So glad you enjoyed it. Susan is a fabulous writer!
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I FB’d & twittered, too! …
Thank you so much!
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darn…..missed the deadline…….
I have another contest coming up next week. Get ready, Carol!
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Thanks Cherrye. I’m so excited that I won a copy of 100 Place in Italy Every Woman Should Go! Thanks for having the contest.
Prego … and auguri!
.-= Lenora´s last blog ..Italy for the Gourmet Traveler =-.
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Congratulations Lenora! For the win and the citizenship!
And thanks to all of you for commenting! I’m sending you a bunch of red onions–in that FB kind of way, if you know what I mean…
Thanks again, Susan!
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