Italy Book Tours – Cindy's Love Of Books

The Supreme Macaroni Company Format: Hardcover
Published by Harper Collins USA on November 2013
Pages: 352
Goodreads

In The Supreme Macaroni Company, Adriana Trigiani transports readers from the cobblestone streets of Greenwich Village to lush New Orleans to Italy and back again while exploring the tricky dynamics between Old World craftsmanship and New World ambition, all amid a passionate love affair that fuels one woman's determination to have it all.

For over a hundred years, the Angelini Shoe Company in Greenwich Village has relied on the leather produced by Vechiarelli & Son in Tuscany. This ancient business partnership provides the twist of fate for Valentine Roncalli, the schoolteacher turned shoemaker, to fall in love with Gianluca Vechiarelli, a tanner with a complex past . . . and a secret.

But after the wedding celebrations are over, Valentine wakes up to the hard reality of juggling the demands of a new business and the needs of her new family. Confronted with painful choices, Valentine remembers the wise words that inspired her in the early days of her beloved Angelini Shoe Company: "A person who can build a pair of shoes can do just about anything." Now the proud, passionate Valentine is going to fight for everything she wants and savor all she deserves—the bitter and the sweet of life itself.

Romantic and poignant, told with humor and warmth, and bursting with a cast of endearing characters, The Supreme Macaroni Company is a sumptuous feast of delights: an unforgettable narrative about family, work, romance, and the unexpected turns of life and fate.

I received this book for free from publisher/pr firm in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I just quickly want to thank Laura (Library of Clean Reads) and Italy Book Tours for allowing me to be a part of this tour. I actually received The Supreme Macaroni Company late last year and I never got around to reading it until now.

I first heard about The Supreme Macaroni Company last year when I was lucky enough to go to BEA and get invited to Adriana’s house for a breakfast with a few other bloggers. I was thrilled to have been invited because I am a huge fan of her books. I just have to say that Adriana is amazing both as a person (who invites complete strangers into your home? Thank you Adriana) and as an author. I was in complete aw of her before meeting her and more so after meeting her. She is completely genuine what you see is what you get. She opened her home to us and made us all feel completely welcome like we were her dear friends. I have enclosed a photo that was taken that morning.

The Supreme Macaroni Company is the third book in the Valentine trilogy (Very Valentine and Brava, Valentine).

I have read the previous books but I think you could read this as a stand alone if you haven’t read the previous two. I found there to be enough information to get you through the book. Plus for me it was a while ago that I read the previous two so I forgot alot about the books but reading this I didn’t feel like I was missing anything.

While I was reading the book I felt like I was a part of the story because Adriana can transport you right into her book world. The way she rights literally makes you feel like you there. She describes it all so perfectly.

The Supreme Macaroni Company begins almost where Brava, Valentine has left off. Gianluca (who is 54, lives and works in Italy) has just proposed to Valentine who is 36. Valentine pulls every story out of the book not to accept his proposal but Gianluca manages to convince her. You can see that he truly loves her and would give her the world.

Their engagement is short and within a few months they are married. Her family is thrilled because she is the last one to get married and its a big deal in the Italian community and family.

Now if you are expecting a day at the beach and everything is peachy then you are wrong. They go through ups and downs and that is very common in marriage. The only thing that bothered me was how Valentine and Gianluca never had any discussions before getting married about where they would live, working, family etc. If your married you know how important that is.

I don’t want to spoil the book too much if you have yet to read this and want to and its always hard when you review the second, third etc book in the series.

So all I will say is will the age difference impact their relationship? What happens when Gianluca yearns to go back to Italy? Will Valentine make the move or demand they stay in NYC?

After reading the book I wish I was in NYC.

Sheila from Book Journey, Adriana and myself

Meet the Author:

Adriana Trigiani is an award-winning playwright, television writer, and documentary filmmaker. Her books include the New York Times bestseller The Shoemaker’s Wife; the Big Stone Gap series; Very Valentine; Brava, Valentine; Lucia, Lucia; and the bestselling memoirDon’t Sing at the Table, as well as the young adult novels Viola in Reel Life and Viola in the Spotlight. She wrote the screenplay for Big Stone Gap, which she also directed. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.

Connect with Adriana here: adrianatrigiani.com
Twitter: @adrianatrigiani
Facebook: facebook.com/adrianatrigiani

Book Tour Schedule:

Aug 4 –   Suko’s Notebook – review
Aug 4 –   Ivory Owl Reviews – review
Aug 5 –   I’d Rather Be At the Beach – review
Aug 5 –   One Frugal Girl – review
Aug 6 –   Studentessa Matta – review
Aug 7 –   Cindy’s Love of Books – review
Aug 7- Savings in Seconds – review
Aug 8 –   Moonshine Art Spot – review
Aug 11 – Il Mio Tesore – review
Aug 11 – Cherry Blossoms – review
Aug 12 – PIX Me! Photography – review
Aug 12 – Lady in Read – review
Aug 13 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – review
Aug 13 – Celticlady’s Reviews – review
Aug 14 – View From the Birdhouse – review
Aug 15 – Melina’s Book Blog – review
Aug 15 – Library of Clean Reads – review

Maria Loggia’s kitchen door is always open. Her home and garden are a gathering place for friends and family, who come to share her easygoing enthusiasm and generosity – and her inspired Italian cuisine. In this, her second book, Loggia celebrates the seasons with 16 sumptuous menus – from a spontaneous al fresco garden party to a slow-simmered midwinter feast and a traditional Sunday family lunch.

Everyday Celebrations with Maria Loggia is on a spotlight tour from July 14 to 18.

Author & Chef: Maria Loggia

Category: Non-fiction

Genre: Cooking, Food & Wine, 176 pages

Publisher: Cardinal Publishing

Published: Oct 1, 2012

Amazon.ca * Cardinal Publishing * Amazon.com

Try One of the Recipes!

Petto di Pollo Farcito con Uva e Noci

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Grapes and Walnuts

Ingredienti For filling:

1 tbsp (15 ml) unsalted butter 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil 2 shallots, finely chopped ¾ cup (180 ml) walnuts, coarsely chopped ½ cup (125 ml) red seedless grapes, quartered 2 tbsp (30 ml) finely chopped fresh chives 2 tbsp (30 ml) bread crumbs Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 7 oz (200 g) soft goat cheese, cut in 6 slices

For chicken: 6 tbsp (90 ml) extra-virgin olive oil 6 bone-in chicken breasts, skin on Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 3 tbsp (45 ml) unsalted butter, softened 1 orange, cut into wedges 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, each cut in half 5 bay leaves

To serve: Freshly squeezed juice of 1 orange Preparazione Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). To prepare filling: Heat butter and oil in a large skillet and sauté shallots until soft, 1 to 2 minutes, and remove from heat. Stir in walnuts, grapes, chives and bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool slightly. Leave goat cheese aside for now. To prepare chicken: Oil a 14-inch (35 cm) round earthenware tiella or roasting pan with 2 tbsp (30 ml) of the olive oil and set aside. On a baking sheet, season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Make a lengthwise slit in each chicken breast, being careful not to cut all the way through. (This will form the pocket for the stuffing.) Rub remaining 4 tbsp (60 ml) olive oil into the chicken (including in the pockets). Divide stuffing equally among chicken breasts, stuffing it into the slit in each breast, and top with a slice of goat cheese. Pull the chicken skin over the filling and secure with toothpicks. Smear butter over the skin and season again to taste with salt and pepper. Gently transfer chicken to prepared tiella. Scatter orange wedges, rosemary and bay leaves around chicken. Roast 35 to 40 minutes, or until juices run clear when the thickest part of the breast is pierced. Then broil 2 to 3 minutes, or until skin is crisp and golden. Drizzle with orange juice and serve warm with pan juices. Serves 6

Tips from Maria:

Consigli di cucina (kitchen tips) The chicken breasts can be assembled the day before, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated. When ready to serve, bring chicken to room temperature and cook as instructed. Doing it this way allows the flavours time to meld together beautifully.

Che cos’è? (what is it?) I’m convinced food tastes better when cooked in a shallow, glazed earthenware dish known in Italian as a tiella. I find earthenware dishes distribute heat slowly and evenly as the food cooks. Aromas and flavours are intensified and casseroles never stick or dry out. To season a tiella: Before using your tiella the first time, immerse the dish in cold water to soak overnight. The next day, empty the tiella and wipe it dry. Rub the inside with olive oil and place in a preheated 300°F (150°C) oven for 1½ hours. Remove seasoned tiella from oven and place on a wooden board or thick tablecloth to cool. (If placed on a surface like granite or a cold stovetop, it will crack.) To clean a tiella, soak it in warm, soapy water, then scrub with a soft sponge.

Meet the Author

Maria Loggia is one of Montreal’s best-loved Italian cooking teachers. Her Tavola Mia cooking school in the village of Hudson is a warm, inviting place to learn about Italian cuisine. She also appears regularly on television, is featured in newspapers and magazines, and leads culinary tours in Italy.

Maria finds inspiration in her Italian heritage and draws on family recipes that go back generations. She founded Tavola Mia, her at-home cooking school in 1999. Through her study of Italy’s regional cuisines, which has included numerous sojourns back to her native country, she has acquired great expertise in the art of Italian cooking. Her passion, humor and dedication to excellence have made her an inspiring teacher. Using fresh local ingredients, Tavola Mia celebrates the seasons in authentic, irrepressible Italian style.

An Interview with Maria Loggia

Maria Loggia from Pierre Blais on Vimeo.

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