MARIANI’S

Virtual Gourmet


  January 9,  2022                                                                                            NEWSLETTER


Founded in 1996 

ARCHIVE



JEAN HARLOW

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IN THIS ISSUE
GOING HOME: THE HILL TOWN OF VASTO, ITALY
By John Mariani

NEW YORK CORNER
RUBY & BELLA'S
Greenwich, CT

By John Mariani

ANOTHER VERMEER
CHAPTER TWO
By John Mariani


NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR
SPIRITS TO WARM THE WINTER NIGHTS
By John Mariani




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On this week's episode of my WVOX Radio Show "Almost Golden," on Wed. January 12 at 11AM EST,I will be interviewing Tony Morante, author of Baseball: The New York Game. Go to: WVOX.com. The episode will also be archived at: almostgolden.






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GOING HOME TO VASTO 
 
By John Mariani




 

 

     One may not be able to live in the past but by going back to where your ancestors came from you can evoke it in ways that will stay with you forever. In the case of my family, both sides had emigrated from small Italian hill towns in the late 19th century—my father’s side from Abruzzo, my mother’s from Campania—at a time when leaving Italy was an option only after transatlantic ocean travel became possible after centuries when it would have been unimaginable.
     All of my immigrant ancestors fully realized the American Dream, but never forgot, nor freed themselves from, a longing for the places where they and their forebears had dwelled for so many centuries. When, after many years, they could afford to return, they did so and were welcomed back by family members who had stayed behind.
      Italy is freckled with such hill towns, many so high up that many inhabitants spent their entire lives there without ever traveling elsewhere. The reason for the altitude was as a defense against invaders, who in many cases captured them anyway. (It took weeks for the American Army to dislodge the Germans from Monte Cassino during World War II.)
      I have visited both towns, Vasto on the Adriatic Sea, and Laurino, tucked away in the mountains south of Naples and north of Calabria. In the 19th century both were pretty grim places, poverty stricken and losing population.
      Today, Vasto is a major tourist destination for Germans, French and Brits, who stay below the town at its marina (above). Laurino, which I shall write about at another time, is now a stable, charming dot on the map whose tranquility is a good part of its charm.
      One need not have an ancestral link to Abruzzo, for anyone traveling through the land east of Rome, with its great plain and forests, long mountain range and beaches, will find it a cultural respite from the big tourist cities, and the province has the largest percentage of parkland in Italy.
      Vasto had various names throughout history, including being called Istonio by the Fascists, then re-taking its present name in 1944, when Italians threw out the Black Shirts. Relics date back to 1300 BC and, as a seaside municipality, Vasto flourished under the Roman Empire, so that you can still see vestiges of Roman baths, a theater, mosaics and marble columns. Vasto also fell under domination by other invaders, including the Lombards and Normans, and was later part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
      Much of the town’s lay-out was done in the 15th century, but was destroyed by the Turks in 1566. Under Spanish rule, Vasto thrived and eventually became part of the Unification of Italian states.
     Its favorite son was the poet Gabriele Rossetti (left), who in political exile in 1821 fled to London. He was father to the  pre-Raphaelite  painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti and poet Christina Rossetti.
     The painting at the top of this article by an unknown artist has hung on my family’s walls for a hundred years, and when I drove along the shore and looked up, the real Vasto looked exactly the same as in the painting. The central piazza has been preserved and new buildings lie either outside the old center or below at the marina. Once dark storefronts have been made over into chic boutiques, and the pasticcerias are full of colorful Abruzzese cakes and cookies, and the churches have been scrubbed free of centuries of grime and look like new.
     There is, of course, a cathedral, the 13th century Cattedrale di San Giuseppe, which is rather somber from the outside, but its restoration reveals a light and airy Romanesque interior. The Church of Santa Maria Maggiore (left), older by a century, was damaged by the Turks in 1566 and by a fire in 1645, so what you see now is an 18th century example of  baroque style, with an impressive duomo.  Supposedly it has a piece (one of many in Italy) of the crown of thorns worn by Jesus at his crucifixion.
      Protecting the town from invaders since the 15th century is Caldoresco castle (right), perched on a promontory, though it is not open to the public.  The D'Avalos Palace, which holds the Musei Civici, is well worth entering; it, too, overlooks the Adriatic, and suffered via the Turkish invasion. Various factions compromised the building, but today it has been restored as the seat of Vasto’s
archaeological and art history. And if you look for it, you can even find a tiny honorary garden with my great uncle’s name on it—Del Guercio—for having donated funds to the town’s restoration.
    Vasto’s hotels are typical of the region and most go for well under $100 a night, including the lovely Locanda Baroni, built in the 15th century in the Old Town, whose rooms are currently $55. Many hotels and restaurants are north of the marina, including Il Corsaro, with seafood specialties including a rich seafood brodetto. In the Old Town, I like Lo Scudo, here since 1867, whose menu is solidly Abruzzese, including cavatelli with mussels, seafood risotto, brodetto alla Vastese, scapece del Vasto, fritto misto and chocolate tart with orange and pears. I have thoroughly enjoyed an all-seafood dinner at the colorful, minimally decorated Zi’Albini.
      Though all my direct relatives left Vasto a century ago, I have acquired feelings that are now indelible about the town and I am as comfortable walking its streets now as if I had once lived among my ancestors. Not all home towns survive the rigors of history, and in Italy many that have are still in shambles. But when restored, like Vasto, they re-emerge, brighter than ever, not in the shadow of a troubled history but in the promise of a future open to everyone.




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NEW YORK CORNER

RUBY & BELLA'S
265 Greenwich Avenue
Greenwich, CT
475-272-8680


By John Mariani


 

       Greenwich Avenue, the main drag through Greenwich, Connecticut, has evolved from a suburban street of local boutiques, antique stores and eateries into a stretch resplendent with international fashion chains in this fabulously affluent town—with an average annual family income of $209,000 (greater than Beverly Hills’s). Over the years the restaurant scene has gone upscale, too, and, again, chains are taking over what had been once locally owned, like Thomas Henkelmann at The Homestead Inn (just closed for a year-long renovation) and L’Éscale, whose lease is up soon.
        A few good upscale restaurants remain, including Mediterreneo and the new Macelleria Italian Steakhouse, and they are now joined by a gem of a  restaurant set within a historic building long unoccupied and now taken over as SaksWorks, an innovative concept for a club open to business people who wish a secluded state-of-the-art-equipped space in which to hold meetings, conferences and soirées on a daily or weekly basis. In Greenwich, however, the emphasis is on the restaurant, which is open to the public.
       The restaurant Ruby & Bella’s (named after owner Richard Blake's dogs) sounds more like a saloon in Deadwood, South Dakota, than an elegantly rustic dining room done with antique wood, captain’s chairs, folk pottery and seasonal flowers amidst a counterpoint of striking modern black-and-white photos by David Yarrow, soft, comfortable green velvet banquettes and carefully modulated romantic lighting. So, too, the table settings have simple white china and dish towel napkins next to fine stemware.
       The short, focused menu has a strong New England tilt and the ingredients are both first-rate and seasonal. You get the sense that supervising chef Julian Alonzo and executive chef Jason Leckey (formerly of The Cottage in Westport) worked to produce simply conceived, impeccably prepared, very handsome dishes that would impress by their savoriness without any extraneous ingredients. It’s the kind of place that prompts women guests to peruse their walk-in closets to choose a casually chic winter outfit that might include Bogner or Moncler ski jackets.
       Among the seven starters, I recommend a lustrous ahi tuna tartare with sweet avocado and white soy ($21), and the two meaty lump crabcakes with a Brussels sprout slaw and tangy Pommery mustard ($21; as a main course $40). The historic debate as to whether New England clam chowder should have a somewhat thin, milky broth or a rich, creamy one might end after a spoonful of the luscious, bacon-and-potato-rich variety at Ruby & Bella’s ($19), which would make for a splendid lunch all on its own, especially because the lily is gilded with a mini lobster roll on the side (below), and the item is graced with Old Bay Seasoning and mayo with celery, carrots and tarragon. (A more ample version is listed at $34.) By the way, when you sit down a basket of terrific Balthazar bread is set on the table.
      There are also seven main courses, appended with a special or two. Flavorful skirt steak comes not with French fries but with fried rice and the lagniappe of a quail’s egg ($29). A very generously proportioned chicken paillard with frisée lettuce, watercress and chopped cippolini onions ($26) could easily be bland were it not for the fine quality of the poultry.
      I am not a big fan of cauliflower, so I shall report that my wife and guest, who are, found a whole roasted baby cauliflower absolutely delicious. Roasted whole, this softball size vegetable takes on a caramelized surface from a dressing of tahini-pomegranate syrup and twelve types of seeds. One night the entrée special were fat, silky sea scallops with Anson Mills polenta, carrots, Brussels sprouts and bacon ($36).
      The provenance of the salmon, Faroe Island, is as good as you can get for a farmed fish (they swim in open water within large nets), though Ruby & Bella’s, served that day with spinach, spaghetti squash and chanterelle marmalade ($33), still lacked the taste and texture of true wild salmon.
     However strict your New Year’s diet, take a break and have dessert (all $12)  at Ruby & Bella’s, like the homey bread pudding with citrus,
pistachio gelato; a pot au crème with raspberry and granola (left) and an irresistible plate of Cookies and Milk with vanilla ice cream.
    
Like the rest of the menu, the wine list is short, more so than I’d expect for a restaurant of this caliber, and the labels, at least at this point, are overly familiar, though mark-ups, even on Champagne, are amazingly moderate.
    
Right now, open less than a month, Ruby & Bella’s is carefully balancing its menu and ambiance, and when this winter of our discontent allows evening light to lengthen, this is sure to be the most desirable restaurant in Greenwich and well worth a trip from the surrounding area and New York.

      

Open for lunch and dinner daily.   







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ANOTHER VERMEER

By John Mariani




CHAPTER TWO

  

         The first thing Katie did when she got back to her desk was to pick up the phone and call David Greco.
         “David? Katie.”
         “Well, well, well, Katie Cavuto, Girl Reporter—the Brenda Starr of the Bronx! How come I haven’t seen you in six months? Chasing the bad guys without me?”
         “Now how could I ever do that without a big, strong lug like you?”
         David had never been happier, especially since his retirement from the police force three years before, than on the Capone adventure he’d shared with Katie, even though they’d almost gotten killed pursuing it. 
      
At fifty-one, David regarded Katie, who was thirty-one, as something dearer to him than a colleague or kid sister he had to protect. Over the course of their work together David had fallen a little in love with Katie, who knew it and knew he knew she knew it. But it never went further than some good dinners and wine shared over the course of their four-month investigation. The last time he’d seen Katie, driving her red Fiat down the driveway of his house on the Hudson River, he felt something hollow inside, like some vital part of him had been removed. Just hearing her voice made him feel better than he had in months.
         “So’d you ever marry that lawyer guy?” he asked, wincing.
         “What, you think I’d get hitched without inviting you to the wedding?”
         “Well, I don’t know.”
         “If it happens, you’ll be the first to know,” said Katie. “But, frankly, that lawyer guy and I have taken a little break from each other.”
         David knew enough not to pursue the topic, so he changed it.
         “Tell me you’re going to pay me a visit,” he said. “I still know how to cook a few things.”
         “As a matter of fact, I am. I’ve got an idea for a story I want to bounce off you.”
         David brightened and almost burst out, “When do we start?” but said instead, “Hey, anything you want, Katie. I’m here all the time. When do you want to come up?”
         “Anything wrong with tomorrow morning?”
         “Well, let me look at my schedule. It’s pretty crowded. Let’s see, get up in the morning, have breakfast, read the paper, do some yard work . . . .”
         “Are you still tearing out that, what was it called? Giant hogweed?”
         “It’s a never-ending battle,” moaned David, referring to a grotesque, intrusive weed that was choking off his yard’s indigenous plant life.
         “How about ten then? Make me breakfast?”
         “See you then. Looking forward to it,” but before he could say “Drive carefully,” Katie had hung up. “Woman of few words,” he said to himself, smiling broadly.
         David was up early the next morning, cleaning up the mess bachelors create in the absence of women and going to the nearest town for fresh eggs, bacon, milk and bread. Then he found himself pacing while waiting for Katie to arrive, though knowing the woman was always on time. More than once he looked in the mirror.
         Katie announced her arrival with beeps on the horn of her little red Fiat, a present she bought herself after the success of the Capone story, and David had already buzzed open the gate.
         “Well, look at you!” said Katie, getting out of the car. “A little more gray hair, but I like it.”
         David wasn’t thrilled that that was the first thing she noticed, but he was all smiles and put out his arms to greet her.
         “I forgot how good you feel, Katie Cavuto,” he said, testing the waters, but she let it go and just said “Look at you” again, then, “I didn’t have breakfast and I’m starving.”
         “Walk this way, Signorina,” said David, bowing and taking her to the kitchen, where they’d spent many hours poring over documents during their investigation of the Capone case, hours David truly cherished.
         He made her the same fluffy scrambled eggs he did the first time they’d met, close to two years before, and Katie looked every bit as beautiful to him, the golden brown ponytail, the wisp of lipstick contrasting a slightly olive complexion, beautiful dark eyes and slender nose, her hips the perfect width David thought a woman should have.  He in turn was the same stocky ex-cop, maybe a few pounds heavier, but he hid that with an oversized shirt he let hang out of his jeans. He’d thought of tucking it in, but let it go.
         After breakfast, and some more catching up, David said, “So, what’s going on? We going to work together?”
         “I think so,” said Katie. (He wanted to hear “I hope so.”). “I have this great idea for a story that my editor has approved and I told him I might need your investigative skills.”
         “Who we going after this time? Colombian drug dealers?  Albanian hit men?”
         “Nothing so rough and tumble, I hope. Nice clean work this time. We’re going to find out everything we can about what promises to be the most expensive work of art ever sold.”
         “They’re selling the Sistine Chapel?” asked David, trying to appear as if he knew something about art.
         “Not quite. You ever hear of the painter Vermeer?”
         David pretended to search his memory but finally admitted, “Not really.”
         “He was a 17th century Dutch artist, like Rembrandt, and he’s considered one of the greatest who ever lived, but there are only 35 paintings of his known to exist, which makes them extremely valuable. Most are in museums, of course, so the appearance of a Vermeer in the art market is a very big deal. The last one sold was more than eighty years ago.”
         “So a new one is coming on the market?”
         “Yes, a painting said to be a lost Vermeer is going to be sold by an unknown collector, so the price is going to be astronomical.”
         David as yet couldn’t see how his cop’s expertise could be of any help in the sale of a painting, and asked, “And why would you need me on this?”
         Katie went through the same sales pitch she’d used on her editor, explaining the workings of the art world, the possibility of forgeries, and so on, then said, “I can do the research on the way the market works when something like this happens, but I need you to try to find out—or sort out—the reasons the seller is so secretive and how we might find him.”
         “Not exactly my beat,” said David, who’d spent his career putting wiseguys behind bars. There didn’t seem to be any bars in this story.
         “Oh, come on, don’t sell yourself short,” said Katie. “Doesn’t the NYPD have a unit that investigates forgeries and fraudulence in the art world, including stealing the stuff?”
         “Yeah, it falls under Fraud, unless there is an actual robbery.”
         “Well, there you go. You have the contacts, just like you did when we went after Capone’s gold. You know guys in the F.B.I. who would be useful, right?”
         David, who was not about to say no to a chance of working with Katie again, shrugged and said sheepishly, “Yeah, I guess so.”
         “Great, so are we in business?"
         David just threw up his arms and said, “How can I refuse?”—which got him a small hug.


To read previous chapters of ANOTHER VERMEER,  starting with Chapter One on Jan. 2,go to the archive.



 
John Mariani, 2016





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NOTES FROM THE SPIRITS LOCKER


SPIRITS TO WARM THE WINTER NIGHTS
By John Mariani







    Winter’s blasts are inevitable for most of the country and, aside from indoor heating and storm windows, there is nothing better to buffer one from the bitter cold than a glass of fine whiskey, with several notable new offerings that have just come into the liquor stores. Here are some of my favorites.

 

FUJI Whisky's World Blend Expression ($60) and FUJI Single Grain ($95)—These are new to the American market, and they show how fast and with such persuasiveness the Japanese have  become significant players in the global spirits market. The press release says the distillery is located  just miles from the peak of Mt. Fuji and uses the mountain's snowmelt in its production. Whatever.
     The distillery dates back to1972, using Scottish, American and Canadian whiskey-making methods.  Master Blender Jota Tanaka has 30 years’ experience and is only the second Master Blender in Japan. The brand has won its share of awards, including  the 2020 Trophy from the International Spirits Challenge; World's Best Grain & Gold at the 2020 World Whiskies Awards; and World Whiskies Awards' "World Best Grain" four times in five years.
     The World Blend Expression’s identity is evident in its balance, warmth and roundness, using three different types of grain whiskey to give complexity, and is close to Scotch. The Fuji Single Grain Whiskey is a blend of three different grain whiskeys, each distilled in three different methods: The A
merican features a heavier style with more floral notes; the Canadian type stresses fruitiness; the Scotch type more delicate, like a Highlands Scotch.

 


Nikka Whisky “Discovery” Series: Single Malt Yoichi Non-Peated
($360) and Single Malt Miyagikyo Peated ($275)—Another of the highly respected Japanese distilleries is Nikka Whisky, founded in 1934, which  has just introduced these two new entries in limited production of 20,000 bottles each, with other “editions” to follow.
      Single Malt Yoichi Non-Peated (47% alcohol) is made solely from  unpeated malts; Yoichi usually has a strong peaty flavor, while this example retains a pleasant smokiness evoking an Islay-style Scotch.  Single Malt Miyagikyo Peated (48%) takes advantage of peatiness, giving the whiskey more fruit and a long-lasting finish.  Both expressions are non-chill filtered.  

 

 

Speyburn Single Malt Scotch 10 Year Old ($35)—Quality Scotch need not be all that pricey, as Speyburn, founded in 1897, proves with its classic Speyside single malts, of which the best known are The Glenlivet and Glenfiddich. Fruitiness and the sweetness of almonds and cashews is associated with Speyside Scotches, and this lovely 10 Year Old has all that. Founder John Hopkins used water from the Granty Burn stream, unique to Speyburn. Now it is aged in American ex-bourbon and ex-Sherry oak casks that round it out and give it a lingering finish. They also make an 18 Year Old ($145).

Lost Lantern American Vatted Malt Edition No. 1 ($120)—I suppose you’d call Lost Lantern “(Shining a Light on the Independent Spirit”) a pioneer in U.S. blended single malts, which the company blends from whiskies from six different distilleries, including Balcones in Waco, TX; Copperworks in Seattle, WA; Santa Fe in Santa Fe, NM; Triple Eight in Nantucket, MA; Westward in Portland, OR; and the Virginia Distillery Co. in Lovingston, VA. The total volume is just 12 barrels, holding 3,000 bottles. Founded only in 2018 by Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonksi, the company does not own its own distillery, drawing instead from those 100 they have personally visited. Given the blend, you do get a complexity that is not identifiable as having a precedent, so this is a unique bottling.

 

Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon ($100)—Michter’s, in Springfield, KY,  makes a wide range of whiskies, experimenting with finishes and barrels, and this one is back after a three-year hiatus. It was so well received that there was a shortage.  Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson draws on the brand’s 205 acres of estate-grown grain, and the result is smooth, refined and has just enough sweetness in balance with alcohol to make it ideal for a winter’s night. I would love to sip it with roasted chestnuts, or maybe that Christmas spiced cake still under the tree.

 














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NEXT WEEK, A RECIPE FOR FETTUCCINE ALFREDO WITH NO EGGS, NO BUTTER AND NO CHEESE!

Vegan Cacio e Pepe
By Alexa Weibel

   "This speedy vegan take on cacio e pepe utilizes a classic technique: Cook the pasta just short of al dente, reserve some of the starchy pasta water to add body to the sauce, then simmer the pasta in its sauce with a splash of pasta water, stirring vigorously until the sauce is emulsified. While many dairy-free pasta recipes look to puréed, soaked cashews for their creaminess, this one cuts corners by using store-bought cashew butter. A spoonful of miso adds depth, and tangy nutritional yeast adds umami. Toasting the peppercorns boosts their flavor and softens them."NY Times Cooking




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 Any of John Mariani's books below may be ordered from amazon.com.



   The Hound in Heaven (21st Century Lion Books) is a  novella, and for anyone who loves dogs, Christmas, romance, inspiration, even the supernatural, I hope you'll find this to be a treasured  favorite. The  story concerns how, after a New England teacher, his wife and their two daughters adopt a stray puppy found in their barn in northern Maine, their lives seem full of promise. But when tragedy strikes, their wonderful dog Lazarus and the spirit of Christmas are the only things that may bring his master back from the edge of despair. 

WATCH THE VIDEO!

“What a huge surprise turn this story took! I was completely stunned! I truly enjoyed this book and its message.” – Actress Ali MacGraw

“He had me at Page One. The amount of heart, human insight, soul searching, and deft literary strength that John Mariani pours into this airtight novella is vertigo-inducing. Perhaps ‘wow’ would be the best comment.” – James Dalessandro, author of Bohemian Heart and 1906.


“John Mariani’s Hound in Heaven starts with a well-painted portrayal of an American family, along with the requisite dog. A surprise event flips the action of the novel and captures us for a voyage leading to a hopeful and heart-warming message. A page turning, one sitting read, it’s the perfect antidote for the winter and promotion of holiday celebration.” – Ann Pearlman, author of The Christmas Cookie Club and A Gift for my Sister.

“John Mariani’s concise, achingly beautiful novella pulls a literary rabbit out of a hat – a mash-up of the cosmic and the intimate, the tragic and the heart-warming – a Christmas tale for all ages, and all faiths. Read it to your children, read it to yourself… but read it. Early and often. Highly recommended.” – Jay Bonansinga, New York Times bestselling author of Pinkerton’s War, The Sinking of The Eastland, and The Walking Dead: The Road To Woodbury.

“Amazing things happen when you open your heart to an animal. The Hound in Heaven delivers a powerful story of healing that is forged in the spiritual relationship between a man and his best friend. The book brings a message of hope that can enrich our images of family, love, and loss.” – Dr. Barbara Royal, author of The Royal Treatment.




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The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink by John F. Mariani (Bloomsbury USA, $35)

Modesty forbids me to praise my own new book, but let me proudly say that it is an extensive revision of the 4th edition that appeared more than a decade ago, before locavores, molecular cuisine, modernist cuisine, the Food Network and so much more, now included. Word origins have been completely updated, as have per capita consumption and production stats. Most important, for the first time since publication in the 1980s, the book includes more than 100 biographies of Americans who have changed the way we cook, eat and drink -- from Fannie Farmer and Julia Child to Robert Mondavi and Thomas Keller.


"This book is amazing! It has entries for everything from `abalone' to `zwieback,' plus more than 500 recipes for classic American dishes and drinks."--Devra First, The Boston Globe.

"Much needed in any kitchen library."--Bon Appetit.




Now in Paperback, too--How Italian Food Conquered the World (Palgrave Macmillan)  has won top prize  from the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.  It is a rollicking history of the food culture of Italy and its ravenous embrace in the 21st century by the entire world. From ancient Rome to la dolce vita of post-war Italy, from Italian immigrant cooks to celebrity chefs, from pizzerias to high-class ristoranti, this chronicle of a culinary diaspora is as much about the world's changing tastes, prejudices,  and dietary fads as about our obsessions with culinary fashion and style.--John Mariani

"Eating Italian will never be the same after reading John Mariani's entertaining and savory gastronomical history of the cuisine of Italy and how it won over appetites worldwide. . . . This book is such a tasteful narrative that it will literally make you hungry for Italian food and arouse your appetite for gastronomical history."--Don Oldenburg, USA Today. 

"Italian restaurants--some good, some glitzy--far outnumber their French rivals.  Many of these establishments are zestfully described in How Italian Food Conquered the World, an entertaining and fact-filled chronicle by food-and-wine correspondent John F. Mariani."--Aram Bakshian Jr., Wall Street Journal.


"Mariani admirably dishes out the story of Italy’s remarkable global ascent to virtual culinary hegemony....Like a chef gladly divulging a cherished family recipe, Mariani’s book reveals the secret sauce about how Italy’s cuisine put gusto in gusto!"--David Lincoln Ross, thedailybeast.com

"Equal parts history, sociology, gastronomy, and just plain fun, How Italian Food Conquered the World tells the captivating and delicious story of the (let's face it) everybody's favorite cuisine with clarity, verve and more than one surprise."--Colman Andrews, editorial director of The Daily Meal.com.

"A fantastic and fascinating read, covering everything from the influence of Venice's spice trade to the impact of Italian immigrants in America and the evolution of alta cucina. This book will serve as a terrific resource to anyone interested in the real story of Italian food."--Mary Ann Esposito, host of PBS-TV's Ciao Italia.

"John Mariani has written the definitive history of how Italians won their way into our hearts, minds, and stomachs.  It's a story of pleasure over pomp and taste over technique."--Danny Meyer, owner of NYC restaurants Union Square Cafe,  The Modern, and Maialino.

                                                                             






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FEATURED LINKS: I am happy to  report that the Virtual Gourmet is  linked to four excellent travel sites:

Everett Potter's Travel  Report

I consider this the best and savviest blog of its kind on the  web. Potter is a columnist for USA Weekend, Diversion, Laptop and Luxury  Spa Finder, a contributing editor for Ski and  a frequent contributor to National  Geographic Traveler, ForbesTraveler.com  and Elle Decor. "I’ve designed this site is for people who take their  travel seriously," says Potter. "For travelers who want to learn about special  places but don’t necessarily want to pay through the nose for the privilege of  staying there. Because at the end of the day, it’s not so much about five-star  places as five-star experiences." 






Eating Las Vegas JOHN CURTAS has been covering the Las Vegas food and restaurant scene since 1995. He is the co-author of EATING LAS VEGAS – The 50 Essential Restaurants (as well as the author of the Eating Las Vegas web site: www.eatinglasvegas. He can also be seen every Friday morning as the “resident foodie” for Wake Up With the Wagners on KSNV TV (NBC) Channel 3  in Las Vegas.




              



MARIANI'S VIRTUAL GOURMET NEWSLETTER is published weekly.  Publisher: John Mariani. Editor: Walter Bagley. Contributing Writers: Christopher Mariani,  Misha Mariani, John A. Curtas, Gerry Dawes, Geoff Kalish. Contributing Photographer: Galina Dargery. Technical Advisor: Gerry McLoughlin.

 

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