THIS WEEK
BARBARIANS INSIDE THE GATE:
HOW TOURISM IS RUINING ITALY By John Mariani NEW YORK CORNER
GABRIEL KREUTHER
By Geoff Kalish
GOING AFTER HARRY LIME
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
By John Mariani
NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR
BIG BOLD REDS By John Mariani
❖❖❖
BARBARIANS
INSIDE THE GATE:
HOW TOURISM IS RUINING ITALY By John
Mariani
Trevi Fountain, Rome
In Thailand the government has
closed beaches where tourists have caused
the destruction of the ecology and coral. In
Venice they have banned leviathan-size
cruise ships from docking. But in Rome they
can’t even manage to pick up the garbage. After
a decline during Covid, the
number of international tourist arrivals in
Italy as of May of this year grew by 15
percent compared with the previous
year—about 7.7 million, a million more than
last year; about 68 million visitors are
expected this year. Overwhelmingly these
tourists are engorging Italy’s main
attractions, with ferries bringing tens of
thousands every day to Capri and caravans of
buses to trip over the ruins of Pompeii.
Even George Clooney and his family have put
up for sale their villa on Lake Como because
of the intrusions by tourists. Throngs line
up to take silly photos posed against the
backdrop of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The
once charming town of Amalfi is now little
more than a piazza dominated by cafés and
pizzerias with a single uphill street lined
with souvenir shops selling bottles of
limoncello and t-shirts. Even places once considered of
secondary interest to tourists, like Milan,
Genoa, Bari, Sorrento and Verona, have become
overwhelmed. Also very wealthy: Tourism is
Italy’s largest industry; manufacturing is
second. Nowhere is it worse than in Rome, where
it can take hours to get into the Vatican
Museum (right); reservations several
days in advance to get very pricey tickets to
the Villa Borghese; and the crush at the Trevi
Fountain makes getting through the crowd a
gauntlet of pushing and shoving. The streets
are dirty, graffiti is scrawled everywhere on
ancient buildings, the buses and trams are
unwashed, and the subways are rudimentary.I
asked a hotel concierge which number bus to
take for a destination, and he said, “I don’t
know. I haven’t taken a bus in twenty years.” To be sure, Italy is not alone in
having such boom time woes. International
tourism is up everywhere, and Paris, London,
Barcelona and even Reykjavik are enjoying
record numbers. One of many post-Covid
reasons for the onslaught is warmer— much warmer
—temperatures
earlier and later in the year, thereby
extending the tourism season by at least two
months. In already warmer climates like Italy
and Greece off-season barely exists any
longer, with people traveling year round.
Concomitant with such weather are soaring,
searing temperatures that cause stifling heat
waves in summer. Even those Italians who head
for the beaches of Sicily in summer have found
the heat unbearable. And air-conditioning is a
very rare amenity. Italy has been far
too successful in attracting people from all
over the world, as much for its widely diverse
natural beauty as well as for countless
cultural achievements that date back to the
Roman Empire. The appeal is as much to Asians
as Europeans and Americans, and there will be
as many Chinese and South Koreans on line to
get into Florence’s Uffizi museum or Rome’s
Sistine Chapel as Americans these days. As someone who has traveled to Italy
dozens of times over fifty years, the
experience has begun to be more of a slog than
a restorative pleasure. Where once I could sit
on the Spanish Steps with a cup of gelato,
thinking of that idyllic moment when Audrey
Hepburn and Gregory Peck did the same in the
1953 movie “Roman Holiday,” sitting on the Steps
is now banned—and well policed —owing to
incessant damage done to the monument by
tourists. There is, though, an irony about the
tourist invasion that has managed to keep
Italy’s food and wine culture alive and well.
The fact is that many tourists arrive in a
place like Capri or Venice in the morning and
leave in the late afternoon, which is a boon
only to the souvenir shops and pizzeria
owners. Which means that the visitors don’t
sit down midday for a fine lunch or stay
through dinner, allowing those of us who do,
including the Italians themselves, to relax
over a plate of pasta and glass of wine. Nowhere, on a trip to Rome this month,
was this more evident than at Al Moro (below),
a restaurant dating back to the 1920s and once
favored by Federico Fellini and his movie
crowd. It is still very popular, and the food
is excellent—their specials like fettuccine
alla
Moro—were perfected decades ago. You may
still need a reservation at dinner, but at
lunch my wife and I found it nearly empty at
one o’clock. Yet, just around the corner the
bustling, crushing, cacophonous crowds at the
Trevi Fountain made getting to the restaurant
difficult. These tourists don’t eat at
restaurants like Al Moro (below);
they eat pizza or an Italian sandwich if they
have time at all. Over
two weeks eating around Italy, from Rome to
Sorrento, I dined as splendidly as I ever
have. The food, from the glistening fresh
seafood displayed on a table inside the
entrance to the abundance of autumn’s funghi
porcini (below) lavished on
pastas and risottos, showed no drop in quality
or attempt to cater to a tourist crowd. What’s
more, prices have not budged from what they
were pre-Covid. A very generous plate of rigatoni
alla carbonara or tagliolini
cacio e pepe might cost 12€ to 14€ in a
trattoria and 16€ to 20€ at a more upscale
ristorante. A carafe of good house wine may be
12€, and wine lists have plenty of bottles
under 30€. And along with this seeming
largess you get starched tablecloths, soft
lighting, comfortable, un-cramped seating and
a wholly civilized noise level. And service is
included, so there’s no need to tip. Thus, while I’ve grown weary of
battling the crowds on the streets of Italy, I
am never happier than when I go through the
door of a restaurant—one I know or one that’s
new—to sit down, relax and get away from the
maddening crowd beyond. The grandeur
that was Rome is still there, but it takes
longer and longer to get to see it. But time
still stands still in front of a bowl of spaghetti
all’amatriciana.
❖❖❖
NEW YORK CORNER
GABRIEL KREUTHER
41 West 42nd
Street
212-257-5826
By Geoff Kalish
Note: Since my daughter-in-law
works at Gabriel Kreuther,
I asked my colleague Geoff Kalish to review this
restaurant.—John Mariani
In celebration of my wife’s birthday,
we recently had dinner at New York City’s
Michelin two-star Gabriel Kreuther restaurant.
Situated across from the New York Public
Library and just outside the border of
Manhattan’s Times Square, this establishment
is a far cry from most pre- or post-Broadway
theater dining spots. Opened
in 1995, it is named for its chef/co-owner,
who has previously held head chef positions at
some of New York’s top eateries, including
Jean-Georges and The Modern at MOMA, and he
has won multiple awards (including the James
Beard award as Best NY Chef in 2009). The restaurant serves first class
seasonal fare with a nod towards French-Alsatian
cuisine in an exquisite, rather serene, yet
simple space of modernity in shades of gray and
beige with exposed wooden beams, featuring
booths as well as widely spaced, free standing
tables—all with fine signature china, excellent
glassware and good silver. Also, upon entering
the restaurant, we were struck by the fact that
people were speaking in hushed voices
(unfortunately all too rare for most New York
City dining establishments). As to the seasonally changing food
choices, there are three-course ($155) and
four-course ($165) menus with 4-5 choices in
each course as well as a chef’s tasting menus at
$165 (three courses), (195 (four) and $265
(tasting men), in addition to a “to share”
section including items such as caviar—Kaluga
($270 for 50 grams) and Oestra ($300), both
served with nori
gateaux and buttermilk éspume—a
hen-of-the-woods tarte flambée ($34) and truffled country pâté ($34). And, after some explanation of a
number of items on the different menus from a
very patient, professional server, we chose the
four-course menu and, rather than go with the
wine pairing, we chose a bottle of 2014
Château de Sales Bordeaux from Pomerol ($125),
with flavors of ripe plum and cherry and a
smooth finish with hints of herbs, that made a
great match for the food served. The parade of artistically presented,
flavorful fare began with an amuse
bouche of two small mushroom-flavored
puffs, a jellied square that had the taste of
Alsatian Riesling, and a few other portions of
delectable tidbits, each tasting of the French
countryside. For first courses we selected a
moist aged yellowtail kingfish crudo,
its natural buttery flavor enhanced by a citrusy
marinade and pickled tomatillos, as well as a
generous portion of fois gras terrine served
with pickled jackfruit, Riesling gelée with notes of tropical fruit and a
slice of slightly sweet, nutty-tasting bread,
made in-house from emmer wheat. For
one mid-course item we enjoyed a memorable
sturgeon and sauerkraut tart topped with
imperial Kaluga that had a combination of
smokey, tangy, sweet and salty flavors
reminiscent of those previously encountered at
restaurants in Alsace; the other consisted of a
generous portion of four-cheese agnolotti
accompanied by a heady red pepper-olive relish
and a sweet Sungold tomato coulis.
From a selection of five main courses we opted
for an order of hay-smoked, two-week-aged duck
breast, two thick cuts of rosy, moist duck
served with a portion of scallion-cheddar
cornbread,
and a slice of medium-rare free-range roasted
lamb loin from Thomas Farm in Australia, served
alongside sweet tri-color carrots and a portion
of spicy merguez sausage.
We concluded with
pastry chef Priscilla Scaff Mariani's coconut
and pineapple panna cotta served with dollops of
frozen mint marshmallow, and a derby-shaped
portion of milk ice cream encrusted with
chocolate. And, of course, they served my wife a
special over-the-top celebration dessert of a
white chocolate cake with a
pistachio-caramel-rice crust. All in all we thought that the meal was
comparable to those we’d only experienced in
Alsace at the Haeberlin’s outstanding Auberge de
L’ill in Illhaeusern and definitely worth a
visit when in New York. And we are already
planning to return, without even a special
occasion to celebrate.
Open for Lunch
Mon.-Fri.; dinner Tues.-Sat.
Dr. Geoff Kalish is
a food and wine writer who lives in Mt. Kisco, NY
❖❖❖
GOING AFTER
HARRY LIME
By John
Mariani
To read previous
chapters of GOING AFTER HARRY LIME go
to thearchive
CHAPTER
FORTY-FOUR
Katie
and David saw no benefit in telling Toth
anything else, since it appeared his plan was to
keep them from ever leaving that room. David
said, “It was simpler than that. I just checked
the military archives and your name turned up in
both the American and British records.” “But how did you then make the connection
of Neame with me?” David was not about to say anything about
Kim Philby so he said only, “MI6 had more info on
you than you probably realize.” Toth sniffed, “I doubt it. Otherwise they
would have come after me a long time ago. Of
course, I did have my Russian benefactors who kept
the British off my trail after I left Vienna. I’m
assuming you put two and two together at some
point, but it really doesn’t matter. The fact that
you are here and know what you know means that I’m
not going to let you go back and write one of your
award-winning stories about me, Miss Cavuto. I’m
afraid your investigation has come to nothing.” “So what now?” asked David. “You gonna just
shoot us and toss our bodies in the lake? Maybe
feed us to the wolves?” “Oh, the lake is much too shallow and there
haven’t been wolves in these forests for decades.
It should be of no concern to you once you are
dead. And I have devised a method of your dying
with relatively little or no pain. My company has
developed a drug that shows real promise in
slowing the progress of Alzheimer’s Disease. We’ve
been doing clinical trials on animals for quite
some time, but we’re not there yet. We haven’t
found the right levels or mix with other drugs
that counteract the side effects.” Katie’s
eyes
were wide, her frame shaking. David was squinting
at the three men in front of him, trying to figure
out how to buy time. He said, “I’m afraid to ask,
but what might those side effects be?” “Mainly, if too much is administered in too
short a time, the brain begins to shut down and
the synapses stop firing, and, well, it’s all very
technical, but let’s just say, you will cease to
be you. Not quite the way I ceased being Harold
Neame, but you will cease to be. You won’t feel
very much. More like going to sleep, losing your
bearings over an hour or so. “The good thing is that, if such effects
take hold in a controlled experiment, we’ve found
they can be easily counteracted within the first
fifteen minutes by a simple injection ofa compound called
acetylcholine, preventing memory loss. Good for
metabolism, too. They are also widely used
in the food industry, where it’s called, simply,
vinegar. One injection and it stops the drug from
overpowering the brain’s natural metabolism.” “Why the hell don’t you just shoot us?”
growled David. Toth scoffed at the suggestion. “I’m not
one of your Mafiosi, Detective Greco. Plus, I’ve
never been able to experiment with the drug on
human beings, so I hope to learn something that
can be applied to making it fit for humans in the
future.” “You’re deranged, Toth,” said David.
“Probably always have been, and now you’re trying
to make us believe your murdering us is some kind
of medical experiment, like the Nazis did. What a
delusional piece of crap you are.” David thought that might get him slapped
but Toth just shook his head, as if to suggest he
was not a thug like his henchmen. The cuffs made it
impossible for David to reach out and calm Katie’s
shaking but he kept nodding at her and saying,
“It’ll be O.K, it’ll work out fine,” not believing
a word he said. If only he could somehow disarm
one of the thugs and turn the gun on the other,
but that was not going to happen. “Tell me something, Toth,” said David. “I’m
sure you know that speech Harry Lime gives in the
Ferris wheel car when he asked Holley Martins if
he gave a damn if any of those people below died
because of Lime’s activities. I take it that
pretty much sums you up.” Toth collapsed back onto the couch and
laughed. “That was a brilliant little piece of
dialog, wasn’t it. Greene certainly had a way with
words.” “Actually, Orson Welles wrote those lines,”
said David. “Really? I had no idea. In any case, maybe
I did feel that way back then. I had seen so much
evil during the war, so much killing and bombing
of civilians by the Allies. Dresden just went up
in flames like a bonfire. More than a hundred
thousand people wiped out at Hiroshima and almost
as many at Nagasaki. Did you know that even the great Churchill allowed
Coventry to be bombed by the Germans so that they
wouldn’t find out the Brits had broken their
Enigma Code?” Katie finally piped up, “For what it’s
worth, that story’s been totally debunked.” “Maybe so, maybe not. Official histories
aren’t very reliable.” Toth’s face darkened. “By
then I’d seen so much of death, so many people
sacrificed on both sides for the almighty ‘cause.’
I was there when the Allies stumbled into
Auschwitz—Der Führer’s so-called ‘Jewish
solution.’However
horrible to see, I’d been so numbed by then that I
saw the camps as just one more insidious form of
mass madness that had gripped the entire world. “In any case, those experiences soured me,
and when it appeared I could make a little money
on the black market selling both real and fake
penicillin, I managed to distance myself from the
effects of the latter.I didn’t
always know which was which, and I never believed
the fake stuff did any harm to anyone. I don’t
think I was as cynical as Lime, but perhaps I
thought the world was turned upside down and I was
scrambling to keep my balance in it. You know,
Graham Greene once wrote, ‘We'd forgive most
things if we knew the facts.’” “And the Russians were complicit in your
activities and helped you escape the Allied
military police?” asked Katie. “I’ve already said more than I should.”
Then, looking at his watch, he said, “Anyway it’s
getting late, and I’d rather have this business
behind me.” Toth motioned to his men, who rolled
up David and Katie’s sleeves, tying a rubber tube
tightly around their arms. Katie struggled and
screamed at her captors, while David flexed his
arm muscles, causing Toth to say nonchalantly,
“Relax, Mr. Greco, it will hurt more if you flex
your muscles.” Toth went to the refrigerator and brought
out two glass vials and two syringes. Katie was
screaming, shaking her head violently. Toth
extracted the drug from the vials, shot a little
from each syringe into the air and said, “Now, who
would like to go first? Mr. Greco? Or ladies
first?” David told Toth to go fuck himself. Toth
said, “Ah, you make me wish I were using a dirty
needle,” then told his henchmen to hold David
steady. “Relax, relax, relax. I haven’t given
anyone an injection in a long while, so I don’t
want to hit a nerve.” The thugs were holding David down with his
head tilted and his stomach over the back of the
sofa. One of them had him by the neck, the other
with his knee against David’s spine. Toth inserted
the needle into David’s vein, and, like a
pediatrician speaking to a frightened child, said,
“All done. I don’t think I need to wipe it with
alcohol. You won’t have time to develop an
infection.” The henchmen let David up from the sofa and
shoved him back down on a chair.Katie
was watching intently for any signs of the drug
taking hold. “It will be very gradual,” said Toth, who
was now taking notes on a pad. “And, I assure you,
it will all be painless. Just drifting off to
sleep really. And now, Miss Cavuto, if you would
stop struggling, please. I don’t want my men to
have to hold you down.” The men did hold
Katie in her chair, and somehow she had managed to
calm herself down and catch her breath. Toth came
over to her with the syringe and lifted her bicep.
Fifty years ago, when the wines of
California stirred worldwide interest for their
sun-rich body and big flavors, many of the
state’s vintners made their overnight reputation
on the basis of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, with
alcohol levels above 14.5% alcohol, in contrast
to Bordeaux models that were almost always
blends of varietals in addition to Cabernet
Sauvignon and with alcohol levels that rarely
topped 14%. The California style could be
impressive—very fruit forward, massive tannins
and alcohol that after one glass could fatigue
the palate. Over time many of California’s red wines
remained big and bold but, led by the so-called
Meritage Society members, blending Cabernets with
Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot
has become commonplace and has made for far better
balanced wines. Still, there is a large audience
for muscular reds, which in some cases, like
Italy’s Amarone dell Valpolicella, had always
aimed for massive body and high alcohol, though
modern-day Amarones have toned down.
The playing field is somewhat more even these
days, not least because global warming is creating
hotter, bigger wines with more sugars to turn into
alcohol. If you like that style, here is an array I
think you’ll find very appealing. But, as my notes
below show, not every big wine needs to have big
alcohol.
JOHAN VINEYARDS PINOT NOIR ESTATES
2021 ($36)—Produced in the Van Duzer Corridor of
Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Johan’s wines are
strictly based on biodynamic farming “using a range of
homeopathic applications to promote healthy and
holistic growth,” maintained over 30 acres of a
biodiversity preserve, composed of calcareous
sedimentary soils with non-native erratic granite
rather than iron-rich volcanic soil. Winemaker
Morgan Beck and Vineyard Manager Nathan Woodtook
advantage of 2021’s climatic virtues, and used ten
grape clones to come up with the balance they
sought.
FERVORE SINGLE VINEYARD MAGLIOCCO DOLCE
2018 ($27)—Very slowly a group of young vintners
have been upgrading the image of hot climate
Calabrian wines, away from bulk to single
vineyards. Brothers Giuseppe and Nicola Chiapetta
and enologist Gianfranco Fino use 100% Magliocco
Dolce to produce this unusual indigenous red
(sometimes confused with Gaglioppo). It is late
ripening, which builds up the flavors and tannins.
After about 12 months of aging, the wine
is bottled without the aid of clarifiers and
without tartaric precipitation. After about 36
months of aging it is released. “Dolce” means
“sweet,” but, although it is fruit forward, the fruit has a dark intensity that
proves a 13% alcohol red wine can have remarkable
power.
MAYACAMAS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 ($185)
and 2009 ($300)—Mayacamas of Mount Veeder, dating
back to 1889, has released these wines separated
by ten years to show how their long-lived Cabs
mature and achieve balance. Both 2019 and 2009
were similar vintages, says winemaker Braiden
Albrecht, “Healthy winter rains, followed by a
warm but consistent summer and mild weather at
harvest, yielded fruit with great freshness and
integrity.” The 2019 spent 14 months in barriques
before bottling. The 2009 is, of course, more
mellow but has wonderful harmony, both based on
formidable fruit and softening tannins.In July
2013, Mayacamas was purchased by the Jay
Schottenstein family, positioning the historic
winery for the future by introducing fully
organic farming and an extensive restoration and
replanting of the estate vineyards.
MIGUEL
TORRES CORDILLERA CARMENÈRE 2020 ($21)—A very good
price for a forceful but nuanced Carmenere from
Chile’s Valle del Cachapoal. Macerated for 20
days, fermented for 15, and aged in French oak and
Austrian foudre, it was released in May of last
year. It was a very hot, dry year, but the weather
seems to have concentrated flavors and acid at 14%
alcohol for a red wine good to drink with any
meats.
LARKMEAD
SOLARI 2019 ($200)—If you like ‘em big and bold,
this is a fine example of that Napa Valley style
of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 78% new oak.
The alcohol is 14.9% and the wine can use some age
to settle things down, but this is a formidable
example of old-style California red wine making,
with spice and firm tannins. Only 946 cases
produced.
BIONDI-SANTI
TENUTA GREPPO ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 2020 ($91)—Rosso
di Montalcino is the little brother of Brunello di
Montalcino and is usually a quaffable, dependable
Tuscan red. But since this one is from the
illustrious Biondi-Santi estate, which created
Brunello in the 19th century, there is a lot more
power and finesse. Like Brunello, it is made from
100% Sangiovese from a high altitude, and 2020 was
a cool year (including snowfall in March). The
grapes were from the estate’s youngest vines, and
the wine was aged for 12 months in Slavonian oak.
It has lovely herbal notes, a Tuscan finesse and
at 13.5% alcohol eminently drinkable right away.
CHÂTEAU MONTELENA ESTATE CABERNET
SAUVIGNON 2019 ($200)—The vintage produced big
berries and clusters, and flavor,
color and texture took longer to develop. Winemaker
Matt Crafton ages his estate Cab for two years in
barrel before further bottle aging. The
wine has obvious structure and power right now,
but it needs time to knit together. There’s 1%
Petit Verdot and even less Cab Franc to build up
the pretty fruit, and 14.1% alcohol is a
remarkable level that will be to the wine’s
advantage in years to come. Indeed, Crafton says,
“It is one-of-a-kind in that it can be
enjoyed at any point in its life cycle—from
release to 40 years old.”
QUIVIRABLACK BOAR
ZINFANDEL 2018 ($55)—It’s good to see some age on
this Zin, and for those who like massive,
voluptuous reds, this Sonoma County version will
do the trick handily. Its grapes are from Anderson
Ranch and Wine Creek Ranch, its name “inspired by the wild boars
that are apt to roam our hillside vineyards who
simply can’t resist our tasty fruit. They are
wild and savage like our impeccable, bold
Zinfandel.” It’s a blend of 78% Zin and 22%
Petite Syrah, which adds a lot of bright fruit
flavor and color to the depth of the Zin. It’s
aged for 18 months in French and American oak.
It’s also sold in 1.5 liter bottles for about
$150.
ZENATO AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO
2018 ($70)—The leathery, somewhat oxidized taste
of old-fashioned Amarone is pretty much a thing of
the past, with Veneto producers making far more
nuanced but still bold reds from a traditional
blend 85% Corvina and 10% Rondinella, with 5% each
of Croatina and Oseleta.The
grapes are dried for 4 months, turning them
raisin-like and sweet, then crushed in January,
with slow fermentation with skin contact and 36
months aging in Slavonian casks. Ideal with roast
pork or pasta with funghi porcini.
KENEFICK
RANCH CABERNET SAUVIGNON, CHRIS’S CUVÉE 2019
($65)—Founded in 1978 by neurosurgeon Tom
Kenefick, this has been a labor of love. A whopper
at 15.3% alcohol, this 100% Cab (with 7% Malbec
and 6% Petit Verdot) from Calistoga has benefited
from three years of aging to moderate the tannins
and provide more levels of flavors, spice and dark
fruit. It will work well with venison, duck or
goose this fall. If you’re lucky enough to obtain
grouse, no wine would be a better match. The Chris
in question is Chris Kenefick, who took over as
CEO in 2021 when his father, Dr. Tom, passed away.
❖❖❖
AS JEAN-PAUL SARTRE ONCE SAID, "DOES THIS COME
WITH CHIPS?"
"Is This a Taco Bell Party or Am I
Having an Existential Experience?—Dave Holmes, Esquire
(8/3/23).
❖❖❖
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.
“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.
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.
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.