The Risotto Guru: Adventures in Eating Italian

by Laura Fraser

A Sardinian wedding feast, the search for the perfect seaside pasta with wild fennel, meeting a risotto master: Laura Fraser journeys from the SpaghettiOs of her American childhood to savor the best of Italian cuisine and the culture that cooked it up. Using the same dreamy, delicious type of prose that made An Italian Affair a best-selling memoir, these essays will delight readers who loved that book, and all who love Italian food and culture. Sumptuous descriptions of Italian meals—and the passion that goes into them—make this e-book a mouthwatering, uplifting pleasure. In “Italy in 17 Courses,” Fraser uses the pace and order of the dishes in a wedding feast to muse on her own introduction to Italian food, and how it changed her from a diet-obsessed vegetarian to a pasta and pancetta connoisseur. “An Affair to Remember” explores themes of food and nostalgia, and how a good meal can lift the spirit. In “The Risotto Guru,” Fraser writes a funny spoof of New Age gurus as she searches to perfect her own risotto. Warning: Do not read on an empty stomach.

33 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 10, 2013

About the author

I am a long-time journalist and San Franciscan who loves travel and books. I'm the author of the NYT-bestselling memoir An Italian Affair, and its sequel, All Over the Map. I also wrote a book about the diet industry, Losing It. I am the co-founder and editorial director of Shebooks.net, which publishes short, top-shelf ebooks by women. My own Shebook, The Risotto Guru, is all about eating in Italy.
I'm passionate about reading, and have kept a list of all the books I've read since I was about ten, which you can find on my website: http://www.laurafraser.com/booklists/. I teach and coach writing, particularly memoir and personal essay.

Reviews

[Cora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this in a couple of hours in one sitting at a coffee shop. It is a quick fantastic read for anyone who loves Italian food and culture. Fraser's sharp, insightful descriptions bring alive the warm, animated culture of southern Italy. Although I've never traveled to Sardinia nor the Aeolian Islands, for two hours I really felt like I was there, and after finishing her story I felt like I had traveled there and feasted on all the wonderful fresh fish with the locals.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura Fraser, a travel and food writer, penned this set of short stories about her meaningful travels in Italy. I purchased this on the kindle for about three bucks and thought it was definitely worth it. I generally enjoy this author.

[Tammy Brass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute short book I bought on shebooks.net