Dear Francesca: An Italian Journey of Recipes Recounted with Love

by Mary Contini

If your mother had been brought up in an extended Italian family that was passionate about food, and gone on to run one of the country's most successful delicatessens, would you not want a record of all the knowledge and experience she had acquired? This book provides just that, in a form that can be shared with other families and other cooks. Addressing her daughter Francesca, Mary Contini has written not only a wonderful cook book, but also a compelling and often moving account of her family history. Informative, humorous and always passionate, this is a cookbook to read as well as to cook from day after day.

Genres: Italy, Food, Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Biography

352 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2002

Reviews

[Book-Social · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contini sets out to pass her family history on to her daughter – Francesca. From humble beginnings in southern Italy to thriving fish and chip shop owners in Scotland, the anecdotes make a for a heartwarming read. Interspersed are recipes that her family have loved and cooked along the way. Everything from homemade pasta, authentic sugo and even steak and kidney pie. That will be the Scottish influence more than the Italian! Contini’s preferred ingredients are listed and even a staple utensil section for stocking your kitchen.

Being a traditional fiction book in style the recipes don’t have pictures, something I always find off putting in a cook book. See that’s where the problem lies, it’s not really a cook book. And to be honest as someone who cooks for their family on a daily basis I don’t really have much need for a Yorkshire pudding recipe. For me I loved the family history. Yet the story is too interrupted to really make it a sit down, feet up, good read. And whilst it is of course written to Contini’s daughter, the amount of paragraphs that began with ‘Francesca’ did start to grate after a while.

If you are Italian obsessed, not too sure on your cooking or a foodie through and through you will enjoy Dear Francesca. My mum, who has visited the deli, loved it. I didn’t mind it but wished it was more one or the other rather than a bit of both.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

The history of these Italian families was amazing, what they went through in poverty in Italy, immigrating with nothing more than their clothes and what was in their pack, the recipes - loved it! A fantastic family story -I'm sure many of our family histories were similar...

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite what I was expecting to be honest. I thought it was going to be lots of stories about Mary Contini's family history and it certainly started off that way. But it was mostly about the recipes. There are lots of them and they certainly sounded lovely. However, I really much preferred the parts of the book with the little stories about Italian family life.

[Julie Thomason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how the memoir entered round recipes and went chronologically. An easy read and attitude very similar to what I came across when I lived in Spain. Format not ideal as a cookery book but a good start. As I'm Edinburgh based I know the places referred to which always helps as they weren't really brought alive by the descriptions.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed how the memoir centred around the family recipes which did sound delicious. I dipped in and out of this book over a number of months and it was easy to do that.

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mix of family history and cookbook. The recipes are an odd hodgepodge of British and Italian.

Synopsis from Amazon:
Written by leading cookery author Mary Contini, this delightful narrative is in the bestselling tradition of Anthony Bourdain and Annie Hawes. It tells the tale of the Di Ciacca family, tracing their journey from the barren Abruzzi mountains to the chilly streets of post-war Edinburgh. Addressing her daughter Francesca as she embarks on independent life, this is a compelling, often moving, family history in which Contini describes her ancestors' loves and lives in their adopted homeland where traditions were kept alive around the dinner table. With characters as colourful as in any novel, this is a book that will appeal to anyone who loves Italian food and wishes to share in a sense of family. It adds up to one of the most original books for food lovers in recent years, blending great narrative with heartwarming recipes and recollections.

About the Author
Based in Edinburgh, Mary Contini is a partner in the famous Italian delicatessen Valvona and Crolla. She also writes a column for The Scotsman and has presented Scotland's Larder on television.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

was reading group book for january. havent managed to finish it yet. think was struggling to get into it as it is really a recipe book with some stories through it (the hardback version is much nicer and is more obviously a cook book). Will keep the book as, based on what others in the group thought, i would like to finish it and perhaps try some of the recipes. The author does come across as quite dictatorial and is definitely of the womans place is in the kitchen school!!

[Smitha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a book that I picked up impulsively. It sounded just wonderful. Italian food and family history, everything that I would love! So when I started reading it, I had high expectations, which might be one of the reasons why I just didn't enjoy the book. For me, the book lacked charm and at times felt more like an instructions manual..
Wish it didn't, because it had the potential to be such a brilliant read.

[Benedict · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published letters from mother to daughter, fusing family history with recipes.
This is a wonderful book, about moving to Scotland from Italy and setting up a family in Cockaighley. Have yet to try many of the recipes. Great book.

[Jo Benson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't finish reading this book! I love italian food but could have done with more stories in it rather than lists of ingredients.

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read, re-read and dog eared (recipes!) this lovely, nostalgic tale of Italian traditions that hold tight through a family's emigration to Scotland.

[Bronwen Lacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A memoir or journal

A delicious read.