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Vol. 2 No. 5, December 2007
Welcome to the last Sapori e Saperi newsletter of 2007. If you’re like me and think Christmas should be slow and unhurried and shouldn’t start in October, then you might still be in need of some Christmas presents. Here’s the perfect book. And if it doesn’t arrive in time for Christmas, don’t worry. There’s no ‘use by’ date. It will be just as good in January, February and March.
Best wishes for a festive holiday stuffed full of delicious food,
 Beaneaters & bread soup: portraits and recipes from Tuscany
Lori De Mori and Jason Lowe
Quadrille Publishing
ISBN: 978-1844004621
This is the book for everyone who never wants to read another ‘me, me, me’ book about Tuscany: ‘My Ordeal in Tuscany’, ‘Under a Tuscan Cloud’, ‘Maria’s 963 Ways to Prepare an Artichoke’ with glossy photos of rustic villas, Romanesque churches, olive trees and lacquered artichokes. Lori and Jason give us verbal and photographic portraits of Tuscany’s artisan producers of food and crafts related to food — a shepherd, a chilli breeder, a tripe vendor, a fisherman tourist guide, a potter and 20 more. Of necessity it’s from their point of view, but they spread out before us a warts and all picture of plain people in a plain cover. Here’s how Lori describes some of their essential qualities:
- A kind of personal integrity that can be confused with eccentricity: ‘however strange it may seem to you, this is the way I do things’.
- Pride without arrogance: a sincere belief in the excellence of their work.
- Humility and steadfastness: the ability to light the wood stove, milk the ewes, coax the bees out of their hives — quietly, without pretence — day after day, year after year.
- The belief that their work is not a means to something else, but one of the ways to give meaning to their lives.
- Genius: the brilliance that comes to those driven by their personal vision rather than by a desire for success, money or fame.
- Generosity: they have no secrets. If you appreciate what they do, they’ll tell you everything they know... And usually set a place for you at their table.
If this makes you want to get to know them better, read the book and then come meet them on a Sapori e Saperi tour in 2008.
Cheese + Honey
Sunday 18–Saturday 24 May 2008
Sunday 25–Saturday 31 May 2008
Pork + Porcini
Thursday 18–Wednesday 24 September 2008
Thursday 25 September–Wednesday 1 October 2008
Olive Oil, Chestnuts + Polenta
Sunday 9–Saturday 15 November 2008
Sunday 16–Saturday 22 November 2008 |
