File under: Comfort food without all those annoying calories
While I wait with bated breath for my first trip to Italy (the countdown is less than a month now—woo hoo!), reading The Love Goddess' Cooking School has been the next best thing—even if the bulk of the story takes place in Maine, not the country shaped like a boot.
See, the old and new world collide when our newly single protagonist, Holly Maguire, inherits her Italian grandmother's cooking school in Blue Crab Island, Maine. Known for her mouthwatering creations in the kitchen, not to mention the ability to see the future, Holly knows her grandma's shoes won't exactly be easy to fill, considering she can't even boil pasta without making a big gummy ol' mess.
If Holly's new career as a chef wasn't already terrifying enough, her search for the proverbial Mr. Right hasn't been much more promising either. Thanks to her grandmother's premonition when Holly was only 16, Holly knows the man of her dreams is a brave soul who actually enjoys sa cordula, a supposed delicacy with the starring ingredients of, wait for it, lamb intestines and peas.
So far, all the men in her life have bolted not long after trying the dish (not that she blames them for that), and Holly can't help wondering if true love, the sort of love that unfolded in the pages of her grandmother's journal, will ever come her way.
But Holly isn't not sulking too much in the meantime. After all, she's got a cookbook full of recipes to master and an Italian cooking class to teach. And as she starts really getting to know the people who regularly stop by Camilla's Cucinotta, well, Holly's life is never quite the same.
Ultimately, The Love Goddess' Cooking School is one of those delicious books you'll end up whipping through in only a couple of days. With relatable, compelling characters and storylines that'll tug at your heart (but not shamelessly so), there's a myriad of charms in Melissa Senate's writing.
But a word to the wise: Don't read while you're hungry. Whether she's describing the creamiest of risottos or the best pick-me-up of all, sumpteous layers of tiramisu, your stomach will growl, and you'll be craving Italian food—pronto. Really, the book should come with a warning...but I guess there are worse things than great comfort reading, right?
Rating: ****1/2 out of ***** stars
How fun! I linked to this on last weekend's weekly roundup and am just now getting around to letting you know. (I guess we were busy celebrating Easter!) Thanks so much for sharing!
Posted by: Coach Boots | March 03, 2011 at 12:55 AM