Atavismo!: My Home in Italy

Ann's journey to learn about her Italian heritage evolved into loving Italy with its wondrous food, medieval stone villages built into the sides of mountains, the colorful confetti shops in Sulmona, the tartufo festival in Succiano, the town celebration of Feragosto, and the festas in Goriano Valli. The adventure of exploring off-the-beaten-track hidden itineraries, cooking in the church kitchen of a monk, shopping at the local markets in San Demetrio and L'Aquila, buying food from trucksters who delivered right to the front door, seeing ricotta being made in a shepherd's shack, picking artichokes in her cousin's garden, and living like an Italian in the village she was born in opened the door to a heritage and family previously unknown to her.She learned of a scandal in her parent's family, never known to her American family, and heard moving stories of unrequited love and wartime heroism. From the fabulous cooks in her family, recipes for chinghiale, zucchini flower fritters, carbonara, chicken cacciatore, milk of almond from the times of Michelangelo, polenta on the board and many other recipes are included in this book.