MSI Press Blog

  Sharing the latest book review for From Tuscany with Love by Lauretta Avina --  From Edward Fitzhenry:  It was Napoleon Bonaparte (no stranger to Tuscany) who once said, “An army marches on its stomach!”  He realized the importance of plentiful quality food for the success of his military campaigns. It’s equally true to recognize that food contributes to the memories of our childhood, whether in America or abroad…”food maketh the man” (or in this case woman!) Lauretta  Avina, in her book ‘From Tuscany with Love’ takes us marching into her Tuscan (Lucca) past and sustains us on the journey with local and familial recipes.  You may indeed take  the woman from Tuscany, but you can never take Tuscany from the woman!! And for that I am most grateful.  Her recipes, stories and experiences are a feast for body and soul.  In writing this culinary autobiography Ms. Avina has gifted us with a share of her heritage. And because we can recreate the r...

  AN INTERESTING AND INSIGHTFUL READ Says Readers' Favorite about From Tuscany with Love by Lauretta Avina:  Our roots, where we were born, define who we are. But so do the foods we prepare and share amongst family and friends. In Lauretta Avina’s From Tuscany with Love , we follow the author as she shares her life, first in Tuscany and then in the United States. As the family became part of the melting pot of immigrant America, this Tuscan family maintained their love of the traditions they left behind in the Old World. A big part of these traditions revolved around food. As the memoir unfolds, so do the recipes that define the author. “As my family and I embraced our new life in the United States, we also carried with us the rich traditions and memories of our Italian heritage.” Lauretta Avina’s book, From Tuscany with Love: Recipes and Remembrances of an Immigrant Child , is a memoir told in stories and through recipes of the foods the author loves. The author shares her s...

AN EXTRAORDINARY READ FROM START TO FINISH Says MidWest Book Review of From Tuscany with Love by Lauretta Avina:  A fascinating combination of cookbook and memoir, From Tuscany with Love  is an extraordinary read from start to finish. The recipes are as authentic as Lauretta Avina's life lessons learned as she relates her personal life story and the role that family ethnicity and Tuscan approach to food played in that story. The recipes are 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presentation, the life story parts and eloquent and emotionally engaging. The result is the Laurette Avina memoir, From Tuscany With Love is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal and community library Biography/Memoir and Ethnic Cookbook/Italian collections. Read the full review HERE . Book Description: From Tuscany with Love  is an emotional memoir capturing the heartfelt journey of a scared, little girl from the rolling hills of Lucca to the bustling life in America. Throug...