Risotto with Nettles

A Memoir with Food

By: Anna Del Conte

Narrated by: Rula Lenska

Anna Del Conte brought Italian cooking to Britain at a time when the nearest most of us came to pasta was a Heinz spaghetti hoop. Sharply observant, evocative, full of tastes and talk of food, hers is a delicious, poignant memoir of an unusual life and the food she loves to cook, which launched a culinary revolution.

She arrived in England in 1949 when much of Britain was a culinary wasteland, married an Englishman, and stayed on. Her memories of the time are vividly, hilarious preserved - from the joys of un-rationed horse meat to tomato soup at Lyons Corner House. While bringing up her children, she wrote books that inspired a new generation of cooks.

©2009 Anna Del Conte (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Not enough sting

I think the author thought that the addition of recipes would lift the book to literary heights. Although she lived through the war in Italy she had a relatively comfortable life with not as many hardships as most of the rest of Europe. It didn't inspire much admiration. The book was saved for me by the wonderful narration. I remember Rula doing the Alberto V.O 5 ads in the 1980s. My kids and I loved her voice.The weekend I finished it I was at my local Farmer's Market and found fresh nettles. I made the risotto. It was lovely.

Great memoir with food

What did you love best about Risotto with Nettles?

A very fine memoir about one of the most important Italian food writers. Perfect balance of life stories, food stories and recipes.

What other book might you compare Risotto with Nettles to and why?

If you liked My Life in France by Julia Child you may enjoy this book very much.

Which character – as performed by Rula Lenska – was your favorite?

The reader was excellent. I had to remind myself time and again that it was not Ms. del Conte reading the book.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not a funny book but it clearly has sense of humor. Ms. del Conte recounts a joke about a Genovese widow that made me laugh out loud.