Something Italian:
From Distant Shores to Family Tables, the Recipes that Held Us Together
From Distant Shores to Family Tables, the Recipes that Held Us Together
For what is food but the greatest expression of joy and hurt in the world, Annette Januzzi Wick writes. In response, readers are taken to the cherished place where her Italian ancestors and immigrant grandparents meet her mother’s recipe binders written by hand—the family table.
In this blending of history, memoir, and cooking, Something Italian includes photographs and family recipes that have been the impetus for subsequent generations to gather at the family table and become something Italian again.
How lucky Annette is to have such deep and abiding ties to her family’s homeland. To be the granddaughter and daughter of people who, to one degree or another, retained connections to their ancestral soil. To share meals with distant relatives at tables loaded with homemade food and wine. Her memoir invites the rest of us into their stories of perseverance, loss, and fortitude. And, oh, the recipes! – Bryn Mooth, Edible Ohio Valley, editor
Italian Love Cake, with its similarities to the limoncello cake found on Italian American restaurant menus, has nothing to do with love, and everything to do with calories. It is comfort food on a hot or cold day, and a balm to heal all aches. When my first husband died, I asked my mother for this recipe so I could wallow in something sweet and comforting. Food was an escape, as was the kitchen. Perhaps then, this cake had everything to do with love.
I’ll Have Some of Yours
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AVAILABLE NOW THROUGH AMAZON AND OTHER MAJOR DISTRIBUTORS
Annette Januzzi Wick longs to find the perfect care home for her proud, Italian American mother, who is slipping further into dementia. In her memoir, Annette shares gripping truths about the mistakes she makes before ultimately finding a place where her mother develops a crush, heckles an Elvis impersonator, and magically bonds with her daughter through Frank Sinatra’s songs. Whether she’s breaking up a fight between her mother and the Easter Bunny, advocating for her mother to avoid a tracheotomy, or struggling to duplicate her mother’s cookie recipes, Annette balances the trials with the triumphs of being a daughter—and caregiver. But can she and her mother love without memory—or regret? I’ll Have Some of Yours is for anyone who longs to move past being a caregiver to find a deeply human and humane connection with someone you love.
“Wow. As in-home caregiver for my elderly father and with a father-in-law in a memory care facility, this book was just what I needed to read. Not only does the author share her trials of day-to-day care for her aging mother, but she also describes her personal journey as their relationship evolves. Skillfully weaving childhood memories with everyday challenges, she truly describes the circle of life and brings the reader along for the ride. For busy caregivers, find time to read this book. You may just start loving more and ‘caring’ less.”
I’ll Be in the Car
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AVAILABLE THROUGH AMAZON
When Annette Wick’s young husband dies, she is ill-prepared for the challenge of reclaiming her life. I’ll Be in the Car relates her inspiring quest to become a mother—and a woman—again.
“Wow. As in-home caregiver for my elderly father and with a father-in-law in a memory care facility, this book was just what I needed to read. Not only does the author share her trials of day-to-day care for her aging mother, but she also describes her personal journey as their relationship evolves. Skillfully weaving childhood memories with everyday challenges, she truly describes the circle of life and brings the reader along for the ride. For busy caregivers, find time to read this book. You may just start loving more and ‘caring’ less.”
