One chilly venerdì sera (Friday evening) not long ago, the mailwoman with her friendly yellow Labrador helper buzzed at my gate. She had a special delivery for me that evening, which I eagerly unwrapped. I couldn’t help but smile as I read the title of Michele Carbone’s book: Venerdì Sera, Friday Evening: Creating La Dolce Vita, one bite at a time. It couldn’t have arrived at a more perfect time.

Beautifully illustrated, Venerdì Sera is just as much as mouth watering to look at as the menus described within. Before you think you already have a stack of cookbooks in your kitchen, read on. Rather than a list of recipes to follow, perhaps with a bit of commentary thrown in, Venerdì Sera is a book sharing Carbone’s unique way of bringing La Dolce Vita into everyday life. It isn’t for those looking for detailed recipes and it doesn’t pretend to be your one stop Italian cookbook. It is instead something else entirely, which is both the book’s strength and also what makes it a delightful read.

Rather than one recipe after another, Venerdì Sera introduces us to the Friday evening family meal in the Carbone family. The book was born out of a tragic upheaval in the family when Michele transitioned from a corporate engineer to a full time caregiver for her daughter. Life dramatically and suddenly slowed down for Michele, and soon cooking became both a creative and nurturing pastime for her and her family. She tells us: “I decided to write down what I’ve learned. My hope for you is that no matter what your kitchen is like, and no matter how busy your lifestyle, you’ll realize that living La Dolce Vita is an achievable reality, not just reserved for dreams and vacations.” By sharing her family’s Friday evening meals over the past years, she shows how she creates La Dolce Vita for her own family by focusing on the hallmarks of Italian cooking – freshness, simplicity and family meals surrounding the dinner table.

“My hope for you is that no matter what your kitchen is like, and no matter how busy your lifestyle, you’ll realize that living La Dolce Vita is an achievable reality, not just reserved for dreams and vacations.”

Michele Carbone

A few chapters in, Michele’s inspirational writing starts to get inside you, bringing reflection on our own kitchens, shopping and cooking habits, and the role of food in our daily life. It is an inspiring read in numerous ways – encouraging us to think creatively when it comes to cooking. But above all to think! With family stories and beautifully crafted words and images, Michele encourages you to think about each meal you prepare. In today’s hectic lifestyle where multi-tasking is how we making it through the day, how could we possible have time to prepare a 7-course family meal? Think. How can we buy both the freshest, healthiest ingredients and create the least impact on our communities and environment. Think. Michele reminds us that being conscious of what we are preparing and the time we can enjoy on a daily basis with our families are the first steps to bringing La Dolce Vita into our lives.

Michele also inspires readers to think creatively as well. She tells us how her Venerdì Sera menus are based on the freshest ingredients picked up at the local markets, and when she can’t find what she’s looking for, she improvises! She encourages us to step outside our recipe boxes and take a look around the local market and pay attention to what is fresh. This is how people shop in Italy, but it doesn’t have to happen only in Italy. Michele also encourages us not to be afraid to substitute ingredients if some are not available or you have things waiting in your kitchen to be used up. The more you create and think creatively, the more aware you are of what you’re doing. For Michele, this is the secret to “cooking your way to the good life.”

La Dolce Vita comes quietly. It is in those moments when you enjoy the little things – a fresh mandarin shared with family members after dinner, the glass of wine with friends and the laughter. Venerdì Sera, Friday Evening: Creating La Dolce Vita, one bite at a time is truly an inspirational account of how food can bring people together and bringing La Dolce Vita into your own home.

To purchase your copy of Venerdì Sera today, please visit Pentola Press.