Bitter Greens: Essays on Food, Politics, and Ethnicity from the Imperial Kitchen

Six essays, each corresponding to a traditional course in a Southern Italian meal, are presented as a literary equivalent to dinner conversation in this eclectic collection. Di Renzo (Writing, Ithaca College), a second generation Italian American blends cooking memoir, food politics, and Roman history in pieces ranging in topic from grocery store chain, Wegman's, participation in the Americanization of Italian food, to an ode to grandparents and dark chocolate. A meditation on the onions of Canastota, New York, discussion of Brooklyn's former tripe trade, and ruminations on broccoli rabe are to be found as well. Each essay is accompanied by a family recipe. Readers interested in the intersection of Italian cuisine, food politics, classical history, and ethnic childhoods will enjoy this unique volume. Excelsior Editions is an imprint of State University of New York Press. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Anthony Di Renzo, a fugitive from advertising, teaches classical rhetoric and professional writing at Ithaca College. Cited inBest American Essays, his work has appeared in Alimentum, Il Caffe,<.i>,Cottonwood Magazine, Feile-Festa, The Normal School, River Styx,Syracuse Scholar, and Voices in Italian Americana, and he is the author ofAmerican Gargoyles: Flannery O’Connor and the Medieval Grotesque and editor ofIf I Were Boss: The Early Business Stories of Sinclair Lewis. He lives in Ithaca, New York, with his wife and cats, and buys his broccoli rabe at the local farmers market.