First published 2012
Valerie Bertinelli invites readers into her kitchen to witness a personal transformation. The actress traces her journey from childhood in a big Italian family, where meals symbolized joy and togetherness, through a painful period when her passion for ancestral recipes contributed to gaining 50 pounds. The weight gain put her health and acting work at risk. Personal difficulties fueled overeating and poor food decisions. After remarrying and reaching new professional heights, Bertinelli discovered methods for controlling portions and eating with awareness while preserving her cultural roots. She shares more than 100 cherished family recipes paired with the techniques that restored her equilibrium. Each dish comes with nutritional details and advice for healthier choices. Bertinelli shows readers how to savor Italian comfort foods without spiraling out of control, establishing that food can stay at the heart of family gatherings when handled with intention.
Genres: autobiography, biography-memoir, cooking, health, 21st-century, food, italian-literature, food-writing
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: personal-transformation, self-improvement
Setting: Italy
Period: 21st-century
412 pages · Kindle Edition · Rodale Books