RED SAUCE How Italian Food Became American

Narrator Paul Bellantoni has a fine delivery and a rich tone. He ably narrates this witty audiobook. His pace allows the many stories of Italian-American/American-Italian food to stay with the listener. The work is part celebration of the traditional checkered tablecloth spaghetti-and-meatball joints that were common in the U.S. for decades and part revelation of the origins of Italian dishes that Americans celebrate. Pasta primavera originated at New York's Le Cirque, and in Italy no one plops meatballs on spaghetti. There's much to learn here; for example, two famed opera singers, Caruso and Tetrazzini, have dishes named for them, and today's authentic Italian (read Northern Italian) cuisine offers an experience different from the red sauce places of yore. A.D.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2023]