The Gastronomy of Marriage: A Memoir of Food and Love …Coming to a Bookstore Near You

Reconciling Culinary Traditions in Marriage

Author Michelle Maisto’s memoir about her courtship and marriage to a fellow writer and foodie is scheduled to hit bookstores on September 8.  The Gastronomy of Marriage: A Memoir of Food and Love is a story about how these two young and idealistic New Yorkers find commonality as they try to combine their Italian and Chinese backgrounds into a compromise that works in the kitchen and other areas of their lives.

Trying to decide who shops, who cooks and who does the dishes are just a few of the issues this new couple faces, as they realize how much influence their respective backgrounds of food culture shaped their personalities.  While Maisto favors the high-carb and heavier Italian cuisine that she has grown up with, husband Rich is more comfortable with the lighter, Chinese fare that his mother prepared.  Her idea of a quick meal is a fried egg — his is to head to a restaurant.   The controversy is played out in a cramped Brooklyn apartment and their culinary predicament becomes center stage as they indulge in a tug-of-war around the dining table, all while trying to get back to the simpler times during their initial courtship where they shared many good meals together.

Maisto’s book is peppered with Italian and Chinese recipes core to her theme.  Foodies will find this a warm and fuzzy read, identifying with the issues many young couples face as they try to start a new life together.

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