Here is the second part of my interview with author Mark Leslie on his book Beyond the Pasta: Recipes, Language and Life with an Italian Family.
Q: Nonna really stands out as a central character in your book. How typical is this extended family arrangement in Italy? What are some of the pros and cons you observed?
A: Nonna is an amazing woman, not your typical grandmother. She’s command central, carries 2 cell phones, still drives and is in charge of the local boy scout troop. Their family is very typical of an Italian family; it’s not weird for unmarried children to live at home into their 30’s.With a Nonna living with you she’s a built in cook/babysitter. For this family she’s part of their business teaching the cooking classes, but Nonna also has a degree in literature. The negatives are obviously family politics. There was a big fight I described in my book, but Nonna seemed pretty good about offering her opinion and holding her tongue as well. She was always considerate of giving Alessendra and Lillo their space in the evening and when she did go out with us it always felt like a special occasion. She was the anchor of the house.
Q: The pace of life really sums up “La Dolce Vita” – describe a typical day in Italy? Was it hard readjusting to our more hectic pace in the US?
A: In the morning we had breakfast at 8AM, went to the Market, cooked, had language class, lunch was from 1:30-3:00PM, siesta, snack, class, cook and dinner was from 8:30-10:30PM, afterwards an evening stroll and gelato at 11PM, Bed around midnight. In Italy there are things more important than work and their motto is “if it can wait until tomorrow…” The first night we went out for gelato I expected the town square to be virtually empty, but everyone was out, children, grandparents enjoying spending time together. Italians aren’t lacking in work ethic – they just consider sharing a story or enjoying the moment to be more precious. It’s tough breaking that puritan mindset we have in the US to be productive otherwise you’re seen as lazy or wasteful.
Q: How do you keep up with your Italian?
A: It’s very difficult – molto dificile. I have two friends from Italy I try and converse with, I use the Rosetta Stone and Alessendra and I correspond via email in Italian. I go back to Italy yearly. When I went back and met her new grandbaby I realized a two year old has better understanding of the language than I do!
Q: Rick Steves is a local travel writer, guide, and TV personality here in the Northwest who encourages people to experience “Europe through the back door,” how do you travel and where do you spend your time in Italy?
A: I look up a region on the internet, use sites like trip advisor and slow travel. I read the reviews of where people have been and decide if that sounds like something that fits my personality. I encounter locals by avoiding the big hotels and tour buses and staying at Agriturismos or renting an apartment to have a kitchen. I take the train and stay in one place for a week at a time. Even if you don’t know the language, Italians have big hearts, they want you to enjoy their country. If you stay anywhere in Italy twice it’s like you’re family!
Q: How has the Stefani family reacted to seeing your book in print?
A:I called Alessendra on the phone to see what she thought and when she heard my voice she said “Marco, your book is a masterpiece! It’s all about us!”
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