Food & Drink
albicocca · apricot
aperitivo · cocktail
Barolo · a red wine from the north of Italy
biscotto/i · cookie/s
buono/a · good
cacio e pepe · pasta with grated cheese and pepper
caffè · espresso specifically, or coffee more generally
caffè lungo · espresso pulled slowly so that there is more water and a fuller cup
cappuccino · espresso with milk
cenone · a big, festive dinner (typically on New Year’s Eve)
ciambella/e · donut/s
cornetto/i · Italian croissant/s ·
cornetto con marmellata · Italian croissant filled with jam
cornetto con crema · Italian croissant filled with cream
farro · an ancient grain, similar to barley
frizzante · bubbly water
frutti di bosco · literally fruits of the forest, mixed berry
lampredotto · tripe sandwiches
latte caldo · hot milk
mandarino · mandarin orange
panino · sandwich
pecorino · sheep’s milk cheese, sold at different levels of ripeness; Pecorino is also a kind of white wine from Le Marche
lumaca · snail
normale · my usual
prosecco · bubbly wine, Italy’s version of champagne
salumi · cured meats, like salami and prosciutto
tagliata · sliced, grilled beef, often scattered with rosemary and olive oil
tagliatelle · fresh pasta, cut similar to linguini
tartufata · black olive and truffle
torta · cake
vigili · police officers
vino · wine
A word on Italian meals
Italian meals are divided into appetizers (antipasti), first course of pasta or soup (primi), second course of meat or fish (secondi), side dish of vegetables (contorni) and dessert (dolci).
Also by Michelle Damiani
Il Bel Centro: A Year in the Beautiful Center
The Silent Madonna
The Stillness of Swallows
Into the Groves
The Road Taken: How to Dream, Plan, and
Live Your Family Adventure Abroad
More on these books and works in progress can be found at
michelledamiani.com
Acknowledgments
I first conceived of this book as a serial, publishing three chapters a week on my website. I envisioned Santa Lucia as a telenovela in espresso form—a sort of caffeine-loaded, dialogue-heavy, plot-driven story that draws the reader into a sweeping narrative.
The next step was editing the story into the novel you hold in your hands. I would not have been able to translate my vision onto the page without the patience, grace, and talent of Emily Morrison, who shepherded Santa Lucia through draft after draft (after draft after draft) to pull out the best in me. Other friends generously offered their editing skills and I am endlessly grateful to: Paul Ardoin (without him, the fire would have all the emotional intensity of a sluggish barbecue), Christina Ball who corrected and improved my Italian (and Italian-isms), and Kristine Bean and Nancy Hampton who offered their discerning eye to every misplaced comma and typo, as well as sharpening my writing. I don’t know what I did to deserve such a stalwart team.
Bless my family for shoving me out the door to write and for believing in me when my own confidence flagged. My children—Nicolas, Siena, and Gabe—bore the brunt, but Keith is the one who would hear the quaver in my voice, shove everything aside, and walk me through each and every impasse.
It was with my family that I experienced life in Umbria for a year. My children’s stories about their days in Italian public school, Keith’s misadventures pushing paperwork, our lives intertwining with our beloved Italian neighbors all rested in my soul like seeds. Those seeds deepened and shifted and bloomed into this book. And so I offer thanks the town of Spello, for nourishing my soul and inspiring my story.
Santa Lucia
Copyright © 2017 by Michelle Damiani
ISBN 978-0-692-99402-3
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or in any manner, electronic or mechanical, without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For permission request or information regarding bulk sales, contact the publisher at:
Rialto Press
P.O. Box 1472
Charlottesville, VA 22902
michelledamiani.com
Book One of the Santa Lucia Series Page 35