BOOK WE LOVE: I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti

I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Giulia Melucci (Grand Central Publishing) is a memoir that blends mouth-watering recipes with tales of doomed love affairs. Giulia tells her experiences from over twenty years of dating in New York City with humor, sarcasm and disappointment. She writes, "For me, a new boyfriend is a tantalizing opportunity to show off the thing I'm most confident about: my cooking." The author shares her remembrances of dating an affectionate alcoholic and novelists with Peter Pan complexes, sprinkled with heavenly recipes inspired by her mother and the men in her life (or lack thereof, hence "No Nookie Gnocchi"). Turns out that the recipes are what made the greatest impression! Any reader who has spent a period of time in the complicated dating world will feel an affinity with Giulia's character. At times, she is overly needy, or just downright depressing, yet there is a true sense of hope and romanticism as she searches for the right man. I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti demonstrates that love and food are inextricably linked, and with both, a recipe comes in handy.