- Hardcover: 288 pages
- Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (April 8 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0446534420
- ISBN-13: 978-0446534420
- Product Dimensions: 15.2 x 2.5 x 21.6 cm
- Shipping Weight: 386 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #335,206 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
"Melucci's witty tales of New York
-Mario Batali , Chef/Author
"Delectable... Anyone who has wondered, "Will I ever find Mr. Right?" will appreciate this sprightly debut." -Library Journal (starred review)
"Cook along with Melucci as she swims through the dating pool with pluck and unflagging humor." -New York Times Book Review ( )
"Wry, personable, and at times even snortingly funny . . . root for a woman who learns to nourish her own stomach -and soul-even when her heart's been flambéed." -Entertainment Weekly ( )
"Giada De Laurentiis meets Candace Bushnell in this debut memoir from romantically challenged yet resilient Melucci . . . Frustrations whisked into a tasty treat of a story." -Kirkus Reviews
"I LOVED, I LOST, I MADE SPAGHETTI proves that the cure for a broken heart is pasta." -Vanity Fair
"In this endearing memoir-with-recipes cooking is an endeavor that brings order to the chaos of dating." -People
-Mario Bat
"Delectable... Anyone who has wondered, "Will I ever find Mr. Right?" will appreciate this sprightly debut." -Library Journal (starred review)
"Cook along with Melucci as she swims through the dating pool with pluck and unflagging humor." -New York Times Book Review ( )
"Wry, personable, and at times even snortingly funny . . . root for a woman who learns to nourish her own stomach -and soul-even when her heart's been flambéed." -Entertainment Weekly ( )
"Giada De Laurentiis meets Candace Bushnell in this debut memoir from romantically challenged yet resilient Melucci . . . Frustrations whisked into a tasty treat of a story." -Kirkus Reviews
"I LOVED, I LOST, I MADE SPAGHETTI proves that the cure for a broken heart is pasta." -Vanity Fair
"In this endearing memoir-with-recipes cooking is an endeavor that brings order to the chaos of dating." -People
Product Description
From failure to fusilli, this deliciously hilarious read tells the story of Giulia Melucci's fizzled romances and the mouth-watering recipes she used to seduce her men, smooth over the lumps, and console herself when the relationships flamed out.
From an affectionate alcoholic, to the classic New York City commitment-phobe, to a hipster aged past his sell date, and not one, but two novelists with Peter Pan complexes, Giulia has cooked for them all. She suffers each disappointment with resolute cheer (after a few tears) and a bowl of pastina (recipe included) and has lived to tell the tale so that other women may go out, hopefully with greater success, and if that's not possible, at least have something good to eat.
Peppered throughout Giulia's delightful and often poignant remembrances are fond recollections of her mother's cooking, the recipes she learned from her, and many she invented on her own inspired by the men in her life. Readers will howl at Giulia's boyfriend-littered past and swoon over her irresistable culinary creations.
From an affectionate alcoholic, to the classic New York City commitment-phobe, to a hipster aged past his sell date, and not one, but two novelists with Peter Pan complexes, Giulia has cooked for them all. She suffers each disappointment with resolute cheer (after a few tears) and a bowl of pastina (recipe included) and has lived to tell the tale so that other women may go out, hopefully with greater success, and if that's not possible, at least have something good to eat.
Peppered throughout Giulia's delightful and often poignant remembrances are fond recollections of her mother's cooking, the recipes she learned from her, and many she invented on her own inspired by the men in her life. Readers will howl at Giulia's boyfriend-littered past and swoon over her irresistable culinary creations.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
CANDID, WARM, AND FUNNY,
By
This review is from: I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti (Hardcover)
She spent some 20 years in New York City looking for Mr. Right and found a succession of Mr. Wrongs and several Mr. Not-Even-Closes. Nonetheless, despite major disappointments she always remained optimistic, leading this reader to believe her theme song was "Surely This Time."Giulia Melucci, a well brought up Catholic girl from Brooklyn, was a whiz in the publishing biz, a marvel in the kitchen, but severely challenged when it came to picking out a man. It's a puzzlement. However, she's also blessed with a choice, self-deprecating humor, which readers will find irresistible in her memoir "I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti." She chronicles her days of dauntlessly dating, punctuating those experiences with wonderful recipes. (We're having Spaghetti Carbonara found on page 22 this evening.) Her initial boyfriend in January of 1990 was Kit Fraser (all potential mates names are changed to protect the innocent and guilty). They shared many commonalities save for his love of the bottle and eventual alcoholism. Next came Ethan who showed promise. And with him Giulia became bold, asking, "What does it take to seduce you?" He smiled nervously and replied, "I think we should just be friends." She was not discouraged and made Healthy Penne (page 65) and Unforgettable Halibut (page 69) for him. Her last fellow (at least when she finished the book) was a Scot whom she nurtured in every way, even to getting his book published. Before leaving he did cook for her (Lachlan's Farfalle with Zucchini and Egg is found on page 263). Following his departure Giulia learned the pleasure of cooking for one and writing a book. If you ask me these guys don't know what they missed. Giulia would do anything to please them, often deciding there was something wrong with her. Not so! "I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti" is an absolute delight - candid, moving, and often hilarious. - Gail Cooke
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.1 out of 5 stars (54 customer reviews) 24 of 29 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Chick lit meets Food,
By Deborah "Books, Movies and Chinese Food" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti (Hardcover)
I'm normally not a fan of memoirs or even most non fiction. Unless I have to read a book for school, you can usually find me with a fiction book in my hands. However, this book was totally able to capture my attention and may have made a convert out of me. Reading it was like reading about my own life. It made me laugh, cry, cringe, and be hungry all at the same time. Giulia's writing makes you feel like you're sitting at the table after dinner with a glass of wine and catching up on old stories. As Giulia goes through each relationship, my heart ached for her and I really felt like I was there and needed to console her. There are times when you want to be like "No! He's a jerk, get away!!" and others where you're in love with the guy too because he's so sweet and kind. There are some scenes where I just burst out laughing at how Giulia attempts to win the guy over because it was exactly how I used to act. They're so reminiscent of my life that it's almost painful to read.The highlight of the book is all the food that is mentioned. The recipes are interwoven into each relationship as Giulia talks about the different meals and dishes she would make for each guy. Never one to eat a same meal twice, Giula takes pride in the way she cooks and each dish has a special meaning. The food mentioned in here are to die for. They are simple to make, with easy ingredients that aren't hard to find, yet they are a step above the norm. You can make them for a dinner party and will totally impress your guests. The titles of the dishes range from normal (Grilled Marinated Flank Steak) to fancy (Linguine with Friendly Little Fish) to hilarious (Spaghetti and Meatballs for Cooking Sluts and Those Who Love Them). They all sound delicious and I'm eager to try out a few of these in the future. This really was an enjoyable book to read. It's perfect for both chick lit and foodie fans. It's a charming, relatable and mouth watering read. Do not read this book on an empty stomach and be prepared to whip up a feast when you are done reading. HIGHLY recommended. 19 of 23 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
I hope the recipes are better than the romance...,
By D. Evans - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti (Hardcover)
Sorry. I really wanted to love this book. But, this woman makes intelligent women everywhere look really naive (or, should I just say "stupid".) The recipes look great and I will try some...eventually. I was just so disappointed in this book that I can't bring myself to open it back up. I wouldn't even call it a good beach read for the summer. There were a couple of instances of witty writing that made me laugh out loud, but for such a slim book, those were few and far between.
15 of 18 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Good Recipes, So-So Read,
By Transplanted New Yorker - Published on Amazon.com
This book is worth buying for the recipes -- but the narrative didn't work for me. There are FAR too many minute details about each relationship. For me, it bogged things down and prevented it from being the funny, light-hearted book I was expecting.Another thing that surprised me ... Giulia Melucci is obviously a very pretty, stylish, intelligent woman (at least as far as I can see in the jacket bio and photo) -- but she comes off as desperate and very, very naive about what she wanted, or thought she wanted. That's ok, if it's coupled with some funny self-reflection ... but that seemed to be missing. |
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