I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti: A memoir of Good Food and Bad Boyfriends - Giulia Melucci

I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti: A Memoir of Good Food and Bad Boyfriends by Giulia Melucci; Grand Central Publishing 2009; 278 pgs

Memoir/Humor/Relationships/Recipes

Giulia Melucci dishes out on her serial dating experiences. This seems to be a plot line like most "chick lit" novels, divulging about bad dates, weird habits, men who are supposedly mature but act as though they have just arrived to the senior prom. Melucci definately has encountered her own set of dating woes, from the man who was forever a cool teen, the aging hipster who owns a scooter and goes to bars to watch his son's band play, to the man who could have made her his wife.

The twist to this book is the cooking which is obvious from the title. Melucci is known for her cooking skills and she artfully writes about the woes of dating while enjoying the comfort of food, whether its consoling or celebrating, healing or energy, however food doesn't seem to be just for nourishment. I loved how each man is represented by his different eating habits and how they manifest as an outlier for how the relationship will unfold. Whether this is just evident after the fact and in line with the narrative or just keen observation, I liked it nevertheless and thought it was a perfect way to tie both of the books pivotal elements together. I truly envy her relationship with her mother, not only for her enduring support but also fantastic culinary skills that I wish I could learn.

I read this while traveling and it was a great read. The writing is fast paced and is outlined as short stories featuring one relationship per chapter. All the while including recipes for the dishes she makes which is fantastic as the book doubles as a cook book. And I have to say the dishes sound wonderful and easy enough for a novice cook like me to try. I can't wait and will definitely add on to this post as I try some out. I would recommend this for someone wanting a summer read, entertainment, and a little soul searching for the quest of finding someone to make you continually smile when life gets in the way.