When food, family and tradition collide..
“The heart of the table begins with you and me; extending our table into our community”
When you hear Carmela speak of food, you also hear her emotionally speak of family and tradition, and it is these three aspects of her life that beautifully combine together in her new book The Heart of the Table.
In Carmela, you see a passion that you don't often see in people. And in the Sorrento Trattoria on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula over the weekend, this passion shone brightly as she celebrated the launch of her new book in the company of her Sicilian family and friends.
The Heart of the Table is not just a cookbook, but also the story of the daughter and granddaughter of Sicilian immigrants and her desire to keep her family traditions alive here in Australia. It is a story of how food and family can connect and to help redefine the heart of the table and to reconnect with one's heritage.
As you read through Carmela's book, you are presented with a range of questions that allows you to think about your own mark on the world and to decide what legacy you would like to leave behind.
Who am I?
Where am I from?
Why am I here?
What are my talents and skills?
Where am I going?
There is no way you can read through this book, whether reading from cover to cover, or just picking a random chapter to read, without questioning your own heritage and the role that food has to play in your connections with your past and your future.
In an era where we are all so time poor, it is often the large family lunches and celebrations that bring us together as a family.
Carmela challenges us all to make the most of these gatherings; to reconnect as a family and to bring back the art of food and conversation.
“Home is the place where you just get to be; you can park yourself and stay within the sanctuary of your family and grow together as a family”
Carmela is incredibly proud of her Sicilian roots; a heritage that is shared by a handful of women who are featured throughout the book. These women share their own story; and while these stories of struggles, achievements and legacies may vary, what doesn't change among the women is the fact that they are incredibly proud to share their Italian heritage with Carmela and their friends and family.
If you would like to bring your family together to experience Carmela's Italian cooking, make sure visit Sorrento Trattoria.
To purchase your own copy of Carmela's book; book in for a cooking class, or enquire about a culinary and cultural trip to Sicily, check out Carmela's website.
