Your Feedback & Stories

Mark . Melbourne 8/07

"......I had purchased your book and enjoyed it very much.

It actually inspired my cousin and I to make some salamis and we made about sixty kilos about a month ago. We have just sampled them this past weekend. They were fantastic and we are determined to try a few other things.

My family is from Sicily and there was a big tradition of making things at home when I was a boy and that has dropped off significantly in recent times. I realised that with my parents and the rest of my aunts and uncles at an advanced age if I did not try to maintain some of these traditions then they would probably be lost forever to my family. I have so many fond memories of those those occasions when my entire family would band together to produce wine or the tomato sauce that I was determined to give my kids the same experiences. So thanks for the book. ...."

Lucy.. Melbourne

Today I visited Dr Pietro Demaio my GP. While I was sitting in his waiting room I noticed a book on the counter called, Preserving the Italian Way written by the good doctor himself.

It is fantastic!

Pietro comes from Calabria and is passionate about preserving traditional Italian foods. Pietro even asks if you have any special recipes that you would like to add to his next edition to please email it (including a list ingredients and their quantities and a little about the recipe i.e., where it originated, who passed it down to you, how long it has been in your family ...etc etc

There is even a recipe for Sapone Fatto a Casa and plans on how to build your own Brick-Fired Oven for the bread. You'll love it!
L.

Just sending a brief note to let you know how much I am enjoying your book. I bought it last week at the cookbook shop in Gertrude Street and have had it on the dining room table ever since. (The dining room table is where I sit to read the papers and do the crossword every day and I reckon I've picked up your book 15 times!) I am an avid cook and am looking forward trying out some of your preserving techniques.

BUT! That's not what I love about Preserving the Italian Way. What impresses me most is the chief ingredient in each recipe: the sheer joy and love that simmers to the surface.

The stories are so warm and genuine that I feel like one of the family. I was especially moved by the story about your father coming to Australia in 1937.

PW

From: AM, Melbourne, Australia

Hi Pietro,

Congratulations, the book is fantastic. As someone with Italian heritage, I commend you on the work you have done in preserving Italian tradition. I have not been so excited about a book in a long time. Two of my friends have already bought a copy, and I will keep recommending it.

From: GS, Adelaide, Australia

Pietro/Peter,

What a remarkable achievement!

I was visiting Melbourne from Adelaide last week, and discovered your fantastic book "Preserving the Italian Way" in Readings Bookshop, Lygon St, Carlton. My wife and I are Aussies, but aspire to be Italian peasants.

We pick olives for oil and the table, kill a pig and make salsicce, salami, capocollo and pancetta (with the help of a Calabrian butcher patient called Rocky), make our own wine, grow melanzane and pomodori, carciofi and rocket, figs and walnuts (and other fruit and vegies), and generally have a good time preserving and consuming it all.

This book will be a fantastic reference. I am inspired to preserve a tuna now after reading Mimmo's foreword. Congratulations!
Regards
G S

From: Chris S., Melbourne, Australia

Pietro how are you?  We purchased your book yesterday and I am finding it hard to put down.  It is fantastic what you have done to pass on all the traditional ways of enjoying food. 

I am of Greek origin and my wife is Italian.  We have three children we are always trying to educate the traditional methods of Mediterranean cooking.  Apart from our family home in Glen Iris we also own a holiday house on the Mornington peninsula which we have a abundance of fruit trees and try and grow everything under the sun and where we make our home made wine but haven't got our own vine yet.

I have built two wood fired ovens, one down at Rye and a smaller one at Glen Iris.  Your notes are exactly how I built them.  Like you describe you cannot beat the aroma of freshly baked bread from a wood fired oven, or tender roasted goat and veggies.

My other passion is building and cooking with charcoal rotisseries.  I have even have my own website in which you can purchase a set of plans on how to build your own.  If you get a minute, check it out.  http://members.iinet.net.au/~kookie/spit_index.html

With the Italian in laws we have just finished doing the salamis and have just vacuum-sealed all of them.  In summer I go with them to Heathcote and we pick all the tomatoes to make the 300 bottles of sauce to share between us.  I love watching my kids who are only 6, 8 and 10 getting instructions from Nonna on how to make the sauce.
And yes I did read your blog and keep it up.

I find it a bit hard explaining my passion in words but who knows, one day we might bump into each other and exchange stories.

Chris S.

Comments

[David Abdo]

Hello Pietro,
I heard about your book sometime ago on 3aw and you called that day to have a Chat with Bob Hart. You inspired me so much that I purchased your book when I got home that night online. The tales of your adventures are inspiring and heart warming. The one tale that stood out was the trip to Italy with your family. The recipes in here are absolutely fantastic and making hungry just writing this. Anyway all the best and may God bless you for another 50+ years for all to be inspired by your passion for life.

David Abdo
(Melbourne)

[Paul]

Hi,

I saw your book in the Sydney Morning Herald this week and thought that would be a great xmas gift for my Dad. He has been experimenting for a few years bottling his own olives, so I thought this book would be right up his alley. Anyway, the book looks great, I am sure he will love it!

regards,

Paul

[Nikki]

Hi Peter,

Just found your website courtesy of Sando - I'm one of his med school friends who was lucky enough to enjoy some of your wonderful hospitality between christmas and new years! I came round to your farm with Dan Briggs and co. Just wanted to thank-you again for the amazing meal and great company. The food was wonderful and I've purchased a copy of your book to see what new tricks I can learn as I also love to cook (we'll see how my small kitchen takes it though!).

I dropped Sandro a line who asked if I could pass on my thanks to you- he thought you might get a kick out of it.

Thanks again, I'm looking forward to getting my hands onto the book and into the kitchen!

Nikki

[Arrigo Bonincasa]

tom phelan made some comments about some spelling mistakes in "Preserving the Italian Way". I tried to communicate with him at his IP address, but he must have mispelt it at the foot of his comments because Live Search found no results for it.
People who live in glass houses... etc.
The information in the book is excellent and Peter Demaio is to be congratulated for the time he must have spent collecting all those preserving recipes from many of the last generation of Italian settlers.
Come on tom phelan, next time you buy a doughnut, dwell upon the doughnut and not upon the hole!

[Ninetta O'Connor]

Hi Pietro,
What a marvelous book saw it on the net rang up my book store in Griffith got the last copy then had to order 4 more copies everytime I showed someone they wanted one so they all got it for mothers Day from their families have made olives so far this book truely brought back beautifull memories of my late mother Giuseppina please follow up with your compare's zia's cugine or paesane and bring out a recipe book on all the biscotti, crostoli ect. As a child from one Calabrese and One veneto parent I love love love your book.

CIAO Ninetta ( I am now an Irish/Italian)

[marie artico]

Hi pietro, just wanted to congratulate you on a fantastic book I brought it last year from a wine making supplies shop in springvale and I absolutely love it, I've made olives melanzanes and in the next couple of weeks we will be making the salami's, I am also from italian parents like yourself my parents from marano marchesato and i volpicchi which is near castrolibero in calabria, I was born in england, which is where they migrated to when they got married, then later on we migrated to australia, I have been brought up with making salamis, the tomato sauce and all the other preserves,my parents are now at an age where they can't do everything they used to so I am determined to learn it myself, as you know we italians love to entertain and there is always plenty of food on the table, and we like to keep our pantry well stocked your book has inspired me to try some of the other recipes so I know my pantry and husband who is from veneto will benefit from them, l love to cook and was very happy with your book and your stories which brought back so many memories for me too, you've done a fantastic job and I will also be teaching my daughter and stepchildren the wonderful art of italian cooking well done and happy eating. marie artico

[anne9436]

Hi Pietro
Have just googled "making salami" and your site appeared. I have now purchased 2 copies of your book - one for my son - an apprentice chef and another for a friend who is currently fattening up his pigs - I am hopeful he will use your book to make salami. Really looking forward to reading your stuff.
Regards
Anne

[Damon and Theresa]

PETE YOUR A LEGEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you so much Pete for your book we have lost alot of our culture out here in Oz unfortunately my family does die at a young age wich makes it impossible for our elders to pass on their knowledge, today we tried our salami for the first time only 3 1/2 weeks after hanging them and the results PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! mate your a legend and your willingness to share your knowledge benefits us all thank you very much if ever I can help you with anything in anyway please contact me
Best Regards
Damon and Theresa

[maryann vitale]

Hi Peter My son Francesco went fishig with his mates at Portland a few months ago and caught yellow fin tuna 12 to be exact,borrowed your book from my brother-inlaw and got the recipe for tuna and it was geat made many many jars and they all love it,FANTASTIC BOOK

[Grace Caruso]

Thank you sooooooooooo much for Preserving The Italian Way.
My husband and I are of the same origin as your self Australian born of Calabrese parents.
We relate so much to your anecdotes of growing up, that we read your book laughing and nodding our heads throughout all your colourful stories.
These recipes are fantastic I, had been hoping to find something like this with the Real McCoy ingredients and methods that our parents used. Even my daughter now has a copy of this book and my brother and my niece, we just love it.
Thank you again for a wonderful piece of heritage.

[Antonia Howarth-Wass]

Hi Pietro
I purchased your book 2007 and phoned you in Melbourne at the time to congratulate you on producing something that was so inspiring and such essential knowledge to the gourmet foodie. I was in Sydney but have since moved to Tasmania and I DESPERATELY need another copy of your book to pass on to other foodies also from Europe who have been bowled over from reading my copy. I hope you can contact me and let me know if you did that planned update?

[Rob]

Hi Pietro,

I just brought your book and congratulations for your effort.

It better be bloody good amico, ti avverto

[Ricardo]

I want to browse your book because I already been making preserves for many years.Is it sold at bookstores?
Had a look at your pdf intro could not find many things of interest apart from Tonno sotto olio.

Gracie mille

[Diana Logue]

Biongiorno Pietro,

I have had your book for a couple of years now and the day I actually bought it was one of my happiest as for a long time now, being of Italian heritage, I have watched as the old traditions are slowly dying at and your book after reading all the comments, has obviously inspired and revived another generation, and more to come I dare say. Needless to say, I have used many of your recipes for preserving, especially, the olives. Grazie, and have you ever thought of maybe, holding some classes. I'd be number one of your list.

Ciao for now,
Diana