Customer Reviews

Garlic, Wine and Olive Oil: Historical Anecdotes and Recipes

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Pellechia mixes history with his love for food and wine in a most refreshing way. He jumps from the time of Alexander The Great to The Roman Empire to 1970s Iran and 1980s Brooklyn effortlessly, all the while inspiring people who know a little about food and wine to know a good deal more. He tackles the holy trinity of eating in a style that is as fresh as a loaf of Italian bread taken right out of the oven. His selection of recipes sprinkled throughout are a delight.....David Kiley of USA Today.

The blend of literature, personal story, information and recipes makes this book a warm and helpful companion. Not only are the resulting meals a delight, but they are richer for the narrative that goes with them. Warning: do not read this book on an empty stomach - it could cause a trip to the market!

Treasures sometimes land in our laps at times at the oddest of times and circumstances and I had the pleasure of meeting an author and purchasing his book or treasure. The book "Garlic, Wine and Olive Oil", by Thomas Pellechia, much too my surprise was a heartfelt book packed with history, recipes and a slice of life so sincere that I feel like I have experienced the things that I have read. Maybe it's because Thomas and I share the memories and culture of a time lost and yet found in his book.

The way the author Thomas writes is the type of style that grabs you by the arm and won't let go until you are done with the book. I found it very easy to read and very informative. Thomas leaves a few clues as to his age in the book so one can date the timeline as well some of the most compelling history even quoting biblical verses and great historians and some of the best minds in the world and all this is interwoven the story of "Garlic, Wine and Olive Oil". While embarking on a journey from thousands of years ago up to the modern era you are drawn in by the hook, health and history and the human experience many different cultures.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has a passion for life and wants to understand more about Garlic, Wine and Olive Oil and how it has interwoven itself in the human experience called life. Thomas has been imbued into my mind and forever changed the way I perceive this world and I might add given some of the best recipes for many dishes. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has an open mine and who wants to take a ride and surf the crest of history and stay healthy.

John D.Zuccarino

I recently meet Thomas Pellecia at his wine store in Manhattan and found him fascinating and infomative on the subject and history of wine. After learning that he, along with having owned his own vinyards and grown his own wines, had a book published, I sought it out to read. I myself work in the importation end of the wine business and my perspective latches more onto the wine than the other fascinating aspects of this book. After all, I find myself reading alot of books on wine. This book was not like the majority of them. I find most books on the subject of wine stuffy, pompous and disdainfull of anyone that does not aspire to the highest levels of fine wine at all times. This book on the other hand was honest, straight-forward, bursting with amusing anecdotes and historical references which also kept the subject of wine where it belongs, as a companion to the meal, at the dinner table or in the kitchen. For Thomas, wine is not some idol on a pedistal that must be aspired to, but rather an integrale part of his personal and cultural history that is clearly paralled with both olive oil and garlic. A "Holy Triumvirate" which is not raised above everyday life, but which forms the basis of everyday meals and medicines.