Book Club Cookbook’s Guest Author Blog

During the writing of The Wonder Singer, my research took me to some exciting revelations on the lives and loves of opera divas. I learned that like good food, opera feeds the soul through a variety of senses. Its practitioners approach the art form with a zeal similar to that of a great chef.

And it’s no secret that opera singers love to eat. Peach Melba, that fortunate combination of peach halves, ice cream and raspberry sauce was inspired by the late 19^th century diva, Nellie Melba.

Chicken Tetrazzini, the ultimate Italian combination of poultry and pasta, was named after the Florentine diva Luisa Tetrazzini. And while I don’t know the exact circumstances of that culinary event, one can easily imagine the delight of the Diva at having a chef produce a signature dish in her honor.

On a more contemporary note, the Italian gelato company Caruso’s honors the great tenor Enrico, who was known to have had a wicked sweet tooth. And staying on the male diva end of the spectrum, Sebastian Joe’s, the premier ice cream parlor in Minneapolis, offers the “Pavarotti,” a nearly miraculous blend of caramel, banana and chocolate chips.

Now with the paperback publication of my novel The Wonder Singer I hope readers will find its alternating plots a treat for the imagination, the perfect summer afternoon’s feast of passion and humor.