Author Matthew Frank grew up in a cult of microwave, and overeating, and bad radiated food.

That's how he summarizes his family's behaviors when it came to meals.

"I grew up in a family that really devalued food in favor of watching television and sitting on the couch," Frank said. "My family basically microwaved everything and over-stuffed themselves ... if I wasn't uncomfortable, I wasn't full."

Now that Frank has published Barolo, a food and wine memoir about his experiences as an illegal worker in Italy during the wine harvest, it is hard to imagine him consuming anything that came frozen, premade or with a side of ranch.

"It got to the point that I thought, ‘it could be better than this,'" Frank said. "[I] kind of considered dining well a form of rebellion ... instead of playing mailbox baseball ... I started dining out at interesting restaurants."

He had little money to spend, but started taking food-related jobs to learn about the business. After Frank moved to Alaska from his hometown of Chicago, he saved up a small sum and traveled to the small Italian village of Barolo, famous for its wine. Frank made friends with a woman who rented out rooms in her farmhouse; she suggested he come back at some point to help with the wine harvest; he did.

"I set up a tent in her garden for about six-and-a-half months," says Frank. "I picked grapes and apprenticed in a series of bakeries and butcher shops ... it was a culinary evolution of sorts in the way that it taught me a better way to live."

Barolo is an exploration of his time in the village and with the wine of the same name. Barolo for Frank is an attitude just as much as a place.

"It stems from the whole dining experience, [which] tends to permeate other areas in life ... what I learned about the way people dine in Italy, they sit, they take their time and it's all about concentrating on the moment in hand and the sensory experience." Frank explains that the seemingly simple act of eating has taught him lessons that are applicable beyond the dinner table.

"It taught me a slower way of life," he says.

Frank and his wife recently returned from a trip back to Barolo.

"When we came back to the States we were just profoundly depressed; it's just the shift in lifestyle and anxiety," he admits. "Things just take longer there [and] the stories you gather and the things you observe are just frickin' rewarding."

Frank's passion for delicious food and the art of eating it well is not a stage, as his parents may have thought during his younger years. There were plans of him and his wife "buying an old bus and selling gourmet grilled cheese in the financial district of San Francisco." One of his favorite variations is a Brie, arugula and fig sandwich on artisan bread. It may not be a TV dinner, but the world just might be ready for it.

Other Literary Events
By Theo Andrews

Mark Crilley
Kalamazoo Public Library, Central Branch
May 20, 6:30 p.m.
kpl.gov, (269) 342-9837

Mark Crilley is an author/illustrator of a manga series, Miki Falls, and 10 graphic novels featuring Akiko, a spunky, pig-tailed fourth grade heroine. Crilley is a former graduate of Kalamazoo College, and credits his alma mater as helping him achieve his career goals. Crilley gives a high-energy presentation by telling jokes and reading from his books in his characters' voices. Most of Crilley's work is a mainstay in schools and various libraries throughout the country. The Central Branch of the Kalamazoo Public Library will be hosting the event. Crilley will read his work, talk about being a storyteller, writer, and illustrator, as well as offer tips for aspiring writers and artists.

Steve Luxenberg
Grand Rapids Public Library, Main Branch
May 19, 7 p.m., grpl.org, (616) 988-5400

An associate editor for The Washington Post, Steve Luxenberg has worked more than 30 years as a newspaper editor and reporter. He joined the Post in 1985 as deputy editor of the newspaper's investigative/special projects staff. His newest book, Annie's Ghost: A Journey Into a Family Secret, was named a 2010 Michigan Notable book. Annie's Ghost revolves around his mother's decision to hide the existence of her disabled sister, Annie. Employing his skills as a journalist, the book is part detective story, part social history and part memoir. Luxenberg pieces together the story of his mother's motivations and his unknown aunts' life while trying to maintain his empathy as a son. The event is in the Ryerson Auditorium, Level 3 of Main Library. Luxenberg will give a talk.