From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home

Chapter 1 focuses on Tembi’s semester in Florence as a foreign exchange student, her first trip abroad. An aspiring actress majoring in Art History at Wesleyan University, Tembi sought to perfect her Italian while escaping the confines of small-town Connecticut. Unlike the other women in her program, who were in Italy to shop and socialize with other Americans, Tembi wanted an authentic Florentine experience. Sloane, her Italian TA’s sister, took Tembi under her wing, gave her a job cleaning her bar, and introduced her to other locals. It was on a night out with Sloane that Tembi met Saro in front of Vivoli, Florence’s famed gelateria. The dark, handsome chef at Acqua al 2 was instantly attracted to Tembi, but she rebuffed his advances. Over the following weeks, however, Tembi grew increasingly drawn to Saro, particularly during a heady ride on a bicycle he bought for her. Tembi accepted a lunch invitation from Saro the following month, only to be stood up. To make up for it, Saro invited her and her friends to dinner at his restaurant. Acqua al 2 was packed when she arrived, but Saro reserved a table for her and treated her to a decadent and delicious array of dishes, starting with risotto con sugo verde.