Raise your hand if you dream of recipes for a healthy and long life. In our era of technology it is very easy to have all of the information just a click away; however, nobody really knows what the right ingredients for longevity are. History, experience and science tell us the importance of genetics and lifestyle, including a healthy diet, working out both our bodies and our minds, and being actively involved in the world around us.

“Meals and Memories with Nonno” is a dual language English-Italian book about all of this. It is about immigration, the Mediterranean diet, our hopes, our dreams – and it is also about the made-in-Italy lifestyle that is so admired throughout the world. Nonno Angelo Iovine, born in 1903, did not have our same contemporary “lifestyle” concept; in fact, he was not even aware of the potential of the long life elixir he used to practice daily. 

It was his grandson, Frank Iovine, who spotted the great quality of his grandfather’s life. He wanted to share them with the rest of the world, so he collaborated with a young writer and memorialized this exceptional man with a book. 

“Meals and Memories with Nonno” not only holds the practical ingredients for a healthy life, but it is the inspiring story of a simple 16 year old Italian immigrant who, in 1921, left his small town near Naples to move to New York City, where he gave us the recipe to become a centenarian.

Nonno’s homemade pearls of wisdom made him an unforgettable character for all of those he met. He was a simple man, yet he was capable of everything. He loved nature, animals and, mostly, his neighbors. He was a man in tune with himself and with the world around him. He ate only fresh and healthy foods. And, perhaps most important of all, he embraced life with the deep values of his Italian philosophy. Like his fellow immigrants at that time, Nonno Angelo arrived at Ellis Island with only a few tattered belongings; but he brought with him a world of wisdom…a life coach from the past who is relevant today and whose secrets for happiness and longevity we all need to know.