Little Italy’s Mercato Proudly Hosts International Book Tour Event for SLOW: Life in a Tuscan Town October 3, 2009

Little Italy’s Farmer’s Market, The Mercato, is proud to host Slow Food Urban San Diego, who will feature Chef Pete Balistreri of Tender Greens restaurant, along with Douglas Gayeton, author-photographer of a newly-released book, SLOW: Life in a Tuscan Town. The mission of Slow Food is also close to the hearts of Mercato founders, as the organization’s members aim to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and a dwindling interest in the food we eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.

SLOW: Life in a Tuscan Town is an unprecedented photographic personal journey into the heart of hidden Tuscany, and celebrates the principles that define the Slow Food movement while paying tribute to the region’s kaleidoscope of vibrant characters, whose shared culture revolves around the everyday pleasure of growing, preparing, and eating food. With an anecdotal charm reminiscent of Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence, Douglas Gayeton’s interplay of pictures and words conveys a thrilling narrative that transports you halfway around the globe to the charming town of Pistoia, nestled in the outskirts of Florence. It is a riveting story told in a riveting way: each image comprised of multiple photographs taken over a period of time that can range anywhere from ten minutes to several hours, and layered with Gayeton’s handwritten notes, recipes, facts, and sayings.

Chef Pete Balistreri, whose grandparents grew up and raised their family in Little Italy, will be doing a SLOW cooking demonstration from 11:00 a.m. to 12 noon incorporating foods featured in the book and using farm fresh vegetables, meats and eggs from Mercato vendors.

Official Website: http://littleitalysd.com/mercato/home.asp