Rocky Mountain Italians is an account of early Italian families coming to Colorado during the great Italian immigration period of 1890-1924. The stories include travel on the Narrow Gauge Railroad, the Ludlow Massacre, the old Durango Courthouse, the history of several buildings and mines, the affect of Prohibition on the Italian American community, and the history of the Durango's Cristoforo Colombo Italian Lodge. Along with the story of each family is a favorite recipe that will pique culinary interests. Rocky Mountain Italians is an extension of the author's original story, Salone Italiano

An eye-opening exploration of a unique region of Italy that bridges the Alps and the Adriatic Sea, featuring 80 recipes and wine pairings from a master sommelier and James Beard Award-winning chef. “An exhilarating journey, no passport required.”—Thomas Keller, chef/proprietor, The French Laundry Bordered by Austria, Slovenia, and the Adriatic Sea, the northeastern Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia is an area of immense cultural blending, geographical diversity, and idyllic beauty. This tiny sliver of land is home to one of the most refined food and wine cultures in the world and yet remains off the grid. The unique cuisine of Friuli is what inspires the menu at Frasca, a James Beard Award-winning restaurant in Boulder, Colorado, helmed by master sommelier Bobby Stuckey and chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson. Meaning “branch” or “bough,” the word frasca refers to the Friulian tradition of hanging a branch outside the family farm as a sign that new wine was available for sale. Friuli Food and Wine celebrates this practice and the wine and cuisine of the Friulian region through eighty recipes and wine pairings. Dishes such as Wild Mushroom and Montasio Fonduta, Chicken Marcundela with Cherry Mostarda and Potato Puree, Squash Gnocchi with Smoked Ricotta Sauce, and Whole Branzino in a Salt Crust are organized by Land, Sea, and Mountains, while profiles of local winemakers and wines, including Tocai, Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia Istriana, and Verduzzo, open up new pairing possibilities. Showcasing the best Friulian wines you can buy outside of Italy as well as restaurant and winery recommendations, this beautifully photographed cookbook, wine guide, and travelogue brings the delicious secrets of this untouched part of Italy into your home kitchen.

They came from the poorest parts of Ireland and Italy, and met as rivals on the sidewalks of New York. In the nineteenth century and for long after, the Irish and Italians fought in the Catholic Church, on the waterfront, at construction sites, and in the streets. Then they made peace through romance, marrying each other on a large scale in the years after World War II. An Unlikely Union unfolds the dramatic story of how two of America's largest ethnic groups learned to love and laugh with each other in the wake of decades of animosity. The vibrant cast of characters features saints such as

As much a historical account as it is a novel, Salone Italiano is the fascinating tale of the lives and loves of the Sartore family, who exchanged their peaceful European existence for a life of both hope and hardship as immigrants living in the legendary mining town of Silverton, Colorado. Old world customs and traditions collide with the family?s newfound American lifestyle. Racial tensions reach such a fever pitch that, when romance begins to flourish, even murder is considered to keep lovers from crossing the line into segregated territory.The saga of the Sartore family is steeped in historical detail and rich in drama. Salone Italiano is based almost entirely on actual letters written by members of the family at the beginning of the twentieth century to relatives in Italy. Many of the family?s historic photographs also illustrate the book. Experience this little-known chapter of American history first-hand by vicariously witnessing the lives of true Colorado pioneers that are often forgotten in the annuals of history. Kay Niemann was born in Durango, Colorado, but has spent much of her life overseas. This, her first novel, has been acclaimed as ?a terrific historical account with a writing style like a breath of fresh air in the world of academe.? Kay has returned to her family roots, taking pride in their accomplishments and seeking to preserve her unique family history.