Why do you think quality food was so important to Annunziata and her sisters, while it was less so to Maria? Do you feel the importance of a home-cooked meal has changed over the decades, and if so, why?

Food is mentioned several times throughout the plot. Why do you think quality food was so important to Annunziata and her sisters, while it was less so to Maria?

Do you feel the importance of a home-cooked meal has changed over the decades, and if so, why do you believe this is true? Are there specific meals or foods that hold significance for your family?

The food of immigrants has always been looked upon suspiciously in other societies. the stories of children being embarrassed to take their home cooked food to school are common- all they want as children is a peanut butter sandwich to blend in. And, of course, later in life they realized how much better their food was both in taste and nutrition.
People who came form places where they farmed their food, or had access to daily fresh food find canned, processed, and nutrition-free food horrifying. Their children usually are more ambivalent - they can love Mom's cooking as well as a Big Mac.
In my family everyone feels their chicken soup is the best, their bolognese sauce is the best, and their BBQ skills are the best. The traditional foods my grandmother made mean the most - a roast chicken, an apple cake, and strangely, salad dressing!

Food kept them attached to their culture, traditions, and memories. It was a comfort to retain those ties. Maria was more Americanized and functioned in a world outside the immediate family. She didn't cling as tightly to the past.
My family sat down at a table together for meals when I was a child. I wasn't as strict with my own children. We would sometimes eat while watching TV in the living room. With varying schedules, we couldn't always eat at the same time. Restaurants and fast food have helped destroy the sit-down family meal. I think it's a loss.

This is such an interesting question because I really didn't read much into the food scenes as to me they simply reflected the culture and traditions of the "old country" where family time was sacred and food was a reflection of the love and care a family had for one another. Plus everyone (may not Maria so much) loves "comfort food." But upon reflection, I think the author wanted to show how Maria had assimilated into American life while her aunts still kept with the "old country" ways. I remember one of my husband's aunts who was a first generation American (the family was Polish) remarking about how her parents resisted assimilation to such an extent that if any stranger showed up at their door speaking English, they'd still answer in Polish even though they speak English. Sometimes it's hard to let go.

Most, if not all, cultures have traditions revolving around the idea that food is love. It is one of the ways we connect with each other, by providing delicious sustenance while we talk and laugh. Given the historical time frame of this novel, the children and grandchildren were probably less likely to cling to these traditions, especially in America. But in today's foodie culture, there seems to be a return to the importance and meaning of these customs. Annunziata found the food of America bland and without pleasure, while Maria wanted to adopt the cuisine of her new homeland which horrified her mother and aunts.

For myself and my extended family we often combine cultures, Irish and German and Asian and of course American favorites. The younger members are happy to consume most of it!!

As I read the novel I did not see food as central theme but in retrospect it was because food from their countries was and is important to immigrants because this is one to keep their cultural history alive even not always looked favorably by outsiders. Maria unlike Annunziata and her sisters wanted to fit into her new culture and was welling to forgo some of the traditional foods. As a child of immigrants our diet blended both traditional, everyday, and holiday foods from my parents culture and American cuisine.

I think the importance of home-cooked food has changed over the years in the USA, and I attribute that to extremely busy lifestyles, two working parents or working single parents along with students who have incredibly packed schedules of activities. On the other hand, the Covid pandemic seemed to reawaken an appreciation for sharing home cooked food and the special time together it can provide for couples, friends, families. As I read the book, however, I didn't dwell on the food scenes; I think I just took it for granted that some members of the family would still be cooking as they had in their home country.

Food and family is important in the Italian culture at least it is in my family.

And we are all food snobs - quality and cooking method,

Both food and family are an important part of any culture. In my family it is very important to the younger generation that the family's seniors pass along age old family recipes and traditions. As a family we always make sure we gather together (Ages 85 to 6) at the holiday season to bake our Swedish/Danish cookies to share on Christmas Eve.