Stories of Food, Love, Family: Sobremesa by Josephine Caminos Oria

“Sobremesa (so-bre-me-sa): time spent being present at the table, lingering over a meal in conversation well after the food is gone.” All of us have experienced that, right? Although not regularly anymore, my own family gathers around the table with another glass of wine or a cup of coffee after meals. We laugh, share stories of the present and past, and relish in relationships that are uniquely ours.

It’s no wonder that I was taken with author Josephine Caminos Oria’s book, her own “memoir of food and love in thirteen courses.” Sobremesa is the setting for her personal stories of spirituality, food, relationships, and ultimately, clarity. In Josephine’s words, “Sobremesa set the table for a future I never saw coming, like the legions of ghosts and ancestors past who frequented my family’s dining room.”

Sent for review and with a request to pair a recipe from the book with my choice of wine, I was enticed. Josephine Caminos Oria is an Argentine-American cookbook author, entrepreneur and mom. When she was in her 40s, she took a leap of faith and resigned from a corporate career to make dulce de leche, a recipe attributed to her grandmother. Although Josephine currently lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, her Argentine roots grow deep.

A thread woven throughout the book is Josephine’s love for Argentine cuisine. At the end of each chapter, Josephine shares an Argentine recipe and an anecdote that help reflect the unique stage of her life just described. For example, after relating the how and why of a panic attack, she includes a recipe for “Mom’s Mushroom Sandwich” that’s “a love letter from my mom. For the sandwich to wield its magic, it must not be shared.” To demonstrate her elation about being welcomed by her future husband’s family and an invitation to sit at their table for sobremesa, a recipe for “Knife-Cut Beef Hand Held Turnovers” (Empanadas al Cuchillo) is offered with the caveat “to be kissed long and hard.”

One of my favorite recipes from the book (and the one I made with a few variations) is “Ricotta Gnocchi” (Noqui de Ricota), a dish that Josephine made with her grandmother towards the end of her life. After Josephine’s dear grandmother passed and she was on the plane returning to her husband and children in Pittsburgh, Josephine “comes to terms that it would be our last sobremesa. There’d be no more trips to Argentina to see her. My beloved abuela Dorita would soon be joining their side of the table” amidst her ancestors. To be sure, the effect of sobremesa reaches beyond the world here on earth – the ghosts of our heritage are always with us.

To pair with the Ricotta Gnocchi, I chose a sample bottle of Kaiken Mai Malbec 2016 ($80) from Mendoza. Balanced and elegant, with moderate acidity and soft tannins, the concentrated fruit, spice and oak notes were a brilliant match to the texture and flavors of the gnocchi.

I highly recommend Sobremesa – a memoir of food and love in thirteen courses (about $23). Inspired by generations of family members, Josephine honors her family legacy by writing this compelling story. A page-turner of a book, I could relate to Josephine’s close-knit family and her own sense of love, joy, loss and disappointment that life places at our feet. The book is universal in its theme but personal at its core. In essence, “sobremesa is a reminder that home is anywhere the heart is.”

To purchase, please click here.

Cheers! ~ Cindy

For more Grape Experiences and a free infographic “4 Keys to a Stellar Wine Pick” click here.