How Italians find joy in doing nothing, with author Sophie Minchilli

Episode #141: Sophie Minchilli This week, Sophie Minchilli joins us to #TalkCookbooks. Sophie leads food tours around Italy with her mother, cookbook author and previous Salt + Spine guest Elizabeth Minchilli. The two lead food lovers through Rome, Umbria, Puglia, and other destinations. Growing up in Italy with a cookbook author as a mother, Sophie’s life has always revolved around food. She left briefly for university in London, before moving back home to Rome to devote her career to food. Now, Sophie’s out with her first book—The Sweetness of Doing Noting: Live Life the Italian Way with Dolce Far Niente. It’s part cookbook, with a few recipes, but mostly it’s a guide to the southern Italian philosophy of “dolce far niente” and finding pleasure in the everyday. As Sophie writes, “How often do you focus on being in the moment, doing nothing? Whether it’s sitting outside at a cafe watching the world go by, whiling away the hours with your loved ones sipping a glass of wine or being immersed in nature at the beach taking in the sun, these seemingly ordinary moments are the ones that bring happiness in the long run and highlight the joy in living.” In today’s show, we’re talking with Sophie about growing up in Rome and Umbria, her career in food tourism and writing, and putting her to the test in our culinary game. I hope you enjoy my chat with Sophie. Bonus Content + Recipes This Week This week, paid subscribers will receive three featured recipes from Sophie’s The Sweetness of Doing Nothing: her Carbonara and Amatriciana as well as Insalata Di Finocchi E Arance, which marries fennel, orange, and black olive. Salt + Spine is supported by listeners like you. To get full access to our exclusive content and featured recipes, and support our work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.

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