Convivio: The Opposite of Fast Food

CONVIVIO: The Opposite of Fast Food Cook, restauranteur, grandmother and hostess par excellence, first-generation Italian-American Lucy Vallera Luhan brings to U.S. audiences a new approach to the art of creating physically, socially and emotionally healthy families and communities. For Italians, convivio refers to eating together at the table. Luhan comes from a tradition where most meals are nutritious. The concept of convivio is the antithesis of contemporary American attitudes toward food created and promoted by the fast food industry, attitudes that have led to a crisis of diet-related illnesses and social alienation. This book is a must-read for everyone who cares about the well-being of the individual, the family and the nation.

A first-generation Italian-American, Lucy Vallera Luhan was born in Connecticut and raised in a household where traditional foods and values prevailed. She helped her extended family can fruits and vegetables grown in their own garden every summer, make their own wine every autumn, and prepare fresh pasta daily. Luhan’s upbringing and passion for convivio led her to spend thirty-five years as a restaurateur in Southern California, and eventually inspired her to open Villa Lucia, a bed and breakfast/cooking school in Tuscany, Italy. She and her husband plan, in 2019, to spend more time in Abruzzo, Italy, the region of her ancestors. It is here where she first discovered her passion for authentic food, convivio, and a Mediterranean lifestyle.