The Wedding Officer
Fiction
Sphere
448
Anthony Capella’s first book, The Food of Love – a modern update of the Cyrano de Bergerac story, with food in place of poetry – was a mouth-watering romp through the cuisine of Italy with a different dish on every page. His second novel, The Wedding Officer, is set in the more sombre and rationed times of World War II but Capella still manages to include many wonderful descriptions of dishes like apricot dolce, melanzana alla parmigiana and pomodori ripieni con formaggio caprino ed erba cipollina or tomatoes stuffed with goat’s cheese and chives.
And, food aside, there’s also a love story. The Wedding Officer’s hero and heroine are young British army captain James Gould and the beautiful, spirited – and wonderful cook – Livia Pertini. James, the wedding officer himself, arrives in Naples in 1944 to vet English soldiers’ fiancées. With his insistence on following the rules and regulations, he causes so much trouble for the fiancées, prostitutes and black market restaurateurs of the city that they eventually band together and come up with a very Italian solution – panza cuntenti cori clementi: panza dijuna nenti priduna or “a contented stomach, a forgiving heart: but an empty stomach pardons nothing”. They persuade Livia to accept a job as James’ cook and with pasta, garlic and peperoncino to replace the British army “meat and vegetable” rations, the stage is set for the seduction of this upright Englishman by something more than the glories of Italian food.
It’s not all plain sailing though – real life intrudes in their idyll with war and the eruption of nearby Vesuvius causing major complications – and The Wedding Officer has an undoubtedly darker tone than The Food of Love as Capella investigates what people will do in order to survive.
The perfect summertime read for anyone interested in food, Italy – or even romance. 
