Arriving in Naples as a naive young intern at the American Consulate, Katherine is set up on a blind date - at least that's what she's expecting. Instead, Salvatore brings her home to eat pizza with his family. But this is no ordinary pizza, and the woman who makes it is no ordinary woman. Katherine and Salve do end up dating - and marrying - but it's Salvatore's mother who truly initiates Katherine into Italian society, offering her a culinary and cultural education that marks the beginning of her womanhood. Along the way, Katherine dabbles in dubbing porn, learns to cook an octopus, and fends off frisky Italian suitors. Most importantly, she acquires carnale, the quintessentially Neapolitan sense of living with comfort and confidence in one's body.