Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez with Recipe by Ellen Manning
Author
From a Brooklyn working class upbringing, author of Anita de Monte Laughs Last, Xochiti Gonzalez, was mostly raised by her maternal grandparents.
Her Nuyorican and Mexican American parents, were absent for a lot of her childhood.
Activists who were away with their heavy involvement with the Socialist Workers Party
Her early life experiences left her with a curious mind, and had a bearing on her own ‘identity and on her writing themes of gentrification, identity and the American dream’.
She was the first generation from her family to graduate college, with a scholarship to brown university. In college she majored in Art history, although she says she wanted to study creative writing and felt intimidated by her roommate.
After college, Xochiti Gonzalez spent over ten years as a wedding planner and entrepreneur, and it was her grandmothers death, and other personal loses, which gave her the impetus to follow her dream of becoming a professional writer.
It was writing a successful blog during the thirteen years she spent as a wedding planner which helped her on the way, leading to freelance writing opportunities.
It was when she was almost 40 that she took the decision to drop everything and focus entirely on her writing career.
Joining a writing group she applied to a well-regarded writers workshop where, in 2021, she earned her MFA.
Her first book, heavily drawn from her years as a wedding planner, soon after being released, became a New York Times bestseller.
Now along with her books and essays, she is a staff writer and cultural critic for The Atlantic.
After a divorce in her late 20s, she now lives in Brooklyn with her dog and spends time with her close friends.
Xochitl Gonzalez
Book
The book intertwines two timelines and blends real historical elements with invented characters and plotlines to capture the essence of Mendieta's spirit and impact.
It explores art, privilege and the wiping out of artists of colour.
How the art world is shaped by those in power and how woman of colour, no matter how brilliant, can be marginalised or forgotten while their white male counterparts are celebrated.
Timeline one, 1985: Anita de Monte who is a rising star in the New York art scene, dies under suspicious circumstances. She’s married to a very famous, white older sculpture, who’s career often clashes with her rising success.
She dies after falling from a high apartment window, her death is later thought to be highly suspicious.
Her husband, Jack Martin, a well-known minimalist sculptor and serial cheater, is accused, charged and ultimately acquitted of throwing Anita to her death. Once released, he goes on to erase her from art world history.
In the second timeline, 1998, a third year Latina art history student, Raquel Toro, at a top-notch ivy league college, struggles to find her place, and her voice.
After she started a relationship with an older art student, manipulative, dismissive but with good connections, she comes across the story of Anita Monte and realises that after her death, she has been completely wiped from history.
When she finds the story, she realises that it mirrors her own life and uses it to reshape the work she does to complete her thesis.
The book has a supernatural element to it, with Anita’s spirit watching over Raquel, acting as a spiritual guide who haunts Jack Martin, his new partners and making sure her story is eventually told.
Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez with Recipe by Ellen Manning
My Thoughts
I enjoyed the two timelines, more so the 1998 line.
I’d never heard of this author until the book was on Foodie Book Clubs 2026 reading list, and I think the part I enjoyed most was the research I did after the book about the author and the subject, Anita de Monte (in real life Ana Mendieta.)
I was really disappointed that the true identity of the female artist wasn’t anywhere in the book, when, for me, it would have made it more interesting.
I thought the book was really well written, with characters that were solid and believable.
There were many opportunities to really like and to really dislike the characters, making, once I got through the slow first third of the book, an interesting read.
I say interesting rather than enjoyable, as I wouldn’t look on my shelf for it to read again.
I give it a 2.5 Egg rating.
I give it a 2.5 egg rating
Chef
Eat with Ellen
Another generous person who gifted us a recipe, and her time, for a live cooking session, during the pandemic.
Watch her on Foodie Book Club YouTube Channel and follow along with the recipe here.
If you’ve not explored Eat with Ellen Manning, then you’re missing so much . She’s sassy, she’s fun and she is an amazing writer.
Like i said, Ellen is such a great writer, i’ll just let you read all about her in her own words.
“I’m a food blogger and journalist from Rugby in Warwickshire. For my day job, I write for newspapers and magazines about everything from breaking news to food as well as working as a PR consultant advising small businesses on how to tell their stories and how to deal with journalists.
As a long-time lover of food and someone who loves words, a food blog seemed to make perfect sense. I had dabbled with blogging on and off but in 2014/15 I decided to throw some time and effort at Eat with Ellen.
What started as a little piece of the internet to share my thoughts and document our meals at restaurants around the UK and beyond went on to win Best Food Blog at the Midlands Food Drink and Hospitality Awards. Since then, I have worked with local businesses as well as major brands but most importantly have continued to share my recommendations and support local businesses. The COVID pandemic has seen my blog become a resource for people - helping them choose what to buy and telling them how they can support businesses, giving a much-needed boost to the sector I love that has struggled so much.
Food is a huge part of my life. As well as blogging about it, I appear regularly on BBC radio, I’m a judge at the Great Taste Awards, and promote my local food and drink scene by working with organisations like Visit Coventry. My blog has never been a ‘money-spinner’ - it’s something I love, whether it earns me a few quid or not and has brought me some amazing opportunities, from foraging for mushrooms with Glynn Purnell to visiting wonderful restaurants or trying great food and drink. It brings together my profession and my passion all in one place and is the product of hard work, love and collaboration with like-minded people.”
Ellen Manning
Recipe
A super easy recipe for a nice warming, simple lunch for one. This may not be a 100% authentic Shakshuka but it’s my version and you can tailor it to your own taste, whether that’s adding more veg, pepping it up with more chilli or changing it in other ways.
Shakshuka
Flatbreads (makes roughly 2/3 flatbreads - double up for more)
100g plain flour
60ml water
Salt
Shakshuka (serves one)
Half a red onion, choppedHalf a red or yellow pepper, chopped
One clove garlic, chopped
1 x tin chopped tomatoes (can use ones with herbs, or can use tinned cherry tomatoes)
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chilli flakes or 1tbsp chilli jam/chilli sauce
Seasoning
2 free range eggs
20g feta cheese (optional)
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Method
Make the flatbread dough. Make a well in the heap of flour and salt and gradually pour the water in, mixing as you go. Knead it together until you have a dough and continue to knead for 5 minutes. Leave to rest while you make the shakshuka.
Fry the onion, garlic and pepper in a small frying pan until they’re sort.
Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, and all the spices and seasoning simmer on a low-medium heat for a few minutes. Make sure it’s not too high otherwise they’ll stick, but you want them to be fairly thick.
Crack the egg into the tomato mixture and cook on low for another five minutes or so. Then put under a hot grill or at the top of a hot oven (make sure your pan’s oven proof if you’re going to do this) to make sure the eggs are cooked. Keep an eye on them so you don’t overcook them, you still want the yolks to be runny
While it’s in the oven/grill, split your flatbread dough into 2/3 balls. Flour a flat surface and roll them out into flatbread shapes. Try to roll them fairly thin if you can but it’s not the end of the world if they’re not.
Heat a dry frying pan on a high heat. Once it’s fairly hot, pop your first flatbread in and leave for a few minutes. Use tongs to turn it over. It should be browned on the under-side. Do the same on the other side. You’ll be able to tell when they’re cooked because they’ll go from doughy to a bread-like texture. Do the same for the second, and third if you’re making one.
Take the eggs out of the oven. Check the taste and season more if necessary. Crumble the feta over the top and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.
Serve with the flatbreads and either eat with a spoon or dunk your flatbreads straight into the oozy yolk and use to scoop up lovely mouthfuls of warm, eggy tomatoey goodness.
Recipe by Ellen Manning
Ellen Manning
Freelance journalist, writer & blogger
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