Recipes from Our Italian Kitchen - The Tuscan Sun Cookbook

This was fun, mostly because of all the photographs of Frances Mayes' now famous and lovely Tuscan home. The recipe collection is not extensive, but it is exactly what you need for inspiration to create the ambiance, taste and feeling of the fresh, life-affirming cuisine of Tuscany at home.

Just spent the month of Sept. in Tuscany. Saw the cookbook in a store in Cortona, Italy. Looked it up on the store and it was $10 less than there.
Decided to wait until my return home and order from the store. Frances Mayes, who co-authored the book, has a home about 5 minutes outside of Cortona. She refers to the home often in her cookbook. Also ate in the restaurant and met the fellow who put the "Wine Cake" recipe in the cookbook., We ate in his restaurant twice. Wonderful food. Beautiful coffee table book as well as good recipes.

A wonderful, personal cookbook, using local ingredients.
A celebration of life through food and sharing with friends.
I even bought the hard copy, and the photos are out standing
Frances Mayes, does it once again.
It certainly made you hungry for the meals prepared and the simple life they live
Virginia Maloney

What a perfect cookbook, enjoy the movie, while eating food you have made from the cookbook. The recipes are easy and the pictures are just great. I bought the Tuscan Sun Cookbook for a friend and I almost did not give it to her. The cookbook helps you to see some of the food that you saw during the movie. Yes I did buy the Tuscan Sun because of the movie, but I am so glad that I did!

Wow! We have made several recipes out of The Tuscan Sun Cookbook and it has already become one of our favorites. Try the Pesto recipe on pg 26,Cannellini Bean and Sage on pg 44, Orecchiette With Shrimp, pg 77, Pappa al Pomodoro, pg 96, Ossobuco, pg 130,Fried Zucchini Flowers, pg 49, Beef Tenderloin with Balsamic Vinegar, pg 135...Sumptuous!

I collect Italian cookbooks. I first took this out of the library, fell in love, and decided I had to have it. It's a beautiful book to look at - inspiring and unique. If you have an interest in Italian cooking, or cooking in general, try this book.

The Tuscan Sun Cookbook is excellent, easy to read with beautiful illustrations. All the recipes we have tried so far have been delicious. My husband and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys Italian food and cooking.

One of my favorite "mindcations" is "Under the Tuscan Sun". In my version, everything has the beautiful glow of Renaissance reds and golds. Even I am beautiful and glowing. Rustic, yet regal, my villa is filled with light, laughter, gorgeous food and great wine, good times and good people. Acclaimed writer Frances Mayes set the wheels of my mind in motion when I saw the film version of her book, "Under the Tuscan Sun", and then I added to my enjoyment of the film by reading her books and following her blog. Now Frances and her husband Edward Mayes, an accomplished poet, have given their readers a very special gift: "The Tuscan Sun Cookbook: Recipes From Our Italian Kitchen". Cooking and reading are two of my favorite pastimes. The more complicated your life, the more demands made on your time, the more you need to take the time to care for yourself. Food is not just a necessity for life, it is a pleasure for all of our senses. Cooking should be something that you enjoy, never just a chore. "The Tuscan Sun Cookbook" celebrates the food and lifestyle of a region both simple and spectacular, a glorious combination of earth, sea, and sun. The well-stocked pantry, the bounty of the sea and the soil, basic, well-used pans and utensils, and timeless food preparation techniques are all highlighted here along with incredibly beautiful, vividly-hued photographs. My favorite photo in the book is the first one, which shows Frances and Ed in the kitchen of "Bramasole", their home in Cortona, Italy. Their love of each other, and the joy of their extraordinary life together clearly shines in the appealing, inviting image. Then there are the recipes, which are organized by course and expanded and illuminated by the involving stories and delicious images spread throughout the book. All of your senses will be engaged and satiated. Inhale the aromas, treat your eyes to the visual feast, and then savor the flavors of food, fabulous food such as: "When-in-Rome Artichokes"; "Fiorella's Red Pepper Tart"; "Pasta Shells with Shrimp and Three Cheeses"; "Angry Pasta"; "Minestrone: Big Soup"; "Risotto Primavera"; "Pizza with Caramelized Onion and Sausage"; "Chicken Under a Brick"; "Beef Tenderloin with Balsamic Vinegar"; "Sea Bass in a Salt Crust"; "Peach Gelato"; "Folded Fruit Tart with Marscapone"; and "Fig and Walnut Tart". There are wine suggestions for many of the recipes, and a special chapter on wine and other libations closes the book. Frances and Ed Mayes will capture your culinary imagination and leave you longing for the golden warmth of the Tuscan sun.

Review Copy Gratis Clarkson Potter Publishers

Ahhhhhhhh, the food of the peasants! Earthy, pure, simple, fantastic! That about sums up my love for the recipes within the Bramasole walls of Frances and Ed Mayes cucina!

In a most simple, but most elegant way of preserving some of the most basic foods that graced the table of those that worked the Italian fields, this is a compilation of dishes that fulfilled, and filled, the souls of the working people, way back when.

In yet another wonderful book offered from the life that is Frances Mayes, and her wonderful husband, Ed, these recipes focus on the Tuscan region of Italy. In her previous books, Frances has taken us into the history of the Tuscany, from the golden days to the current days. This business that began as a journaling of sorts, of buying an old run down farm house, has blossomed into Tuscan life, history, and now, food. And now, through their years of dividing their time between Tuscany and California, they have come to know and love the country, the region, and the food.

Each region of Italy is known for different styles of cooking, with its respective area pretty much dependent on the region it's located, whioh would dictate whether they were strong on seafood, or grains, or wine, etc. For the Tuscan region, which is lcoated just about center of the "boot", it encompasses a little of everything, and the Mayes have done well by their writing to leave you wanting more.

The photography is close and clear; beautifully done through an amateur lens of Frances and her friend, which increases your appreciation of their efforts. The lighting, the settings, the staging of the final dishes are all inviting. A string of garlic cloves, fresh vegetable and fruits, fields of sunflowers, pasta being tossed, friends around a table, make this a wonderful book that can literally pull you in to the moment if you give it a chance.

What this isn't is a teaching manual; with the exception of making Agnolotti, there are no photographic tutorials. But unless you have never cracked open a cookbook or even know what pasta is, you would be hardpressed not to be able to make any of thses fantastic dishes. Each recipe has a little sidebar of facts and information that help you to understand what and why you are making this dish. And though there is not an accompanying photo for each dish, it will come together for you as you see what becomes of your efforts.

In most Italian homes, there are about 6 courses starting with ANTIPASTI, then PRIMI, SECONDI, CONTORNI, then ending with DOLCE and APERTIVI to help you in perfectly digesting your meal. Many of the friends, and family of friends, helped to produce this lovely book and the Mayes give beautiful credit to all. For fear of being labeled as a "Ralph Kramden blabbermouth" for giving away too many recipes and/or details of books/cookbooks, I'll try to be general. But I guarantee that anyone will be very happy to sit at your table if you serve any of these dishes! So....the book is presented as:

LA CUCINA: A thank you and/or introduction of sorts to all those who helped make the book possible. Old history, recent history, and local legend help bring the joy of the Tuscan region into the pages and it is done so with gratitude.

KEYS TO THE PANTRY: Your list of hints, suggestions, and do's for stocking a good Tuscan kitchen.
A couple of basic recipes are also included which are the foundation for some of the other dishes.

ANTIPASTI: In any part of Italy, you wouldn't start of meal without first getting your gastronomic engines started, hence "anti" pasti (before the pasta, which is what many ate back then and now). So there are numerous plates of bruschette with tasty toppings, veggies, and cold meats to serve.

PRIMI: Your "first" round of good food to entice and tingle the palate! There are pasta's, lasagna (which is a pasta, I know, but it's prepared differently), soups, risottos, and pizza's.

SECONDI: The "second" entree which usually are the meats such as chicken, pork, rabbit, steaks, fish. For me, the "Chicken Under a Brick" was fantastic; add the "Polenta" as a side dish with the "Prawns and Cherry Tomatoes", and it was a meal fit for a Tuscan king!

CONTORNI: These are the side dishes that embellish the plate and palate. Baked peppers, fava beans with potatoes and artichokes, zucchini, chard, and fennel are all able to find their way to your table courtesy of the Tuscan heritage. along with more ideas.

DOLCI: The best part of any meal, if you still have room. Now in general, most Italy Italians aren't known for being eaters of heavy pies and pastries. They tend to prefer fruits with a light cream, an easy tart, and such, so that is what you will find in this particular section. But wait! Don't get emotional! There are definitely enough recipes for cakes, bread puddings, etc for those of us who couldn't imagine dessert without some sort of flaky or sweet dough.

APERTIVI/DIGESTIVI: The last note of this gastronomic symphony; an apertif!!! The perfect end to a most perfect meal. And while there are only 2 recipes, there is a listing of different liqueurs that can accompany any meal, depending on your preferences.

AKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INDEX

Well, I guess I didn't give away too much, so hopefully you'll want to know what is exactly within the lovely pages of this book. Yes, I am a hopeless romantic and the sights and dreams of Italy have an inexplicable pull for me. But though I am lost within the covers of this well-written book, my family and friends seem to be gastronomically making out rather well, so not bad, hey? Peace!

I checked this book out from the library, and before I had gone halfway through it, there were 20 or more markers for recipes I wanted to enter into my cooking app and try. Enter 20 recipes fromjust half the book? That's time I could spend in the kitchen cooking!

I lived in Tuscany for 4 years, and this is the sort of food I ate there. It is like going home. [Yes, I loved Italy, but more than that, I love the Italians. I left a piece of my heart there.]

I am immediately placing an order for my own copy of this wonderful book and returning the library's copy for the next person to enjoy. And then I'm going to my kitchen . . .

It was 1995 that I had the wonderful opportunity to be in the Tuscan area and visit Cortona where Frances Mayes' home is located. And, in 2010, I was married on the Amalfi Coast, Italia. September 2010, before heading to Positano & Amalfi for my wedding, I met Frances Mayes, who lives part of her year in NC, where I live. She was signing her book, "Everyday in Tuscany." She is an amazing woman with such a special gift - writing and sharing parts of Italia and the world with each of us who reads her works.

Last week, one more of her books, "The Tuscan Sun"....Recipes From Our Italian Kitchen was added to my F. Mayes collection. And, it will be a gift from me to several friends. Even on paper the recipes are mouth-watering. I can't wait to prepare many of the recipes she so generously shares in her book. Also, the pictures are vibrant and inviting. In addition to great recipes, the book will be a nice display for our kitchen.

ENJOY and Grazie Millie, Frances!!!!

The "bard of Tuscany" and her husband have captured the sweet and savory joys of Italian food and friendship in a cookbook that dazzles the eye, tempts the taste buds and warms the soul with its generous spirit. The next best thing to a long meal with friends on a Tuscan terrace. Look, read, cook, invite, enjoy! La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language