So many of you have taken the journey to Italy or dream of taking the journey. Your bonus for joining Dream of Italy this season (or renewing or giving a gift membership) includes a beautiful love story about a woman in her early 40s who decided she needed to discover more of what life had to offer and had a dream of traveling to Italy. Print members will receive a hard copy of the book by mail; digital members will receive the ebook. I’m thrilled to also announce that Love in a Tuscan Kitchen: Savoring Life Through the Romance, Recipes and Traditions of Italy by Sheryl Ness is also the very first book for the NEW Dream of Italy Book Club! We will be discussing the book on Facebook Live – open to all – on February 12th – join us by RSVPing here!
Love in a Tuscan Kitchen: Savoring Life Through the Romance, Recipes and Traditions of Italy is a book that takes you on a personal journey of discovery and love. The author, Sheryl, craved more from life and felt a strong desire to explore Italy, its culture, and foods. After her first visit, she knew in her heart that Italy was a special place, so she kept going back. It was the third visit that changed her life forever.
Through the pages of this book, Sheryl takes you to a small village in Chianti where she meets Vincenzo, a chef, in his beautiful restaurant after asking him for a recipe for his hot chocolate cake. Over the next year, their relationship develops and she moves from Minnesota to Italy to take a chance on love and a new life. You’ll get to know the people of the village through their daily life, traditions, and recipes. The descriptions of the beauty of the land in the area are vivid as the pages come alive when she takes you on a sensual journey described in each chapter.
Each chapter gives you a glimpse of what it’s like to live in a tiny walled village of around 300 people in the middle of Tuscany. Sheryl invites you to get to know her new friends in the area, understand the history of the village, and join them at their three wedding celebrations. The book provides a unique chance to get to know the people of the village that welcome her as family. Eventually, she is known as “the chef’s wife” as she supports Vincenzo’s work as the chef at his restaurant. Traditional Tuscan recipes are at the heart of this book. However, you’ll also learn about Vincenzo’s family from Abruzzo along with their unique traditions and many of his mother’s authentic recipes.
If you love Italy, or love to cook, or simply enjoy a good love story, this book is something special for you. The book includes 38 authentic recipes including Vincenzo’s recipes for spaghetti carbonara, risotto, ribollita soup, pici cacio e pepe, and tiramisu, along with recipes from his home region of Abruzzo, including his mother’s meat sauce, pizzelle and pallotte cace e ove – and of course, the hot chocolate “love cake” that started it all.
Get your free copy when you join Dream of Italy, renew (after logging in) or give a gift membership that includes a copy of Love in a Tuscan Kitchen! And then be on the look out for a personal email invitation to join us for our first book club meeting!