The Tuscan Sun Cookbook

I have read through this book more times than I can count. It is also enjoyable as a "coffee table" type book. The photos are vibrant and the text is inspiring. At first glance I was intimidated by the perceived "gourmet" sort of presentation, but don't let that scare you! The food is simple, but very elegant. The recipes are delicious and we have discovered surprising new family favorites such as the "Baked Peppers with Ricotta and Basil" and "Lemon Cake". We have come to love so many of the items in the Antipasti section that many have become favorite summer staples enjoyed outdoors on our Northern Michigan deck or packed up for strolls on the beach. This book was such a pleasure to receive and has become one of my treasured "cookbooks". In reality, it is an inspiring book about life appreciation that happens to include good food.

I am re-reading Under the Tuscan Sun that I got after a trip to Italy in 1999 and it's once again a wonderful book. I had forgotten there were recipes in it and was delighted to discover this cookbook. I just received it. It's GORGEOUS! I am making the Red Pepper Tart on page 59 for dinner tonight. There are beautiful photographs on almost every page. It's a beautiful book and if you enjoy cooking you will absolutely love it. If you don't enjoy cooking, I hope it will inspire you to give it a try. The recipes are simple and easy and the book is a delight to the eye and the appetite. The copy I got was autographed by both Frances and Ed, so a very nice bonus! I love it!

I bought the Tuscan Sun cookbook because I love Frances Mayes' books and, let's face it, we all want to imagine that we are living the good life in a villa in Tuscany. In the introduction, she says, "If you came to visit me in Tuscany, we would cook the food described in this book."Of course the cookbook features great writing with the introductory section and descriptions of how Frances and her husband live in Tuscany. There are many personal notes giving credit to locals from whom they have learned the recipes and providing a back-story to many of the images and recipes.The book is organized in the following sections:- La Cucina - the background of how she came to live and cook in Tuscany at BramasoleKeys to the Pantry - kitchen essentials are described, including ingredients, tools and basic recipes, such as tomato sauce, focaccia, pesto.- Antipasti - bruschetta and crostini and other starters- Primi - ragu and many varieties of pasta, soup, risottos, and pizza- Secondi - chicken, quail, rabbit, pork, veal, ossobuco, steak, lamb, beef, polenta, seafood- Contorni - peppers, potatoes, beans, fennel, eggplant, zucchini, chard- Dolci - gelato, sorbetto, pears, panna cotta, berries, peaches, pudding, tarts, crostata, cake- Aperitivi e Digestivi - nocino, limoncelloBrowsing through the cookbook is a visual feast. The photography is gorgeous, both the environmental images as well as the food images. I uploaded 4 sample images of the stunning photography (see above). I have tried many of the recipes and they are easy to follow and produce consistent and delicious results. The ragu recipe alone is worth the price of the book - I will use it over and over. It makes a large batch and freezes well. The page format is well designed with a clear list of ingredients, followed by easy to follow instructions. Many recipes have photographs of the end product, which are very enticing.Though I love the overall look and feel of the cookbook and plan to use it frequently, I gave it 4 stars rather than 5 because a few of the recipes could have used better proofreading (incomplete instructions and typos), and some of the photographs on the pages don't actually support the recipe with which they are associated. Additionally, some of the ingredients aren't all that accessible to a suburban cook.Nevertheless, I love this beautiful photography / recipe book and will use it for many years to come. I plan to organize a Tuscan dinner party and will use "The Tuscan Sun Cookbook" as my main source of inspiration.

I love Francis, and of course the movie 'Under the Tuscan Sun', so naturally I gravitated towards her cookbook. Sometimes I'm a little skeptical as to the recipe quality in some cookbooks, but I decided to buy it, and I was blown away by how truly delicious they are! My husband and I have prepared two so far in a few days time and both were so flavor packed and satisfying! I wish she had more cookbooks I could buy. I highly recommend to anyone who loves to cook!

This is a beautiful cookbook with exquisite photos and delicious looking recipes. It arrived in pristine condition, pretty much like new. I am very pleased with the purchase.

Every year I hold an Italian dinner at my house for 14 friends. I plan from appetizers to dessert and assign my friends various dishes. This year I purchased Under the Tuscan Sun Cookbook and had the best time planning our menu.. From Pear Angolotti with Gorgonzola & Walnuts, Baked Peppers with Ricotta and Basil, Citrus & Fennel Salad to Il Falconieres's Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Sauce...what a treat. Add a bottle of Ardito from the Baracchi winery and I'm back in Tuscany. The recipes are easy to follow, the pictures are beautiful and most important the dishes are superb! Can't wait to try more out of the book!

A wonderful cookbook that's a feast for the eyes and the palate!Many of the recipies have simple ingredients, but that doesn't mean they are 'basic'....it just means it allows the flavors to shine through. I have made only a few so far, but have been very pleased.I also like how the author intersperses stories so you actually feel like you're there while she and her dear friends are cooking and enjoying themselves. Truly, cooking isn't just slapping something together...its the process, the rhythms, the fellowship and being present in the moment... just enjoying everything!A wonderful book for yourself or to give as a gift!

the recipes in here are great just wish there were more of them! I love anything from Tuscany!

I just received the second book of "The Tuscan Sun Cookbook" I bought on Amazon - what can be the best compliment ?It will make a nice present for my dear friend.Nice easy read. Full of recipes which take their place in your home cooking. Pleasure to read it again, enjoying beautiful photos. I can't say it's all about cooking - it is about style of life I believe all of us would like to create and live in.On the cover photo you can see real people who live there and contributed their recipes for this book - simple cooking, yet sophisticated, clearly explained, with extra comments on wine to go with or on history of it, or just a joke around this particular recipe.First part of the book is essential information on Tuscan cuisine reflected by personal experience of the author is clearly a must have knowledge for anyone who wants to get to the fun club of Tuscan "gusto di vivere " and taste the life and joy like they do over there - under the Tuscan Sun.

I love the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun". It is a story of hope and new beginnings. And this is the book to go with it. It is beautiful, the recipes are amazing, not your usual italian-cookbook ones. They are easy to do, delicious and they also look so good.The chapter on entrees is really awesome. Lots of things to offer for a divine dinner with friends. (They will love you forever)Photography is BEAUTIFUL. Recipes are AMAZING! What else can you ask for? if you like Italian food and like to entertain Family and friends, (or your special someone) this is the book for you.

You can sense that Frances has grown into the simplicity of italian cooking. The recipes truly reflect the Tuscan cuisine and it is also a pleasure just to read the pages surrounding the recipes. Perfect for someone who misses summer on a cold winters evening, but equally great to dream about your holidays in Italy. Also a good summary on each the citrus, olives, basic ingredients is presented in a easy reading style educating without being noticed by the reader. It makes me wish summer was here, a table set in the garden, guests gathered around it and a glas of Montepulciano waiting for me....

I liked the content in this book and wish I could have given it 5 stars, however the orders (both my original order and the replacement) arrived damaged. The boxes they came in were in good condition, but the books were damaged at the corners and on the dust covers, suggesting that the items left the warehouse damaged to begin with. Sadly I could do not enjoy the books and had to return them, and unfortunately must give a low star rating. The books could have been inspected and wrapped properly before being dispatched from the warehouse, which I do believe would have been very helpful for the author/s and the publisher/s of this otherwise beautiful book.

I am not one who buys cookbooks. I have a few at home, and the one I go to the most is a fat tome of a book from the 1990's which has over a 1000 recipes. It is always reliable when I need an answer to the question "what can I do with the neck of lamb/glut of apples/tray of eggs that my neighbour gave me". Nothing fancy, but easy to follow. However, as someone who has read all of Frances Mayes' books, I bought this as soon as it was available. Partly for the recipes, and partly to read more about her life as a part-time resident in Tuscany.For those unfamiliar with American author Frances Mayes, she wrote (almost 20 years ago) "Under the Tuscan Sun", a book about how she, in her middle-age, took a big risk and purchased an abandoned house with 5 acres of land in Italy after a painful divorce. How, through the restoration of her house, she made a fresh start in her life, forged a new relationship, and learned to reconnect with the land. I urge everyone to read this book first, as it will give you a sense of Mayes' life in a foreign country, how she embraces simple quotidien life. Plus, it's just a great book, beautifully written and in my opinion the best example of this genre. Once you read this, you will perhaps appreciate this cookbook a little more as she discusses old friends and her two houses in Italy. Alongside the recipes, she writes a little anecdote about each one, how the recipe came about or where they first tried the dish. The tone is casual and conversational, and draws the reader in so you can almost read it like a novel. Mayes focuses on the Italian tradition of "cucina povera", when the housewife had to make do with what was available, in season. Nothing is fancy or complicated, and sticks to simple, robust, fresh ingredients. Most of the recipes are accompanied by beautiful photographs taken (according to Frances) at the Mayes' homes, prepared by the Mayes' themselves and eaten immediately after the photos were taken!I haven't tried any of the recipes yet although nothing looks too daunting. At the beginning of the book, she explains store-cupboard basics to have on hand, such as homemade tomato sauce and seasonings, as these often form the basis of many of the recipes. She writes in a chatty, conversational way and you almost feel you are at her side as she explains things. After the basics, she then starts with antipasti and finishes with dolci, with a few pages in between on selecting good olive oil and how to make pasta. With each recipe, she suggests a wine to accompany the dish, although I am not sure how easy they would be to source in the local US or UK supermarkets. (Also - the measurements are in American cups but it's not hard to convert for the UK kitchen).This book makes me feel homesick, although my home isn't anything like hers. If you love Italian cooking, or anything to do with Italy, I'm sure you will like this book. Oh, and I should add - Frances and Ed wrote the book together - if you want to know more about Ed read Under the Tuscan Sun!