Italian Farm Vacations


Book Description

A new title in the Touring Club of Italy's Dolce Vita series, Italian Farm Vacations shows travelers how to sample the classic pleasures of Italian country life. Sites range from rustic working farms and villas to elegant castles and wineries, with accommodations from simple bed and breakfast to separate houses. Visitors can expect a warm welcome and a high level of hospitality at these typically family-run operations. The farm experience may include dining with the host family, assisting in the grape harvest, or merely enjoying the beauty and serenity of the countryside. In addition, travelers may pursue individual interests such as horseback riding, swimming, mountain biking, and hiking. Rates at these lodgings fall well below the cost of a stay at an average hotel in major cities such as Florence, Siena, or Venice, yet many of the farms are located close enough for day trips to these historic cities. Organized by region, with detailed area maps and in-depth information on every accommodation including prices, directions, and nearby attractions, Italian Farm Vacations helps travelers plan a vacation that will truly capture the rural Italian experience.




For the Love of Italy


Book Description

From grand views and romantic hillside villas to sprawling gardens and alfresco dinners, Italy offers its most authentic self through its landscape and its food. For the Love of Italy celebrates Italy's countryside and the farm-to-table movement with vivid profiles and luscious photography of twenty-two spectacular agriturismi, or hospitable farming estates. Each is inextricably connected to the Italian agricultural tradition and to the most simple of daily routines and pleasures. All will delight visitors with lovely accommodations and unforgettable graciousness. Marella Caracciolo, who has written extensively about travel in Italy from both sides of the Atlantic, and renowned photographer Oberto Gili present a sensual journey in this evocative collection of diverse landscapes, unmatched architecture, and local gastronomic traditions. One can stay at a Renaissance villa estate with breathtaking views, where biodynamic wine is produced, or at a unique luxury hotel in the prehistoric dwellings of Basilicata, where visitors sleep, bathe, and eat by candlelight. Families visiting Villa la Foce and the nearby thirteenth-century farmhouse in southern Tuscany, will discover exquisite gardens, a swimming pool, a tree house--and meals inspired by the bounty of the enormous vegetable garden and orchards. Caracciolo describes in transporting prose the colorful history and seasonal rhythms of these and nineteen other estates. And in Gili's photography the interiors, architecture, and gardens unfold with charm and grace. Whether one wants to learn traditional pasta making, sip Brunello right where it's made, or wander an ancient orangerie and then take a nap, these delightful farms promise unique and spectacular trips--or the fantasy of one. With a resource section that will be indispensable for anyone planning a trip to an agriturismo, For the Love of Italy is a portrait of an irresistible country and an enviable way of life.




A Family Farm in Tuscany


Book Description

Sarah Fioroni shares stories of family traditions and daily life as well as recipes in A Family Farm in Tuscany: Recipes and Stories from Fattoria Poggio Alloro. Fioroni provides a month-by-month glimpse of farm living as well as seasonal recipes that are simple yet so delicious, and easy to prepare in your kitchen. Three generations of Fioronis continue to work the land using age-old practices and sustainable agriculture, growing a bounty of fruits, vegetables, cereal crops, olives, and grapes for their award-winning wines. They also keep bees, produce saffron, and raise chickens, Chianina cattle, and pigs, the basis of homemade prosciuttos and salamis. The book is illustrated with hundreds of color photographs depicting the landscapes and crops, as well as the family at work and at the table. The farm is also a popular agriturismo destination, giving visitors an opportunity to stay overnight, participate in various farming activities, and revel in the tastes of freshly prepared food and artisanal farm products.




Italian Farmhouse Cookbook


Book Description

The essence of Italian cooking. Susan has gone to the source, where the techniques are still genuine and the recipes tied to the culture. ITALIAN FARMHOUSE COOKBOOK is a must-have for anyone seriously interested in Italian cookery.O (LIDIA BASTIANICH) Simple as a luscious ripe tomato rubbed over rustic bread, intensely flavored as a Sunday leg of lamb smothered in fresh herbs, joyous, unexpected, vibrant farm food is the heart and soul of Italian cooking, and the prize of Susan Herrmann Loomisís years-long quest. Working side-by-side in the kitchen, walking through fields at dawn, eating, drinking, and above all listening, she discovers the secret ingredient of Italian cooks accortezza, or simply ýknowingO and weaves it into every recipes of this sensuous, sun-filled book. ON THE FARMHOUSE MENU Lemon-Spiced Olives The Real Panzanella Potato and Artichoke Soup from Campania Garlicky Cheese Polenta Chestnut Pasta with Wild Mushrooms Smothered Cauliflower Sicilian Double-Crusted Potato Pizza Herbed Farmhouse Lamb Chops Spinach and Ricotta Dumplings




Olive Production Manual


Book Description

This bestselling manual is the definitive guide to olive production in California. This 180-page manual is fully illustrated with 40 tables, 19 line drawings, and 36 charts, and 100 color and black and white photos. The most notable additions to this edition include a new chapter on deficit irrigation, a greatly expanded chapter on olive oil production, and coverage of four new pests, including the olive fly. Includes production techniques for commercial growers worldwide - from orchard planning and maintenance to harvesting and postharvest processing. Contains information on pollination, pruning for shaker and vertical rotating comb harvest, mechanical pruning, deficit irrigation, mechanical harvesting methods including trunk-shaking and canopy contact harvesters, postharvest handling and processing methods, and olive oil production. Also includes information on new pests including olive fly, oleander scale, olive mite, and black vine weevil.




The Temporary European


Book Description

Write guidebooks, make travel TV, lead bus tours? Cameron Hewitt has been Rick Steves’ right hand for more than 20 years, doing just that. The Temporary European is a collection of vivid, entertaining travel tales from across Europe. Cameron zips you into his backpack for engaging and inspiring experiences: sampling spleen sandwiches at a Palermo street market; hiking alone with the cows high in the Swiss Alps; simmering in Budapest’s thermal baths; trekking across an English moor to a stone circle; hand-rolling pasta at a Tuscan agriturismo; shivering through Highland games in a soggy Scottish village; and much more. Along the way, Cameron introduces us to his favorite Europeans. In Mostar, Alma demonstrates how Bosnian coffee isn’t just a drink, but a social ritual. In France, Mathilde explains that the true mastery of a fromager isn’t making cheese, but aging it. In Spain, Fran proudly eats acorns, but never corn on the cob. While personal, the stories also tap into the universal joy of travel. Cameron’s travel motto (inspired by a globetrotting auntie) is "Jams Are Fun"—the fondest memories arrive when your best-laid plans go sideways. And he encourages travelers to stow their phones and guidebooks, slow down, and savor those magic moments that arrive between stops on a busy itinerary. The stories are packed with inspiration and insights for your next trip, including how to find the best gelato in Italy, how to select the best produce at a Provençal market, how to navigate Spain’s confusing tapas scene, and how to survive the experience of driving in Sicily (hint: just go numb). And you’ll get a reality check for every traveler’s "dream job": researching and writing guidebooks; guiding busloads of Americans on tours around Europe; scouting and producing a travel TV show; and working with Rick Steves and his merry band of travelers. It’s a candid account of how the sausage gets made in the travel business—told with warts-and-all honesty and a sense of humor. For Rick Steves fans, or anyone who loves Europe, The Temporary European is inspiring, insightful, and fun.




My Lemon Grove Summer


Book Description

'Rich, warm and sunny. A story that stays with you long after the last page is turned' Milly Johnson Could the lemon groves of Sicily be the perfect place to start over? This irresistible novel from Jo Thomas, author of Escape to the French Farmhouse, will transport you to the island of mountains and sparkling blue seas. When life hands you lemons ... is it ever too late for a second chance? Zelda's impulsive nature has got her precisely nowhere up until now. A fresh start in a beautiful hilltop town in Sicily looking for new residents, together with her best friend Lennie, could be just what she needs. And who better to settle down with than the person who knows her best? But the sun-filled skies and sparkling seas can't hide the shadow hanging over Citta d'Ora, which means not everyone is pleased to see their arrival. The dreams Zelda and her fellow new residents had of setting up a new life might be slipping away. But a friendship with restauranteur Luca could be about to unlock the possibilities that lie in the local lemon groves. And there's a wedding on the horizon that might be just what the town needs to turn it around... Could a summer in Sicily help Zelda learn to trust her instinct and follow her heart?




One Italian Summer


Book Description

Pip and Shannon dreamed of living the good life. They wanted to slow down, grow their own food and spend more time with the people they love. But jobs and responsibilities got in the way: their chooks died, their fruit rotted, and Pip ended up depressed and in therapy. So they did the only reasonable thing - they quit their jobs, pulled the children out of school and went searching for la dolce vita in Italy. One Italian Summer is a warm, funny and poignant story of a family's search for a better way of living, in the homes and on the farms of strangers. Pip sleeps in a tool shed, feasts under a Tuscan sun, works like a tractor in Calabria and, eventually, finds the good life she's always dreamed of - though not at all where she expected.




An Italian Journey


Book Description

"If you're planning a trip to Italy, read this so you don't miss out on the Italy that tours never visit. If you're staying at home, just sit back and enjoy the ride. Preferably with a nice Tuscan wine at your side." Dianne Hales, author of LA BELLA LINGUA "Many of us would love to live this book. James Shaw has done it for us and allowed us to come along. I like it all, an adventurous journey with a compassionate author. Well Done, Well Done." Roscaloni An adventure of the heart in the mold of literature's classic spiritual journeys. It began with a girl. Then it was Italian food. After that it was books and discovering that even Mark Twain had fallen for Italy. E.M. Forster was smitten too: Love and understand the Italians, for the people are more marvelous than the land. What is it about Italy and Italians? Italian movies immortalize the mystique. Fellini called it La Dolce Vita. Tornatore's Cinema Paradiso took James Shaw back to the sweet memories of his childhood and the Italian family who operated the hometown theater. And just like in the movie, young James had an Alfredo who, by example, taught him about serving people. James learned that Italians don't feel they're special. Luigi Barzini, author of The Italians, repeatedly asked, Why are we the way we are? and found no conclusive answer. But James was convinced there was a reason why the Renaissance was born in Tuscany and Italy has given the world Saint Francis, Michelangelo, da Vinci, Galileo and now Benigni, whose film Life Is Beautiful, showed the world that the Italian zest for living can even make a heaven of a hell. And so, after a lifetime of thinking about Italy James became convinced that the way to find out why Italians are the way they are, would be to eat with them at their kitchen tables. Day after day he picked their olives and the Italians began treating him like family. And James began seeing their unique human quality that attracts people to Italy and keeps pulling them back again and again. But the story doesn't end in the olive groves of Tuscany. To discover the heart of Italian life, James had to travel back to World War II Italy. An Italian Journey will inspire you to follow your passions, your enthusiasms, to your own Beautiful Discoveries. Bella Scoperta!




Italian Rustic


Book Description

A celebration of Tuscan farmhouse style, with practical advice on how to bring the look home. For anyone who has ever dreamed of living under the Tuscan sun, Italian Rustic is the next best thing--a step-by-step guide to recreating the romance and appeal of the weathered Italian farmhouse. This nuts-and-bolts guide to building Italian-style walks the reader through all the elements that make the rustic Italian home so unique, from the hand-laid stone walls to the artisanal stucco wall finishes. Author Elizabeth Minchilli, an American design writer based in Rome and Tuscany, received dozens of questions from readers after publishing her last book, Artisan's Restoring a Home in Italy. The queries went beyond the usual searches for fabric and couches. "People were hungry to know how terra-cotta tiles were laid, or how fireplaces were built," she says. Italian Rustic, researched with the help of her Italian architect husband, is the user-friendly result: a book that explains, in clear text accompanied by photographs and drawings, how to lay a tile floor a la Italiana, or add a Tuscan-style pergola to any garden. With more than 300 stunning photographs shot on location in Tuscany and Umbria, the book contains profiles of local artisans, engaging text on how the farmhouse style evolved, and targeted advice on how Americans can find Italian-style building materials and craftsmen close to home. This essential sourcebook will appeal to anyone building an addition or an entire house from scratch, or for homeowners who want to add just a touch of Italian style to their houses.