The American Contessa


Book Description

In 1959, thirty-five-year-old Peggy was swept away into another time and country. After the unexpected death of her husband, Peggy sought a new backdrop and moved with her four-year-old twin sons, Craig and Mark, and eleven-year-old daughter, Barbara, to Florence, Italy. It was a nine-day voyage that changed her life and ultimately rooted her family in two countries. The American Contessa narrates the adventure of this middle-class American widow who traveled to Italy intending to stay for one year, yet remained there for twenty. This memoir tells about the struggles of adopting a new language and learning about centuries-old traditions and mores that she both admired and misunderstood. Her story chronicles her marriage to Conte Giorgio Magherini, a member of the Italian-landed aristocracy, and of the family's sojourns through numerous Tuscan villas before coming to rest at Norcenni, Giorgio's ancestral home. With photos included, this memoir captures the enchantment of Italy through the eyes of Peggy's family and provides an engaging and insightful look into the world of an American contessa.




My Italian Bulldozer


Book Description

The best-selling author of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series returns with an irresistible new novel about one man’s adventures in the Italian countryside. Paul Stuart, a renowned food writer, finds himself at loose ends after his longtime girlfriend leaves him for her personal trainer. To cheer him up, Paul’s editor, Gloria, encourages him to finish his latest cookbook on-site in Tuscany, hoping that a change of scenery (plus the occasional truffled pasta and glass of red wine) will offer a cure for both heartache and writer’s block. But upon Paul’s arrival, things don’t quite go as planned. A mishap with his rental-car reservation leaves him stranded, until a newfound friend leads him to an intriguing alternative: a bulldozer. With little choice in the matter, Paul accepts the offer, and as he journeys (well, slowly trundles) into the idyllic hillside town of Montalcino, he discovers that the bulldozer may be the least of the surprises that await him. What follows is a delightful romp through the lush sights and flavors of the Tuscan countryside, as Paul encounters a rich cast of characters, including a young American woman who awakens in him something unexpected. A feast for the senses and a poignant meditation on the complexity of human relationships, My Italian Bulldozer is a charming and intensely satisfying love story for anyone who has ever dreamed of a fresh start.




My Italian Garden


Book Description

With 125 uncomplicated recipes and illustrated with charming, evocative watercolors, these lyrical passages and images let readers experience the magic of the Italian garden without leaving their kitchens.




It Happened in Italy


Book Description

One woman's discovery-and the incredible, unexpected journey it takes her on-of how her grandparent's small village of Campagna, Italy, helped save Jews during the Holocaust. Take a journey with Elizabeth Bettina as she discovers-much to her surprise-that her grandparent's small village, nestled in the heart of southern Italy, housed an internment camp for Jews during the Holocaust, and that it was far from the only one. Follow her discovery of survivors and their stories of gratitude to Italy and its people. Explore the little known details of how members of the Catholic church assisted and helped shelter Jews in Italy during World War II.




The Italian's New-Year Marriage Wish


Book Description

Dr. Avanti claims his bride! As the snow falls gently on the Cornish streets, Amy Avanti summons up her courage and opens the door to Penhally Bay Surgery, knowing it will take her back to another life where she was adoringly in love with her husband—and now she's back to finally set him free. But sexy Italian Dr. Marco Avanti simply wants her back by his side, saving lives by day, making love by night. Marco's never stopped loving Amy, and he's going to find out what is causing the shadows under his darling wife's eyes. With the New Year approaching they are going to make a new beginning—and make their marriage magical again!




That Month in Tuscany


Book Description

Ren Sawyer and Lizzy Harper live completely different lives. He’s a rock star with a secret he can no longer live with. She’s a regular person whose husband stood her up for a long planned anniversary trip. On a flight across the Atlantic headed for Italy, a drunken pity party and untimely turbulence literally drop Lizzy into Ren’s lap. It is the last thing she can imagine ever happening to someone like her. But despite their surface differences, they discover an undeniable pull between them. A pull that leads them both to remember who they had once been before letting themselves be changed by a life they had each chosen. Exploring the streets of Florence and the hills of Tuscany together - two people with seemingly nothing in common - changes them both forever. And what they find in each other is something that might just heal them both.




One Dish at a Time


Book Description

The weight-loss icon and star of One Day at a Time traces the story of how she developed a healthy relationship with food, describing happy culinary memories shared with her Italian family while offering more than 100 culturally inspired recipes complemented by recommendations for portion control and optimal nutrition. 150,000 first printing.




Italian, My Way


Book Description

Simple. Seasonal. Inspired. A father of New American cuisine and mentor to chefs like Bobby Flay, Jonathan Waxman introduced a new generation to the pleasures of casual food by shining a spotlight on seasonal produce. Now, in Italian, My Way, he shares the spontaneous and earthy dishes that made him a Top Chef Master and culinary legend, and turned his restaurant Barbuto into a New York destination. Waxman’s rustic Italian food is accessible, delicious, and a joy to prepare. It’s food you cook for friends and family with music in the background and a glass of wine in hand—fresh ravioli with pumpkin and sage, chicken al forno with salsa verde, a blueberry crisp. Italian, My Way gives you the confidence to transform simple ingredients into culinary revelations and create bold and robust flavor without a lot of fuss. You’ll make the perfect blistered-crust pizza and spaghetti alla carbonara, the creamiest risotto with sweet peas and Parmesan, and an unforgettable grilled hanger steak with salsa piccante. Waxman breaks down the culinary lessons of Italy into plain English, helping you sweat less in the kitchen and enjoy cooking more. After all, simpler recipes mean less time planning meals—and more time enjoying them. As chef Tom Colicchio writes in his foreword, “This is food that is meant to be made in your home. Cook it with love and for your family and friends. That’s Italian, Jonathan’s way.”




My Twenty Years in Italy


Book Description

The author describes how an ignored alarm clock led to meeting the love of his life, and eventually three children. He shares his experiences doing business in the Common Market, communist countries, the Middle East and Africa from 1961 to 1980. This book is based on lengthy Christmas letters widely shared with family and friends annually from 1961 to 1980.




The Italian Way


Book Description

Outside of Italy, the country’s culture and its food appear to be essentially synonymous. And indeed, as The Italian Way makes clear, preparing, cooking, and eating food play a central role in the daily activities of Italians from all walks of life. In this beautifully illustrated book, Douglas Harper and Patrizia Faccioli present a fascinating and colorful look at the Italian table. The Italian Way focuses on two dozen families in the city of Bologna, elegantly weaving together Harper’s outsider perspective with Faccioli’s intimate knowledge of the local customs. The authors interview and observe these families as they go shopping for ingredients, cook together, and argue over who has to wash the dishes. Throughout, the authors elucidate the guiding principle of the Italian table—a delicate balance between the structure of tradition and the joy of improvisation. With its bite-sized history of food in Italy, including the five-hundred-year-old story of the country’s cookbooks, and Harper’s mouth-watering photographs, The Italian Way is a rich repast—insightful, informative, and inviting.