| Secrets From My Tuscan Kitchen ~ Review & Giveaway! | | Print | |
| Wednesday, 29 July 2009 08:58 |
 Judy Witts Francini is a woman who knows her way around an Italian kitchen and her particular area of expertise is Tuscan cooking since she has lived there for over 25 years. Judy hosts culinary tours through Florence's Central market, a variety of cooking classes, and now has finally written her own cookbook aptly named Secrets From My Tuscan Kitchen. It really is a charming cookbook, both in it's appearance, as well as the over 100 Tuscan recipes found within it. The book is written in a font that has a personal feel to it, giving you the impression you are reading through a cherished family cookbook rather than the typical mass media published cookbooks you usually encounter.
Judy's recipes are exactly what Tuscan cooking, really what all Italian cuisine, is all about. She shows that by buying the freshest ingredients found locally and preparing them in a simple manner enhances the flavor of each dish to its absolute best. Most of the book's recipes contain only a handful of ingredients that can be prepared quickly which is important in today's hectic world. The recipes are written just as though Judy is standing in your kitchen giving you the basic instructions, and often the recipes contain little notes at the bottom with suggestions for variations or serving. There is one section I found amusing called "Eating Like A Tuscan" that I thoroughly enjoyed as it epitomizes the importance of food in the daily life of any Italian, not just those fortunate enough to live in Tuscany. I have honestly been meaning to review this cookbook since it was first sent to me over two months ago while I was still back in the US but coming to Umbria and getting the two farmhouses set up left me with little extra time. I really "met" Judy through Twitter as @divinacucina and she has kindly helped me a number of times sort through the differences between North American and Italian ingredients since we arrived in Umbria. Judy also has a blog Over A Tuscan Stove where she shares her latest activities and newest recipes. I recently made her recipe for Tomato Jam from her blog and it was delicious and certainly one I will be making again and again. I have read through Secrets From My Tuscan Kitchen a number of times already and have tried out many of the recipes, always with great results. The one recipe I found especially interesting was Risotto Divino, or Judy's Non-Stir Risotto. It actually worked out great requiring much less effort than risotto usually does despite my initial skepticism. Since I am enjoying Secrets From A Tuscan Kitchen so much, I wanted to offer it as a contest prize to my readers as well. If you are the chosen winner, I will send you an autographed copy of this great little cookbook as well as a $50 gift certificate to one of my favorite catalogues Napa Style, which carries many items typical of Tuscan country life. I love Napa Style and have been very happy with anything I have bought through their catalogue. The only stipulation to this giveaway is that you must live within the area Napa Style ships to which is the continental United States. The giveaway will run for 3 weeks, starting today July 29th, 2009 and ending August 19th, 2009 at midnight EST.  To enter to win an autographed copy of Secrets From my Tuscan Kitchen PLUS a $50 gift certificate from Napa Style, you simply must meet the following two criteria ~ 1. Have posted a few lines with your favorite Tuscan inspired dish, or Tuscan experience in the comment section below. It is helpful to add your website url or some identifying criteria such as "Mary M. from Tampa FL." so the winner can be easily identified. Do not post your email address. You may post as often as you like, but please do not post repeated comments within a short period of time. Winner will be chosen randomly so it pays to post often to increase your chances of winning! 2. You must live within the continental United States as that is the area Napa Style will ship to. I am sorry this limits this giveaway, but I will run another soon that is available to more IFF visitors. If you'd simply like to order a copy of Secrets From My Tuscan Kitchen, you can click on the image below! And since today is all about recipes, please note the following changes on Italian Food Forever! You can now post your comments under each and every recipe. If you want to share your variation, ask a question about a specific recipe, or simply share your results feel free. Please though post only recipe appropriate comments. Any spam or rude comments will be removed immediately! Also, folks have been asking how to find out about new recipes when they are added to Italian Food Forever. We have just created a new RSS feed for IFF Recipes. Simply add the recipe category page HERE to your favorite RSS reader. Deborah Mele July 29th, 2009   Il Casale di Mele ~ Luxury, country living in the heart of Umbria. Well known for it’s lush green vistas, quaint hillside towns, and outstanding cuisine, Umbria’s tranquility and charming ambience is a welcome alternative to congested neighboring regions. Immerse yourself into all that Umbria has to offer by booking your next holiday at Il Casale di Mele. Conveniently located between Perugia and Todi, the authentic and rustic Villa is located minutes off of highway E45, which will become the pipeline to commencing your Umbrian adventure and offering expedited transit to all of central Italy. Rent Il Casale di Mele for your own week of Umbrian paradise! Just click on the banner to find out more about our Umbrian farmhouse including rental fees, conditions, location, and much more!
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Margaret Sequim Wa
Maragaret please contact me using the contact form at the top left and give me your mailing address.
Thank you to everyone that entered! I hope to have a new giveaway up soon!
Deborah
I love so many Italian dishes but I have to say Panzanella is one of my favorite dishes to make during the hot summer months.
thanks.and good luck all/
As for pasta, I highly recommend BioNaturea's gluten free pasta, which happens to be imported from Tuscany, Italy! Instead of being all rice, it is a mix of rice, potato, and soy flours. I find that it tastes a lot more like "real" pasta than those made with just rice flour. http://www.bionaturae.com/gluten.html
I've found it at QFC and Whole Foods. Oh, and corn pasta is yummy too, but it tastes like corn.
-- Julie
I'll be checking this cookbook out of the library today!!
I've never been to Italy; actually never been outside the continental USA.
But, I love to eat and I love to read. Several years ago I was given a copy of Pasquale Bruno, Jr's Pasta Tecnica. Therein I found a recipe for a Pasta Roll and it changed the way I looked at fresh pasta. I have made many configurations of that recipe and they have been very popular over the years. I look forward to seeing a copy of Secrets From My Tuscan Kitchen with hopes that there will be a recipe with the same amount of magic to it.
Joan from Rockford, IL
ktgonyea at gmail.com
jessibear19(at)aol(dot)com
digicat@sbcglobal.net
Light, tasty and fairly low on claories. My recipe uses fresh tomatoes, red and green peppers, onions, celery,water salt & pepper. At the end of simmering the soup, beat two eggs and 1/2 cup of grated parmsean cheese together and pour in a slow stream into the soup, stirring gently.
To me, they taste just the same as the ones I stirred forever. But I'm not sure everyone would agree. My Italian father-in-law likes them though, and his mother made polenta which was only stirred with this "special wooden stick she brought from Italy when she came to America." So hopefully I am getting it right.
ktgonyea at gmail.com
There seemed to be a gelato shop on every block and a scoop was a delicious way to end any meal.
Thank you for the contest. Pat, CA.
This is another one of my favorite breads. It is a flat bread made from garbanzo flour. It's great as a appetizer or snack and very simple to create because it only needs a few ingredients, and a high temperature. For those who've been to the Tuscan coast you might have eaten it. I love to dunk it in my Chianti. It's fantastic to eat hot right out of oven. Judy's book would look wonderful next to my Sophia Loren's cookbook for everyone to see and admire. I hope I win.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFOj8aq7yuo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFOj8aq7yuo
I thought you were on Twitter, but can't find you there. Perhaps you're not-- anymore or ever. Please let us know.
One of my favorites with my Saturday morning or evening coffee is making and eating freshly made Pan di ramerino or rosemary bread with soft whipped creamy butter or with jam. It is a very light, soft and sweet tasting bread dough that has raisins and rosemary in it. It's mostly consumed around the Easter holiday, but I like it all year round. This bread resembles a hot cross bun. Bakeries all over Florence and Tuscany sell the bread after having it blessed in nearby churches. The blessing I receive is the aroma of everything combined in the Pan di Ramerino permeating throughout my little kitchen. I would really enjoy owning, and using this autographed copy of Judy's book. You mention her recipe for Risotto which is something I have difficulty mastering so if there's a better way I'd really like to learn.
If you can still find apricots this season, you've got to try it. If not, make sure to make some next year - you'll really enjoy it.
1.) Joe DiMaggio
2.) The Pope
If you don’t see that when you walk in...you’re in the wrong place. My favorite Italian dish, Penne San Remo.
What a wonderful space you have to be the creative matchmaker of friends and foods. Grazie tante !!
Thanks for the oppurtunity to win, and thank you for such a wonderful site!
A great way to use up all those red, ripe tomatoes.
Thanks for giveway!
Thank you for the opportunity!
It's a keeper in my house!
Thank You
Nancy F from Murfreesboro, TN
Such a little thing, that makes life sooo good!