Q&A With Frances Mayes | The Tuscan Sun Cookbook Giveaway

For those of you who don’t know, I often credit Frances Mayes for being the catalyst for changing my life, finding my passion and calling in my career and my love affair with Italy.  If it weren’t for her, Italy wouldn’t have really been on my radar.

On my about page, I talk about seeing the movie ‘Under The Tuscan Sun‘, (that was loosely based on her book) and walking out of the theater to make plans to visit Italy.

What followed after that first trip has resulted in an amazing personal journey.  Whenever I hear the mere mention of her name, the movie, the books or Bramasole, it warms me from the inside out and brings a joyous smile to my face. I’ll be forever grateful to her.

So imagine how overjoyed I was to hear about The Tuscan Sun Cookbook, a joint venture between Frances and her husband Ed.  And then imagine how giddy and excited I was that she agreed to do a giveaway and answer a few questions for readers.  The whole experience has been a bit surreal for me and in true Italian fashion, she has been nothing short of warm, friendly and gracious.

The cookbook itself is beautiful.  It’s 224 pages and contains over 130 recipes organized by course – Antipasti, Primi, Secondi, Contorni and Dolci.  You’ll find recipes for crostini toppings, caponata, fried artichokes, pizzas, scottaditi, brodetto, torta della nonna and many more.  Some of their friends are credited with recipes as well.  Giusi supplied a lovely Ragù and Massimo and Daniela offered up their recipe for Wine Cake.

The mouthwatering photos of not only the dishes and ingredients, but of the locals enjoying daily life, the landscapes, nooks and crannies around Bramasole and the surrounding property, cozy table settings and guests gathered around the table enjoying the fruits of their labor, transports you instantly to Tuscany.  And frankly, there’s no where else I’d rather be.

It’s a wonderful cookbook and I’m so excited to be able to make some of Ed and Frances’ recipes, maybe even using their Bramasole olive oil. If I can’t pull up a chair at one of Bramasole’s many inviting tables – preparing dishes from their cookbook and enjoying them with friends around my own table, will be a close second.

MY Q&A WITH FRANCES MAYES

1.  What inspired you and Ed to write the cookbook and what were the biggest challenges? 

We’ve been cooking in Tuscany for 22 years, so imagine all the little pieces of paper with scrawled recipes floating around!  We love cooking there and wanted to gather our bounty together and to share it with like-minded souls. It’s all about gathering around the table with friends and that’s our primary inspiration.

2.  If you could pick your last Tuscan meal, what would it be?

What a hard question.  I might go for a big antipasto platter that included farro salad, sformati, and various crostini. That would be followed by pasta with arugula and pancetta, a big veal shank with roasted potatoes and vegetables from the garden, a nice cheese course, and a folded peach tart with mascarpone. I think I could go happily into the hereafter with that fond farewell.

3.  Assuming that you love Cortona and Tuscany, because you live there, what other favorite area of Italy do you like to spend time in and why?

I love Rome, the city with the biggest heart and the deepest resonance with civilization as we know it.  Venice, Friuli, Florence, Capri, Sicily. . . the beat goes on. I could spend five lifetimes in Italy.

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And thanks to Ed and Frances, I have not one, but two copies of this beautiful cookbook to give away!

Contest is now closed.  Congrats to the winners – Kate (comment #21) and Linda S. (comment #24).  I hope you enjoy your cookbooks and thanks to everyone who entered.

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

1.  Leave a comment on this post telling us why you’d like to win a copy of the cookbook.

Optional Entries {you must leave a separate comment for EACH additional entry to count}

2. Follow My Melange on TWITTER

3.  RT the following:  I just entered to win a copy of @FrancesMayes ‘s cookbook from @MyMelange you can enter here http://bit.ly/JdWGMy

4.  Like Melange Travel on FACEBOOK

5.  Follow My Melange on PINTEREST and pin the cookbook photo.

6.  Subscribe to My Melange’s RSS feed or emails.

7.  Follow Frances Mayes on TWITTER

8.  Like France Mayes on FACEBOOK

The fine print : Contest is open to US and Canadian addresses only. Contest is open until May 25, 2012 midnight EST. Two winners will be drawn by random number generator.  Winners have 48 hours to confirm or alternate winners will be drawn.

In Boca al lupo!