Recipes and Dreams from an Italian Life

by Tessa Kiros

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing

Publication Date: April 2013

Buy on Amazon

Featured Recipe: Fast Focaccia with Strawberries

In Recipes and Dreams from an Italian Life, much-loved author Tessa Kiros celebrates the heritage of the country she has chosen to call home. This whimsically feminine book is a tribute to the women in our lives–mothers, mothers-in-law, grandmothers–and the important lessons we learn from them. With accessible, delicious recipes ranging from robust family dishes to quirky cakes and old-fashioned sauces and preserves, this book is a precious heirloom for today. The chapters are based on rooms and items in the home: the bread oven; vegetable patch; snack box; pasta pot; meat, fish, and chicken in the dining room; and the ice box. Recipes include Basil Liqueur, Sweet Pizza, Artichoke and Herb Soup, Potato and Truffle Purses, Roast Rabbit with Grapes, Chickpeas with Prawns, Marmalade Cake, and Cappuccino Ice Cream.

Cooks&Books&Recipes Featured Cook Katie on Recipes and Dreams from an Italian Life:

In the introduction to Recipes and Dreams from an Italian Life, the author Tessa Kiros says that the book was inspired by her Italian mother-in-law. Even if she had not stated this at the beginning, it is easy to see that Kiros views each of the recipes in this book as a cherished heirloom to be lovingly passed on. This feeling of timeless charm is enhanced by the homey, feminine photographs that accompany each recipe and by the words of wisdom that are sprinkled throughout the book. As for the recipes, there is an eclectic mix of traditional Italian favorites (meatballs, lasagna, bruschetta) and some intriguing new recipes that I had never heard of.

Recipes and Dreams from an Italian Life is really much more than a cookbook. In addition to being a wonderful collection of recipes, the book contains housekeeping advice and ideas for storing linens and preserving vegetables. It reads like a trousseau of recipes, ideas, memories, and advice that Kiros has gathered from the women in her life and has collected in one place. As I read, I kept thinking that this book would make a delightful and useful wedding gift or a lovely gift for my mother or the other inspiring women in my life.

The Cookbook Basics:

Hardcover (10.2 x 6.4); Kindle edition

356 pages; color photos

Chapters and sections: The Linen Cupboard; The Pantry; The Bread Oven; The Snack Box; The Vegetable Patch; The Pasta Pot; The Dining Room; The Sugar Bin; The Ice Box

About the Author: Tessa Kiros was born in London, to a Finnish mother and a Greek-Cypriot father. The family moved to South Africa when she was four, and at the age of eighteen, Tessa set off to travel and learn all she could about the world’s cultures and traditions and new ways of living and eating. She has cooked at London’s The Groucho Club and in Sydney, Athens, and Mexico. On a trip to Italy to study the language and food, she met her husband, Giovanni. They now live in Tuscany, with their two children.

Recipes and Dreams from an Italian Life