A Culinary Traveller in Tuscany
Just when we thought we knew everything there was to know about Tuscany, along comes Beth Elon—cookbook writer and 30 year resident of a small village at the foot of the Appenines—who takes us along the back roads and through the ancient hill towns to remote restaurants that are for the most part overlooked by tourists and known only to the locals. At each restaurant the cooks share their highly personal recipes for regional dishes made with local ingredients.
With this guide in hand, you’ll not only know where to dine, but what to order when you get there. Each regional section begins with illuminating and absorbing explanations of what makes Tuscan cooking so unique: location, location, location. You’ll read about a bean so beloved by a village that it’s been elevated to cult status—but that is totally unheard of a few kilometers down the road; the specialty of the Zeri Valley, a milk-fed aboriginal baby lamb, that is almost unknown elsewhere in Italy; the endless array of vegetable tarts found only in Lunigiana and Garfagnana.
Elon has organized ten itineraries that also include stops at gourmet shops, food festivals, greenmarkets, and private kitchens. Along the way, she points out significant architecture, historic sites, churches, art, museums, and points of interest in the memorable landscape. The indispensable travel information in this guide is enriched by the author’s deep personal knowledge of the history and legend of the region—and her delightful voice and beautiful writing.
Rating: (out of 9 reviews)
List Price: $ 24.95
Price: $ 9.09
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Review by Michael B. Yudin for A Culinary Traveller in Tuscany
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A fabulous travel guide, which my wife and I used extensively on our recent visit to Tuscany. The author provides details of wonderful restaurants, spectacular settings and hidden gems in small towns and villages throughout the region!
If you are planning a visit to Tuscany, don’t leave home without this book. If you are over 50 and look forward to a good meal at the end of a well-travelled day, this book is a must-read.
Mike and Michal
New York City
Review by S Randel for A Culinary Traveller in Tuscany
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Beth Elon’s descriptions and recommendations are spot-on. I got this book just in time for a trip to Tuscany and found it extraordinarily useful. We loved visiting the places she mentioned and found her recipes and description of local specialties a great help in making fantastic menu selections. Back home, the recipes are like having Tuscany in our kitchen. It’s now my favorite book to give to food- and travel-loving friends.
Review by George Sullivan for A Culinary Traveller in Tuscany
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This book is what so many books claim to be but aren’t — an off-the-beaten-track gem. For any visitor to Tuscany with the time or inclination to go beyond the usual Florence-Lucca-Pisa-San Gimignano-Siena type of itinerary (to name just one), the book offers a wonderfully imaginative alternative: plan your days — or the entire trip — around the best restaurants to be found in the little towns that most tourists never visit. The author gives tantalizing descriptions of both the towns and restaurants (with maps and itineraries), and supplies plenty of recipes to boot. So the book will function in the kitchen just as well as on the road — it is essentially half cookbook and half guidebook. But for me (not being much of a cook, and planning a trip to Italy) it was the places the author describes that were the most delectable of all. The book is a great idea, beautifully executed and beautifully written.
Review by Midwest Book Review for A Culinary Traveller in Tuscany
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Beth Elton’s title isn’t just a cookbook – it takes a culinary tour of Tuscany into regions largely uncovered in other titles – and surveys the special kitchens and products of over fifty restaurants whose cooks produce original recipes revealed just for this title. All dishes have been adapted for home cooks but retain the authenticity of generations of development, so cooks seeking a blend of travelogue and new dishes to try will find delightful the blend of travel insights and easy dishes. No photos, but the simple instructions don’t need them.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Review by Rush Junkie for A Culinary Traveller in Tuscany
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…you would enjoy this book if you were “over 50″! I am far from 50, yet still found this book a pleasure to read. It will come in handy if you are a foodie–of any age, ahem–who is traveling through Tuscany and would like to explore far from the tourist haunts. It’s one part tour guide, one part cookbook, and one part armchair traveler/cultural immersion. Beth Elon’s descriptions of the local characters are thoughtful and engaging, and her detailed information about local cuisine makes me want to try every recipe in this book.