Bringing Tuscany home - Frances Mayes

The "bard of Tuscany" (New York Times) now offers a lavishly illustrated book for everyone who dreams of integrating the Tuscan lifestyle-from home decoration and cooking, to eating and drinking, to gardening, socializing, and celebrating-into their own lives. When Frances Mayes fell in love with Tuscany and Bramasole, millions of readers basked in the experience through her three bestselling memoirs. Now Frances and her husband, In Tuscany co-author Edward, share the essence of Tuscan life as they have lived it, with specific ideas and inspiration for readers stateside to bring the beauty and spirit of Tuscany into their own home decor, meals, gardens, entertaining and, most important, outlook on life. In her inimitable warm and evocative tone, Frances helps readers develop an eye for authentic Tuscan style, with advice on how to:
Choose a Tuscan colour palette for the home, from earthy apricot tones to invigorating shades of antique blue.
Personalize a room with fanciful door frames, unique painted furniture, and fresco murals.
Cultivate a Tuscan garden, adding fountains, vine-covered pergolas, and terra-cotta urns among the herbs and flowers
Select the best Italian vino. (Frances describes lunches at regional vineyards and imparts tips for pairing food and wine.)
Create an atmosphere of irresistible, anytime hospitality-a casa aperta (open home).
Make primo finds at local antiques markets. (And to help truly bring Tuscany home, shipping advice and market days for several Tuscan towns are included.)
Set an imaginative Tuscan table using majolica and vintage linens.
Enjoy the abundant flavours and easy simplicity of the Tuscan kitchen, with details on everything from olive oil and vino santo to pici and gnocchi, plus special homegrown menus and recipes.
Make the most of a trip to Tuscany, visiting Frances's favourite hill towns, restaurants, small museums, and other soothing places. With more than 100 photos by acclaimed photographer Steven Rothfeld (including several of the Mayes's California home and its Tuscan accents), twenty-five all-new recipes, and lists of resources for travellers and shoppers, Bringing Tuscany Home is a treasure trove of practical advice and memorable images.