Limoncello & Linen Water by Tessa Kiros

I am already a big fan of Tessa Kiros and every time I am reading a new book of hers, I think she can’t get any better – and then, a new book comes out and proves me wrong. Her latest book ‘Limoncello & Linen Water’ is again not only a cookbook but a book for all occasions. As with all her books, Tessa Kiros let us being part of her life and introduces us to her family and friends. No one captures the feel of people or a place like Tessa Kiros does.

Manos Chatzikonstantis’ photography just seems to understand what the book needs as he captures the essence of the book and in fact Italy perfectly. You just feel transported into Italy’s small villages with their tiny allies and you can almost smell fresh tomatoes, basil and garlic. 

This book is so much more than just a cookbook – it is a collection of things my nan and mum taught me while growing up and that got lost in the daily routine and rat race of our modern times.   I can almost hear my great-grandma’s old clock ticking along while I was sitting next to he listening to her stories. This book makes me realise how much I miss these times.

The recipes in the book are easy to cook – proper family food and most dishes are also quickly to prepare. Tips and tricks throughout the book don’t only help with daily tasks but put a smile on the readers face. Also throughout the book are ‘Wise Words’ or Sapiente and look like this:’if you drop a knife, it means a man is coming to visit , if you drop a fork, a woman is coming’.

Recipes include potato & truffle purses, spinach polpettine, grilled scallops with truffle butter and lots more. Mr T and I love pizza and I used the recipe for pizza margerita – the dough was easy to handle and the the tip to drain the mozzarella and leave it to stand for a while resulted in wonderful melted cheese…. Mr T fell in love with it (have to make sure that he never meets Tessa Kiros) …. This book is a beautiful read – even if you never cook a recipe from it. It is a travel guide, history book and a diary all in one. Have I mentioned that I am a big fan of Tessa Kiros???