My Amalfi Coast is a loving memoir of the place Amanda called home for so many years, and a guide packed with insider’s tips on the coast’s history,where to eat, stay, shop and visit. Amanda takes us to the very heart of a region where the splendour of the scenery is more than matched by the warmth and charm of the people. We tour the coastal towns that are strung across the cliffs like exotic baubles, with their Moorish cupolas, gelato-coloured houses and knee-shakingly steep hills.
We bask on the beaches and drift across the azure waters of the Mediterranean. We explore the countryside, with its buffalo, vineyards, lemon groves and ancient ruins, and experience the rhythm of local life as determined by the tides, the long lunches, the arrival of the tourists for the summer and the endless round of festivals. Along the way we are invited to share Amanda’s own story: the holiday that led to a love affair, which in turn inspired her to trade a glamorous fashion career in Florence for bare feet, a bikini and a beautiful man in the jewel-like town of Positano. We meet the family who take her into their home and their beachside restaurant, where she waits tables and rubs shoulders with the patrons – an eclectic mix of celebrities, tourists and local eccentrics. We follow Amanda as she becomes a mother, business owner, and bona fide local, before finally making the decision to return to Australia. Beautifully photographed by Carla Coulson, My Amalfi Coast is a warm and intimate account of one of the world’s most spectacular coastal regions, and of a culture that knows how to appreciate the things that truly matter in life. “Open up this work of love on any page, and you’ll smell the fresh grilled mozzarella on lemon leaves and feel the warmth of the Neapolitan sun on your face. Lucky for Amanda to have loved this fairytale life, and lucky for us to be able to enjoy it vicariously through her vivid descriptions and the gorgeous photos.” Patricia Schultz, author of 1000 Places to See Before You Die ( Workman Publishing)
In my first book, My Amalfi Coast, as a self-confessed foodie I described my experiences as I lived and loved in my adopted homeland. In my second book, Amalfi Coast Recipes, I offer a stunning collection of authentic local recipes from my beloved Amalfi Coast, generously shared by a wonderful variety of regional cooks and chefs, many of whom have become close friends of mine over the two decades I lived there.
My deep knowledge and love of the region and its personalities has enabled me to hand-pick the best recipes, having been made welcome at the tables and in the kitchens of passionate local cooks. Pasta with Zucchini, succulent baked goat, infallible baked fish under salt, flying squid stew,chocolate eggplant and traditional ancient dumplings with anchovy sauce.
The star is fresh produce from the sea, complemented by sun-kissed local ingredients: cherry tomatoes, artichokes, garlic, seasonal herbs and the famous Amalfi lemon. In Amalfi Coast Recipes I share the Amalfi recipes, exquisitely photographed on location by Simon Griffiths, that have been passed down through the generations. Yes, and I am the daughter of Australian fashion icon Maggie Tabberer, and forged my own career as a fashion stylist, working in Milan for Conde Nast and in Florence for Italian fashion guru Enrico Coveri before moving to Positano. Soon I established my own line of Italian designer wear, which I exported and sold locally for more than 15 years and set up an exclusive villa rental business on the Amalfi Coast which continues to flourish today. My Amalfi Coast was my first book, Amalfi Coast Recipes my second.
Images from my books
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