Italian recipes from an enchanting village with a pinch of the 21st century

Painting by Renate van Nijen of the Umbrian village Gualdo Cattaneo

The Mediterranean diet

They say the Mediterranean diet is the most healthy... so I love to invite you to try some original Italian recipes from the small village of Gualdo Cattaneo in Umbria Italy, and a few from Spain.

Three (or four) eBooks that belong together

This cookbook has taken a rather long and winding road to arrive here.

Most of the recipes were first written in 1995, after I had spent several years in beautiful Italy.

Life, as it does, moved on. I moved on too, eventually to Spain, and the manuscript stayed in a drawer. Until now.

For practical reasons, this cookbook has been shaped into three (or four) small books that belong together. The collection of three books does not include meat, the collection of four books includes meat recipes. They are not meant to stand alone, but to be read, cooked from and enjoyed as one complete collection. Continue reading below to find out about this quirky, very special cookbook with super easy, delicious and quick to prepare recipes.

Read more information about this special book with super quick and surprisingly tasty recipes down below. eBooks I, II, and III contain no meat recipes. If you would still like some, you can also order the 4th book. This cannot be ordered separately. The proceeds from the meat recipe book go entirely to animal rescue organisations.

Are you going to order? That's great. Thank you! Once you have placed your order I will receive a notification and send you your eBooks. If you did not receive your eBooks within 24 hours, then please send me a WhatsApp message, +34-655211276. For specific questions feel free to contact me at [email protected]

Price for this eBook collection

3 eBooks (part I, II and III)  cost € 9.50 

Price for the 4 eBooks collection, including meat recipes € 17.00  Please click on this button to purchase the 4-books bundle. You will be lead to a different page, but all you need to do is click on "buy now" below Purchase info.

The € 7.50 extra, for the 4-eBooks bundle, will go to an animal rescue charity. You will receive your 4 eBooks as soon as I have received your payment and your payment information. 

Simple, quick and delicious

This recipe book is very personal. It is not a professional cookbook; I don't know if there are any specific rules regarding writing such a book but I probably didn't stick to them.

I have absolutely no intention to write more cookbooks. I'm an artist and a writer, but I'm not a cookbook specialist. But I am a very good cook and I just want to share as many fantastic, and possibly for you unusual, recipes as I can, just so that you too can create them and enjoy them. And most of all, easy to make recipes that require very little time. You might see some recipes that sound too simple, but I invite people to just try them. Don't add anything as the power of these dishes is "less is more - tasty". And I know that you will be pleasantly surprised!

The reason for sharing all these recipes is that they are just great and to honour the people who shared these recipes with me so many years ago.

These recipes are suitable for everyone, so if you are a vegetarian, a pescatarian, a meat-eater or a vegan, you will find recipes that you'll love. Please keep an open mind as I have not included any specific meat dishes in the first three eBooks. I'll explain below!

eBook One begins with the story behind the recipes, followed by simple introductions, antipasti (starters) and salads.

eBook Two moves into pastas and risottos. Comforting, familiar, and rooted in everyday Italian cooking.

eBook Three focuses on vegetable dishes and recipes with some Spanish recipes. This part was written recently, many years after collecting the Italian recipes, and reflects how my cooking has evolved.

Together, these three books form one whole: a bridge between then and now, between Italy and Spain, between who I was and who I am today.

Please note: There are no meat recipes in these three volumes, but it’s full of simple, fast, nourishing dishes.

For those who do enjoy cooking with meat, there is an optional fourth book, containing a selection of meat recipes from the original manuscript. This book cannot be purchased separately, so only as the fourth eBook from this series. All proceeds from this meat-book are donated to an animal charity. It is important to me, a conscious choice. 

Who is this cookbook for?

This cookbook is for anyone who loves good food but doesn’t want to spend ages cooking and loves especially Italian food. That’s you, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this! Cooking can really be fun, especially when you realise you can put delicious dishes on the table in hardly any time at all.

A request

Please keep an open mind. These recipes are (almost all) suitable for vegans and vegetarians. Let me explain. Back in 1995, when I wrote this book, I was mostly vegetarian, however, sometimes still eating a little meat, but meat gave me headaches, that was my main reason to stop eating it. In 2019 I became 80% vegan, only in weekends me and my husband eat some fish, cheese and eggs, but no meat.

I don't want to judge anybody, but I like this book to be suitable for everybody. If you are vegan you can still eat most of these recipes using vegan products. If you are a meat eater, well, quite frankly you can eat everything as well, and I really like you to try these dishes without any judgement as they are too good not to! 

If you are predominantly a meat eater you can, whenever I mention vegan sausage or bacon, of course use meat, but I don’t want to promote meat in this book. That’s my personal choice. 

If you decide that you also want to purchase all the meat recipes that I received back then in Italy you can click on the button above. You cannot purchase this book on its own. This extra money will go entirely to animal shelters. You can follow me on Facebook for updates of the charities I've donated the money to.

I hope these recipes find their way into real kitchens, onto welcoming tables, and into moments that matter. Enjoy.

Renate