A September to Remember: Searching for Culinary Pleasures at the Italian Table (Book Three) – Lombardy, Tuscany, Campania, Apulia, and Lazio (Roma) (Savoring the Olde Ways Series, 3) by Carole Bumpus

Publisher:  She Writes Press (April 27, 2021)
Category: Culinary/Travel Memoir & Non-Fiction
Tour dates: April 12-May 31, 2021
ISBN: 978-1631527272
Available in Print and ebook, 245 pages

Description September To Remember by Carole Bumpus

This culinary travel memoir is an invitation to join in on a month-long trek through Italy, all in the search of the true Italian experience. Sprinkled with unforgettable characters, you will sup on sumptuous traditional foods, sip regional wines, and enjoy vast panoramas of extraordinary beauty. You may find yourself dancing at harvest festivals, climbing through Etruscan tombs, traipsing among Roman ruins, or bathing in ancient Roman termes (hot springs).

You may also enjoy climbing to the heights of wonder in Capri or to the top of St. Peter’s Basilica. Or delight in soaking up the ancient and cultural history in Milan, Firenze (Florence), Amalfi, Pompeii, Lecce and Rome. You can bask in the sun and rugged beauty of the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Adriatic Sea, or the gorgeous Amalfi Coast. Or you can chat for hours over family meals while collecting a compendium of regional and traditional recipes (cucina povera), while you capture a rare glimpse inside the secrets to the Mediterranean psyche. It is truly a trip of a lifetime.

Advance Praise September To Remember by Carole Bumpus

“A cultural and gastronomic tour through Italy by train, car, and ferry with culinary delights at every turn…Elaborate descriptions of almost every meal and snack turn this compelling travel book into an enjoyable vicarious experience…A joyous book of Italian history, traditions, and food that’s worth savoring.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Carole Bumpus’s culinary travelogue A September to Remember is written in the inviting voice of a learner. [Her] exploration as an American abroad will draw in those who hunger for travel as much as they hunger for flavor. For Bumpus, appreciating food requires a strong sense of people and place; in fact, she regards food and culture as inseparable….Bumpus embraces authenticity over simplicity, encouraging cooks to rise to the challenge. A September to Remember is a food narrative that brings the heart of Italy to tables around the world.”—Foreword Reviews

“…here, as in other places, [Bumpus] also sends us on a sensory tour with her descriptions of the marvellous meals they enjoyed, of course all handmade, regional, and accompanied by superb wine. A true celebration of Italy. I believe that Carole Bumpus is such a successful author because of the love and passion she puts into her books, through her writing the landscapes, architecture, and gastronomy of Italy are brought wonderfully to life. Highly recommended!”—Susan Keefe, TheColumbiaReview.com

“…a delightful romp… This is an intimate and affectionate book (complete with a generous array of local, easy to follow recipes!) that takes us with this energetic couple to experience Italian life as it is lived as well as learn more of the rich history of Italy. ”—Mag Dimond, author of Bowing to Elephants; Tales of a Travel Junkie

“Abundant with Italian culinary traditions of ritual and region, this delightful travel memoir charms and entices. Bumpus is genuinely present in her stories, as if reliving the experiences in real time… Bumpus extends a gracious invitation to join her, with delectable, regional recipes—a shared feast that brings her journey home to us.”—Kate Farrell, author of Story Power: Secrets to Creating, Crafting, and Telling Memorable Stories

Interview With Carole Bumpus

TR: Please tell us something about ‘A September To Remember’ that is not in the summary.  (About the book, character you particularly enjoyed writing etc.)

CB:  Even though this is my third book in the Savoring the Olde Ways series, it was this first trip to Italy that compelled me to consider writing a culinary travel series. I returned again and again to both France and Italy to follow a new passion: to search for the traditions and foods that continue to bring families together at the table.

TR: Did you keep a journal during your travels, and did you know you were going to write a series about your travels?

CB:  While traveling I took copious notes and tape recorded all of the interviews. I also made notes about each place I visited, along with my observations, as well as taking hundreds of photos. I also bought every pamphlet and guidebook (in English, of course) I could find to help me understand the local history, architecture, arts and cuisine, as well as the local culture. Collecting regional cookbooks was also a special find that helped me relive my experiences on paper.

TR: What part or parts of Italy were your favorite?

CB:  Following my first trip to Italy, I returned many times and have traveled throughout many additional regions throughout the ‘Italian Boot’. But I first fell in love with Tuscany—Florence, in particular—because it was our initial introduction to a sublime cultural experience of people and place. I also enjoyed the Amalfi Coast, Venice, Rome, the Cinque Terre, Lake Como . . . oh my! I still have so many more stories to tell!

TR: Besides your actual travel, how much time and effort went into your research for the book? And how long did it take you to write.

CB:  This trip took place many years ago, but I set it aside to write the French books in my series first. The actual writing came easily. In fact, almost too easy as I barely remember putting pen to paper. But it felt magical, as I recall, and according to many reviewers and readers, I found my writing ‘stride’ in this latest book.

But I did spend many years researching each one of the places we visited with maps, re-interviewing some of the people I had met along the way and verifying historical details not found in my guidebooks), plus focusing on the many photos taken enroute.

TR: Where did you get the inspiration for your cover?

CB:  Thank you for asking. Each one of the covers in my Savoring the Olde Ways series reflects the regions visited, some of the many dishes sampled, and the wines quaffed.

TR: Have you drawn inspiration from other authors for your writing? Who?

CB:  MLK Fisher is one of my all-time favorite culinary travel writers. She was probably one of the first who came on the literary scene in France during the 1930s and her sensuous description of savory foods and exotic places sent me traveling with pen and paper in hand.

TR: Did you travel with your family as a child? Where did you go?

CB:  Yes, I lived in Nebraska and my family (with five kids) traveled to Colorado and to Estes Park, in particular, for almost all of our vacations. It was just about the perfect distance for a family to drive with “five unruly hooligans trapped in a moving vehicle at one time” as my father would often say. Early on, I decided to move to Colorado to live, and less than twelve hours after high school graduation, I was on a train for Denver and spent the next thirty years (give or take a few years off) living in that beautiful state.

TR: Are you going to continue the series, where will the next book take your readers?

CB: I hope to write at least three or four more books, which would include two more of Italy and maybe one of Provence. I also hope to complete a book on my travels to France accompanying the U.S. WWII veterans on their 65^th and 70^th anniversaries of their liberation of France.

TR: Did you watch Stanley Tucci’s ‘Searching for Italy’ on CNN and if so, besides all the camera’s etc, how did your experience compare? 

CB: Yes, I have been watching Stanley Tucci’s series, and I find it absolutely delightful! It gives me such joy because his focus was always my focus. What I mean here is that he was searching for the most traditional of foods, dishes, and places wherein the people still revere the ‘olde ways’ of doing things. My own series ‘Savoring the Olde Ways’ centers on that very important value.  I actually was able to travel to many of the same places, and visit even the same buffalo farms where they make buffalo mozzarella (Campania); and the balsamic vinegar wineries in Modena; and the same places that enormous rounds of parmigiana Reggiano cheese are made in Parma. I haven’t seen all of his series, but notice that he focuses on the most traditional of dishes that are prepared for him, and are so often served to him at the family table. I have so enjoyed this show.

TR: Where are you going to travel too next? Do you have any plans?

CB:  I plan to take a culinary trip to Morocco in late Fall of this year (if the pandemic lifts) and to take another culinary river cruise through France in the summer of 2022 for my thirty-fifth wedding anniversary.

Note to my readers: This is a vegan website.  Teddy does not agree with the use of any animal products, including dairy.  The author’s views are her own.

About Carole Bumpus

Multi award winning author, Carole Bumpus is a retired family therapist, who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She began writing about food and travel when she stumbled upon the amazing stories of women and war in France. Her historical novel, A Cup of Redemption, was published in October 2014, and her unique companion cookbook, Recipes for Redemption: A Companion Cookbook to A Cup of Redemption, was released in August 2015.

Books One and Two of her Savoring the Olde Ways series, Searching for Family and Traditions at the French Table, were published in August 2019 and 2020; her third book in the series, A September to Remember: Searching for Culinary Pleasures at the Italian Table is due out April 27, 2021. All five books have been published by She Writes Press which is part of SparkPoint Studio, LLC.

Website: https://carolebumpus.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolejbumpus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaroleBumpus
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carole.bumpus/

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