A Recipe for Disaster + Giveaway

A Recipe For Disaster

 

A Recipe for Disaster is a cookbook, a travelogue and the companion to Cookucina, a six-part TV series available on Amazon Video, iTunes and Google Play - see www.cookucina.com .

 

It's also the entertaining journey of an Englishman struggling with the ups and downs of living in rural Italy. After giving up a successful career in television, Stephen found himself dragged back into a world he had happily given up when his neighbour, Lia, persuaded him to listen to her Big Idea – making a TV cookery series. But Lia speaks no English.

And Stephen’s partner, Tam, can't cook. So, much against Stephen's better judgement, the three of them embarked on a six-part series set among the rolling hills of the little-known, but spectacularly beautiful, Italian region of Le Marche. In the Cookucina TV series Lia teaches Tam to cook alla Marchigiana, while Tam translates. A Recipe for Disaster follows their many encounters with the real Italy – a world away from the picture-book ideal of summer holidays in Tuscany.

 As the team try to construct a professional series with no funding they come to rely on the generosity of the Marchigiana people, while attempting to overcome the constant difficulties thrown up by those whose stubborn adherence to their age-old way of life is rooted in their beloved fields and woods. A Recipe for Disaster is a goldmine of simple yet delicious recipes, while peeling back the veneer of television professionalism and opening the door to a world of Italian surprise and delight.

A Recipe for Disaster comes with unique access to Cookucina, the final six-part TV series, so you can see for yourself how the team cracked their problems and (just about) held it all together in a blistering heatwave. Experience this contradictory world of vendettas and kind hearts through the laughter and frustrations of Stephen and the team, as you follow A Recipe for Disaster slowly coming to its surprising fruition.

 
My Review

I like Stephen have little knowledge of Italy. Although, I have never been there. Reading this book, I felt like I was there with Stephen, Tam, and Lia. Plus, I learned some history about Italy. Book your passport as you travel Italy in a fun filled, yummy and funny journey in A Recipe for Disaster!

Instantly, I loved the way that Mr. Phelps wrote this book. He has an ease about him as a storyteller. His description of places and the foods he tasted were great. They had my mouth watering. Yet, I kind of suspect that part of this had to do with the pictures and recipes inserted throughout the book. Which, the recipes are simple and can easily be made by home cooks. Also, Mr. Phelps has a good sense of humor about him as well. It showed in this book.

You never really realize just how much work and long hours are put into producing a television show; especially if the show is only a half hour. All of the reshoots, beauty shoots, angles, scripts, production crew, etc. It definitely gives me a better appreciation for everyone involved in making a show. If you are on the look for a new book to read, than you have to check out A Recipe for Disaster. It will have you craving more.
 

Purchase Links:

iBooks                  http://bit.ly/iRecDis

Kindle                   http://bit.ly/KdleRecipe

Paperback           http://bit.ly/RecDis

Goodreads         http://bit.ly/GoodRec

Smashwords      http://bit.ly/SmaRec

 

 

Stephen Phelps

 

Educated at Oxford University, I began working with BBC Radio, moving to BBC TV where I launched Watchdog and produced the investigative legal series Rough Justice. In Hong Kong for BBC World Service Television I oversaw the start of BBC World. I then spent twelve years running my own TV production company, Just Television, specialising in investigative programmes in the field of law, justice and policing. In particular, Trial and Error for Channel 4 which exposed and investigated major miscarriages of justice, winning the Royal Television Society’s inaugural Specialist Journalism Award in 1999. Recently I have been working as a consultant for Aljazeera English on major documentary projects.

 

In 2002 I took an MA in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia. Writing credits include many plays for BBC Radio, my most recent being a drama documentary for the 30^th anniversary of the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster. Books: The Tizard Mission published by Westholme Publishing in the United States, tells the extraordinary story of how Britain’s top scientists travelled in secret to America in the autumn of 1940 to give away all their wartime secrets to secure US support in WWII. A Recipe for Disaster is a book about living in Italy while trying to make a TV cookery series, Cookucina (now available on Amazon Video, Google Play and iTunes.

 

I have several other books and three screenplays in development.

 

 

Social Media Links –

Twitter                 @StephenP_Writer

Faceboook          https://www.facebook.com/stanley.tinker

Instagram            stephenp_writer

Medium              https://medium.com/@stephenphelps

Web                      www.cookucina.com

 

GRILLED PEPPERS with LABNEH

 

 

●        ½ kg. natural yogurt

●        2 peppers (red/yellow)

●        8 slices of baguette-style bread

Mix the yogurt with ½ tsp salt, pour yogurt into napkin in a colander. Refrigerate for 4 hours (min). Put whole peppers under pre-heated grill turning occasionally until blackened. Place in paper bag for 10 mins. Peel, cut into strips and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs. Toast the bread slices, coat with oil.

 

 

 

 

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