Weekend Cooking (& Giveaway): A Fine Romance by Susan Branch

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I'm not quite sure where I first learned about Susan Branch, but once I peeked inside one of her books, I became a fan. I adore her paintings, photographs, and recipes, but I really love her zest for life. She has a positive outlook and finds the beauty around her. Even when seasick, she remembers her ancestors who sailed in much less comfort and raises her teacup in awe of their bravery.

So what's A Fine Romance: Falling in Love with the English Countryside all about and what does it have to do with Weekend Cooking? Well, the book is an illustrated diary of the author's two-month trip to England in 2012--and it contains a descriptions of meals and even a few recipes!

Although Branch and her sweet Joe had been to England before, they always dreamed of returning. Once their second trip was booked, the couple decided to keep a diary of their experiences; A Fine Romance tells the story of that incredible journey.

The pair left New York aboard the Queen Mary 2 on May 3, 2012, arriving in England about a week later. From Portsmouth to Kent to the Lake District and back, Branch used words, paintings, and photographs to record everything they saw and did, including much of what they ate, over the next two months.

What kinds of things does Branch share with us? Pubs, history, birds, walks, castles, cottages, people, and gardens. I laughed at her descriptions of getting used to driving on the "wrong" side of the road and car (I can tell you from personal experience it's not easy), and I was fascinated with the information about the historic sites they visited. I was glad to see that Branch included several pages about British authors (Kipling, Austen, and Potter, for example) whose homes they toured.

Her own observations are supplemented by charming literary quotes, sweet paintings, and beautiful photos. We even get a few recipes, from an upscale grilled cheese to simple lemon butter cookies. Take a look at the scan (click to enlarge it), to get an idea of her style and how fun this book is to read. I couldn't decide what pages to share because each one is interesting and visually pleasing. In the end, I just opened the book to a random spread and went with that.

Susan Branch's A Fine Romance will appeal to Anglophiles, artists, travelers, gardeners, and cooks. There are hours of enjoyable reading between the covers.

Giveaway. I was fortunate enough to meet Susan Branch at BookExpo America this past June, and she kindly signed a copy of her book for me. She was thrilled to learn that I was planning on offering that book to one of you. This giveaway is open internationally, so don't be shy. You'll get lost in A Fine Romance and start to dream of your own magical trip to the English countryside.

All you have to do to be entered for a chance to win is fill out the form. I'll pick a winner via random number generator on October 6. Once I've verified the winner, I'll erase all personal information from my computer. Good luck!