Some years ago I read a book that was a bit of a parody on UTTS and similar books - those featuring women (usually) going to Italy or France and renovating a big tumbledown house, usually after a big life event. Often they include local recipes for Torta della Nonna and similar.
The book I read was a novel. An English woman had taken over a house in Tuscany and was obviously trying to model herself on the sort of books I've described. The recipes given usually turned out be quite standard British things translated into Italian. Can't remember an actual one, but it would be something like "Fromaggio e Prosciutto a Pane Frito" and was basically a cheese and ham toastie. Massive apologies for the awful cod Italian, but it does give a flavour (ho ho!) of the sort of thing in the book.
Iirc, she used to quite like being called "Contessa" - obviously was no such thing - and took herself very seriously.
I can't remember if it was written in the 1st person - I'm guessing some of it must have been.
The story was based on the experiences of some guests staying with her for a couple of weeks.
Please can anyone tell me if it rings a bell for them - thanks in advance 
Have also read UTTS and enjoyed it so not meaning to denigrate it. I suppose the piss taking is more of this woman self-consciously trying to live like the women in the books, while not really being like them.