The' Art of Eating Gelato' part 1

Summer's half gone and I have not had my gelato for the summer of 2007 yet. I am counting down the days to that first gelato of summer 2007- (I will be back at my office in Italy at the end of July).

You know we divide the seasons by how many gelati we have had. We always celebrate our first gelato of the year and mark it as a special time. And it is a memorable time savoring every drip of that wonderful creamy confection.

But you know, to really enjoy the perfect gelato you must learn 'the art of selecting gelato'

First:
*Be sure to have gelato in places that make ' gelato artiginale'- this means they make it from scratch. There are many chains that are poping up all over Italy that buy the gelato pre-made and don't make their own in house production.
*Also take time to savor your gelati and learn to distinguish intense flavors and narrow down who makes the best gelato. All gelati are not created equal. And if you ara true gelato afficianado you will not eat gelato unless it is at its' best.
*So many gelato flavors to choose from
. Decide before you get to the gelateria what flavors you will get or at least think it out before you get there so that you will get the flavors that will make your own tastebuds dance! If you are a chocohalic-be sure you get at least one dip of a chooclate flavor in your cone. pair it with a complementary flavor-banana, torrone, (or for a really intense chocolate experience) another chocolate based flavor. The more thought that goes into what you put into your cone- the more chance you have of making this a tastefully intense experience.

My favorite flavors are : baci, gianduja, kinder, cioccolato, torrone

What are yours???

Stay tuned for my favorite pics for best gelato places in Italy..

Purchase the bestselling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at http://www.marialiberati.com/ in the months of July and August 2007 and receive a sample ofthe new spice blend developed in Italy- Sapori D'Italia. Also receive $5 off retail price and free shipping and handling .This is a limited offer only. Poritons of sales go to Gilda's Club http://www.gildasclubnyc.org/

Technorati Tags : gelato, ice, cream, chocolate

Let Summer Recharge Your Life..

Is it just me -or did anyone notice that we are already halfway through the year! So it is time to face facts- those New Year's resolutions that you made way back in January (when the year was so new and fresh) and forgot about-what happened to them, where did they go??

You know the age old resolutions-losing weight, getting organized, exercising more..

Fortunately -Summer is the time of year that allows us to -sort of- regroup- and put together a summer resolution! But make this a fun resolution and one that is easy to stick to. Take advantage of the carefree, lazy hazy days of summer and do something that will recharge you for the rest of the year. (Eating alfresco may be just a memory come November-so do it now!!)

So, since I am guilty too (I must admit) of conveniently forgetting my new year;s resolutions- join me in coming up with some fun summer resolutions to recharge the rest of your summer and keep that charge going for the rest of the year.

There are ten resolutions I have come up with and each week I will share a few with you. My first podcast on July 16th will also be "Top ten summer resolutions or how to recharge your summer!!

My first summer resolution is to eat alfresco whenever possible. So many of us don't take advantage of the beautiful summer weather at lunchtime or on the evening and eating outside. If you don't have your own patio or terrace or backyard- go to a park or lake or somewhere that you can go outdoors and enjoy a casual meal. And really sit and enjoy your meal and the surroundings and nature at its best-even if your in the city-you can see the beauty of the sky above. Remember a casual meal will do-keeping in with the casualness and lazy feeling that summer provides us. Of course not everyone can eat outdoors everyday, but try it even if it's once a week or a few times in the summer. So our first summertime resolution is:

1-Casual meal alfresco (if you need any recipes for your alfresco meal- go to my website-http://www.marilaiberati.com Bruschetta is a great summertime meal we enjoy on our terrazzo in Italy in the summer-so casual but elegant.)

If you don't have an out door terrazzo, envision one. When I am at my home in the mountains of Italy this is my view (the photo at the top of this blog) and even when I am not there I envision the marvelous mountains and the scenery of the village and hearing the our town church bells ringing!

Ciao for now!

Maria

http://www.marialiberati.com/