Tartufi (Truffles) Food of the Gods

Copyright 2009, Maria Liberati
Editor: Katrina Rios


If you are in the city of Umbria in Italy (where The Basic Art of Italian Cooking School Programs are held http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2/?page_id=542) try some of their delicious black truffles. Umbria is famous for black truffles, which are a specialty of Italian cuisine. They are the most expensive mushrooms in the world and they can be made many different ways. Some of the best truffles come from Norcia, which is a medieval mountain town. They grow in the surrounding countryside, beneath oak and walnut trees. A good time to visit the town is during February when they hold The Black Truffle (Tartufo) Festival. During the festival you have the opportunity to sample both black and white truffles and learn different ways that they can be made. This festival also attracts local and national food producers that look at the truffles as prized possessions. They know that they can use these truffles in sauces, pasta dishes, or in risotto.
The fascination with truffles goes back to ancient history. The ancients believed that the truffles were the food of the gods. They believed that the truffles had aphrodisiac properties that the mythological god Jupiter used very often. In ancient Roman recipes writers would advise mere mortals to cook the truffles under ash and eat them with honey. When the middle ages came along, the truffles came to become mistrusted because people thought that they were poisonous. The truffle only became highly popular in the last two centuries because of its constant use in the high courts of nobility.
Today the truffles are used in so many different recipes and places they are considered the king of cuisine. Because of their popularity they can be used in a variety of dishes to make the dish even more enjoyable. They are a great way to experiment and to surprise friends and family with your newly found cooking skills.

Join Me at Gourmet Women & Wine on March 28th at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, for more info email: events@marialiberati.com

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Orvieto Classico-Wine of Popes & Princes

copyright 2009, Maria Liberati
I am always blogging about this wine..Orvieto Classico. Besides being fresh and crisp it reminds me of Orvieto and its' magnificent Cathedral. I can just stand in front of it outside and admire it for hours..such a work of art and the wine Orvieto Classico is a work of art..
Read more about Orvieto Classico at http://vinovidivici.today.com
Copyright, 2009, Maria Liberati, The Basic Art of Italian Cooking
http://www.marialiberati.com

Umbria, “the great heart of Italy”, is known for its white wine, especially its crown jewel, orvieto. This area accounts for 15% of Italy’s wine production (80% of which is white) even though it is the 4th smallest region in this country. White it only produces one third the amount of Tuscany, the results are nothing to scoff at.

Orvieto, “wine of the popes”, has a history as rich as its flavor. Popes, princes, and artists visiting from Rome and Florence, two of its neighboring cities, once sipped this abboccato, or semi-sweet wine. The medieval city of Perugia makes up the hills that surround the Umbrian capital city of Orvieto. The rolling hills of these medieval villages, with their tufa limestone and volcanic soil, along with the rainy climate with dry, sun-filled summers, contribute to the success of Orvieto’s grapes.

From the popes of the Middles Ages to more modern Italians of the 20th century, Orvieto has been the token dessert wine. This soft golden wine has formed its sweet nectar by having the grape skins stay in contact with the juice for a while before fermentation; lower grape yields; and of course more meticulous selection. Grapes were often stored in crates, barrels, or humid grottoes for long periods of time after the harvest, which was unlike many other wines.

Today’s crisp, peachy orvieto is dry but semi-sweet, referred to as orvieto abboccato. This has made a comeback as a dessert wine, although small amounts (less than 5%) of dolce (sweet) are produced in this region as well. This deep golden wine, nicknamed by Gabriele d’ Annunzio ( a famous Italian writer) as “the sun of Italy in a bottle”, is a full, mellow, slightly bitter drink best drunk in the year produced. Orvieto abboccato is best paired with liver, cheeses, spicy foods, and fruit salads. In case there aren’t enough reasons to drink it, it has also recently been discovered that the anthocyanins that this wine is comprised of have great antioxidant properties. A glass a day…

For more on wines and great recipes to go with them get your copy of the bestselling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at http://www.marialiberati.com and chek out more at http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2

Always be Ready..to Open a Bottle of Wine in Orvieto..

One of my favorite winebars is in Orvieto (region of Umbria)-La Champagneria. You will find this in Piazza Marconi (principal piazza in Orvieto). Ask for GianLuca and Velia. GianLuca is very knowledgeable about wines and liqueurs from all over the world and the antipasti that Velia whips up to go with the drinks are heavenly. Grab a table outside under the stars (if not too cold out) and you will have a splendid view of the whole piazza. If you are not knowledgeable about wines, tell Gian Luca the taste you are looking for and he will make a perfect choice and tell you all about your beverage. Gian Luca is a true artist and is so passionate about being a sommelier that he told us that he always carries something that can open a bottle of wine in his backpocket- Gian Luca told me "you neer know when you will have the opporutnity to experience a great bottle of wine or champagne and you must always be ready. I even have one on my nightstand in my bedroom." A true artist..kind of like Stradivarius who used to sleep with is violin..
This is one of our stops for our The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm Cooking Shcool in Italy coming in fall 2009. email us at events@marialiberati.com fpr more info and to register..it will be an experience to remember..
Cooking School Dates:
The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm COoking School will be presenting a class on preparing a 4 course authentic Valentine's Day Italian dinner at Whole Foods Market in Jenkintown, Pa on Feb 8th at 2 PM. Join me for the class and a book signing before class. To register email us at events@marialiberati.com


The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm cooking school in Italy will take place Sept 13-19th at Borgo Fontanile in Orvieto Italy. Join us for week of cooking classes with organic fresh produce from the farm, vineyard tours ,wine tastings, To register or for more info email us at events@marialiberati.com

For more great recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at http://www.marialiberati.com

A Sunny Day in Umbria..

Doctors at this time of the year are usually telling people that suffer from some sort of seasonal depression to use the sun and lights as a form of therapy and I am sure they know well. But if I had a depression because of the absence of sunlight, my prescription would be to go to Umbria, Italy..
The sun and mild January weather are perfect to cure most anyone out of a depression.
My cooking program in Umbria this weekend was filled with non-stop cooking and touring ,however, we also got to enjoy a day of walking and relaxed sightseeing of the Umbrian hills ,a nature reserve, splendid views of the medieval towns nearby and I can't forget the Umbrian sun..not far from Tuscany so I can understand why a whole book could be written about that part of Italy..
When the sun is shining there it does more than just provide light. The sun illuminates a painting that is the living scenery that you are part of while there..the rollling hills ,the olive trees, the verdant green, the trees lined up so perfectly.
Here is more on my trip to Umbria..recipes included
http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2

Orvieto and Minestra di Farro

recipes from Orvieto and Minestra di Farro..take a look at http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2

Cooking in Orvieto

Today I am in Umbria, Italy in the charming little town of Baschi for our The Basic Art of Italian Cooking School a a beauiful farm resort righ outside of Orvieto. Unfortunately, I am not able to post much here today, but you can keep up with us here with recipes ,photos and more at:
http:www.marialiberati.com