Join Me In Italy on a Mediterranean Cruise

A Dream of a Meal or Linguine at the Beach....

What a dream..the sea will do that to you and a visit to the local seafood market.. had to wake up early and begin working on this recipe before my day started..Fresh fish, delicious pasta, some local produce and what a dish!!



Dinner will be great, I thought to myself..not that dinner in our seaside home has ever been less than that. A mad rush through our wine cabinet and there is was a bottle of a locally produced Pecorino wine-made in the town of Offida in the province of Le Marche (only about 45 minutes from us) .'this will be great to use as an ingredient in the dish..”



Okay, so one of the most important ingredients found..now what should the dish be...



But wait time to wake up for the morning cappu and cornetto....it's 6:30 am and I know my better half will insist we go now or we won't have a selection of cornetti to choose from. The coffee bar makes their own production of cornetti., so there are not that many of each type..there are the ones filled with chocolate cream, the nones with apricot marmelade ,then plain with nothing inside, integrale with miele (whole wheat with honey), mandorlata (topped with thinly slivered almonds and a bit buttery ( I remember these on our trip to the South of France where they are very buttery as per French cuisine).

Anyway my favorite is the whole wheat with honey, his is the mandorlata...but get there past 8 AM and those are all gone...



Throw on something for another hot sunny day. It is almost like a gamble when you arrive at the cofee bar, the first thing you do is step up to the front counter to see if you can find your favorite cornetti..when found ..you stop for a minute and smile from ear to ear..knowing that today you will be able to begin your day your favorite way.... that light, flaky morsel complements the cappuccino to make for the perfect jolt to start your day..

When you arrive you feel listless..but when you leave eveything looks rosy and the day begins to have a meaning and now you are ready to start..



And I was ready...next stop..the loical fresh fish market..morning is best time to get there and get the freshest pick...and there I found what would be tonight's dish..the small tiny clams that make llinguine alla vongole a hit...as well as other fresh fish fro a grilled seafood entree (our second course).



Find my recipe for linguine alla vongole at the beach here

Spaghetti in Rome

copyright 2009, Maria Liberati
Here is a recipe for one of my favorite pasta dishes..brought to mind because I just enjoyed a dish at one of my favorite restaurants in Rome-
Serve with Chianti wine in recipe, dine al fresco as we did in Rome-for an added touch..


La Matriciana

for 4 people

*1 lb of pasta (spaghetti, bucatini,rigatoni)
½ onion
1 clove of garlic
¼ pound bacon (optional), cut into thin strips
3 tblsps of extra virgin olive oil
½ cup of dry white wine (Chianti)
½ tblsp of white wine vinegar
5-6 leaves of fresh basil
¼ of a dry, hot ,red pepper
a pinch of black pepper
2 lbs of ripe red plum tomatoes
¼ cup of pecorino romano cheese freshly grated

Place olive oil in saute pan and warm, place in bacon and chopped onion, hot red pepper, garlic .Saute until onion begins to become golden. Pour in wine and let liquid evaporate. Then add in the tomatoes that have been fileted (seeds removed) and fresh basil leaves.
Saute on medium heat for approx 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
Cook the pasta till al dente. Drain and place in sauce, toss and place in half of the grated cheese, toss. Serve each portion with a pinch of black pepper and more grated cheese.

Refresh With a Summer Salad

A simple refreshing salad for lunch or a light dinner..
Grilled Greek Salad
copyright 2009, Maria Liberati

A recipe for a simple, refreshing Greek salad on hot summer days. Try grilling the tomatoes and red onion slices for some added flavor to this classic summer salad.

You will need:
1 large beefsteak tomato cut into 1/2” slices
1 large red onion cut into 1/2” slices
1 cucumber split lengthwise, deseeded and cut into 1/4” slices
1 cup pitted kalamata olives
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 head romaine lettuce

1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper

Procedure:
Brush the tomato and onion slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a hot grill and cook for one and a half minutes per side to achieve grill marks. Cut the slices in half and set aside while you assemble the dressing.

Whisk together red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and taste.

Assemble the salad in a large bowl. Wash and chop the romaine head into bite sized pieces and combine in the large bowl with grilled tomato and onion, cucumber, olives and feta cheese. Drizzle with some of the dressing and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning and dressing coverage.



Tueday, June 2nd, The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm will be at Kenilworth Library in Kenilworth NJ to present Cooking on A Budget with The Basic Art of Italian Cooking from 7-8 PM. Based on the bestselling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking, the recipes will be for summer appetizers. Email:events@marialiberati.com for more info or call the library

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene
Maria
http://www.marialiberati.com
http://twitter.com/marialiberati

L'Aquila..A City to Be Remembered

Collemaggio in L'Aquila

copyright, 2009, Maria Liberati
Keep the city and surrounding towns of L'Aquila in your thoughts and prayers. So many were devastated by the earthquake (this week) that destroyed whole towns and much of the city of L' Aquila.. not to mention the many lives that were lost as well. Such a beautiful city that was filled with so many works of art and culinary delights. I am so grateful to have experienced the original city myself before this terrible tragedy struck. In memory of the city, its' people and region of Abruzzo, where I live, here are some of my former blog posts while in L'Aquila;
http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2/?p=341
http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2?p=314
http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2/?p=132

Join me on May 6th at Country Creek Winery., Montgomery County, Pa for a Wine Pairing and Sampler dinner. Call 215-723-6516 or email us at : events@marialiberati.com

Join me for a week long culinary event at The Basic Art of Italian Cooking School and villa from Sept 23 to Oct 6th.

Get your copy of the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking

Maria
www.marialiberati.com

Italian Food in the Movies

My favorite two subjects. I will be speaking on these two subjects today. Just think of it ..Food at an Italian family household is.....well something that can't be described unless you are part of an Italian family..how the food is the star of the household meal.
So if you aren't part of an Italian family or have never eaten at a large Italian family gathering..best alternative is to go to the movies...a film that prtrays an Italian or an Italian American family will almost always havea scene that incldues food as the star..
Here is part of my speech on Italian Food & the Cinema..
http://tinyurl.com/c4mbrx
Enjoy..
Join me at Whole Foods Markets Feb 18th- Marlton, NJ and Feb 19th at Philadelphia,Feb 26th, Princeton, NJ for a book signing and The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm cooking school classes. Call Sue at 215-660-5045 to register or email events@marialiberati.com

And if you would really like to Experience Italy join me at the villa where The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm Cooking School is. We only open up the villa a few tiems a year for gusets. And you can enjoy the next with me..Sept 23-Oct 6th, includes 6 nights 7days stay at the villa, cooking classes, Local vineyard tours, local food producers, sightseeing and La Dolce Vita lounging around at the villa in the hills of Umbria. For more info email us at events@marialiberati.com
Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene
Maria

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

Buona San Valentino..

Happy San Valentino! Keep the spirit of this day alive by celebrating love..for everyone..
If you'd like to make a special dinner,here is my suggestion for a luscious seafood risotto with Orvieto classico
http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2
For a simple dessert-a scoop of chocolate or vanilla gelato or ice cream in a glass of champagne or Spumante..
See Valentine's Day around the world

Dark chocolate..(not milk chocolate)with at least 70% cocoa gives you the healthy benefits of eating chocolate -a delicious aphrodisiac.

Keep the dinner Simple & Sweet!!
Join me for two The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm Cooking school events at Whole Foods in Marlton, NJ on February 18th at 6 PM for a class on pasta nd their sauces and a book signing and/or Whole Foods in Philadelphia on February 19th at 6 PM for a book signing and cooking class on 'Cooking on A Budget" the Basic Art of Italian Cooking way..

If you'd like to hone your cooking skills in Italy stay at our villa in Umbria for 7 days, cook with me, visit local vineyards, artisan producing food purveyors, sightsee, and enjoy La Dolce Vita in the hills of Umbria! For more info email us at :
events@marialiberati.com to register or for more info.Dates are Sept 23-Oct 6th.Only 12 spots are available so hurry and reserve your place!!

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

Where did Carnevale start & sweet treats....

On my short trip to Venice,besides being overcome by all the beauty..I could not help but wonder what came first Halloween, Mardi Gras, or Carnevale.
Whatever came first..the most important thing-besides the beauty and colors of Carnevale is the food. I have been posting recipes and sightseeing tips and here are more..http://marialiberati.com/blog2/?p=486
Also check out this post at http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2
If you can't visit Venice bring Venice to your kitchen table..

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

Barolo & its' Regal Wines

Copyright, 2008, Maria Liberati
The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm
http://www.marialiberati.com
http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2


From the province of Cuneo in Italy's Piedmont region comes what is sometimes called "The wine of kings and the king of wines." Barolo, named after a tiny town in the middle of the growing zone, is a thick, red wine and is one of the most collected wines in Italy.

Rarely can famous wines be traced back to their exact origins because many have been produced for centuries. In the grand scheme of things, Barolo is a fairly new wine.  Though it was present during the Middle Ages and was enjoyed by Louis XIV, its era of greatness dates back to merely the 1800s, when the Marchesa Giulietta Colbert Falletti decided to start making wine from Nebbiolo grapes. Barolo is produced primarily from these grapes.

These days, only about 3,000 acres of Nebbiolo are being cultivated in the region, which means that Barolo, though in high demand, is in short supply For the perfect Barolo, a certain type of soil is necessary. Oddly, the hills of the growing zone are split between two types of soil, which result in mild variations in flavor.The "left hills" produce a fruitier, longer lasting wine, whereas the "right hills" wine has a more composed taste that should be enjoyed more quickly.

The scent of Barolo is reminiscent of cherry blossoms and the color is a light ruby red that becomes somewhat 'orangey' with age. Age is very important when it comes to Barolo and DOCG regulations state that the wine must be aged at least three years before it can be sold.  To become a coveted Barolo Riserva, a bottle of this wine must age at least 5 years. These are just the stated minimums, though, as Barolo is often enjoyed when aged over 10 years.

This wine is at its best when paired with a meal. Be sure, though, to let it aerate.
For more great recipes, tips get your copy of the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at http://www.marialiberati.comFor more on recipes and daily posts from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking kitchen here in Italy go to http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2

The Basic Art of Wine

Wine was perfected by the Romans for use as a military strategy and today we enjoy the fruits of their labor. But to really enjoy wine the way it was meant to be you should follow the basic rules of wine etiquette.
There are a few basic strategies developed by enologists to educate consumers on how to enjoy fine wines with their meals.
We have been presenting many wine pairing programs at The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm cooking programs here in Italy. I wanted to share some of the tips we use in the program.You can find them at:
http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2For more great recipes getyour copy of the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at http://www.marialiberati.com

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

Long Island is Wine Country!

In February 2008, the New York Times announced that it would publish a new section on the Long Island wine region. Noted wine expert and veteran New York Times writer, Howard Goldberg, wrote an introduction for this new section of the newspaper. Summing up he said, "while the Finger Lakes in north-central New York define the state's largest region, the Long Island wine region seems the most exciting."

In the past thirty years, the Long Island wine industry has evolved from one small vineyard to nearly 3,000 acres of vines with over 30 wineries producing wines with a world class reputation.

The Long Island region embraces both Nassau and Suffolk counties. The majority of the wineries are in the East End of Long Island, specifically the North and South "forks." Time honored traditions have been amalgamated with state of the art technology to produce wines that are highly praised throughout the world.

Traveling to the Long Island Wine region is an extraordinary experience. You will be able to sample and purchase award winning wines directly from the vineyards as well as enjoy beautiful scenery and a wide range of leisure time adventures.

Art, Wine, Architecture and more...

I am so excited to welcome Sandra Pianin as a guest blogger on Maria & Co.
Watch for Sandra's blogs on wine, art and architecture..all of the subjects she has a passion for...
Sandra will be blogging a few times a week and as always you can post your comments to her here on her blog entries..

Welcome Sandra!!!!

Ciao for now..
Maria Liberati
Visit me at marialiberati.com
http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2
http://mediterraneandiet-healthy.blogspot.com

For recipes and more..got to http://www.marialiberati.com and get your copy of the bestsellign book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at $5 off retial price and free shipping as well..

Great Politics and great food- a perfect pairing

Is it just me or does it seem like the rest of the world has also gone crazy for our American potlitical election? Many of the European countries have formed interest groups for specific political candidates.

In Italy and France there are some groups that are interested in Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. They have regular meetings to discuss the candidates, have meetings to watch primary elections and see how their candidate fared even though they can not vote for them.

It is all in the fascination for everything American..just as we have a fascination with the Italian way of life.

Italian political watching has become one of my hobbies and I do so enjoy watching their Senate meetings on TV. Quite different from a US Senate meeting. A bottle of champagne may be popped open at the end of a successful meeting.. it is also a chance to see the latest fashions worn by both men and women and a smattering of the latest sunglasses-many Senators wear dark sunglasses to these meetings. Since I have grown tired of many of the same old predictable celebrity events.these political events have now taken my interest..But I am also learning about the rest of the world and the other political systems while being entertained.

It seems as though American politics have become so predictable- well I guess not this year with the first woman and African American candidates- we have added something interesting and we all may be witness to an important part of American history if one of these candidates gets elected..

But Italian politicians are more passionate about what they do and I always get the feeling that I am watching an opera -without the music-and not a Senate meeting or a political speech, everything is always so dramatic and everyone is so passionate about their cause.

It is a veritable modern day opera..

We(Italians) are descended from the ancient Roman Philosophers- a trait that is very visible in today's Italian politicians.

Everyone wants to be the next Roman emperor and have their day in the spotlight or at the Roman forum (Foro Romano) and Italian politicians are no exception.

Oh well just a little happy hour chit chat to enjoy a glass of a light sparkling wine like Bracchetto D'Acqui, it goes great with appetizers and desserts. Here is an appetizer to accompany your glass of Bracchetto:

Torta Salata con Brie
copyright 2008, Maria Liberati from "

The Basic Art of Italian Cooking -Holidays and Special Occasions, art ofl iving, Prima Media,Inc.
This makes a great antipasto!!

Ingredients:
*A disc of puff pastry (big enough to cover bottom and sides of a pie pan about ¾”-1” high)
*3/4 lb of brie
*1 fresh red pepper
*1 fresh yellow pepper
Olive oil
Pinch of salt

Directions:
Cover pie pan with puff pastry. Cut the brie into thin slices (do not eliminate the white skin). Lay brie slices on puff pastry. Wash the peppers and cut into thin slices, place on top of the brie. Drizzle about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil on top, and sprinkle a pinch of salt.

Bake in preheated oven of 375 degrees for about 7 minutes or until puff pastry is golden.
Served best hot instead of warm.

Ciao for now!
Maria

http://www.marialiberati.com/

San Valentino and dinner pe due

Romantic Dinner Menu for Two
Copyright 2008- Maria Liberati, art of living, PrimaMedia,Inc.
THE BASIC ART OF ITALIAN COOKING, Holidays & Special Occasions


Cocktail : Tintoretto
½ cup Prosecco Spumante (or a Spumante)
¼ cup pomegranate juice
Divide Spumante-evenly- among 2 champagne glasses. Top each glass with pomegranate juice –evenly divided among two glasses. Don’t stir- two colors of each liquid will provide two different colors or layers.
Antipasto: Bruschetta Gratinate
¼ pound of reduced fat fontina or Swiss or baby Swiss cheese
3 leaves of fresh arugula
1 large or 2 small very ripe tomatoes
4 slices of crusty Italian bread (can be day old)
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tsp of Sapori D’Italia herbs- Tuscan Picnic blend (by Maria Liberati’s The Basic Art of Italian Cooking)

Cut fontina or Swiss cheese into small slices or small cubes. Wash and dry tomatoes, cut into small cubes and eliminate seeds. Wash and dry arugula and chop finely. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place bread slices on cookie sheet, drizzle with 1 tsp of olive oil and sprinkle spice blend on top. Place in oven till slices begin to get crusty and turn golden- for about 1 minute.

Remove from oven. Layer remaining ingredients in this way: First place cheese cubes or slices, then chopped arugula, then tomatoes. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and remaining ½ tsp of spice blend. Place under broiler of oven till cheese begins to bubble. Broiler times vary- should be 1-4 minutes depending on broiler.

First Course: Linguine alle Vongole
(Clams with linguine)
1/3 box or 1/3 pound of linguine.
2 tblsps of extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil
2 clove of garlic-whole
½ lb of fresh steamed clams
½ lemon (to squeeze over finished pasta)
Handful of fresh parsley

Fill pasta pot with water and small handful of kosher or gross salt. Place on medium heat.
Place olive oil in large sauté pan. Place in peeled, whole clove of garlic (if you leave garlic in whole pieces the garlic will give the clams a flavor but the flavor will not be an extremely intense one-‘if you don’t want to have garlic on the breath’. If you don’t care about garlic odor then by all means chop it finely). Sate garlic over medium low heat until oil starts to form bubbles and garlic begins to get golden color. Place in clams and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring the clams every so often to distribute the flavors. Remove from heat. Sprinkle in the freshly chopped parsley. Stir for about one minute.
Place pasta in boiling water according to package directions (about 10 minutes). Taste before draining to be sure pasta is done to your liking. Drain in colander. When water is drained off place in saucepan with clam sauce and toss with pasta pincer till pasta is coated. Squeeze ½ lemon over pasta and toss. Place in individual serving dishes

Can be served with dry white wine – 1small glass



Second Course : Pepperoni Imbottiti
(Stuffed peppers)
1/4 cup cannelloni beans
1 tables minced onion
2 taps of fresh garlic minced finely
1 cans tuna (6 ounces)
1 tblsp of extra virgin cold pressed olive oil
Juice of ½ small lemon
¼ cup freshly chopped parsley
½ tsp Sapori D’Italia spice -Tuscan blend

Drain tuna can. Place tuna in large bowl and flake. Then add in beans, 3 tsps olive oil, garlic, onions, spice blend (leave a pinch behind to bake peppers), lemon juice. Toss.
Take whole peppers, cut of tops and clean out seeds and inside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place peppers standing on glass or ceramic baking baking dish. Drizzle with 1 tsp of olive oil and a pinch of the spice blend. Place in oven for approx 20 minutes or until tender.

Remove from oven, let cool and scoop in tuna mixture. Divide evenly between both peppers. Serve cool or while peppers are still warm. In the summer you may want to try serving this with raw peppers. This makes a wonderful picnic dish also.



Dolce : Fragole con Limone
(Dessert course: Strawberries with Lemon)
1 pound of fresh ripe strawberries
1 fresh lemon
1 handful fresh mint
1 tblsp sugar or 3 packets artificial sweetener
(Optional- 1/4 cup red wine)

Make this dessert about 1 hour before dinner so that the lemon juice and sugar have a chance to marinade the fruit>

Wash and hull strawberries. Cut each strawberry in quarters. If you are using the baby strawberries (fragolini- little strawberries) you can leave them whole.

Place in serving bowl. Cut lemon in half, with fork incised into lemon half (use both halves). Squeeze juice over strawberries- taking out any seeds. Sprinkle sugar on top. If you want t add in red wine-do so now. Stir and toss so strawberries are coated well with juice and cover bowl, refrigerate for about 1 hour.

When ready to serve, garnish with mint leaves on the top of the individual serving dish.


After Dinner Drink: Caffe Dolce e Speziata
(Spicy Dessert Coffee)
2 cups hot espresso coffee
2 tsps artificial sweetener or sugar
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of cinnamon
2 tblsps of light whipped cream

Place hot coffee in individual espresso serving cups
Stir in sweetener, top each cup with pinch of cinnamon, pinch of nutmeg and then 1 tblsp of light whipped cream.








Other useful tips:
*Even though olive oil is very good for you, you may want to lessen the calorie content of some of these dishes by substituting Enova oil for half or 1/3 of the olive oil in the dishes. Always use some olive oil so you still
Capture that flavor in each dish. Enova oil is a ‘good for you oil’ but you do not absorb all of its fat content.

*In any of the dishes that use sugar- even though my recipes don’t generally use a lot of sugar- so the sugar calories are minimum- you can still substitute an artificial sweetener.

*This meal contains a lot of good for you ingredients, Fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, pasta, seafood, olive oil. However, I have included a small amount of alcohol in the form of spumante (sparkling wine) because this is meant to be a dinner for a special occasion. But remember alcohol does add calories- even thought there have been health benefits found- you should limit your alcohol consumption to special occasions so as not to load up on unnecessary calories, etc. I also recommend that if you drink the cocktail (Tintoretto) –you serve that with your appetizer. You should never drink alcohol on an empty stomach. And you don’t want to munch away on salty pretzels and peanuts to add more calories with your cocktail.

*If you drink the cocktail before dinner and still want to drink wine with the meal be sure to drink a small glass only with the meal. Alcohol-even wine does add calories

*Since this is meant to be a romantic meal for two- you may want to partake in a small square of dark chocolate (should be minimum of 70% cocoa to get the health benefits) with your after dinner drink.

for more recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at http://www.marialiberati.com and recieve $5 off retail price and free shipping for a limited time only..

Ciao for now!
Maria

Today's Lunch is..

In ‘il mio laboratorio’ as we now call our cucina... filled with ingredients for testing of recipes for my upcoming books. For today’s lunch we had a choice of 4 different variations on the lentil soup that I and (my culinary assistant-Alessandra) prepared. The hearty recipe which is really more of a traditional one here in the mountains of Abruzzo this time of year- is what became our lunch..Alfonso and I enjoyed our heaping bowls with a glass of locally produced Montepulciano D’Abruzzo. Read about this heavenly juice here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montepulciano_d

Here is the chosen recipe..enjoy

2 cups of dry lentils soaked overnight in 4 cups of water
2 tblsps of extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 slice of fresh onion
1 small can of peeled tomatoes with juice or 1 lb of fresh plum tomatoes, peeled,seeded,cleaned
2 whole carrots
1 whole celery stick
Pinch of salt

4 slices of crusty bread broiled with drizzled olive oil, Sapori D’Italia spice blend on top

Saute olive oil, garlic and onion in soup pot and when just about golden add in tomatoes, lentils with water soaked in, whole carrots and celery. Cover and stir every so often. Cook until liquid just about evaporates and lentils are tender. If lentils have not finished cooking and liquid evaporates add in some water..

Arrange 2 slices of crostini bread in each soup dish, pour soup over bread and enjoy. You can even drizzle a little olive oil on top..

And if you want to know how healthy this dish is for you (too healthy for such a delicious dish) find out here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lentil
http://www.foodsubs.com/Lentils.html
www.health.com/health/article/0,23414,1149140,00.html
italianfood.about.com/od/aboutingredients/a/aa012200.html


Buon Pranzo , enjoy your lunch..
Ciao for now, for more recipes go to http://www.marialiberati.com/
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Risotto again ...but with Radicchio and Trebbiano

copyright 2007,2008, Maria Liberati, The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati
As I am continuing to work on my chapters on risotto (as you have probably guessed with all this mention of risotto) today's favored risotto that we selected to eat for pranzo (lunch) was a radicchio risotto.
Sauteed with radicchio, this risotto has an interesting flavor thanks to the radicchio. It does give the dish a slightly bitter, nutty taste, but the sweet,creamy parmigiano-reggiano cheese added right before serving balances the bitter flavor.



Since I do favor working with white wines in my risottos, I used a Trebbiano D'Abruzzo from a local vineyard here in Abruzzo.
If you'd like to try this delicious but also healthy dish, I am printing the recipe here before it is published.

If you would like to see what a powerhouse of health this vegetable is, here are some great reading sources:


http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/radicchio.htm
http://www.radicchio.com/
and if you want to know about Trebbiano white wine, go to:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trebbiano


Risotto with Radicchio
(for 2)
*1 tablespoon extra virgin oilive oil
*2 slices finely chopped onion
*1 cup of arborio or carnaroli rice
*4 cups of vegetable broth
*1 cup of dry white wine
*2 tblsps of freshly grated parmigiano cheese
*1 small head of radicchio, washed and pat dry, and cut into thin strips
(optional- 1 tsp of butter added when finished cooking).
Saute in saute pan- olive oil, chopped onion. When onion begins to turn golden, place in rice and toast for a minute, toss around pan with wooden spoon. Place in radicchio, 1 cup of white wine, stir until liquid is absorbed, then place in 1/2 cup of vegetable broth until all liquid is absorbed and add in more broth. Repeat this, consistently stirring with wooden spoon for approx 18 minutes or until rice is 'al dente'. Be sure all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat.Place in (optional) butter and stir until melted. Place in individual serving dishes, top with freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese and enjoy with a dry white wine.

Buon Appetito..
Ciao for now,
Maria
http://www.marialiberati.com/
Don;t forget to get your copy of the bestselling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at http://www.marialiberati.com/ and recieve $5 off retail price and free shipping now for a limited time.

Happy New Year from the Mountains of Abruzzo

(copyright, Maria Liberati 2007)

Here's wishing that you all had a wonderful Christmas and that you were able to include some of the special recipes we have included this past month.

I am writing from my office in Italy- high in the mountains of Abruzzo.
The Holiday season still goes on here. While you are waiting to ring in the New Year as we are here as well, we will be celebrating until the 6th of January. This last Holiday is the Epiphany or La Befana and marks the end of the Christmas Holidays.
Here the Holidays are the topic of conversation for everyone for at least 4-6 weeks. I was really tired and not too awake when we landed in Rome. But I really realized I was here when I had to stop at customs to show my passport. No, showing my passport didn't wake me up. The customs officers- there were 3- that had to look at my passport were discussing a recipe that they had for Christmas Eve dinner (Vigilia) as they glanced at my passport- paying more attention to the details of the recipe than the looking over of passports. And unfortunately I did not hear the entire recipe. Although as tempted as I was to ask, I decided it was best not to ask.
Besides, I knew that the sooner I left the airport the sooner we would be having a cappuccino and cornetti at Palombini-in EUR (a neighborhood in Rome) right in front of the 'square coliseum'-that alone is sight for sore tired eyes.
And as I have been continuing this series, here is an excerpt from my upcoming book- The Basic Art of Italian Cooking-Holidays and Special Occasions (to be released in late 2008). This chapter is about our New Year's Eve last year -to bring in 2007.

NEW YEAR'S EVE

(excerpt from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking-Holidays & Special Occasions

copyright, Maria Liberati 2007, art of living,PrimaMedia,Inc.)
Never plan for anything..As all the highways were closed because of icy conditions and two terrible accidents on the A24 highway (the highway that goes from Abruzzo to Rome)–we had to quickly think on our feet to save the festivities for New Year’s Eve. Which we did….
As luck has it we found out this morning that we could not get out of town safely so we had just enough time to grab all of the ingredients we needed to make a 7 course New Year’s Eve fest fit for a king.. for 25 people….

Menu
Primi (first course)
Spaghetti lightly tossed with fresh shrimp and calamari in an ‘aglio e olio’ (garlic and oil) topped at the end with fresh parsley.

Secondi (second course)
Zuppa di lenticchie (lentil soup) with freshly made crostini (croutons)
Served with Cotechino (a type of ham)

Terzo (third course)
Fresh baked salmone

Quarto (fourth course)
Frittata made with fresh escarole and grated parmigiano cheese

Contorni (side dishes)
*Fresh swiss chard- cooked and lightly tossed with olive oil and fresh lemon juice
*Fresh mozzarella

All of this was served with Vino Novello. This is the new wine that comes out about this time of the year. It is called vino novello (new wine) because it is only aged for 3 months versus aging for at least 1 year.

Dolci (desserts)
*Torte di panettone (see recipe in my next blog later this week)
*Artisanal chocolate torrone made here in Abruzzo. (It contains 80% cocoa and hazelnuts grown locally. This is a specialty here in the province of Abruzzo).

Fruit course
Fresh grapes (you must eat at least 12 grapes on New Year’s Eve for good luck).
Fresh apples

To bring in the New Year, Braccchetto D’Acqui was served. It is a sparkling red wine that is delicate and with just a hint of sweetness

Torte di panettone recipe
(Copyright 2005- Maria Liberati)
Many of you who have been at my book signings have savored this torte (cake). We make it around Christmas time because it is made with panettone (an Italian sweet bread made for Christmas). We usually have so much panettone left over and try to think of creative things to do with it. So I came up with this recipe with a friend of mine that is a pastry chef here in Abruzzo. It is really very easy to make but is so yummy they will think you were baking all day.

And as I always recommend in all of my cookbooks- use only the best ingredients you can find for this torte. Since there are only a few ingredients each and everyone is important.


*1/3 to ½ of a pannettone (most gourmet stores carry these now, if you are lucky you may be able to find a fresh baked one as well).
*1- 4 ounce chocolate bar (must be 70-80% cocoa)
*4 large dried figs
*2 cups whole milk
*1/2 cup sugar
*¼ tsp vanilla
*2 whole eggs
Baking paper
1- 8” shallow cake pan
Small piece of solid chocolate to shave into chocolate curls on top
Confectioner’s Sugar

Instructions…
If panettone is a few days old it should be dry. If it is not dry, tear panettone into small cubes, preheat oven to 375-400 degrees. When oven is preheated place panettone cubes on flat baking sheet and bake till begins to turn golden and becomes dry.

Line shallow cake pan with baking paper. Chop 4 ounces of dark chocolate into small pieces. Chop four figs into small pieces. Set these aside.

Cover pan with one layer of panettone cubes. Press cubes gently to fit form of pan. Sprinkle chopped chocolate and figs on panettone cubes. Place another layer of panettone cubes on top, again press gently to cover the first layer and to fit form of pan.

With wire whisk, whisk together 2 cups milk and 2 eggs. Then little by little add in the sugar and whisk and then add in vanilla and whisk for 1 minute or until well blended.

With soup ladle gently pour this mixture over panettone cubes and then gently press down to form panettone and mixture to pan and then let
sit for 10 minutes so all is absorbed. Then place in oven preheated to 375 degrees for 40 -50 minutes.

Top should be golden and all liquid should be absorbed.

When cool, take out of pan by edges of baking paper. Garnish top with a dusting of confectioner’s sugar and chocolate curls shaved from chocolate bar.

Should be kept in refrigerator and best if made the night before.

Serve with Bracchetto D’Acqui sparkling wine.

Tanti Auguri for a safe and Happy 2008!

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