An Apple A Day.....

 We have all heard the old adage, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." 
We all know that fruits and vegetables are essential to good health.  There has
been much talk today about the benefits of antioxidants which include everything
from prevention of certain types of diseases as well as the slowing of the aging
process.  However, besides the antioxidant benefits did you know that apples
have been known to protect post-menopausal women from osteoporosis and increase
bone density.  Boron, an ingredient in apples strengths bones.  Also apples have
been found to be instrumental in such diseases  as asthma and alzheimers.  There
are many other benefits as well.  Apples have been proven to lower cholesterol,
help to lower your risk of lung cancer as well as colon, breast and liver
cancer.  Besides that they are a quick and delicious snack.  With  peak apple
season now upon us from September to November now is a great time to pile the
family in the car and set off on your apple picking adventure.  Whether you prefer the do it yourself method or the store bought one I'm sure you'll be happy with the many possibilities this fruit lends itself to.
  With over 7,000 varieties of apples available, yes 7,000, one might be in a
quandry as to which variety to choose.  Golden Delicious, and Paula Red are
considered perfect for applesauce as well as canning.  Braeburn, Gala,
Gravenstein, Rome Beauty and York Imperial are best for baked apples.  Granny
Smith, Jonagold, Macintosh, Northern Spy, Romes and Winesap are considered best
for pies.  Other varieties such as Baldwin, Cortland, Fuji, Gala, Golden
Delicious, Red Delicious, Stayman and York Imperial are best eaten as is. 
For recipes and more go to http://www.gomestic.com/Cooking/Eat-Your-Way-to-Health-with-Apples.309207
Join me this Saturday at WHole Foods Jenkintown, Pa for a book signing and cooking program. Cooking on a Budget with The Basic Art of Italian Cooking. Call the store at 215-481-0800 or for more info email: events@marialiberati.com
Join me in Italy
More recipes and articles

The Basic Art of Italian Cooking January 2009

Get your digital issue of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking magazine for January 2009 at http://tinyurl.com/98xbtf

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

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

A Recipe a Day..

While working in The Basic Art of Italian Cooking Kitchen here in Italy we are working on a new recipe a day.. Todays' recipe is inspired by tartufi (truffles) the mysterious 'fungus'. Tartufi (truffles) are abundant in many regions of Italy certain times of the year.
It has become almost a tradition to leave tartufi in my kitchen as a present ..and what a wonderful present. In Abruzzo here, many people have dogs that hunt for truffles and they leave an extra one or two for me so that I find them in The Basic Art of Italian Cooking Kitchen waiting to be used in a special recipe.

Today's special dish:
Risotto with Tartufi & Oysters..You can find it here (titled 'Tartufi, food of the Gods'):
http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2

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

Special Life, Special Times, Special Recipe...

It wasn’t a life that would impress kings or queens or heads of state but it was a beautiful simple one- filled with children and a husband and grandchildren and food and cooking and lots of it!! I would like to dedicate this blog to a special aunt who passed away yesterday.
She was an inspiration to all of us. At 90 yrs old she was still cooking the Christmas Eve dinner on her own- all 7 fishes. The day before she died she had all her supplies ready to make the ‘calzones’ for a special day that is approaching on March 19th-St Joseph’s Day.

These are a special sweet calzone made with the paste of chickpeas, honey and cinnamon. Each year,my aunt made them with tender loving care-peeling the chickpeas first then mashing them in the food processor. Then mixing, mixing and then comes the dough and the frying and all the time to make these delights.

They were sort of like her recipe for life-simple but yet special and long in the making.

And if she left one special memory on this earth-other than her children and grandchildren- it will be those calzones. Something the family is sure to remember and sorely miss year after year.

Unfortunately, we won’t have any calzones for St. Joseph’s Day this year in my family but in memory of her wonderful life I would like to post the recipe. Hopefully right now St Joseph is thanking her for all the wonderful calzones she made in his honor..

http://www.roangelo.net/valente/stjoseph.html


Calzone di San Giuseppe
Dough:
1 lb flour
3 eggs
water if dough needs more moisture
Filling:
1/2 cup honey
1 lb of chick peas (pureed)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon oil
Oil for frying

Make dough like pasta dough & roll out with rolling pin or in a pasta machine. Place chick pease in processor and puree. Then add in cinnamon oil, sugar, honey. Proceed as usual for preparing calzoni. Cut dough into circles using a the rim of a water glass. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center, fold circle in half. And crimp edges with fork. Fry in hot oil till brown. Remove and dust with powdered sugar.

San Valentino and more....

Thanks to everyone that attended my roundtable interview and discussion on Athena Isle at Second Life. That was my first experience on Second Life and a fun one!!

In honor of San Valentino, here are two more recipes from my upcoming book

The Basic Art of Italian Cooking-Holidays and Special Occasions (copyright 2008 Maria Liberati) to be released later this year..

Let me know how you celebrated your Saint Valentine's Day. San Valentino represented love, so you can celebrate this day with any one special in your life-your friends, your parents ,siblings, somoene that is special in your life..

Cocktail di Mare (seafood Cocktail)

*6 jumbo shrimp(steamed)
*12 large scallops (steamed)
*2-3 drops of Tabasco sauce
*6 tablespoons of olive oil
*1 tablespoon of vodka
*2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
*6 hot red peppers
*10-12 leaves of romaine lettuce
*1 tsp of powdered red pepper
*2 tsps of salt
*6 shish kabob type wooden sticks

Place on sticks first-one scallop then one shrimp (vertically) then one scallop. Repeat using all 6 sticks. In small bowl place vodka, salt powdered red pepper, lemon juice, Tabasco sauce , olive oil. Beat wit ha fork until all ingredients are blended.
In tall glass, arrange a few lettuce leaves on side of glass. Alternate in each glass, 3 hot red peppers and 3 shish kebabs. Drizzle sauce on top and serve.


Cuori di Pane

*Pre made pizza dough-1/2 lb (uncooked)
*3 tablespoons of flour
*2 tablespoons of dried tomatoes
*1 tsp of Sapori D’Italia Spice Blend or Rosemary
*4 dried red peppers
*3 tablespoons of olive oil
*2 tsps of chopped scallion
*

Drain dried tomatoes and chop into small squares. In separate bowl, crush 3 dried red peppers with wooden spoon, place in chopped dried tomatoes, chopped scallops. Blend. Place ball of pizza dough in bowl and work in mixture. Knead pizza dough for 5 minutes until all ingredients are blended into dough.
Dust wooden board with 1 tablespoon of flour. Place pizza dough on top. Flatten dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutter in shape of heart.
Place sheet of baking paper on cookie sheet. Place hearts on baking sheet. Crush remaining pepper in small dish, mix with ½ tsp of Sapori D’Italia or Rosemary. Drizzle hearts with teaspoon of olive oil and sprinkle remaining crushed pepper mix on top. Let hearts sit for 30 minutes. Then cook in oven preheated to 450 degrees or until crisp and golden (about 15 minutes).