Berries, Berries Everywhere

I just went to the out to get a bottle of olive oil and came back with bags full of fresh berries..I couldn't resist passing the local farm market..they are so ripe and fresh this time of year. Here's a recipe I get requests for all year round but now is the perfect time to make this:

A mixture of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries to top a delicious treat
Copyright 2009, Maria Liberati
http://www.marialiberati.com
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30 minutes total
15 minutes prep time
Serves 8-10 crepes
Ingredients
16 ounces strawberries or berries, a mixture of wild (black berries, blue berries, raspberries and strawberries)
1tablespoon brown sugar, packed
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1 cup flour, unbleached
2 eggs
1 tablespoon oil, not olive
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups skim milk
Cooking spray

Directions
Rinse and slice strawberries into a bowl. Pour lemon juice on top and toss.
Add brown sugar and toss until well coated; set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk all ingredients together until there are no more lumps.
Over medium heat, heat crepe pan or non-stick frying pan.
When heated, remove from heat and spray with cooking spray
Pour a 1/4 cup of the batter in the pan. Quickly lift pan and tilt and turn until
batter evenly covers the bottom.
Cook over medium heat for 30 - 45 seconds until the edges are dry enough to
get a spatula under to flip.
Cook for another 30 seconds on the other side.
When lightly browned, remove from pan onto a plate.
Spray pan with cooking spray and repeat for the rest of the batter.
Stack crepes with wax paper between so they can be easily separated.
Down the middle 1/3 of the crepe spread one or 2 heaping spoons of berry mixture.
Fold one side of the crepe over the mixture and then the other side over first side.
Top with a spoon of berry mixture.
Can also be frozen wrap first in wax paper then put into plastic bag and then foil.
They stay moist if this is done when still slightly warm.
For more delicious recipes get your copy of the bestselling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at http://www.marialiberati.com
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Cucina Povere or Frugal Coooking with style

A little of this ,a little of that..all thsi talk about beign frugal and eating on a budget.. I've been doing that for years but we donlt really call it eating on a budget..it is dishes form 'cucina povere'. The authentic Italian dishes from the peasant kitchens of Italy long ago. Now dishes taht are eaten in some of the finest resturants in the world. Not because their ingredients are so expensive but becasue they are a rarity in today's fast food world-dishes that use only real ingredients and are cooked from scratch..so it is Slow Food.
My dish today.. well when I stopped at the market today to fill up my water containers I couldn't help but notice the produce that had been marked down. Nothing wrong with it, but you have to use these veggies today, not tomorrow. Quick thinking and since I love a great vegetable stew and could make it at a bargain..I grabbed the zucchini, eggplant, an onion, some carrots, some fresh tomatoes..I already have the garlic and olive oil at home. For about $5 I will have vegetable stew for a few days that I can have with brown rice or pasta. Healthy and fresh...
Not only inexpensive but healthy and fresh and great for you too. Oh and donlt forget soem freshly grated parmigiana-reggiano..I'm kind of cheating I still have a large chunk I took home from Italy..1/2 the cost there.. but no need to buy a large quantity buy a small chunk and use it sparingly.. the extra taste is well worth it..

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene
Maria
*May 2nd- Book signing and wine sampling with Terra Nova wine at the Grand opening of Raya Coiffeur in Haverford, Pa. will include a fashion show by Sonia Rykiel. 8-12 pm

*May 6th- Join me at Country Creek winery in Telford,Pa for a wine smapler dinner. I will be preparing a 4 course authentic Italian dinner and pairing it with wines of COuntry Creek. 4 course sampler dinner, 4 wine samples, cooking demo, recipes incldued, per person $39.95. reservatioins required call 215-723-6516

Join me in Italy for The Basic Art of Italian Cooking School.

Get your copy of the bestselling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at http://www.marialiberati.com

Mother's Day & Market Day

Since Mother’s Day became a national holiday in 1914, tradition suggests that it’s mom’s day off. But a Market Day online survey found that of those families that celebrate Mother’s Day at home, 38 percent of moms will prepare their own family’s Mother’s Day meal this year. The online survey was conducted with more than 945 respondents.

If you think the economy is contributing to the rise in keeping mom in the kitchen to conserve expenses, so far that does not seem to be the case. In fact, 73 percent of respondents indicated that the economy will not affect their Mother’s Day celebration this year at home. However, for the 27 percent who are feeling the economic pinch, 51 percent will not opt for restaurant dining or will go to a less expensive restaurant. This despite the fact that Mother's Day is the busiest day of the year for restaurants.

This is not to say that moms will be doing all the food preparation at home themselves since 34 percent will get help from family members, and 19 percent will enjoy their meal prepared by a spouse.

For moms who do prepare Mother’s Day meals, 42 percent prepare dinner, equal to the 42 percent that prepare a lunch/brunch.

A family-oriented trend is that 46 percent of moms indicated that in the past, their kids helped prepare a special meal for them on Mother’s Day. Of these kid-inspired meals, 62 percent served mom breakfast (45 percent were served in bed). Fourteen percent helped make dinner, while seven percent helped make a cake, cupcake or cookies.

Kid-prepared meals for mom seem to be a newer tradition, since only 39 percent of today’s moms say they prepared a meal for their own mothers. Most impressive, is that 73 percent of spouses or partners either played a very involved role or supervised the production of the meal. A brave 27 percent let their kids manage the entire preparation.

Mother’s Day continues to be a special time for women family members as evidenced by the 56 percent who consider the day a time for the women in their family to bond.





About Market Day

Market Day, the Original Fundraising Food Cooperative®, is the nation’s largest food fundraising company. In addition to its flagship monthly food program, Market Day offers a variety of fundraising options including a gift brochure, restaurant-quality desserts, beverages, cookie dough, and a gourmet food catalog. Market Day is dedicated to providing high quality products at a value, and its consultative approach provides custom fundraising solutions for organizations across the country. Since its inception over 30 years ago Market Day has helped raise more than $450 million for kids and communities. For more information visit www.marketday.com.



Join me on Saturday, March 28th at 11-2 at Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia for Gourmet Women & Wine. I will be signing copies of my best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking. Look forward to seeing you then..

Join Me April 4th at Whole Foods in Jenkintown for a book signing and The Basic Art of Italian Cooking Cooking Class-Cooking on A Budget! Email events@marialiberati.com


Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene
Maria
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