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

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!!

Spring is here..ahh Primavera

copyright, Maria Liberati, 2008, Editor Lauren Scheller

Ahh... it is beginning to feel like 'Primavera' ..if not in the air at least in my mind.. Nothing makes you feel like Spring more than a special dish or treat in the kitchen....

Fast Forward to Spring With this Sea Inspired Salad


Spring is in the air, but, while we patiently wait for it to arrive, here’s a great recipe to beat the winter blues and combat cabin fever. If you scroll down the list of ingredients for Insalata Profumata di Mare, you can’t help thinking of a warm, beach breeze and summer sun. While this salad is actually a traditional Italian dish on Christmas Eve, the presence of the shrimp, mussels, and calamari make it perfect reminder of seaside flavor and fun anytime of the year. Combine these fresh ingredients to create a light, tasty insalata that is sure to make your spring arrive a little faster!
Insalata Profumata di Mare
(Flavors of the Sea Salad)
*1 lb of steamed, cleaned shrimp
*1/4 pound cleaned, steamed mussels-shelled
*1/3 lb of calamari-cleaned and cooked
*1 red onion
*2 red, ripe tomatoes
*4 parsley sprigs chopped finely
*1 tablespoon of olive oil
*1 fresh lemon
*salt and white pepper to taste
Directions:
Clean and slice the onion into round slices. Separate slices into separate rings. Wash and clean the tomatoes, cut in slices. Clean and chop parsley finely. Wash and cut lemon in half. Squeeze lemon with juice squeezer, remove seeds. Place fish in bowl and dress with lemon juice olive oil and pinch of salt and pepper. Sprinkle chopped parsley on top and stir. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes in refrigerator.

On a large plate, arrange tomato slices. Place marinated fish on top and then top off with onion rings.
~ For this delicious recipe, and many others, be sure to check out Maria Liberati’s The Basic Art of Italian Cooking and one of her newest cookbooks-Holidays and Special Occasions from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking... Coming to you soon! Go to http://www.marialiberati.com/ to order your copy now..