Rosemary: The Dew of the Sea

Guest Blogger: Karissa Martin
copyright 2011 Art of Living,PrimaMedia,inc
Rosemary, or “dew of the sea,” can be used in many different dishes or simply as decoration. Depending on what you will be using the herb for will determine what type of rosemary you will want to use. There are two main types of rosemary: creeping rosemary (low growing/prostrate) and common rosemary (upright). Each type has several variations, but the tastes and smells are very similar.

Creeping rosemary is not as resilient as common rosemary, but it is still fairly easy to grow. This particular plant grows out rather than up, so you have to leave plenty of room for it to expand. The leaves and stems are green, and the buds are generally blue, though there are exceptions.

Irene: This low growing variety has blue-violet flowers that cascade over the limbs of the plant for a beautiful addition to any garden. It is one of the most attractive of the low growing varieties.
Huntington Carpet: This creeping variety has darker leaves than other types, has much larger branches, and light blue flowers. It can spread to as much as eight feet wide and about two feet high.
Corsican Prostrate: This low growing rosemary has dark blue flowers and a silvery hue to the stems and leaves that give it a very unique look. It has arching branches similar to those of Huntington Carpet.

Common rosemary tends to grow up rather than out, and it is very hardy. As with the creeping rosemary, the leaves and stems are green, and the flowers are usually blue.

Tuscan Blue: This particular upright variety has dark blue flowers, and the flowers are larger than most other types of rosemary. This herb’s lemon and pine flavors are not as harsh as other varieties.
Majorca Pink: This upright rosemary has pink flowers, which is very unusual for this herb. This graceful plant has an aesthetic appeal.
Albus: This semi-upright variety has thick, short leaves and white flowers. It is not as aromatic as some of the other types. Generally peaking at three feet, this upright variety does not grow as tall as many of the others.

For great recipes to use those herbs like Rosemary get your copy of the award winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

The Year of Caravaggio

copyright 2010 art of living, PrimaMedia,Inc.

Guest Post by : Karly Berezowsky
This is the year of Caravaggio, the famed Italian artist.. Here are some interesting facts about one of the many geniuses of Italian art..Recently, a Caravaggio painting has been recovered in Berlin, Germany, after being pilfered in 2008 in Odessa, Ukraine. The stolen piece was actually a modern replica of Caravaggio’s Taking of Christ. It has been proclaimed by art historians that the Taking of Christ was not painted by Caravaggio due to distinct differences in the painted figures. It may have been painted by one of his students; despite being manifested as an original Caravaggio by the Soviets in 1950.




But to understand how it was contrived a fake one must understand how immensely avant-garde Caravaggio truly was during the Italian Baroque period. Caravaggio was wholeheartedly innovative and anarchistic because he is taking off the blindfold and showing real issues like murder and squalor. This painting portrays an extremely traumatic murder.



Caravaggio was an Italian Baroque painter. He lived a rough life, he was arrested multiple times. He used ordinary common folk such as people in the streets as his models. He painted down-to-earth, real earthly people with real problems. The subject matter for the majority of his works was religious scenes. He committed a murder and there was a price on his head to bring him in alive or dead. His temper caused him to get into many fights and upset a lot of townspeople which forced him to flee to various areas of Europe. But a life on the run could only last so long.



Caravaggio was an innovator that used techniques called tenebrism and chiaroscuro throughout his work. Many of his pieces are considered to be Shock Theater because they are so dramatic and have theatrical elements to them. For instance, some of his paintings have spotlight lighting and drawn red curtains.



Caravaggio painted what he saw, using people on the streets as models. The Calling of St. Matthew depicted Jesus Christ pointing at Matthew in a dim dive of a tavern. The action starts to the left and then flies off to the right; this makes the composition dynamic because it forces your eyes to move with the unfolding scene.



Caravaggio had an interesting take on classical art which can be seen in his painting, Boy with a Basket of Fruit. In which he makes the God Baccus look sickly due to his greenish skin color, when he is supposed to be the god of wine and merriment. Caravaggio made the God Baccus look more earthly and unkempt. Caravaggio is in a way rejecting the classical form of art by making it more seedy and run-down.

Caravaggio was rejected after he painted The Death of the Virgin. One of Caravaggio’s most famous pieces was Death of the Virgin. It was commissioned for the Church of Santa Maria. His patrons hated it so much they actually returned it to him, totally rejecting his art and skill. It depicts the death of the Virgin Mary. Mary actually looks dead, her flesh is green and the body appears bloated; much like the dead deer do on the side of the road in the summer heat, limbs outstretched and fat. Caravaggio was totally radical painting the Virgin Mary like inflated road kill. It is rumored that he used a drowned whore from the morgue as the model for the Virgin Mary. Just imagine the riot that would ensue if someone painted her like a prostitute today and then plastered it onto the wall of the Vatican. And it is because of all of these clandestine features of the painting that the patron nuns returned it to him. They reasonably objected to the painting because they thought it was too unorthodox because she looks like a corpse which is an indecent image when she is supposed to be an icon of light, heaven and hope.



For recipes and charmingstories on life in Italy get your copy of the award winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

Baba Ganoush-a Healthy Dip

copyright 2010 art of living,PrimaMedia,Inc
Guest Post By: Karly Berezowsky



Baba Ganoush is an old world dish made predominately out of eggplant is a refreshing and simple dish to make with origins in the Middle East. It is still eaten today by the Turkish, Armenian, Greek, Romanian people, along with many of Mediterranean origin. Eggplant or aubergine is a popular ingredient in many Italian dishes as well, so this might be something worth trying out. This dish is especially superb for a vegetarian or for someone who is just trying to eat a little healthier.


One may describe it as an eggplant dip. Some people pair it with pita bread; but it is good enough to eat right off of the plate.


The list of ingredients is as follows:

1 pound of eggplant

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 handful fresh parsley, minced

2 tablespoons tahini

2 tablespoons lemon juice



Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Prick eggplant with a fork and place on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Bake the eggplant until it is soft inside, for approximately 20 minutes. Let the eggplant cool. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, drain off the liquid. Scoop out the pulp and place into a food processor. Process the eggplant until smooth and transfer to a medium bowl. On a cutting board, mince garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt together with the flat side of a knife, until it forms a paste. Add the garlic-salt mixture to the eggplant. Stir in the parsley, tahini, and lemon juice. Season with more salt, to taste. Garnish with additional parsley.



For more great recipes get your copy of the Award Winning Book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition winner of the Best Italian Cuisine Book in the USA by Gourmand World Cookbook Awards

Celebrity Chef Maria Liberati & The Basic Art of Italian Cooking are touring the USA and Canada, upcoming appearances schedule:
Sept 11 & 12-Hudson Valley Wine Fest-Rhinebeck, NY, Dutchess County Fairgrounds. Maria will take center stage at 2 PM on both days and share recipes, stories from her new award winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition recipes. Maria will be signing copies of the latest book throughout the weekend event.
For more info email: events@marialiberati.com

Saint Anna Di Stazzema-A Pillar of Remembrance

copyright 2010 art of living, PrimaMedia,Inc

Laying on the outskirts of the Apaun Alps, the village of Sant’Anna di Stazzema stands as a pillar of remembrance in Italy. The whole village now stands as a nobly divine memorial of an infamous World War II massacre in early August of 1944.


More than 560 people died in martyrdom at the hands of Nazi soldiers. The people, mostly women, children, and the elderly, were shot point blank in the town square, lined up against a church. The brutality of the attack struck fear, anger, and shock throughout the Italian people.

Today, Sant’Anna di Stazzema is a mended wound on the spine of the mountains, visited by many to see the memorial dedicated to those who lost their lives in the hatred. Although there are long-lasting scars among the family of those murdered, stitches are being threaded as an investigation takes hold. Up until 2004, the Nazi soldiers involved in the genocide of Sant’Anna were remained nameless. Investigations are surfacing, and the disrupted families of those lost are becoming content with the increasing justice.

Although the subject of the Sant’Anna di Stazzema massacre is a thick, horrific subject, tourists visit the village to marinate in its history, and its recovery. The village is making amends and friends of the Germans, as they gradually embrace forgiveness.

The village of Sant’Anna di Stazzema is an illustration of the metamorphosis of past to present, and a mark of Tuscany that will always be the bold mark on the map

Please Don't Take Away My Salt...

 copyright 2010, art of living, PrimaMedia, Inc.
Guest Blogger: Emily Brauchle

Since the recession, Americans have been forced to give up small luxuries in order to sustain themselves and their budgets. Small luxuries may be cutting down on the grocery list, limiting vacation time, or conserving energy to shrink the electricity bill. There are plenty of comforts Americans have slowly begun to live without, but the fine treat of salt is something Americans could not go without. Tuscans, however, are a different story.

In Tuscany, Roman soldiers were paid in salt for its high value and cost. Salt was extremely expensive in that era due to the high tax placed on it. Salt, or sale in Italian, is where the English language gets the word salary and the expression ‘worth your salt’. With the tax on salt, Tuscans learned to live without the delicacy and adjusted their recipes and cuisine, most significantly their bread making.

At present, Tuscan bread is still, as it has been forever, perceived as simple and satisfying. Now it is also known to be salt-free, as the change in tradition carried over from century to century unto the present day. Nowadays, Italians claim that they prefer their salt-free carbs, and wouldn’t have it any other way, as it acts as a host to its accompanying food and it’s spices.

Bread is served, not as a main dish or entrée, but as a side accompanying. The unadorned bread accentuates the flavor of the food it is served next to, and does not counterbalance any flavor or taste of the important part of the dish. Tuscans have mastered the balance between too little and too much, making absolutely sure the consumer is never smothered, but always satisfied.

Sept 9-12-Hudson Valley WIne Festival, Rhinebeck, NY, Maria Liberati & The Basic Art of Italian Cooking will be onstage doing cooking demos from the newly released  award winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking:  Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd Edition

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Go to http://www.marialiberati.com/  where food meets art, travel & life!

When in Tuscany...

copyright 2010, art of living,PrimaMedia,Inc
Guest Blogger: Emily Brauchle

In the beautiful utopia of Tuscany, thousands of places call out your name. You know that you can leave your boredom on the plane and release yourself into the paradise of Tuscany. You have countless places in Tuscany you’re just dying to see for the first time and breathe in all the artistry, history, and shopping. However, there are three places you must see during your holiday in Tuscany.


One is the beautiful city of Florence, or Firenze, where tourists flock to -like ants to a watermelon. Florence is the capital region of Tuscany, as well as the birthplace of the Renaissance. Being known as the ‘Athens of the Middle Ages’, Florence has a vast amount of architecture, music, art, culture, and cuisine wrapped up in the center of Tuscany like a gift. Florence was home to famous artists like Michelangelo, Dante, Botticelli, and da Vinci in older times, and is now home to the best modern art, courtesy of Prada, Cavalli, and Gucci. With one museum after another, and market after the next, no wonder it’s considered the art capital of Italy, and one of the most visited cities in the world. It’s an artist’s realm, and a shopper’s heaven.

Another gem to visit under the Tuscan sun is the famous Pisa. Yes, home to the ‘Leaning Tower of Pisa’. All of those pictures you see with a person looking like a giant holding up a tall bell tower on an incline? Yes. That would be the Tower of Pisa. Not that you would travel half way around the world to see a falling building that is. The tower is company to the Duomo (neighboring cathedral rich in artistic works), the Baptistery of San Giovanni (which is rumored to cause bad luck among surrounding underclassmen who visit it), and the Camposanto (a monumental cemetery that is simple on the outside, and magnificently designed on the inside) in a beautiful square set apart form the rest of the town. Pisa is a pillar of necessity when visiting Tuscany.

Last, but not least, is Siena. Siena, along with it’s obviously desired cuisine, architecture, landscapes, and art, is widely known for its Palio di Siena. The Palio di Siena is a horse race held twice a year during the summer that attracts thousands to the city. The race has ten horses (symbolizing ten city regions in Siena) racing against each other, ridden bareback by jockeys. What makes this race unique is the requirement for winning. The only thing that needs to cross the finish line is the district’s horse, not the jockey! The excitement of the race is only amplified by the intensity of the jockey’s fate, as well as the fate of the district’s pride.

When in Tuscany, time can be passed by the years easily. The beauty of it is ravishing and divine, as well as its history and art. World-weariness is in short supply, so have fun! See everything, but be absolutely sure you see the three centered provinces of Florence, Pisa, and Siena.

For more Italian travel stories and recipe get your copy of the Award Winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition
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*Book Signing/On Stage Cooking appearances by Celebrity Chef Maria Llliberati on Sept 9-12 at Hudson Valley Wine Festival. For sponsorship info email: info@marialiberati.com
 
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Slow Food..Slow Living & a Sunflower Field

Guest Author: Daniel Dorr
copyright 2010, art of living,PrimaMedia,Inc

Imagine sitting down to dinner in the warm Mediterranean air around a table with your extended family for hours, as the sun is setting on a filed of  sunflowers  A waiter comes to fill your already stained red wine glasses, while an accordion player is sounding their last heart throbbing note. This picturesque moment may seem dream-like, but it doesn’t have to be if you know where to go while travelling the Italian Peninsula.




The international Slow Food Movement was started in Italy to preserve this type of dining experience. Since then its recognition has spanned around the globe, and their establishments have even started to arrive in metropolitan areas of the US. Mediterranean life is described as being a much more laid back style of living compared to most Western societies. The organization’s intent was to protect Italy’s dining habits from expanding Western companies, such as McDonalds. To embody their message protestors armed with penne pasta pelted the first Roman fast-food establishment showing their disapproval. Now if you’re not feeling as radical as these food lovers, you can align yourself with their cause by enjoying a meal at a Slow Food restaurant.



The Slow Food manifesto was written to preserve the traditional values of Italian dining – urging people to literally slow down their lifestyles. Who wouldn’t love for your boss to say, ‘take two hours for lunch and relax about that up-coming deadline’? Founder Carlo Petrirni suggests in the official statement, “suitable doses of guaranteed sensual pleasure and slow, long-lasting enjoyment preserve us from the contagion of the multitude who mistake frenzy for efficiency.” It is a proven anthropological fact that the best time of the day to create meaningful conversation is during a shared meal. Slow Food advocates are intending to prove this.



As well as creating a stimulating, relaxing environment for people to dine they are also very concerned with the type of foods they serve. Slow Food advocates are highly concerned that while food species have begun to be homogenized by agribusinesses that their local strains of vegetables and produce will be left extinct. In order to combat this, slow food restaurateurs have established relationships with environmentally conscious farmers (who use neither pesticides nor growth hormones), also trying to maintain their foot holes in the local produce market.



It’s all too easy while travelling in a new country, or any new place for that matter to fall back into your normal eating habits. You can “grab a quick bite” anywhere in the world, but to really experience a foreign land you must eat like an Egyptian – or however that old saying goes. No matter how many tourist attractions you see you can never really get a feel for a new culture without indulging in local cuisine and restaurants. One of the most prominent restaurateurs in Italy for Slow Food is Fabrio Picchi. His restaurants are world renowned and located in Florence, which I will characterize in my next article in this series, A Slow Stroll from Milano to Palermo.

Herbs: Economical, Extravagant & Efficient

copyright 2010, art of living,PrimaMedia,Inc


Guest Author: Emily Brauchle

It’s been a long day at work, and a luxurious Italian dish sounds welcoming. You pull out the needed ingredients of your favorite red sauce recipe from the pantry and spice cabinet. Wait. The spice cabinet? Could that sound any more predictable? I think not.

Instead, picture yourself walking to an aromatic balcony blooming with fresh herbs from decorative planting pots, and plucking a perfect basil or oregano stem from its place. These fragrant herbs are free from pesticides and chemicals, and they’re costing you about a fourth of the money you would have normally spent to buy fresh herbs at any farmers’ market. These herbs could make your favorite red sauce all the more special.

As the season metamorphosis into spring, the perfect opportunity for planting waggles it’s eyebrows at you as you read this. Yes, planting a garden can be hard work. No, you really don’t have time for all that sweat and weeding, nor do you have space on your lawn to flip into a construction site. It’s just too bad, because you would really love all of those fresh herbs, right?

Well, here’s a secret. Anyone and everyone can easily manage an herb garden. You don’t even need a lawn. Herbs can be effortlessly grown and managed in planting pots (the same planting pots you glanced at in your favorite store few weeks ago to notice the cute color schemes). Seeds cost no more than a few cents, and all you have to do is plant, water, and repeat. If you were to plant some of the basic Italian herbs (such as sage, oregano, basil, fennel, and rosemary for example), the whole garden would cost you about $50-$60 to create.

Mind you, there are a few precautions when dealing with herb gardens. For instance, herbs need soil that is well managed. Don’t freak out. All you would need is a planting pot that has drainage holes in the bottom to let excess water leak. Make sure the herbs get plenty of sun, as most herbs reach a fuller plumage with sunlight. Most herbs are also sensitive to cold weather, so if you’re expecting a frost, just place the pots in your kitchen or foyer for the night.

Come on. You know you want to. Herb gardens are beneficial and economical, as well as a great way to make your food taste better. Go for it and better yourself, as well as your favorite dish.


Visit OpenSky
Get recipes for your herbs in the Award winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions
 **Special Appearance: May 25th, 11 AM, Book Expo America, Javits Convention Center, NY, NY, The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions pre-release of second edition with Maria Liberati. First 100 visitors receive a free mini  version of the book

Greek Crostini & the Healthy Mediterranean Diet

We are honored to have as our guest author today-Felicia Mcclinton of MediterraneanRecipes.org with a deliciously healthy recipe for Greek Style Crostini

Greek Style Crostini
8 servings
288 calories per serving

Ingredients




1 lb   of  crusty bread

1 cup  of Greek Kalamata Olives

4 ounces  Greek Feta Cheese

4 tablespoons  Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 clove Garlic

Salt and Pepper to taste



This recipe is perfect for 8 persons and you can prepare it in 35 minutes. It is a very flavorful and sumptuous dish inspired by the Greek feta croutons and black olives. This is also one of the easiest recipes to prepare.



Preparation



Make 1.5-inch thick slices of bread. Place the sliced bread in the oven or toaster. Rub garlic on each slice of bread after toasting.



Meanwhile, cut the feta cheese into small cubes. Cut the olives into quarters or halves. In a separate mixing bowl, mix the cubed feta cheese and olives and season with olive oil. Make sure the toasted breads are still hot before sprinkling the cheese and olive mixture. Serve and Enjoy.

***About the Author - Felicia Mcclinton writes for the blog http://www.mediterraneanrecipes.org/ , her personal hobby blog she uses to help people learn how to make Mediterranean recipes to eat healthy to prevent diseases.


For more great recipes get your copy of the award winning book
The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions
*See you on May 25th at Javits Convention Ctr in NYC at 11 for a pre- book release book signing
*See you at Borders on May 8th at 2 PM for a book signing
Visit OpenSky
Visti Marialiberati.com

Mussels & the South of France

copyright 2010 art of living, PrimaMedia,Inc

The thought of a dish of Mussels always brings back my memories of  summer trips to the South of  France, where many restaurants serve them fresh from the sea..the thought of eating a plate of mussels in tomato sauce outside on a warm summer day in the hot summer sun brings me to a special place..  ..and maybe it is anticipation but with Spring just popping by it seems that summer can't be far off...but doesn't have to be summer to enjoy this.... it is from my latest book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions


Tagliolini Pasta with Mussels


(Tagliolini are egg noodle pasta traditional to the Region of Emilia-Romagna but are sold all over the world)

½ lb of egg noodles (tagliolini pasta)

1 lb of zucchini

1 ½ pounds fresh mussels

¼ cup chopped onion

1 scallion

6 tablespoons of extra virgin oilive oil

1 handful of fresh basil

1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley leaves

salt

freshly ground pepper to taste



Chop onion and scallion. Place 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan.Saute on medium low heat for 5 minutes, do nor brown. Wash and slice zucchini into small sticks. In another saucepan,place in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, warm for 1 minute and place in zucchini, saute for 5 minutes,season with salt and pepper to taste. In another sauce pan place in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, place in washed mussels and chopped parsley. Cover and when mussels have opened their shells, remove from heat. Set aside. Remove mussels from pan and shell. Filter the water from cooking mussels and set aside. Place shelled mussels, cooking water , sauteed zucchini, in saute pan with onion.Saute together for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Place in chopped basil and remaining olive oil. Cover and set aside. Cook noodles. Drain. Place into saute pan with mussels, place over moderate low heat for one minute, toss gently. Serve

Booksigning at Free Library of Philadelphia-April 14

Ciambellone & A Trip Back in Time

My visit today to the medieval Abbey of Casamari in the province of Frosinone was a visit back to the medieval  pharmacies where many of the medicinal herbal formulas were discovered by the Benedictine monks here and brought to the world. The liqueurs and honeys also have medicinal properties to them and they are all produced at the Abbey in a traditional way, all fruits,herbs, plants used are all grown organically by the monks there..a virtual trip back in time.. After Sunday mass (said by the monks in Latin), and a visit to the Abbey's pharmacy and store the open air market beckoned.
The fragrance of freshly made (locally) made ciambellone were almost calling my name. These particularly local ciambellone made with anise seeds and boiled then baked (like  a bagel) are a typical product from  this region, but now they are difficult to find.
 They bring back memories of my grandmother (who made her own delicious version of these for breakfast) telling stories of how she would go to her local town bakery ( in the town of Venafro, Italy) in the morning and get them freshly baked for breakfast... my great aunt (her older  sister)  owned the bakery and was the head baker there.... These locally baked treats have been almost impossible to locate ..so this was a real trip back in time..and an unexpected culinary treat..mmm..a piece of local  cheese with a  hot,freshly baked ciambellone..could not have dreamed of a better lunch...can not even describe the expereince..it was one to be savored....
Here is another version of a classic ciambellone that is like a pound cake, delicious also and a little bit easier to make..while I pull out my recipe for the ciambellone I feasted on today..

Ciambellone Classico

2 cups all purpose flour or cake flour sifted

¾ cup sugar

½ cup melted butter

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt



peel of 1 lemon

extra flour and butter for greasing pan



Work together the sugar and eggs. Blend in flour and melted butter. Work the dough till it is asmooth blended dough and add in the baking powder and salt and lemon peel. Butter and flour a cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Should be golden on top. Remove from oven and cool. You can decorate the top with a dusting of powdered sugar or shaved dark chocolate.

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