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

Carnevale.... Approaching

Here in Italy we have finished with many Holidays and getting reaady for another round that will begin in February with Carnevale. Here are some special treats we have been working on at The Basic Art of Italian Cooking Kitchen in Italy:
http://www.marialberati.com/blog2

http://www.notecook.com/Desserts/Ultra-Delicious-Treats-of-Venice-for-Carnevale.280755
For more great recipes get your copy of the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at http://www.marialiberati.com

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene
Maria

Memories of 'La Befana' or the Epiphany...

I can remember 'Little Christmas' with my nonni (grandparents) in the South Philadlephia neighborhhod that they lived in.. I knew they called it Little Christmas. Even though all my friends would take down their Christmas trees right after New Years' Day.. we had to leave our Christmas decorations up until January 6th. We would even go to Mass on January 6th for this 'Little Christmas'.
We would celebrate sometimes with a special dinner but I never really understood where this holiday of 'Little Christmas' came from.
Many years have passed and now that I call Italy my second home I understand what Little Christmas means. It is really the feast of La Befana that they were celebrating, the Epiphany. The last official day of the Christmas Holidays and about now I am ready for the Holidays to end here in Italy..what seemed like two solid weeks of non-stop eating will finally be coming to an end.

La Befana is the good Christmas witch who although tied to the Christian feast of Christmas also has pagan orgins.
She comes to good boys and girls on January 6th because that is when the 3 Wise Men brought gifts to the baby Jesus. She delivers gifts flying around on her broom.

But the pagans knew La Befana as a manifestation of Mother Nature. She was what Mother Nature became for winter solstice,an old witch and marked the end of this winter and the new beginning of the new sun. She was something that was old and the new weather would soon begin..and she was ready to be reborn with a new life and get rid of all of her wrinkles. But before she could be reborn into this new life she had to leave sweets and fruits so that the seeds of the fruits could be planted for the new year.
Today, as every holiday has become commercial,even in Italy-she only represents another holiday to receive and give gifts with most of La Befana's meaning and spirit forgotten about.

But no matter what religion you believe in, you can capture the original meaning of La Befana in your heart and make January 6th a day to think of new beginnings, the Spring that will come soon and the new weather it will bring and new beginnings that the New Year brings. She (La Befana) can bring you new beginnings and a way to get rid of the worn out things in your life to make room for the new,fresh possibilities.

As we say here in Italy "Buona Befana" for more thoughts and recipes on La Befana go to http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2
For more recipes get your copy of the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking 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

New Year's Day in Italy or PLEASE STOP FEEDING ME!

New Year's Day started off with a real bang from the fireworks in the piazza at 12 midnight and and lots of food ..of course!! You know I am in Italy. New Year's Eve began with one dinner of (for good luck) lentil soup, frittata di carciofi (Italian omelette made with artichokes), stuffed zucchini and peppers, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, fresh fruits and panettone.
The second dinner began at midnight.. it was a buffet not to be believed.. from lasagne, to roased vegetables and roasted chicken to any seasonal fresh fruits to panettone, pan d'oro and torrone but some wonderful Christmas specialties local to this region-Abruzzo- ferratelle or you may know them as pizzelle and sbriciolana (a cake I had heard about and never tasted). The top has cake crumbs on it that are arranged like bits of wool and the name sbriciolana means 'bits of wool'. Then of course champagne,prosecco, braccheto d'acqui...all popped opened up at 12 midnight..
Check back soon for a recipe for sbriciolana, it is now one of my favorite cakes..

The economy & its' problems have hit somewhat here in Italy too. Less people opted to go to organized dinners in expensive restaurants.This year was marked by dinners held in small neighborhood halls and family homes and the buffet courses were all home cooked..but no one really noticed the economy with all the delicious food to be had..as I looked around I realized that even if for one night we all felt rich!-With all this exceptional food, excellent wines & champagne ,great friends and family around...how could one help but not feel rich..Rich with good friends and family and thankful to have great food that we could all share with each other.
And today we have so many of these riches to enjoy for New Year's Day dinner..
Although I will be glad the long week of festa is over, I feel like screaming to anyone that will listen at the many hosted dinner events....PLEASE STOP FEEDING ME!! I can't eat anymore!
But then that artisan chocolate torrone is set out in front of me and I am under its' spell..

Happy San Silvestro & Happy New Year!

I will be spending New Year's Eve (known as San Silvestro) and New Year's Day here in Italy between Abruzzo and Umbria..corporate events to oversee, a special New Year's Eve Cooking Class, dinner party for a corporate group..and hopefully I will still be able to enjoy the New Year. But as long as it is filled with good food and wine..I think I can survive..

If you would like to join me and spend New Year's Italian style, here is a recipe to enjoy and some traditions to follow in your own home.

http://tinyurl.com/9hv9o6

But for New Year's Eve & Day dontl forget to have lentil soup to bring you good luck for the New Year.

Here is the recipe from last year's post

http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2/?p=155
and other favorite posts with recipes for New Year's can be found here at

http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2/?p=435

http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2/?p=149

Here is wishing you a happy and safe New Year and make this a New Year to share not just with family but with friends and those in need.

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

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

A special thanks to those of you that ordered the book as a Holiday gift! Enjoy

Trentino-Alto Adige

Trentino-Alto Adige is a beautiful, mountainous region in the north of Italy, bordering Austria and Switzerland. Interestingly enough, inhabitants of the region’s northern province, Alto Adige, don’t speak much Italian at all. Because of its roots as an Austria-Hungarian land before 1919, those living in Alto Adige (which is also called South Tyrol) speak mainly German to this day.

Seeing as it is a peninsula and it juts into the Mediterranean, it is understandable that so many of Italy’s regions are known for the stunning beaches and seaside resorts. Trentino-Alto Adige, however, offers Italians and tourists alike a very different but equally entertaining attraction: skiing. Approaching the town of Madonna di Campiglio, visitors will find themselves in one of Italy’s most notable and stylish ski resorts. Most famous for its intermediate slopes, beginners and advanced skiers can enjoy their time here, as well as the neighboring ski towns of Folgarida and Marilleva, connected to Madonna by the lift system. Madonna alone boasts 56 miles of slopes but should a visitor buy the Superskirama pass, they would have access to all three towns—totaling 94 miles of ski slopes. For more information about Madonna di Campiglio, a great site to visit is http://www.ski2italy.com/resorts/madonna/index.html.

http://www.myslopes.com/

Basilicata

There are a wonderful array of random, interesting facts about the Italian region of Basilicata: the regional capital of Potenza is the highest in Italy, the region used to be called Lucania (with the people of Basilicata still often referred to as Lucanians), it is known for its traditional handicraft (especially using wood and ceramic mediums), it is one of few regions with shores on both the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas, etc. Though the region is not exactly economically well off, the people live by holding steadfast to tradition.

Lucanians have adapted to the fact that Basilicata is a mostly mountainous region—some in more creative ways than others. In the city of Matera, a traveler should be sure to experience the architectural phenomenon of the Sassi. The people of Matera sculpted the buildings of the Sassi from the side of the mountain on Murgia Plateau, on the edge of a ravine. Carved from the tufa, the homes are part-mountain, part-hand-built. They left no room to spare; the buildings were constructed in extremely close proximity to each other, often one right on top of the next. And the homes are not the only attractions of the Sassi. Because of the region’s passion for tradition and religion, it comes as no surprise that over 150 rock-cliff churches, partially carved right out of the mountain or into the sides of caves, exist along the ravine. As the site is so important to the history and culture of the region, UNESCO named the Sassi a world heritage site in 1993.

http://sitiunesco.it/

For more information on Basilicata (especially Matera), a great site to visit is http://www.materaturismo.it/english/index.htm.

Puglia (Apulia)

The heel to Italy’s boot, the region of Puglia (called Apulia in English) meets the shores of both the Ionian and Adriatic seas. With hundreds of km of coastline, Puglia might initially seem like an obvious tourist attraction but for whatever reason, compared to other regions in Italy, tourism here is relatively slow. This could actually make for an incredible travel experience without the crowds and the noise.

The province of Bari is home to an important seaport and the region’s capitol, a city where modernization grew around a traditional city center instead of replacing it. With its historical churches and annual festival (Fiera del Levante is one of Italy’s most popular fairs), the city of Bari is definitely worth a visit. However, if time is limited, a definite on the “must see in Puglia” list should surely be Castel del Monte. Still within the province of Bari, this castle could be one of the most fascinating in Italy if only for its incredible form. Construction began in 1240 by order of Emperor Frederick II of Swabia. The number eight must have been the inspiration for this castle, seeing as it recurs all throughout the structure: on the first two floors, eight rooms overlook an octagonal courtyard guarded by eight towers. The builders successfully blended several styles and influences—Romanesque, Classical, Gothic, and Muslim—together to make it a truly exceptional work of architecture.

http://medieval-castles.org/

A relatively short trip from Bari is Alberobello, a very interesting town that would make for a great day trip. Here, in the midst of the Itria Valley, can be found the highest concentration of a unique, ancient form of habitation: the Trulli. Trulli are cleverly constructed buildings with limestone walls and circular roofs topped with white cones. No one knows for sure why Trulli were built in the first place but there are plenty of theories, such as deforestation and large quantities of limestone. Trulli are such a distinctive mark of the region, of Italy even, that the United Nations has named Alberobello a World Heritage Site. Should a traveler have the urge to spend the night in one of these structures, there is actually a website that offers the opportunity to do just that: http://www.trullipuglia.com/.

http://www.sitiunesco.it/

For more information on Puglia, visit http://www.italianvisits.com/puglia/.

Fruili Venezia Giulia

Fruili Venezia Giulia, a region at the most northwestern tip of Italy, borders Austria and Slovenia. The complete region seen today was not officially created until 1963 with some of the province of Trieste added in 1977. Before then, areas of the region belonged to Yugoslavia, and long ago, much of what is now Friuli (the shortened title that the region often goes by) was considered part of Austria. Though it has been solely Italy for over 40 years, strong Slavic and Austrian influences are apparent to this day.

In the southern lagoon of Fruili sits Grado, an island of luxury since Roman times. With its beautiful beaches and famous thermal spas, it would be easy to turn this island into a modernized sea resort, more like a party town. Still, Grado has managed to retain its old town charm with cobblestone streets lined with flowerboxes that are only accessible to pedestrians and bicyclists. Naturally, between May and September would be the best time to visit the island but it might be a good idea to wait to experience the first Sunday in July here. On this day each year, the town holds the Festa del Perdon (also called Perdòn di Barbana) where a series of elegantly decorated boats ride in procession to the island of Barbana until they reach the Marian sanctuary, a tradition they have acknowledged for hundreds of years.

http://www.turismofvg.it/

A few miles north, inland of Grado is Aquileia, a small town famous in Roman times for its wealth and military expertise. Remains of the Roman Empire, including a Roman Forum, can be seen all over town and in the National Archeological Museum. Aside from all the Roman ruins, a true gem of Aquileia is the church, the Basilica of S. Maria Assunta. Construction of the building began in the 4th century. Though extreme makeovers have been done to the Basilica since then, some of the original is still apparent, like the intricate mosaics from the time that are still intact. In the 11th and 12th centuries, the crypt and the apse were frescoed, adding to the incredible beauty within the church.

http://www.aquileia.net/

For more information on the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, a great site to visit is the http://www.regione.fvg.it/inglese/default.htm.