Strawberries...the Tears of Venus

Spring is almost here and that means the appearance of this beautiful red fruit.

Legend has it that when Adonis died, Venus shed tears that turned into strawberries..for this reason they  were  enjoyed by Romans at feasts held in his name. Shakespeare called strawberries food worthy of  fairies..and King Louis XIV had them planted in the gardens of  Versailles...

Anticipation..anticipation..for Spring and Strawberry season..
Here is a recipe from the Gourmand World Cookbook Award winner The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays &Special Occasions

Risotto alla Fragole (risotto with strawberries)


4 cups vegetable broth

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 leeks chopped finely

1 cup arborio or carnaroli rice

1 tablespoon butter (unsalted)

pinch of salt

1 cup Prosecco, Spumante or dry white wine

10 ounces fresh strawberries, washed and cut in half

Heat vegetable broth till boiling. Place olive oil in large saute pan. Place in chopped leeks and saute till leeks are just about golden. Place in rice and toast till rice is coated with oil and all liquid is evaporated. Add in wine or Prosecco. Stir till all liquid is evaporated. Place in ½ cup of vegetable broth and stir till all liquid is evaporated and repeat placing in ½ cup liquid til evaporated till rice is al dente (approximately 15 minutes).


Puree strawberries. When rice is almost done, place in strawberry puree. Stir in well. Remove from heat. Let stand for 2 minutes. Place 1 tablespon of butter on top and stir till melted. Serve ,top with grated parmigiana-reggiano cheese. Decorate plates with strawberry garnish.



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See you on April 14th at the Free Library of Philadelphia on Locust St at 6:30 PM

Complete Your Perfect Meal with Perfect Dinnerware

It was  a truly exhilarating experience the first time I remember enjoying a dinner on special dinnerware that I had selected! What a veritable treat combining sensory pleasures of sight and taste together..and so it goes that although we eat with our mouth..we also eat with our eyes..


So when planning a dinner or event be just as attentive to the dinnerware and silverware as you are to selecting the ingredients for your recipes. Make your meal a culinary experience!
Here are some tips for selecting dinnerware:


*Colors do brighten up any table so for a touch of color select plates in colors that can coordinate,they don't have to all be an exact match just an interesting coordination



*Look for quality in your dinnerware, not quantity. Or if you must have more than  one set choose one set  of everyday dinner plates  that are  durable and dishwasher safe and one set that are for special occasions only. This is a great way to create a special occasion of your own and when you feel like making a special meal or want the meal to be a special one-pull out your 'special dinnerware' -it definitely has a psychological effect!


*Remember that the dinnerware you purchase has to have storage space of  its' own in your house. So be sure it will fit somewhere before you purchase it and bring it home.



Silverware.. you can find more interesting facts at Silverware Wikipedia ..but did you know that silverware as we use it today was invented by Leonardo DaVinci??? and introduced to the world by Caterina De Medici when she went to live in France after marrying the King of France she brought her silverware to France and the rest of the world  caught on.

Here are some tips to choosing silverware:
*Choose one set of silverware for everyday dinnerware and another for special occasions.

*Coordinate styles of silverware patterns with dinnerware
Luckily. living in the modern world we can hop over to  Bed Bath & Beyond  and select our dinnerware and silverware in one stop! Not like Caterina De Medici who had to take it all with her!

When A Spoonful of Comfort will Help...

Memories of hot soup and snowy days bring me back to my childhod..that hot soup my mom would always make with little pastene pasta in it...we called ours 'minestre' (which in Italian is usually a soup made with pasta) so soothing to comfort a cold or the flu or any other ailment I had..yes I guess chicken soup is a 'cure' for almost anything!
And it''s nice to know that for those of you that (even though many of my readers are foodies, and make their own great versions of chicken soup) would like to send a boiling hot pot of the elixir to someone that is dear to you but far away but can't..spoonfulofcomfort.com can take care of that..They will send a pot of the stuff homemade with homemade oatmeal cookies and bread to whoever you select..and it is homemade so even though they are far from home the y will feel like you just made this..great stuff! check them out spoonfulof comfort.com  there is also a beautiful story connected with the company and my favorite thing is that they say the soup is 'made with love'...and that is the best ingredient you can put in any recipe..
Maria
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Cooking with ..Legends In The Kitchen

Image via Wikipedia

My passion for the kitchen and the  culinary arts is well known. But I also have a love of the Silver Screen and especially the talented actors who are part of it all..the legendary actors.. it's a treat when I share a  recipe or cook with a famous chef but  today I can cook along with one of my favorite Legends of the Cinema..
Legends In The Kitchen (Publisher- Fivestarpublications.com)  also donates a portion of the proceeds to the Motion Picture & TV Fund Foundation has some fun recipes..created by or favorites of some of my favorites like Betty White, Burt Reynolds, Debbie Reynolds, Beau Bridges and many other greats of the Screen..
Fun recipes..especially for a lazy Sunday afternoon..and best of all you can imagine yourself in a Hollywood flick while getting a taste of one of their dishes...
There are many recipes to enjoy...but one of my favorite TV and movie actresses-Betty White contributed a recipe that suits her fun loving personality..easy, fun and she says that 'it is so easy to make, even I can do it' referring to her culinary skills. Here's a reprint of the recipe, but buy the book to have more fun and support a great cause..
Reprinted from Legends In The Kitchen, http://www.fivestarpublications.com/
Crunchy Pie
a Betty White Recipe
*Beat 3 egg whites till stiff
*Add in 1 tsp baking powder
*Fold in 1 scant cup of granulated powder sugar
*Fold in 11 single graham crackers (crushed)
*Fold in 1 cup chopped walnuts
Put in greased pie plate and bake in 350 degree oven for 1/2 hour. Let cool and top with whipped cream or ice cream.....

Maria
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The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm

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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Herb Cheese Muffins

One of my favorite recipes for winter menus are these herbed cheese muffins..great to accompany dishes or serve as an appetizer or alongside cheese or a salad for a light meal.
This weekend was spent shopping at some of the local farmers markets..my stylish shopping bags were great..I could be stylish and help the environment at the same time. Get $25 off any purchase use coupon code :maria2509 when shopping/..no minimum purchase required
Herb Cheese Muffins

2 cups whole wheat flour


½ scallion

4 ounces of fontina cheese (can substitute provolone or asiago cheese also)

tsp of fresh thyme

tsp of freshly chopped parsley

2 tblsps of grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

4 ounces unsalted butter

1 tsp of baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

3 eggs

dash of white pepper

dash of slat



Chop parsley and thyme together. Chop finely. Chop scallion finely and add to the herbs.

In a bowl place in flour, baking powder, soda, grated parmigiano cheese, white pepper ,salt. Mix with wooden spoon. Set aside.



In another bowl, whisk the eggs with a wire whisk. Add to that melted butter, milk. Add in chopped herbs and blend with wooden spoon. Add in the fontina cheese cut into small cubes. Blend with wooden spoon.



Pour flour mixture into egg mixture and blend lightly with wooden spoon. Butter muffin cups and place 2-3 tblsps of muffin mix in muffin cups. Cook for 25 minutes at a preheated oven of 400 degrees.

Happy National Leftover Day & Recipes

If you are wondering how to use those Thanksgiving leftovers, here are some ideas:
Make soup with those leftovers and use a homemade Bouquet garni for flavor http://tinyurl.com/lfse4j
Use those leftovers to make great Italian dishes http://tinyurl.com/n8ta9a


FREE BOOK

Recieve the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking FREE today -Nov 27th only if you place an order for The Basic Art of Italian Cooking :Holidays &Special Occasions at http://www.marialiberati.com/store/page4.html

This offer expires at 12 midnight Nov 27,2009. When you order
The Basic Art of Italian Cooking:Holidays and Special Occasions  on Nov 27th from 12 AM to12 PM you will automatically recieve a free copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking. with your order. This offer is not posted at the store it is only for Blog readers and subscribers.

Maria
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A Fall Picnic Salad and a Lazy Autumn Day...

copyright 2009, Maria Liberati
What is it about the beginning of Fall that makes me feel lazy?? but not the same lazy I feel in the 'dog days' of August..that is an extremely 'wear your flip flops' and enjoy the summer sun relax. No it is more of a realxed because it seems as if everything is beginning to take its' course for the Fall. The weather is a Fall weather, offices are back to their normal schedules,schools are filled and on their schedules..everyone is back to their normal Fall routines..so yes  I guess that is a reason to relax.

Relaxing as this weekend is I opted for something light for dinner tonight..a Tuscna Picnic slad made with the Sempre Sapori spice blend I developed to create easy Tuscan style dishes in a 'flash'. We have been getting so many calls and orders and re-orders from those of you that tried it that I had a 'voglio' to use it on something as well. Here it is a salad for a light dinner on a relaxing Fall evening.

 Tuscan Picnic Salad with  Sempre Sapori




1 lb romaine salad (or 1 pre-cut package)



2 avocados, pitted and peeledTuscan



and cut into 1” chunks



1 lb plum tomatoes cut into wedges



½ lb fresh mozzarella cut into small chunks



2 tsp of Sempre Sapori (Tuscan Picnic Blend)



Wash, clean, cut salad ingredients. Place in large bowl. Combine salad dressing ingredients in small bowl and mix with wire whisk or place in bottle and shake to mix. Refrigerate dressing for 30 minutes before placing dressing on salad. Dressing can be refrigerated for up to two weeks

Get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking:Holidays and Special Occasions  before the mad Holiday rush great for a gift for someone special or for yourself. Filled with 140+ recipes, menus, wine pairing tips and short stories of Holidays spent in Italy.



Oct 2nd- Join me for a book singing in Collngswood, NJ at the Collingswood Book Festival from 11-1 PM



October 5th-Join me for a cooking demo/sampler dinner and book signing at Horsham Library in Horsham PA. Email juzz@aol.com for reservations. Spaces limited..4 course sampler dinner and more..



October 16th-18th.. join me at the Philadelphia Food  and Wine Fest..book signing, cooking demo on stage on Sunday at 3:30. Phhiladelphia Expo center, King of Prussia, Pa



Nov5-7-Christmas in Italy weekend at Harvest Moon Bed and Breakfast. Join me for a weekend of coking classes, wine pairings, in Lancaster, Pa using fresh produce from Lancaster at this beautiful bed and brakfst..just as we do at my cooking school in Italy.Email : Carl at Harvest Moon for reservations at info@harvestmoonbandb.com  

Pumpkin..the Magic Gourd

copyright 2009, Maria Liberati

Summer is over and the Great Pumpklin is starting to make an appearance at farmer;'s markets, supermarkets and fresh produce stores. As I had  made my first pumpkin sighting this week at my local farmer's market, I was tempted to get some to create some recipes for in The Basic Art of Italian Cooking Kitchen. But upon further look, I noticed that the pumpkins I could find are really best for decoration and not pumpkins to cook with. But when I find one I am ready and here is some simple info on the magic gourd and some simple ways to use them in your cooking.
Pumpkin seeds provide an excellent source of potassium and many other essential nutrients- potassium, manganese, copper, zinc ,selenium, copper, chromium and molybdenum. They are also a great source of fiber and healthy unsaturated fats. To roast pumplin seeds, roast at a low oven temperature (250 to 300 degrees) to protect their good fats. Bake 15 to 20 minutes in a single layer on a rimmed cookie sheet, tossing about halfway through.




Or toss seeds in olive oil and sprinkle with your favorite spices. Try cumin, coriander, rosemary, cayenne, garlic salt. Fro a sweeter taste, try tossing with melted butter the nsprinkle with cinnmaon,nutmeg and ginger.



Beta carotene is abundant in the pumpkin's flesh. This antioxidant which converts to Vitamin A in the body has bee nlinked to lower cancer rated,reduced heart disease and enhanced immunity. Research also indicates that consuming orange fruits and vegetables which are high in the pigment beta-cryptoxanthin, may lower the odds of developing rheumatoid arthritis.



But pumpkins can be used for more than just pumpkin pie. Roast pumpkin by peeling and cutting pumpkin into wedges and roast with sliced garlic, onions, potatoes drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with rosemary.

Or try this, pour puree of pumpkin into ice cube trays and then store in zip-lock bags in your freezer. Add the cubes to soups and stews throughout the winter for a flavorful and nutritious boost.


*Get your copy in time for the Holidays..The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions
with over 140 recipes, menus, wine pairing tips and short stories about Holidays spent in Italy

More appearances..cooking programs and event coming up..
Sept 23rd. Big  Blend Radio Show

October 3rd- Book Signing at Collingswood Book Festival, Collingswood, NJ 11AM to 1 PM
October 5th- Horsham Library, Horsham Pa.. book signing and cooking demo
October 21-Book Signing, cooking demo, Lower Southampton Library, Feasterville, Pa 19053

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,
Maria

Fusilli Pasta Cooking in the Country Kitchen

copyright 2009, Maria Liberati

Wanted to share a recipe from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking Kitchen in Italy. We had a scrumptious lunch in the country with this..... and find more at  www.marialiberati.com/blog2

Fusili  Pasta & Sauce with a Touch of Balsamic Vinegar
Ingredients for 4 people:
  1 lb grams of fusilli pasta curls
  2lbs grams of  red, ripe plum tomatoes or tomatoes grown on the vine
  1 small onion or scallion
  parsley
  fresh tyme
  olive oil
  salt and pepper
 Balsamic Vinegar

Scald the tomatoes, then drain, peel and remove the seeds.

Cut into cubes. 

Put the tomatoes into a casserole with the chopped parsley, a bit of fresh h, and the peeled and finely cut scallion. 

Add salt and pepper to taste, a few spoons of olive oil,  and 2 teaspoons of  Balsamic Vinegar . 

Cover and let rest for half an hour. 

Boil  lightly salted water for the pasta, and cook until just done. 

Place pasta  in sauce and saute for a few seconds over high heat. 

Serve immediately in heated plates.

**Just in time for the Holidays, get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking :Holidays & Special Occasions Occasions with over 140 recipes, menus, wine pairing tips, short stories of  Holidays spent in a charming mountain town in Italy

Maria