Raspberries Everywhere & National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month ..a month to remind us to eat more fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains ,nuts, legumes and delicious, nutritious foods.
The Basic Art of Italian Cooking Kitchen was filled with the scent of the recipe below..thanks to the folks at Driscoll's and their delicious fresh raspberries. The recipe is courtesy of Driscoll's..tried and tasted here...and delizioso!!
Raspberries are an excellent source of antioxidants..so eat them plain or in this recipe but any way you can enjoy them..do so!



Raspberry ­ Orange Muffins
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 20 Minutes
Cool Time: 5 minutes
Makes: 10 Muffins

1 6 ounce package Driscoll¹s Raspberries
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
2-3 teaspoons grated orange zest (about 1 orange)
1/4 cup orange juice
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Line a muffin tin with 10 paper liners or coat with cooking spray.
Rinse and drain berries. Pat dry with paper towel.
Stir together flour, baking powder and baking soda in a small bowl.
Combine sour cream, brown sugar, oil, zest, juice and egg in a large bowl.
Stir in flour until partially moistened. Add raspberries and stir in gently
until evenly mixed. Do not over-stir.
Divide batter evenly between muffin cups, filling each about 3Ž4 full.
Bake 20 minutes until golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool in pan 5 minutes.
Serve warm or remove and place on wire rack to cool completely.

Lighten Up this recipe by replacing the sour cream with the equivalent
amount of fat free sour cream or plain low fat yogurt.

For more recipes and articles

April 4 at 11:30- Whole Foods Market, Jenkintown, Pa-Join me for a book signing and Cooking on A Budget with The Basic Art of Italian Cooking Class. Email events@marialiberati.com or call the store at 215-481-0800 to reserve your spot.

Join me Sept 23-Oct 6th at
The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati Cooking School in Italy.. Experience Italy!! Is 6 nights and 7 days that you will never forget..Filled not only with cooking classes ,but tours to local vineyards, wine tastings, oilve oil tastings, nature walks, a stay at the Villa that houses the school and more. Register with deposit by May 1st and receive $200 off full price. Email us at events@marialiberati.com

Fragrant Rosemary in Your Garden.

Rosemary is one of, if not my favorite fragrant herb. Of all the plants I miss from my garden in Italy- it is my organic rosemary that I miss the most. It is the herb that adds most flavor to many of my dishes.
Tuscan roasted potatoes and bean soups cooked in terracotta pots with small branches from my rosemary plant are all flavorful memories of our kitchen there.

Here are some tips on growing your rosemary indoors here while the temperatures dip..
Once the fall is over and temperatures begin to dip to 30 degrees or less, it is time to bring your plant indoors.

Successfully growing rosemary indoors requires good sunlight-the more the better- and ideally southern expoure.
If the plant is large, rotate it weekly so all sides of the plant receive sunlight. Wiry growth often indicates inadequate light. And if you can't increase natural light, consider using artificial light. You can also prune plants to encourage bushiness. Sometimes indoor plants develop mildew because of a lack of air circulation. If this happens, run a small fan 3-4 hrs a day.
When rosemary is planted outdoors, insects aren't a problem. But inside spider mites are more likely to cause trouble. If this happens, wash plant with an all natural insecticide soap until plant is healthy. Rosemary grows best at cool indoor temperatures, around 60 degrees

Hope you have good luck with your rosemary plant!
Look through the recipes and find something to add your rosemary to and create flavorful memories

Barolo & its' Regal Wines

Copyright, 2008, Maria Liberati
The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm
http://www.marialiberati.com
http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2


From the province of Cuneo in Italy's Piedmont region comes what is sometimes called "The wine of kings and the king of wines." Barolo, named after a tiny town in the middle of the growing zone, is a thick, red wine and is one of the most collected wines in Italy.

Rarely can famous wines be traced back to their exact origins because many have been produced for centuries. In the grand scheme of things, Barolo is a fairly new wine.  Though it was present during the Middle Ages and was enjoyed by Louis XIV, its era of greatness dates back to merely the 1800s, when the Marchesa Giulietta Colbert Falletti decided to start making wine from Nebbiolo grapes. Barolo is produced primarily from these grapes.

These days, only about 3,000 acres of Nebbiolo are being cultivated in the region, which means that Barolo, though in high demand, is in short supply For the perfect Barolo, a certain type of soil is necessary. Oddly, the hills of the growing zone are split between two types of soil, which result in mild variations in flavor.The "left hills" produce a fruitier, longer lasting wine, whereas the "right hills" wine has a more composed taste that should be enjoyed more quickly.

The scent of Barolo is reminiscent of cherry blossoms and the color is a light ruby red that becomes somewhat 'orangey' with age. Age is very important when it comes to Barolo and DOCG regulations state that the wine must be aged at least three years before it can be sold.  To become a coveted Barolo Riserva, a bottle of this wine must age at least 5 years. These are just the stated minimums, though, as Barolo is often enjoyed when aged over 10 years.

This wine is at its best when paired with a meal. Be sure, though, to let it aerate.
For more great recipes, tips get your copy of the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at http://www.marialiberati.comFor more on recipes and daily posts from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking kitchen here in Italy go to http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2