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  

Hot Fun in the Summertime

Written by: Eliza Chute
Summer time means one thing, grilling. It is the best form of cooking in the hot heat of the season. Nothing is better than sitting around a picnic table in the warm sun, and waiting for those burgers to cook. Then waiting an hour before you can jump in a pool, or some sort of body of water. But what’s the best way to grill? Can you just throw some stuff on and leave it there until you smell burning? Well, not if you want to eat something that tastes good. There are two books that have served my family well when it comes to grilling. First is Williams Sonoma’s Complete Grilling Cookbook and the second is the less conventional Steven Raichlen’s How To Grill. But let me give them some individual attention.


1.Wiliams Sonoma Complete Grilling Cookbook
Let me first say that this book sure is complete, from vegetables to meat to even dessert, it doesn’t miss a beat. And, as most of their cookbooks are they are not without an array of beautiful pictures of what the food should look like, but doesn’t often, especially if the person making it isn’t a professional chef. But nonetheless is a great and useful tool to help you out on that perfect summer day when you just gotta grill.

2.Steven Raichlen’s How to Grill
Raichlin’s is also very complete, but seems to have a greater emphasis on the meat aspect, as shown by the cover (just check it out) . This guide doesn’t just show you reipes, but has a 30 page intro on the art of grilling. In addition it outlays your rubs sauces and condiments, as well as the gear. So not only does it have great recipes, but it provides you with all the necessary knowledge to really look like you know what you’re doing and sound like you know what you are talking about.

But the best grilling recipe that I have found, and by found I mean the much more experienced chef that is my mother showed me is in the Food Editor’s Hometown Favorites Cookbook. It is called Delmarva Barbecued Chicken, and it is delicious. I can’t give you the full recipe, because I think that might be illegal or copyright infringement or something but I can tell you that it involves an egg, and vinegar cider and you should pick up a copy of this recipe book if you have a chance.
Join me for The Basic Art of Italian cooking Programs at:
July 9th- WHole Foods Markte, Jenkintown, Pa- The Outdoor Kitchen, recipes for the beach, a picnic or dining al fresco. 6:15 PM call store at 215-481-0800 to register or email:events@marialiberti.com
July 11th-Chestnut Hill Book Festival, 2PM at Magarity's Warehouse at Germantown Avenue,Chetnut Hill, Pa. Email events@marialiberati.com for more info

July 16th-Whole Foods, Annapolis Md. A Tuscan Picnic, call store or email events@marialiberati.com

July 18th- Whole Foods, Fairfax, Va., A Tuscan Picnic and wine pairing. 1:30 PM Cal lstore or email events@marialiberati.com

July 25th- book signing and tasting, Whole Foods, Devon, Pa 1 PM Email events@marialiberati.com for more info

July 31 -August 2nd- Atlantic City Food And Wine SHow, email events@marialiberati.com for more info
Get your copy of the best sellling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at www.marialiberati.com

Fourth of July and Happy Birthday USA

Written by :Eliza Chute


If you find yourself in Philadelphia, the birthplace of the USA this summer or for a fitting Fourth of July Holiday here is a 'delicious' place to visit:


You can find everything you need at Reading Terminal Market. It is quite the melting pot of delicious food. You can find everything from crepes to soul food, vegetarian restaurants to meat by the pound. This indoor market takes up an entire city block.
There is even the unique opportunity of getting freshly grown Pennsylvania Dutch made foods. There are eleven Pennsylvania Dutch owned shops. If you are craving chocolate, Chocolate by Mueller is the place to. All chocolates are hand-made on site. They even have a display kitchen, so you can watch them make their chocolates, as your mouth waters in front of the window. Looking for something a little more nutritious? Try the Dutch Eating Place. They serve breakfast and lunch, including their famous blueberry pancakes and apple dumplings. These delicious pancakes are fluffy and served by Pennsylvania Dutch in full garb, making it a tasty and fun experience. Or try Hatville Deli for some great deli food. However, don’t forget to bring cash, because the last two only accept cash and gift certificates.

For more Information on Reading Terminal Market
http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/about/


List of Pennsylvania Dutch Shoppes
AJ Pickel Patch & Salads
Beiler's Bakery
Dienner's Bar-B-Q
Dutch Eating Place
Hatville Deli
Kauffman's Lancaster County Produce
L. Halteman Family
Lancaster Co. Dairy
Miller's Twist
Rib Stand
Sweet as Fudge Candy Shoppe

For more recipes for the 4th

Summer Cocktails

Written by: Eliza Chute

In the summer, when it’s hot and humid (when you are in the northeast at least), nothing makes you feel better than a nice cold beverage or perhaps a cocktail. Lemonade has always been the classic summer beverage, but if you are tired of the same old summer drink, there are several variations on it to spice it up a bit. At allrecipes.com you can find a multitude of variations on the classic lemonade; from Rico’s Passionate Pink Honey Lemonade, to Pepper-Mint Lemonade. For the more calorie conscious lemonade drinker, I would recommend Vitamin Water Multi-V lemonade. It’s a refreshing, but a little less sweet alternative.
If you are looking for a thicker drink, smoothies are always the way to go, and they are fairly simple to make. Just add ice, yogurt, juice and fruit to your blender and it’s like you just came back from your local smoothie place. For an extra kick, try blending coffee, ice and banana, and some vanilla yogurt, for that morning wake-up or mid-day refresher.
In the quest for a new refreshing summer cocktail, I went and bought a variety of juices. After several hours in the lab (i.e. my kitchen), I finally came up with one. I haven’t picked out the perfect name yet, but to make the drink, you fill a cup one eighth raspberry vodka (if you have a smaller budget Burnett’s works well or if you could splurge on Smirnoff), then three quarters with cran-apple juice and fill the rest up with champagne. It’s a newer, stronger, more dynamically flavored take on an old favorite: the mimosa. Another less complicated, but delicious concoction I created, though less original, was vanilla rum and V8 splash tropical blend. However, I don’t recommend making a lot of it, the sweetness of it makes it difficult to drink more than a glass.

http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Summer-Sips-Refreshing-Summer-Drinks/Detail.aspx

The State of Coffee

Written/Edited by Eliza Chute

I do not claim to be a coffee connoisseur, in fact I am far from it. As a few of my friends put it, I don’t drink coffee, I drink caffeinated sugar milk. Because of this fact I tend to judge a coffee shop by its mocha. The mocha drink of Blue State Coffee on Thayer street, though a little more coffee and a little less sugary than I normally prefer, was quite delicious. However, Blue State coffee has a greater appeal than simply the taste of their coffee. Not only is the coffee both organically grown and fair traded, but after you buy it you are given a voting tablet, where you can then vote for which charity you would like them to donate 5% of their profits to. After purchasing my mocha I took my tab and put it into the Marriage Equality of RI slot, before tasting my drink and deciding not to add an extra packet of sugar.
Blue State Coffee was started by lawyer Marshall Ruben and his son, Drew. These men are on a mission, a mission which is four-pronged. First of all, they deal with only fair trade, organic coffee, and as they put it, “roasted to perfection”. Secondly, they donate 5% of profits that reflect their “progressive values”, some of those in Rhode Island include, Youth in Action, Southside Community Land Trust, RI family life center, and the previously mentioned Marriage Equality RI. According to their web-site they have already donated 78,000 dollars to various causes. If that isn’t noble enough, they also make an effort to “run a zero waste, environmentally sustainable business.” They take various measures to do this, from discounts for people who bring their own mug to their Providence location being completely powered by wind power. O yea, and they are also trying to bring everyone dedicated to bettering the country together through their shops. They say coffee is an acquired taste, one I have yet to acquire, but this is something I can definitely see myself getting used to.

All quotes taken from Blue State website http://www.bluestatecoffee.com/

Get your copy of the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at www.marialiberati.com

Join Celebrity Chef Maria Liberati on June 15th at Willingboro Library for a book signing and cooking program. Free and open to the public call llibrary for info or email events@marialiberati.com

June 13th- Saturday- 5PM hear Celebrity Chef Maria Liberati 's latest interview on Chicago's Restaurant Radio show on AM 560 WIND or listen to it online from anywhere in the world at www.restaurantradio.tv

Feel-good shopping

Recently I bought some cocoa that promised to do more than just satisfy my sweet tooth. My specialty store was out of my favorite brand, so instead I decided to come home with something new- a box of fair trade certified cocoa.





As my chocolate biscotti were baking, I began to read the label and began thinking and envisioning the farmers and people in less privileged parts of the world that my little purchase was helping. I may have helped a a cocoa bean farmer's family to have a better life.


What a nice thought,and a great way to shop..purchasing something that also helps someone in some way.


Organizations such as transfair monitor importers to make sure they follow fair trade standards. As the name implies they give farmers a fair and fixed price for their crops which are grown using environmentally friendly techniques and without child labor. When you buy a fair trade item more of the money goes to the people that produce it.





But beware, fair trade items are not regulated very stringently and many companies can claim they are fair trade without being so. Look for the transfair globe logo on the products.
Happy shopping!!
By the way the biscotti turned out to be delicious and myguests finished every last morsel. For the chocolate biscotti recipe email me at maria@marialiberati.com or visit my website at http://www.marialiberati.com

My bestselling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking is available there and if you purchase in June and July you will receive also a free sample of my new spice blend Sapori D'Italia with your purchase and $1 of every purchase goes to Gilda's Club (gildasclubnyc.org)
Ciao for now
Maria
http://www.marialiberati.com