Sorry it took a few days to get back about the tasting of the Sacher Tortes we made here in The Basic Art of Italian Cooking kitchen. They were as beautiful as they tasted.  Even though this is The Basic Art of Italian Cooking..one can’t help but think about the elegant places in Austria when partaking of Sacher Torte (but Vienna was built by the Romans). Places like Vienna and Saltzburg..and the elegance of eating a piece of Sacher Torte.

With hardly a piece left of the Tortes as they were brought back to the kitchen it was evident that I was not the only one impressed by the lightly sweet taste of this torte. The torte contains basic ingredients like eggs, butter ,flour, sugar, dark chocolate, apricot marmelade, nothing difficult to find, actually quite simple ingredients for such an elegant dessert… but it is bit laborious to make.

Will be posting the recipe here this week.

This weekend was filled with  tastes  of local foods and visits to small villages throughout the region of Abruzzo, spots that are not in any tourist guides but are just as important to see.. The town of Aielli and Rosciolo in the mountains of Abruzzo are filled with history and artifacts, churches from the year ’700.. More on those trips this week.

The rest of this week we are  testing recipes in The Basic Art of Italian Cooking kitchen here in Italu  that are   in the upcoming book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking-Holidays & Special Occasions.. (although you can purchase a prepublication copy only online it will officially be released in September 2009). Here is one to enjoy, this recipe is also used for the Feast Your Eyes Campaign by the American Academy of Ophthalmology because apricots help keep your eyes healthy:

Apricot Clafoutis

(from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking, Holidays and Special Occasions, copyright, 2009, Maria Liberati)

*1 lb of fresh ripe apricots

*1/2 cup unbleached flour

*2 whole eggs plus 1 egg yolk

*5 tblsps sugar

*1 tsp vanilla

*1 ½ cups low fat milk

1 tblsp plain yogurt

Preheat oven to 365 degree

Place 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk in bowl with sugar, vanilla. Beat with wire whisk or electric mixer for 5-6 minutes.

Sift flour and add into egg mixture. Blend well. Then add in milk and yogurt. Blend well and let sit for 30 minutes.

Wash, dry apricots, divide in half, and remove stone inside. Place apricots and Grand Marnier into liquid mixture and stir in.

Butter and flour a pie pan and pour in mixture. Cook for 30 minutes. When cool, remove from pan onto serving dish. Sprinkle 1 tsp sugar on top. .

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