February 25, 2007 Vol. II Issue 2

I’m back in the states now after enjoying the last two months in Italy – touring around the country tasting new flavors, and enjoying some old favorites! I spent a good amount of time near my grandfather’s vineyard in the Abruzzo region, and at my office in Rome.

I also took part in the annual Carnevale festival. The costumes were absolutely amazing, and it was interesting to learn that the styles of costume are regional.



Check out my blog to see more information about the festival! I also made a new friend in Boston chef Frankie Imbergamo. Frankie is known in those parts as “The Meatball Guy.” His gravy and meatballs are so famous, Emeril LaGasse featured him on his Food Network show, Emeril Live! Frankie is a regular Renaissance Man – he’s also worked as an extra on the upcoming movie, Stiffs, starring Danny Aiello!

Click here to read a Puritan City interview with Frankie. I hope I get to meet you in my travels! Come to in-store appearances, comment on the blog, post your own recipes, or drop me a line anytime. I love hearing from you! Be sure to check back on MariaLiberati.com every Friday when I post my weekly blog. Talk to you soon!
Frankie’s Gravy and Meatballs

Meatballs 2lb. ground beef 4 eggs 1-1/2 cup plain bread crumbs 3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. ground balck pepper 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley chopped Gravy (sauce) 1/2 cup olive oil 1 garlic clove chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste (Flotta or Pastene) 1 (6 oz.) can water (use empty tomato paste can) 2 (28 o90z.) cans Pastene Kitchen Ready tomatoes 3/4 can water (21 oz. use empty Kitchen Ready can) 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper 1 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped In a bowl, mix all ingredients for meatballs with hands for about 5 minutes, until well mixed. Form about 16 meatballs and place on a platter. In a frying pan, add olive oil and when hot, add meatballs and cook on medium heat until browned. Repeat until all meatballs are browned. Place meatballs on a new platter. Do not discard the oil. Sauté chopped onion and chopped garlic in the oil for approximately 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook on medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring all the while. Add can of water (tomato paste can) and cook and stir for 1 minute. Take off heat and set aside. In an 8-quart pan, add tomatoes and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add 3/4 can water (Kitchen Ready can), tomato paste mixture from fry pan, and browned meatballs. Mix thoroughly, stirring carefully with wooden spoon as not to break meatballs. Add salt, ground pepper, and parsely and cook on medium heat for the first 15 minutes, then cover and cook on low heat for 2-1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes to prevent sticking and burning on bottom of pan, until done. Serve over al dente pasta and sprinkle with some grated Pecorino Romano cheese, along with crusty Italian bread and a good bottle of red wine.
Recipes
With the weather outside so cold, it’s nice to warm up with soup and hot sandwich. Try these complementary dishes as featured on Cooking.com. White Bean, Chicken Noodle and Escarole Soup Recipe 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup soup and 1 tablespoon cheese)

10 cups water 6 cups chopped escarole (about 3/4 pound) or fresh spinach 2 teaspoons olive oil 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1/2 cup water 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, drained 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed reduced-sodium chicken noodle soup, undiluted (such as Campbell's Healthy Request) 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese Bring 10 cups water to a boil over high heat in a large Dutch oven or stockpot. Add the escarole, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes or until tender; drain well. Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook for 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in 1/2 cup water, crushed red pepper, black pepper, cannellini beans, and soup. Bring to a boil; add cooked escarole, and cook until thoroughly heated. Ladle into individual bowls, and sprinkle with cheese. NOTE: One (10-ounce) package of frozen chopped spinach that has been thawed, drained, and squeezed dry (about 1 1/4 cups) can be substituted for escarole or fresh spinach. Recipe reprinted by permission of © Cooking Light Magazine. All rights reserved.
Monte Cristo Sandwich with Sweet Mustard Sauce Recipe 4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich and 2 tablespoons sauce)

For the sauce: 1/4 cup red currant jelly 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon orange juice 1 tablespoon water For the sandwiches: 2/3 cup egg substitute 1/2 cup fat-free milk 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 4 (1-ounce) slices cooked turkey breast 4 (1-ounce) slices cooked ham 4 (1-ounce) slices 50%-less-fat Jarlsberg cheese or Swiss cheese 8 (1-ounce) slices white bread Cooking spray 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered sugar To prepare the sauce: Combine first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring well with a whisk. Cook until jelly melts. To prepare the sandwiches Combine egg substitute, milk, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Place one slice each of the turkey, ham, and cheese on each of 4 bread slices. Top with remaining bread slices. Dip both sides of each sandwich into the egg substitute mixture. Place sandwiches in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook for 3 minutes on each side or until sandwiches are golden. Sprinkle sandwiches with powdered sugar. Serve sandwiches with sauce. Recipe reprinted by permission of © Cooking Light Magazine. All rights reserved.
Upcoming Appearances March 8, 2007 Women’s Health and Fitness Event Newtown Square, PA March 13, 2007 Di Bruno Bros. Rittenhouse Square 1730 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 215-665-9220 – Call to RSVP! Make Your Reservations Now to see Maria at Di Bruno Bros. You need Acrobat Reader to view this link. March 24, 2007 Williams-Sonoma, Shops at Columbus Circle 10 Columbus Circle New York, NY 10019 (212) 823-9750 April 13, 2007 Philadelphia Museum of Art Philadelphia, PA ***

Keep in touch with me through my blog, which is updated weekly. Click here to view my most recent post.

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Amore,

Maria Liberati

About my book, The Basic Art of Italian Cooking :

This book is more than just a cookbook. It is my passion for food and cooking interweaved with stories from my past that make me who I am today. With my easy to follow recipes from a personal tour of Italy, you can experience every fresh fruit macedonia from my family's vineyard. Taste the minted pears and parmigiano antipasto. Italian cooking is never just a recipe, it is the basic art of creating something special from something simple and fresh.

Also, proceeds from the sale of each and every book go to Gilda’s Club. Gilda's Club is a special place where the focus is on living with cancer. And where men, women and children with any kind of cancer and their family members and friends can plan and build life-changing emotional and social support. Gilda's Club is named in honor of Gilda Radner, who, when describing the emotional and social support she received when she had cancer, called for such places to be made available for people with cancer and their families and friends everywhere. Although the Saturday Night Live comedian died in 1989, Gilda's spirit lives on at every Gilda's Club, where members join with other "experts" at living with cancer to both give and receive the benefits of love and laughter through the unique Gilda's Club program. Click here if you’d like to donate directly to the website.

“A fine primer for budding Italian chefs. The entertaining, informative stories that are woven into the cookbook provide a wonderful backdrop to the well-explained basic recipes of Italian cuisine.”
—MICHAEL DEGEORGIO, executive chef at Il Cortile Restaurant, New York City,
and specialty food consultant

“A memoir about living in Italy and the pleasures of Italian food that makes a perfect
gift. But the recipes are so delicious, you’ll want to try it first yourself.”
—CHEF ERHARDT TELL, four-time Cordon Bleu Award winner, television chef and cookbook author

“If you want to get a sense of true authentic Italian food and the flavor of living in the mountains of the untouched regions of Italy, like Abruzzo, not only do I recommend you take the trip, but also that you make Maria Liberati’s The Basic Art of Italian Cooking part of your library.”
—JIM COLEMAN, host of the PBS television series, Flavors of America, and executive chef at Coleman Restaurant at Normandy Farms