copyright 2012 Art of Living, PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati

A delicious word I learned for  ordering dessert…for when a taste of one just won’t do…’tris’..

A table of 15..dinner in the seaside resort of Pescara..for an evening of local flavors..from the bottles of olive oil produced in the nearby town of Loreto-Aprutino,the bread from a local forno in Pescara, the lentils for the  soup and broccoli rabe grown in towns nearby, the Pecorino cheese (a specialty in Abruzzo and my favorite version of this old world cheese) made in a town in  the National Park of Abruzzo..(Parco Nazionale D’Abruzzo).

But now the crowning glory of the entire meal was about to arrive and the choices presented were a locally made torrone,  a locally made specialty known as Parozzo (chocolate almond cake), and a ricotta pudding made from locally produced ricotta  cheese. … After 5 minutes of major debating..(food is not an easy subject to make any decisions on when in Italy) ‘tris’ everyone exclaimed…’tris’??

‘

(Parozzo)

Tris’..explained to me..literally means 3 sample sizes of 3 desserts…and tris was the easiest solution to ending the  (what was now becoming) 30 minute decision making process..no need for anyone to make a decision or eliminate one luscious choice over the other…so “tris” it was…

(freshly made ricotta)

Ricotta Pudding

(photo credit: pianetadonna.it)

(from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition)

• 1 lemon peel
• ½ cup brandy
• 2 tablespoons candied dried fruit
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ cup fresh fruit in season

Serves 6.

• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 5 eggs
• Pinch of cinnamon
• ¹⁄³ cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Pass the ricotta cheese through a sieve to get a creamy texture. In a bowl, place the ricotta, 1 tablespoon flour, 2 whole eggs and 3 egg yolks (save egg whites for later use), pinch of cinnamon, powdered sugar, lemon peel, candied dried fruit, and brandy. Blend all together.

In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until peaks form. Fold gently into the ricotta mixture. Butter a glass baking pan, dust with remaining flour, and place in mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until firm.

When finished, remove from oven and let cool. When cool, take out of pan and place in serving dish. Serve with sliced fresh fruit on top.

For more great recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions here or in ebook version exclusively at Kindle

*May 3, 2012-Join me in Italy for a Luxury Cruise throughout the Mediterranean. GO here for more info

*March 24th see you in Charlottesville Virginia for the Festival of the Book-book signings and Cooking demos..Stay tuned for more info or email: events@marialiberati.com for exact schedule of events. The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style will be a featured book

If you are looking for a new career now is the perfect time to think about becoming a tax preparer. April 15th is just around the corner and the thought of tax preparing is brought to mind. What better way to fill the need for tax  preparers than to become one.

We do our shopping online, get our University degrees online so now you can complete tax preparer certification from the comfort of your own home, at your own computer and your own desk. It couldn’t be any easier than that. Be prepared for your tax  preparer exam easily and conveniently by going through test exams online.

Never too late to begin a new career. Surely, there is always a need for tax preparers,whether it be within a firm or on your own. Being a certified tax preparer is most certainly a rewarding career for anyone that is thinking of changing jobs, starting a new career or a recent graduate.

copyright 2012 Art of Living, PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati

Recipe for Giving

Always add in a little of yourself in everything you give:

*pinch of  what’s on your mind

*a beat of your heart

*a vibration from your soul

(photo credit: www.atelierdeschefs.net)

Zaletti (Cornmeal Cookies)

excerpted from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style

1 cup+ 1 tablespoon(250 gr) cornflour

1 cup + 1 tablespoon (250 gr) flour

4 eggs

1 cup (200 gr) butter

½ cup (100 gr) raisins (soaked in warm water for 10 minutes,then drained)

zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsps baking powder

pinch of salt

powdered sugar for dusting on top

Beat eggs with sugar till creamy, add in eggs one at a time, beating after each addition, then add in vanilla. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, cornmeal,salt, baking powder. Mix ,a little at a time, dry ingredients into egg mixture until blended well. Add in raisins.

Form dough into large square and cover in plastic,refrigerate until easy to handle (about 2 hours).

Remove from refrigerator, cur dough into two and form each piece into a long cylinder. By rolling on a floured surface. Wrap in plastic and freeze till ready to bake,

Cut cookies into ¼ inch slices (.75 cm),

Cover cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place cookies on sheet and leave space between each., Bake in preheated oven of 325F (170C). for 10-12 minutes till lightly golden on top. Remove from oven and let cookies cool before serving.

For more recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style here or in ebook exclusively at Kindle. Specially selected to be a featured book at this year’s Virginia Festival of the Book, on March 24th.For more info email:events@marialiberati.com

If you need a pick me up from winter, nothing is better than what I refer to as ‘Tuscan therapy’. Get lost in the hills of Tuscany where you can find yourself greeted by a field of sunflowers. You can set your gaze on the awe inspiring landscape and when you realize that it is the very same landscape that inspired the likes of DaVinci, Michelangelo and many others you are sure to be swept away. What else could be better than to rent a villa in Tuscany to truly experience what is the beauty. the culture, the lifestyle that is Tuscany?

Can’t  think of a better way to create  your own  unique vacation than self catering vacation rentals Tuscany. Set your own schedule, explore on your own. No better way to relax than to have all the comforts of home in a villa that is fully equipped. Wow! Just think of it, a Holiday in Tuscany with total privacy. Eat when you want, explore when you want, experience what you want, on your own schedule-relaxed or busy. The choice can be yours.

Or you may choose to just relax and take wine tasting holidays Tuscany. Where better to find superior wines like  from the original winemakers than in their place of origin. And what better way to experience Tuscany than through its’ vineyards and flavors. A relaxing day spent in the vineyards of  Montalcino, sipping the wine  and stopping for a lunch that allows you to experience the true flavors of Tuscany  is the best way to recharge.  A Tuscan vacation is a vacation for all the senses!

copyright 2012  Art of Living, PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati

(photo credits: www.dolci.it)

A cena (dinner) with friends is an all night event..from 8 PM to 1 AM..first the selection of the restaurant..then organizing the meetup of everyone..then  30 minutes  to organize the seating arrangement for 15..not an easy task…selection of courses..antipasti or not? first course or second course or both? With meat..without  meat…

For someone that is used to eating at 6 PM, a 9PM dinner is not an easy thing. Frustrating to say the least is the time spent between arriving at the restaurant and finally eating  the first morsel of food to arrive…this is the real ‘eating all’ Italiana ‘(eating Italian style). A meal becomes more like a long opera than a simple night out…But once it is all over you realize it was really worth it! Dinner becomes a true food experience, not just a meal….

The golden hue of the locally grown  potatoes and  the intense red radicchio make for a colorful canvas for any artist in the kitchen. The colors of winter decorate any plate.

Crostini with Radicchhio, Mozzarella and Caramelized Figs

( Photo credit:  http://saperlo.stbm.it)

To make caramelized figs:

8 ozs dried figs

6 tsps honey

2 branches of fresh rosemary

1 sage leaf

1 fresh red hot pepper cut into thin strips

Crostini:
2 whole fresh buffalo mozzarella ( Or fresh mozzarella)

1 small red radicchio

1/2 loaf crusty bread (baguette or similar)

Chop figs into  large pieces. Place in saute pan, drizzle honey on top.  Heat over low heat, melting honey. Cover with fresh rosemary, pepper strips, sage leaf. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and place in a glass bowl to cool.

Wash and clean head of radicchio. Set aside 8 whole leaves of radicchio and cut remaining leave in half. Place 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan and place in radicchio leaves. Saute over medium heat for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat, set aside.

Cut mozzarella into thick slices. Cut baguette in half lengthwise, then cut each half in half. Place on baking sheet and place in oven under broil till golden on one side, remove from oven, turn over and repeat on other side.. Remove from oven. On each slice of bread place 2 fresh radicchio leaves, slice of mozzarella, sauteed radicchio, and finally top with caramellized figs. Drizzle with olive oil, dash of sea salt and serve immediately.

Serve with a dry Rose wine..

For more recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style here or in ebook exclusively available on Kindle.

See you on March 24-25th in Charlottesville Virginia at the Festival of the Book.

Thanks for the guest post by Jo Levy

Over the years I have started doing more and more of my shopping online. At first I was a little resistant to moving to online shopping. I was worried about identity theft, and I thought I would miss going to stores and shopping with friends. So I started shopping online here and there, but still did the bulk of my shopping in stores. It feels like every year I did more and more shopping online until I got to where I am today. Now that I am so used to shopping online, I don’t even think about going to stores anymore unless I absolutely can’t get something online. Why would I go to a store when I can have something delivered to my door? I can shop around for the best prices without leaving my house, which is so convenient. I also don’t have to deal with annoying crowds and long lines. I have even started branching out and shopping for services like clear wireless deals. It’s crazy how so much about the way we do things can change in such a short time. I I laugh now when I remember how resistant I was to online shopping at first.

What is the best way to shop for furniture, shop online! And coffee tables are no exception. Shopping for these unique pieces of furniture can be almost as fun as getting one. With superior customer service, wide selection of furniture to choose from, you can’t lose. Imagine being able to go to one  place, from the comfort of your own desk and find top manufacturers from all over the world that you can buy from. Just think of all the extra money you will have saved on travel costs alone, which translates into more money to spend on your furniture.

And don’t forget the top notch customer service you receive, it is unsurpassed and only helps to make your shopping experience a pleasant one!

copyright 2012 Art of Living, PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati

Three things tell a man, his eyes, his friends and his favorite quotes..here is one of mine  “Muffins were created so that Americans don’t have to feel guilty about eating cake for breakfast”

but here in Italy, enjoying a little sweet something for breakfast is  a requirement.

George Clooney isn’t the only American gaining notoriety in Italy..the muffin seems to be the newest American star. While it is no secret that Italians are passionate about their food, the muffin craze seems to have truly caught on.

The word muffin comes from either the French word mouffet-meaning a soft bread or the German word ‘muffe’ which means little cake but in Italy they call them muffins and think of them as an especially American breakfast food.

( Photo credit:www.tortealcioccolato.com)

While today, here, life  seems to  be filled with  uncertainties, waking up to the smell  of a cappuccino and freshly baking  cornetti was always  a certainty..something you knew  could always count on….But not so anymore.

My mornings have been starting with not my usual cappuccino and cornetti (an Italian version of a croissant) but cappuccino and a muffin. While I insist on making my own, there is no shortage of the sweet little import here, in coffee bars and supermarkets and bakeries,,the muffin,has gained its’ own piece of notoriety here

(photo credit: http://ricette.pourfemme.it)

Most  muffins here are petite and truly a sweet little piece of heaven and not ‘supersized’  American style. Try this Italian version of a muffin, it’s healthy too, approximately 150 calories each

Breakfast Fruit Muffins

1/2 cup fresh fruit in season (cranberries, or blueberries, or strawberries)

1- 8 ounce container of plain low fat or fat free yogurt

1 1/4 cups flour

3 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

Place 1/4 cup of fresh fruit  fresh fruit and yogurt in blender for one minute. In a bowl, beat eggs with sugar till well blended and foamy. Add in olive oil, pinch of salt, blend well. Add in blended yogurt/fruit mixture. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda into this mixture a little bit a time, blending well after each addition. At end ,add in remaining whole fruit, Stir in. Place into muffin cups or muffin pan and bake for 30 minutes in oven preheated to 375 degrees

For more recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style here or in ebook version exclusively at Kindle.com

copyright 2012 Art of Living, PrimaMedia, Inc./Maria Liberati

(photo credit: www.giardinaggio.it)

Dreaming of summer or more like wishing for summer and the warm NOT cold sun of August..found what I  thought could be fresh Strawberries…perfect to make strawberries with Lemon ( Fragole con Limone)…but they came from a far away country and must have traveled days to get to my table…

The motto of this story is to always eat fresh and eat local.. I had to discard half of the package because of some being rotted…

As I washed each strawberry  and sniffed each one for that fragrant summertime perfume.. it just was not there…I hulled them and cut each one carefully in half, my mind wandering away to last summer’s  fresh scents of lemon and strawberries wafting through the air..almost as if I had sprayed an air freshener..but no need to. The scent created such a vivid picture that it is  still lingering in my mind..but guess I will have to wait till June for that experience!

I will buy NO strawberry before it’s time….

Here is a winter pasta dish..from the award winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition, available here or in ebook exclusively at Kindle

Spaghetti Infuocati  ( Spaghetti On Fire)

(photo credits : www.manualedicucina.com)

RECIPE:

1 lb of spaghetti

8 ounces of ricotta (preferably fresh )

1 ½ tblsps of butter melted

¼ tsp of finely crushed pepper flakes

Salt to taste

Cook pasta till al dente. But while pasta is cooking- place in a bowl the ricotta. Mix with a fork till it is creamy. Then sprinkle on the red pepper flakes and the melted butter.

When pasta is cooked al dente, drain. Place the pasta in the bowl with the ricotta mix and toss. Serve immediately.

Looking for somewhere special to go..join me in Italy in May 2012 for a luxury cruise,go here to find out about this luxury, all inclusive Mediterranean cruise

Have you ever bought a new product home only to be disappointed.? Possibly a product that was advertised on TV or in a magazine. You thought it was perfect so you run to the store to get it. The product turns out to be something altogether different than what you had in mind and it’s final resting place becomes your trash can.

Well now you can get free samples of products in many categories. It’s a great way to try before you buy! And it is so convenient to shop for samples online from the comfort of your own home or desk.