2013 is the Official Year of Italian Culture in the USA…catch an event !

Also I will be guest speaker at the Sons of Italy Lodge annual Scholarship dinner on June 4th at the Philadelphia Quartet Club in Northeast Philadelphia, $40 includes cocktails and dinner. To buy tickets email: events@marialiberati.com   Proceeds go to the annual scholarship.. Hope you can join me!

June 1 and 2nd I will be on stage at the Great Grapes Festival in Hunt Valley Maryland Look for you then..form ore info email: events@marialiberati.com

July 19,20,21 join me at one of the largest Italian festivals in the USA.. I am this year’s Celebrity Chef….Festa Italiana in Milwaukee Wisconsin..get your authentic taste of Italy here with everything Italian right down  the fireworks display at end of festa!  I will be on the culinary stage..look forward to seeing you there.For more info or for sponsorship info email: events@marialiberati.com

For more recipes and tips get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition at Amazon and exclusively on Kindle

Thanks to everyone that came out to the Pearl S. Buck Foundation event and helped make it a success..such  a great cause ..and our first official Tastes of the World Competition with ..yours truly as one of the Celebrity Chef Judges along with  Chef Joseph Poon, and Chef Barry Sexton..also enjoyed meeting everyone..thanks for bidding on my cooking class silent auction item..the item raised over $1,000 for the foundation…

This week I had the pleasure of conducting a private cooking class that was auctioned off by UBCC last fall..with the winner of the item and 3 friends…we had a great time and enjoyed some great food….. the menu was

Risotto al’Erbe (herbed risotto)

Bruschetta with sundried tomatoes and Sapori d’Italia spice Tuscan spice blend

Panzanella Tuscan Salad

Fragole con Limone with sliced Panettone.Stay tuned for all the recipes in some upcoming posts…

Hope to see you at

*June 4th-Sons of Italy Lodge Scholarship Dinner-6 PM at the Philadelphia Quartet Club..I will be the guest speaker and will be doing a meet and greet and book signing after..come out for a great cause..dinner is $40 and includes dinner and cocktail reception email: events@Marialiberati.com for info

*June 1,2 –Hunt Valley Maryland, Great Grapes Festival..I will be doing a cooking demo from one of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking book series all weekend,,for more info email:events@marialiberati.com

*July 19,20,21-Festa Italiana, in Milwaukee Wisconsin..one of the biggest Italian festivals in the USA..this year I will be the Celebrity Chef doing on stage demos there..all weekend..fro more info email” events@Marialiberati.com

For more recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition sold on Amazon or in Kindle version on Kindle

Text copyright, 2013 Maria Liberati/Art of Living, PrimaMedia,Inc

(photo credit: Procida.tv)

Although they say when life gives you lemons..make lemonade.. I say make a yummy lemony pesto instead..

In the Ode to the Lemon, Poet Pablo Neruda called  the juice of a lemon ‘nature’s most intense liqueur’….

For 4 people

remove the peel from 4 (uber) fresh lemons..place in food processor with 3/4 cup shelled almonds and 1 tablespoon of salted capers 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Blend..use this pesto to dress a salad, or as a sauce for cous cous or  a refreshing sauce for cold summer pasta or even a hot pasta dish..

**Special Thanks to everyone that came out to the Pearl S Buck Foundation Event..and the chefs and restaurants that competed in the Tastes of the World Event.

**Thanks to the New York Travel Writers Society for selecting The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm BLOG as Food and Wine Blog of the Year

**See you at the Sons of Italy Scholarship dinner on June 4th at the Philadelphia Quartet Club

For more info on any of these events email Events@marialiberati.com

For more great recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays and Special Occasions-2nd edition

“If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday”

Pearl S. Buck

copyright 2013 Art of Living, PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati

Spring always reminds me of The Good Earth..the award winning piece of literature penned by award winning author/humanitarian Pearl S, Buck..and the true goodness of the earth…providing us with fresh zucchini and strawberries, asparagus, potatoes,and much more of the  earth’s delicacies…..

Nonno’s Lunch Frittata

(excerpted from the Gourmand World Award Winning Book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-3rd edition)

*2 potatoes, peeled ,sliced thickly and pre cooked

*6 medium eggs

*fresh rosemary to taste

*extra virgin olive oil

*pinch of salt

Cook potatoes in boiling water until firm, not too soft, approximately 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cool water, peel and slice into thick slices. Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil on roasting pan, place in sliced potatoes, sprinkle rosemary, pinch of salt ,drizzle olive oil on top. Place under broiler till golden brown, remove, set aside.

Break eggs open and place in one bowl, whisk with fork till foamy. Place 2 tblsps extra virgin olive oil in saute pan and heat. Place in eggs, rosemary, pinch of salt, potatoes mixture and cook till edges are firm. You can also do a final browning by placing in oven if you cook with an oven safe saute pan.

Remove from heat, cool, slice and eat or to take as a lunch to work or to a picnic,-wrap each slice in parchment or plastic wrap and take away. Or make a scrumptious pannino by drizzling sparingly olive oil on a crusty Italian or French style roll or a crusty baguette, place in slice of frittata to cover the bread. Wrap pannino in parchment paper. Take with you for a scrumptious meal on the go, or just eat at home!

Upcoming Appearances:

May 17th-Taste of the World-Pearl S. Buck Foundation, Perkasie, Pa ..join me and many other celebrity chefs for this gala benefiting the Pearl S. Buck Foundation..held on the very grounds of the home of the late award winning author..come out for a wonderful evening

June 4th-I will be speaking at the Sons of Italy Lodge Annual Scholarship Dinner at the Philadelphia Quartet Club on Southampton Road.  Email:events@marialiberati.com  for tickets

Editor: Daman Singh

Goa is a lovely place to visit and it is famous for its beautiful beaches, churches and temples and its main industry is tourism and that says a lot about the place. The coastal areas of Goa are the main hubs the tourists to come and visit.

Foreign tourists, mostly from Europe, arrive in Goa in winter while the summer and monsoon seasons see a large number of Indian tourists. This is because weather is good all year around and that can be a major factor on why tourists visit Goa. I know it was a major factor on why I love to visit.

When I needed to find lodging for my stay there I could easily locate a villa for rent in Goa.

One of the things that makes Goa unique it that it is Influenced by over 450 years of Portuguese rule and Latin culture, Goa presents a different flavor of the country to all its’ visitors.

And you won’t want to miss  m some of the major tourist attractions like that Bom Jesus Basilica, Fort Aguada, a wax museum on Indian culture and a heritage museum. The Churches and Convents of Goa have been declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Religion  plays a big part in people’s life in Goa and the most  popular religions are Christianity and that’s one of the things that makes Goa so unique in a Hindu dominated country like India. A visit to Goa will provide an interesting contrast.

This place has everything to offer and what a great place to relax. They say if you go to Goa once then you are sure to return! But that says  a lot about how Goa leaves its’ mark on the people who visit, a profound mark I must say! Goa has the word go and that means you might as well go and see why everyone loves this place and always plans to come back.

Life is short but why not make it memorable and see what Goa has to offer and enjoy life a little, who knows what you may find.

copyright 2013 Art of Living, PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati

Who knows what a walk on a sunny Sunday afternoon will lead to? I needed only some fresh ingredients for Sunday dinner and decided to go to  the Market at Circus Maximus- known for local, organic and seasonal produce, dairy and freshly baked breads…but a trip to the market in Rome is never just a trip to the market it is an experience through ancient Rome…how could I get  through it , do my shopping and be home in time to cook dinner?

First, I had to make it through the Roman Forum, on a sunny day up high on one of Rome’s seven hills, a breathtaking view, or a ‘belvedere’ (as we say in Italian), worthy of at least an hour stop..

Next pass through the back of Rome’s Campidoglio  ( the official City Hall)..home of many things but also a piazza designed by Michelangelo..another hour…

Who knew we would pass the Arch of Janus-one of Rome’s ancient triumphal arches

There goes another hour.. finally the market.. Mercato di Campagna D’Amica di Circo Massimo..( imagine taking a trip through an art museum every day just to get to the market!)

All organic, local and seasonal, here’s where you can find locally made pecorino cheese, locally grown zucchini, agresti, farm fresh eggs and dairy, herbs , organic olive oil and wine, and freshly baked breads and sweets from organic ingredients..

Since it was already 3 PM and nothing on the table yet, we decided lunch would start with local bread and sliced pecorino produced in nearby Rieti

And then local organic zucchini, and some farm fresh eggs organic olive oil..a zucchini frittata.

Wash and slice 3-4 zucchini into small sticks

Saute in 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil till tender.

Whisk 4 farm fresh eggs together in a bowl, add in pinch of salt. Pour onto zucchini sticks. When firm on all sides flip onto plate,turn over and cook on opposite side till firm. Serve with dry white wine..we had  (nearby produced) Est!Est!Est!

Dessert was the infamous Fragole con Limone (strawberries with lemon) sounds simple but the trick is to use fresh, local and in season strawberries, and   fresh, local, organic lemons…

Wash, hull and quarter 1 pound of strawberries. Place in ceramic bowl, squeeze one lemon on top, remove seeds. Sprinkle 2 tsps organic brown sugar or stevia on top, stir gently. Cover and let marinade in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Listen to my radio  interview about this Blog post on The Well Informed Traveler

See You this weekend April 27-28th in Reston Virginia at Great Grapes Festival

May 17th at Tastes of the World event at Pearl S.Buck Foundation in Perkasie, Pa.

For more recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

Strawberries..wild strawberries everywhere.. I understand why the Swedish call  wild strawberries “Smultronsallet”. which translates more exactly to mean a ‘strawberry field patch’-a Swedish colloquialism that means a place or a time in one’s life which is fondly remembered and frequently revisited nostalgically in memory.

Do you have a Smultronsallet- wild strawberry patch that you can revisit, one that brings you back to a time and place that you can get to when you need to smile and reflect on happy, carefree memories..I knew strawberries had some kind of therapeutic effect..more than just eating them…

You can see what the true meaning is in the 1959 film Wild Strawberries

Share your special  wild strawberry patch stories with us here..what memories does your wild strawberry patch help you to revisit…

Look forward to seeing you at my on stage appearances with The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at:

*April 27-28Great Grapes Festiva-Reston, Virginia

May 17th-Tastes of the World Event for Pearl S. Buck Foundation in Perkasie Pa

June 1,2-Great Grapes Festival-Hunt Valley, MD

July 19,20,21st-Festa Italiana in Milwaukee Wisconsin (if you love everything Italian ) and have never been to this Festa-you must get there..it is one of the oldest and biggest Italian Festivals in the USA

For recipes, get your copy of the Gourmand World Award winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

copyright 2013, Art of Living,PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati

Pasquetta is my favorite Holiday..it is  the day after Easter and  a relaxing Holiday..no obligatory sit down meals…no need to spend time looking for greeting cards or gifts..or preparing for large feasts..

If I had to make up my own Holiday this would be it, for it is truly a Holiday, one where you can relax and take a drive with no plan to follow. Just  pack some impromptu sandwiches and have a picnic in the mountains or  drive to where the road takes you… a relaxing Holiday for one day..no one is slighted because there is nothing to give or take or make…

This Pasquetta was a day of exploring the Roman countryside…with a visit to a little town, once inhabited by the Etruscans and Charlemagne- the ancient  town of  Sutri..founded thousands of years before Rome and named after Saturn, the father of the Gods.

My favorite part of the visit was sampling local beans of Sutri, rumored to have given Charlemagne his strength for conquering..I also had fun  creating some  recipes with this ancient food…

A stop at Charlemagne’s castle (what is left of it) though before eating and cooking was a must…

Borlotti al Vino (speckled beans with wine)

This is one of the simplest recipes, and only has a few ingredients.If you don’t have access to the speckled beans of Sutri substitute speckled beans or Borlotti beans.

2 cups of speckled (Borlotti) beans that have been soaked in water overnight

1 cup dry, red wine

1 tsp freshly chopped parsley

1 tsp freshly chopped basil

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Place beans in a large pan with wine, 2 cups cold water and cook for one hour or til tender. Place olive oil in saute pan and heat, place in beans and chopped parsley and basil, add salt and pepper to taste. Saute for 10 minutes, remove from heat.

See you at  (for more info on nay of these events email events@marialiberati.com):

April 27-28- Great Grapes Festival in Reston, Virginia

May 17th-Taste of the World Festival at the Pearl S.Buck Foundation in Perkasie Pennsylvania

June 1,2- Great Grapes Festival in Hunt Valley, Maryland

Get your copy of the Gourmand World Award Winning Book The Basic  Art of Italian Cooking : Holidays & Special Occasions- 2nd edition

copyright 2013 Art of Living, PrimaMedia,Inc/ Maria Liberati

A chilly day needs a warm pot of soup..farro and lentil soup (minestra) with crostini..for a still brisk Spring day..my heart has a deep wish for Spring and its’ fresh  recipes but the chill in the air tells me ‘not so fast’..  winter won’t let go…

The beautiful mountains in Abruzzo are still capped with snow, almost like  frosting on a cupcake. I could complain but the snow capped mountains add to the beauty of the landscape, like adding color to a painting…so we will have bowl of soup to keep warm and enjoy the scenery..

Farro is a most misunderstood grain..there are 3 types of farro known as farro piccolo, farro grande and farro medio..or respectively  they are also called Emmer, spelt and Einkorn. Farro medio or Emmer is grown in Abruzzo and Tuscany and is considered the best for cooking.

Minestra Di Farro

INGREDIENTS

*Handful of fresh parsley, washed and chopped

*2 tablespooons of extra virgin olive oil

*1 small golden onion chopped

*2 cloves of garlic

*2 quarts of vegetable broth

*1 cup dried lentils

*Pinch of salt

*1 cup farro perlato

Soak dried lentils in water overnight or for at least 4 hours, drain and set aside. Place broth in pot and warm till hot.

Wash parsley and chop the leaves finely. Place olive oil in a large soup pot and warm, then place in whole garlic and finely chopped onions. Saute on low heat till golden. Add in ½ cup of hot broth, chopped parsley, drained lentils, stir and let this mixture come to a boil. Then add in remaining broth, pinch of salt. Place heat to low, cover and stir, let cook for 10 minutes. Raise to medium heat and add in farro perlato and cook for 30 minutes covered, stirring every so often, adding more water if needed.

Slice crusty bread, grill, toast or broil, put in bottom of soup plate, drizzle extra virgin olive oil on top, serve hot soup on top of bread slice…

See you at:

**April 27 and 28th at the Great Grapes Festival in Reston Virginia, for a book signing and cooking demo, for more info email: events@marialiberati.com

**May 17th join me at the Tastes of the World event at the Pearl S. Buck Foundation in Perkasie Pa. Join me and other Celebrity Judges Joseph Poon, Barry Sexton and Darryl Harmon as we pick the Taste of the World winner. For more info email: events@marialiberati.com

**June 1 and 2nd- Great Grapes Festival in Hunt Valley, Maryland for a book signing and cooking demo, for more info email: events@marialiberati.com

For more recipes get your copy of  (Gourmand World Award Winner)The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions –2nd edition

copyright 2013 Art of Living, PrimaMedia,Inc

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.  ~Proverb

Recipe Editor: Jennifer Birchwale

Here is a simple Spring Holiday recipe many of you have been asking for:

Simple Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients

¾ cup warm water (110 degrees F)

2 tablespoons water (room temp)

3 tablespoons butter

¼ cup white sugar

3/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon powdered milk

1 egg, 1 egg white, 1 egg yolk

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

¾ cup dried currants (or raisins)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons milk

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

1. Using a bread maker, put the warm water, milk powder, butter, ¼ cup sugar, egg, egg white, flour, salt, and yeast into it. Start the dough program on the bread maker.
2. When 5 minutes remain on the kneading process in the maker, add the cinnamon and the currants (or raisins). Leave in the maker until after double.
3. Take the dough out of the machine and punch it on a floured tabletop or surface. Cover dough and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
4. Shape the dough into twelve medium sized balls and place on a greased 9 x 12 inch pan. Cover the balls and let them rise in a warm area until double, which should be about 40 minutes after.
5. Mix your 2 tablespoons water and egg yolk – brush on balls. Then place your pan into the oven (preheated to 375 degrees F) for 20 minutes. Directly after the 20 minutes, place your balls on a cooling area.
6. In order to make the sign of the cross on your buns, mix the milk, vanilla, and the sugar together. In order to make this easier, mix this mixture in a plastic bag (like a sandwich bag). Knead this bag gently, and when the ingredients seem to be mixed, cut a small hole in the corner. You can then use this opening to create your crosses, like a pastry bag.
7. Congrats! You’ve just made some awesome Hot Cross Buns!

April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.  ~William Shakespeare

For more Recipes get your copy of the Gourmand  World Award Winning Book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking : Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

See you on April 27-28th in Reston, Virginia at the Great Grapes Festival

*May 17th at the Pearl S. Buck Tastes of the World Festival