copyright Art of Living, PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati

Editor: Jennifer Birchwale

Cannoli are a traditional Sicilian dessert popularized in the early 1970’s by Mario Puzo’s quote, “Leave the gun, take the cannoli.” But besides being a delicious dessert served in pastry shops worldwide, what do we really know about cannoli? While pouring over the historical and cultural texts of Sicily, I found some very interesting facts.

For starters, the word itself is relatively misunderstood. Cannolo is the singular form of the noun; meaning cannoli is actually the plural form for this tasty treat. In the Sicilian dialect of Italian, cannolo is written as cannolu.

Nevertheless what are the actual origins? There are many variations due to the inaccuracies that come with passing down information over the generations, but the knowledge following can be generally agreed upon by everyone. The first hint of cannoli in history date back to the Palermo area, in the 9^th century AD. Palermo, on a map of Sicily, lies on the northwestern coastline. At this time, Sicily was under Arabic control. It is at this time that Sicily is first introduced to sugar cane, thus changing the way Sicily would create its desserts.

Read Full Article and Recipe Here

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

**See you on May 17th at the Tastes of the World Event at the Pearl S  Buck Foundation in Perkasie Pa. Join me and other Celebrity Chefs Joseph Poon and Darryl Harmon for the Tastes of the World Gala.  Come out for a great cause, for more information,go to  www.pearlsbuck.org/taste

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

Editor: Maureen Beam

Man cannot live on chocolate alone; but woman sure can.
Author Unknown

International Women’s Day has been celebrated in honor and recognition of women internationally, since the early 1900s. The first celebrations were in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland on March 19, 1911. Each year, themes and activities vary, but International Women’s Day continues to be a global day of celebration for women and their valiant efforts to gain equality in all aspects of life.

Here is a tantalizing recipe designed to add to your celebration.

Cioccolatini (little chocolates)

*16 ounces fair trade baking chocolate

*1/4 cup raisins

*1 tablespoon sesame seed oil

*4 tablespoons ground hazelnuts

*1 tsp vanilla

*1 cup brewed espresso coffee

*1 tsp powdered unsweetened organic powdered cocoa

Let raisins soften in cup of espresso for 15 minutes. Melt 2/3 of chocolate in microwave. When melted remove and quickly place in remaining chocolate and oil and stir. Add in vanilla. Drain raisins. Place cocoa powder on flat dish and dip raisins in powder, place them in melted chocolate. Place melted chocolate mixture in small baking cups. . Top with hazelnuts and place in fridge for 2 hours.

Where can you purchase fair trade chocolate?

If you are interested in purchasing your own fair trade chocolate, then here are a few suggestions.

• Alter Eco Americas
• Ben & Jerry’s
• Cal Poly Chocolates
• Chocolove
• Coco-Zen

http://alturl.com/rrc4e

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

http://amzn.to/13FHg82The Basic Art of Itallian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions

Get digital version exclusively with Kindle

Join me  on Friday, May 17th with other Celebrity Chef Judges Joseph Poon and Darryl Harmon at the  Taste of the World Event held at the Pearl S.  Buck Foundation..for a great cause and it will surely be a delicious day!

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

Editor: Maureen Beam

Have you ever thought about changing your cleaning routing and going  “au naturel”..use only all natural products to spruce up your abode…no need to spend ,money on all those chemical filled ,dangerous cleaning products when you can make them with a few ,easy non-toxic ingredients.

Here are just a few ideas that can simplify your life.

• Make a simple furniture polish with lemon oil and warm water. Apply this mixture with a soft damp cotton cloth.
• Use vinegar to clean mold.
• Make your own laundry detergent with washing soda, borax, and Ivory Soap flakes.
• Baking soda is a must-have item for around the house. Consider removing crayon marks on the wall with baking soda and a damp sponge.

  For more ideas check out http://www.mint.com/blog/how-to/25-household-uses-for-food-0213/

   

  If you prefer to purchase your non-toxic natural cleaning products, then here are a few brand suggestions.

   

  • Seventh Generation
  • Green Works
  • Ecover
  • Haven

   

For recipes,travel and wine tips 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 passion for  food and film can unite the two in intriguing and fascinating ways and bring life to a perfect match…. this combination was first brought together in 1895 in  French film called “ Le Repas de Bebe” and it has continued…

What is your favorite food film? Share it with us here in the Comments..

One of my all time favorites was a nominee in a past Academy Awards for  Foreign Film Category- Il Postino (The Postman) with one of my favorite Neapolitan actors- Massimo Troisi..it was a fictional story based on some facts about the poet Pablo Neruda…poetry makes a romantic pairing with food also

Here is a spaghetti dish made especially by the main character Mario..have a listen to the soundtrack..just as beautiful as the movie and the dish…

ll Postino: Spaghetti alla Mario Ruoppolo

di Michael Radford e Massimo Troisi

Spaghetti alla Mario Ruoppolo

Ingredients

for 6 servings:

1 lb spaghetti
6 artichokes
1 1/2 lbs fresh, red, ripe tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic

3 tblsps extra virgin ollive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Clean artichokes and cut off the hard exterior leaves and retain the heart of the artichoke.Thinly slice the artichoke heart. Place 3 tablespoons olive oil in saute pan, when hot place in saute pan with  artichoke slices.

Cut tomatoes into cubes, discard seeds and place tomatoes into artichoke mixture. Squash tomatoes with fork and then  add  in garlic cloves  Continue sauteeing for about 15 minutes add in basil and salt and pepper to taste, remove from heat.

Boil spaghetti and cook till al dente, drain.  Add into artichoke mixture and toss spaghetti  till coated with sauce. Remove from heat and serve.

Buon Appetito!

For more recipes don’t forget to get your copy of the Gourmand World Award Winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

I love to discover ways that dishes can be cooked conveniently for those that don’t want to be bothered with the fuss and muss of so many different appliances and cooking utensils. And here it is an apple dessert cooked with a multi cooker. Have you you tried one of those out yet ! I know everyone thinks of using them to make soups,stews, rice ,veggies. But if you’re in the mood for dessert, whip one up conveniently. Cook an Apple Charlotte, using all those great winter apples, but this one recipe requires only one apple. So make it a green apple, or Granny Smith, my favorite for apple pies. They bake so well.

Copyright Art of living, PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati

Who would’ve thought that a beautiful popular song in its’ day Volare..(still a song in the hearts of many  Italians) was written based on 2 of Marc  Chagall’s paintings LeCoq Rouge and  Le Peintre et le Modele..the lyricist woke up one morning..a bit hung over from the night before..but began noticing the paintings hung before him and  writing these beautiful lyrics to the song “nel blu. di pinto di blu’” ( In blue, painted of blue) to describe the painting..and titled the song  first ‘Dream in  Blue’..but then of course it became re titled Volare..to describe the man flying in the picture..and the lyricists’ day spent in a  flat in Piazza Navona in Rome during a terrific rain storm more accurately helped that word  (Volare) come to him..Volare ..in Italian means to fly…and shutters flying open,. wind gusts ..all inspiration for what is now one of the most classic Italian modern songs…Volare .

Chagall’s blue tint is so awe inspiring that it has been used for patient therapy and has been called a symbol of hope because of it’s intensity…And Volare..to fly..to soar like the wind..yes inspiring….

..A rendition of Volare….(the unofficial Italian anthem) and an Italian comfort food a ‘>ciambella is sure to  lift you out of your doldrums on a lazy weekend afternoon..…

Ciambella (Italian style poundcake)

(From the Gourmand World Award Winning Cookbook ‘>-The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition)

2 cups all purpose flour or cake flour sifted

¾ cup sugar

2 eggs

½ cup melted butter

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

zest l of 1 fresh lemon

extra flour and butter for greasing pan

Place sugar and eggs in bowl, blend together with wooden spoon. Blend in flour and melted butter. Work the dough till it is a smooth blended dough and add in the baking powder and salt and lemon peel. Butter and flour an 8” cake pan, place in batter and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Should be golden on top. Remove from oven and cool. You can decorate the top with a dusting of powdered sugar or shaved dark chocolate. Serve with some fresh fruit in season for a great breakfast.

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

*May 7th-Hope to see you at the Pearl S. Buck Foundation Gala Event. I will be on the panel of Celebrity Judges with Chef Darryl Harmon from the Waterworks restaurant (one of Philly’s finest) and Chef Joseph Poon. If you would like to compete in the chef competition or would like to attend this exciting event email: events@marialiberati.com

Love is the poetry of the senses……..Honoré de Balzac

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

Valentine’s Day isn’t just a Holiday for lovers. You can use this day to celebrate in a romantic way with that special someone and give a box of chocolate shaped hearts.. But for those that are single it can also be a day to be with those that are dear to you. So even if you are single or for some reason have to be far from the one you love on this day, you can still enjoy the spirit of the day with friends and those close to you.

Cook together and enjoy a lunch or dinner together. Here are some easy ,fun recipes..delicious too, that are easy enough to cook together. I call them ‘ recipes from my heart’ because these are recipes given to me by friends and family that we have come together to cook.

But remember you don’t have to wait for February 14^th to celebrate the spirit of St Valentine. You can give yourself permission to be romantic with that special someone any day of the year.

And you can bring together those that you hold dear for a meal any time in the spirit of Valentine’s Day

Oh, if it be to choose and call thee mine, love, thou art every day my Valentine!  ~Thomas Hood

(recipes are available here ‘>A Valentine’s Day Menu )

Menu For Valentine’s Day

Antipasto- Focaccio with cherry tomatoes and olives

First Course- Spaghetti with tuna, tomatoes and hot pepper

Second Course-Pollo al Pomodoro ( Chicken with tomatoes)

Dessert- Carrot-Lemon Cake

Available  Exclusively on Kindle‘>..A Valentine’s Day Menu

Mozart and Carnevale in Venice and food  go so well together.. he spent a month there and fell in love with Carnevale while there.. even Mozart was a ‘foodie’..who was sometimes inspired by food…

“When I am . . . traveling in a carriage, or walking after a good meal, or during the night when I cannot sleep; it is on such occasions that ideas flow best and most abundantly.”

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart quote.

Some fried pizza to celebrate the occasion!

Pizza Fritta

(photo credit:www. jiaboutiquehotels.com0

recipe excerpted from ‘>The Basic Art of Italian Cooking; Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

2 lbs flour

1 envelope powdered yeast

warm milk

water

olive oil

plum tomatoes-crushed

fresh basil leaves

Oil for frying

Sift flour and yeast together in a bowl. Add in 1/4 cup warm milk, water and a drizzle of olive oil. Add in enough water to make a smooth but not too soft dough..

Make one large ball with dough and let stand for 30 minutes covered with towel.

Then divide dough into small little pizzas-about 3 inches in diameter. Place pizzas on a cookie sheet and cover with a  towel to let rise.for 2 hours.

Heat oil in deep frying pan. Cover a large plate or cookie sheet with paper towels. When oil is boiling, fry pizzas 1 at a time till golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon. Place on paper towel. Top with tomatoes already sauteed with garlic olive oil and some fresh basil leaves  Serve hot…with an earful of Mozart

Happy Mardi Gras, Carnevale & Fastnacht Day!

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

May 7th- Join me I will be one of the celebrity judges for the Pearl S. Buck International Gala and  Tasting competition. Join us for a spectacular gala for a great cause and if you have an eating establishment you may want to sign up for the competition. Email us at; events@marialiberati.com

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

Editor: Maureen Beam

As the old saying goes…“He who seeks what they should not, finds what he would not.” There is a little paese in the province of Viterbo (in Umbria, Italy) that should be called the true “Magical Kingdom.” From far away, this town looks like a vision in the sky…something out of a dream…an ancient place where it seems as though all time has stood still…Civita di Bagnoregio.

Embarking on a day trip around Umbria seemed like it might be quite uneventful. Though it is a beautiful part of Italy, I assumed that I would see many of the same beautiful churches filled with frescoes, rolling verdant landscapes and the like. Surprisingly, I felt as if I was actually sleeping suspended on a cloud whilst spending time there. There it was—this seemingly magical walkway to the sky.

If you decide to visit Civita di Bagnoregio, you may enter by bus from Orvieto. Cotral buses provide transportation for a small fee. The bus leaves from Orvieto’s Piazza Cahen. Then, the bus drops off in Bagnoregio. From Bagnoregio, a minibus drives up to Civita. If you prefer walking, you can walk up the hill and follow the main road, enjoying the breathtaking views (Wikitravel).

Coconut  Cloud Dessert-(  make gluten free )

(approx 8 servings)

*1 cup rice flour-

*1 cup coconut flour

*3/4 cup sugar

*4 ozs butter

*5 medium eggs

*1 tsp baking powder gluten free

*1 lemon

*extra butter to butter pan

*pinch of salt

*Powdered sugar

Separate eggs and set whites aside. Beat egg yolks, sugar into a cream. Add in softened butter and lemon zest and beat again. In separate bowl place in flours and baking powder. Add into egg yolk mixture a little at a time. In separate bowl beat egg whites, pinch of salt to firm peaks. Then fold egg whites into mixture. Butter and flour with rice flour or potato starch a square or round 8 “ cake pan. Place in batter. Cook for 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

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

How to Make Gluten Free Amaretti Cookies (The Basic Art of Italian Cooking)

copyright Art of Living,PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati

Editor: Maureen Beam

photo credit: Manfred Werner  commons.wikimedia.org

I’m so excited! The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati will be part of the digital exhibit at

Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna 

Also, part of this post Mantua, Mozart and Not Your Mother’s Mashed Potatoes will be included as part of the digital segment of the new exhibition.

The Kunsthistorisches Museum is located in Vienna, Austria. Opened around 1891, this museum is also known as the “Museum of Fine Arts.” Not only does the museum hold some of the most beautiful art collections, the building itself is opulently decorated with gold leaf, marble, and stucco ornamentations (Wikipedia).

A few of the more notable works in the picture gallery include the following items.

• The Adoration of the Trinity (1511) by Albrecht Durer
• The Madonna of the Rosary (1606-1607) by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio
• Self Portrait (1652) by Rembrandt (Wikipedia)

In light of the upcoming exhibits, let’s celebrate with a Viennese coffee recipe.

Viennese Coffee

from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions- 2nd edition and The Art of Christmas Dinner copyright 2011 and 2012, Art of LIving, PrimaMedia,Inc/ Maria Liberati )

serves 4

* 4 ounces of dark chocolate- melted

* 1/2 cup of whipping cream

* 4 cups of dark espresso or espresso style coffee

* 1 tsp sugar

* powdered cocoa

* dash of cinnamon

In large heat proof pitcher – blend cream and melted chocolate till creamy. Add in boiling hot coffee, sugar, stir and divide into 4 coffee cups, top with some whipped cream, dash of powdered cocoa and dash of powdered cinnamon..don’t forget the Mozart!

Visit my author page at  http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002BOCBAU

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