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

copyright 2011 Art of Living, PrimaMedia,Inc./Maria Liberati

After surviving another Feast of the Seven Fishes in Italy  last year (the meal typically celebrated in Italy and now all over the world for Christmas Eve with many seafood dishes) I wanted to jot down some quick tips on cooking seafood many different ways. Everyone always seems puzzled as to what to make and how to make it. These are some quick, easy tips to help, but not only for the Feast of the Seven Fishes but all year round seafood dishes too! These are the principal 5 ways to cook specific types of seafood.

Alla Brace (usually refers to cooking in a fireplace or wood burning oven -over wood or coal)

Fish that has firm meat inside like tuna, are perfect for cooking this way,not all fish can hold up to this cooking method.

You can add a sort of aroma and splash with white or red wine or seafood broth to reinforce the perfume of the herbs/spices added. Choose a double sided grill that will make turning the fish easier.

Alla Griglia (grilled)

If you are going to grill fish you shouldn’t scale it, the skin protects the delicate meat of the fish from the intense heat of the grill. Before placing on the grill, dry the fish well with paper towels, even if it has been soaking in a marinade. Don’t overcook the fish. For example, sardines cook for only 1 minute on each side, for a sea bass-10 minutes per side. A large fish should be cooked slowly and drizzled with oil every so often to keep it moist.

Alla Mugnaia (a la meuniere- a French cooking term that means lightly dusted with flour and sautéed with butter)

A whole fish or one that has delicate meat inside like Sole should first be sautéed in a sauté pan with butter, then cooked over medium heat. In general, most fish can be lightly salted and breaded before cooking. The cooking time varies from between 2-3 minutes per side.

Fritto (Fried)

Fish best fried are small fish or those cut into smaller pieces or those like cod and sole. Always dry the fish before frying, coat with flour and dust with breadcrumbs. Oil should be hot but not smoking and should also be in an abundant quantity. Avoid keeping the breaded fish in the pan for too long a time, after cooking remove and place on absorbent paper or paper towels to absorb the oil.

Al Forno (Baked)

Al Forno – best to cook medium or large fish this way. You can also flavor the fish with flavorful spices and/or herbs or herb butter, broth, white wine. And if the fish is big enough you can also bake it stuffed with bread crumbs or shrimp or crab meat. In the oven, you can also cook smaller fish in parchment paper

So many of you have emailed  asking about how to celebrate this feast. So for those of you that do, please share with readers your favorite Feast of the Seven Fishes traditions and recipes. Christmas Eve is almost here!

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

**December 10th- Join me at Wendell August (103 Woodcutter Dr) in Exton, Pa from 1:30 –2:45 for a book signing of the Holiday book and Holiday recipes. Hope to see you then. For more info email: events@marialiberati.com

Another Thanksgiving , another day to give thanks and  remember the  simple things that we probably take for granted.. ..if you can celebrate the Holiday in anyway then you should give thanks…

Food doesn’t make the Holiday, it’s the company you share it with…can turn a plain meal into a festive one…And if you don’t like turkey create your own menu..opt for something special or something that makes you feel special..your favorite dish….as simple or as elegant as can be..but let it be your choice! Some people look for an online culinary arts school when they love cooking

My Black Friday gift to all subscribers of the BLOG is a free Holiday mini-booklet.  An excerpted booklet from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking:Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition- the book that was selected as a Gourmand World Cookbook Award Winner. The book is filled with warm holiday stories ,recipes and tips..This offer is valid for November 25th for 24 hours (12AM to 12PM) only and is a special offer for subscribers to this BLOG only..  If you are not a subscriber just subscribe before you order. To get your free copy,send an email to:
info@marialiberati.com place FREE HOLIDAY BOOKLET in subject and you will get an ebooklet ready to download.

Join Me in Italy on May 3, 2012 for an all inclusive luxury cruise to Italy and the Mediterranean. 10 days of all out luxury with everything included! Makes a great gift for that special someone! Only a few spots left, call  Julie Steinberg at Rosenbluth Vacations at 1-800-257-8279

Here’s Wishing a Happy day to give Thanks to all!!

Happy Thanksgiving

The variety of landscapes in the region of Abruzzo, Italy, in November are filled with subdued colors. Close to the sea, the fields that once were overflowing with  grapevines and olives are now scraggly fields  and make silhouettes against the oft gray skies. The new winter frosts have dimmed the once cheerful giardini (gardens). Sunflowers have closed and gone to sleep for most of the winter. The cold harsh winds drive the rains against terra cotta roofs. In the mountains, off in the distance the snow capped mountain tops , can be seen as a sign of things to come to the valley below.

The sheep still graze outside on the muddy hills with a sheepdog, known as an Abruzzese shepherd minds them  under a watchful eye.

Truffle and mushroom hunters roam the mountainsides. The open air markets provide a point of color on the brown landscapes, filled with colorful apples, oranges, pears, kiwi, pomegranates on display.

Vino Novello, the new wine that has just been produced from the ‘vendemmia’ in October can be found everywhere as people begin to prepare to gather items for the Holiday table.

As November wears on the harsh rains halt and I wake up to crisp morning skies with a sun as  brilliant as the sun of August, so harsh it hurts your eyes. It provides the perfect setting for local farmers to cut and cord the wood for fireplaces everywhere. Especially the kitchen fireplaces that will be used to grill meats and cheese or roast chestnuts for the Holiday meals to come.

Fall signals the time for certain foods ,especially pears in wine, and roasted chestnuts. Jars of white -flesh, preserved pears, now make a stark contrast next to the bright red  jarred tomatoes from  summer’s end. that decorate  many wine cellars or cantinas usually in home basements or separate small attached buildings. But it is time to think of the Holiday meals.

Although Thanksgiving is not officially celebrated here, meals leading up to the Holidays rival any Thanksgiving celebration. Panetone and Pan D’oro the sweet dessert breads of the winter Holidays line the windows of local bakeries and aisles of the supermarkets.

One of my favorite,elegant yet simple appetizers to make for Holiday  soirees or to start off a Holiday meal are these mushroom appetizers since mushrooms are in abundance.

An online culinary arts education is what some people pursue when they want to become a chef.

Tortini ai Funghi

(Mushroom Tarts)

Appetizer

Serves 4.

• 2 scallions
• ¾ pound fresh mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Pinch of salt and black pepper
• 1 large puff pastry strip, or 4 small strips
• 2 eggs
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 ounces grated Comté cheese
• 3 finely chopped leeks
• 4 small ceramic or glass baking cups; should be about four inches in diameter

Peel and finely chop the scallions. Carefully wash, clean, and thinly slice the mushrooms. Place 1 tablespoon butter in a sauté pan and sauté the scallions over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and let simmer until all liquid has been absorbed. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and let cool.

Use the remaining butter to butter the baking cups. Place puff pastry in baking cups and cover the bottom and sides of cups with pastry. In a bowl, mix together the eggs, pinch of nutmeg, pinch of salt, and grated Comté cheese.

Cover bottom of each baking cup with mushroom slices, then cover with chopped leeks. Pour egg mixture on top.

Cook in oven preheated to 425 degrees for 10 minutes, then for an additional 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Best served hot.

**Join me on May 2012 in Italy for an all inclusive luxury cruise to Italy and the Mediterranean. There are a few more spots left, don’t miss out. This is all inclusive luxxury cruise with absolutely everything included. Call Julie at Rosenbluth Vacations now at 1-800-257-8279

I have been receiving requests from the media asking for recipes that are unique for Thanksgiving dinner. This  dessert that comes form Siena, Italy, is an interesting cross between a rice pudding and a cake. It’s not your typical Thanksgiving day dessert but one that will make it a memorable one and this will bring Siena, Italy close to your dinner table for one day…

And if you love to cook here is a resource for finding cooking classes

Torta Alla Senese (Siena Style Cake)

excerpted from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style

½ cup (100 gr) milk

1 ½ cups (300 gr) rice

1 cup (200 gr) sugar

3 eggs

1/3 cup(70 gr) raisins

8 hazelnuts

¼ cup (50 gr) pinoli nuts

1/3 cup (70 gr) butter

1 tsp baking powder

zest of ½ lemon grated

Boil milk. Add in uncooked rice and sugar. Cook till liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and cool. Add in eggs. raisins, hazelnuts, pinoli nuts, softened butter, baking powder, grated lemon zest. Blend all together. Butter and flour an 8” cake pan, pour in batter. Bake in oven preheated to 400 F (200C) and bake for 30 minutes. Serve chilled.

For more great recipes get your copy of

The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci  Style

Join me in Italy on May 3, 2012 for an exicting all inclusive luxury cruise to Italy and the Mediterranean. A few spots remaining, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to expereince the delights of the Mediterranean, including to onboard culinary events and visits to vineyards as wel as other excitign excursions. Call Julie at Rosenbluth Vacations at 1-800-257-8279 to reserve your spot now! Hope to see you there!!

copyright 2011 Art of Living,PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati

“Take pleasure in your dreams, relish your principles and drape your purest feelings on the heart of a precious lover”

Giotto

A beautiful quote from a man who was also known for creating beautiful things. However, he,apparently had a sense of humor as well. In a fresco he was commissioned to paint in the Basilica of St Francis of Assisi , a faint figure of the devil was recently found in the middle of the clouds..possibly his way of getting back at one of the Popes who commissioned that painting…

Known for creating things of beauty, however his children were known to be very plain looking. When asked by  the famous writer Bocaccio, how  he could create such beautiful paintings but such plain children..Giotto responded “ I made them(my children) in the dark”.

Torta Alla Zucca (Pumpkin Cake)

(photo credits  www.tortaalcioccolata.com)

( recipe excerpted from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style

16 ounces(500gr) pumpkin mashed

2 lbs (250 gr) peeled, shelled almonds

1 ½ cups(300 gr) flour

1 cup (200 gr) sugar

4 eggs

4 juicing oranges

1 tblsp honey

Chop almonds. Place almonds, pumpkin in bowl, add in honey, juice of oranges, egg yolks and sifted flour Blend. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites till firm and fold into pumpkin mixture. Place in buttered 12” pie pan. Bake in oven preheated to 375F (180C) degrees for 30 minutes/

If you are interested in  finding  culinary arts classes, look into online schooling

**Join me in Italy on May 3,2012 for an all inclusive 10 day luxury cruise to Italy and the Mediterranean.  Only a few more spots left, call Julie at Rosenbluth Vacations at 1-800-257-8279

One of my favorite dishes is a traditional Gatto….traditionally from Naples.. the dish was a joint creation of French and Italian hence the name Gatto (Pronounced like the French word for cake- Gateau) but spelled in an Italian way..probably in a dialect of the Neapolitan language….. and it is a creamy potato casserole that bakes in the oven and can come out looking a bit like a fluffy cake…but anyway you describe it is absolutely yummy… makes a great substitute for those (boring) mashed potatoes…

As promised for those who joined me at my appearance at the Suburban Home Show and the Philly Food and Wine Show..here is one of the recipes made on the Fiestaware Baking Dish…what a beautiful way to show off this artisan recipe…

Gatto

*2 lbs potatoes baked or boiled, peeled

*1/2 cup milk

*4 tablespoons butter

*3 eggs

*8 ounces provolone cheese

*4 ounces shredded fontina cheese

*4 tablespoons grated Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese

*Handful fresh parsley leaves chopped finely

*!/2 cup plain breadcrumbs

*Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

*Optional pinch of salt

Boil or bake potatoes till cooked, peel and mash while still hot. Add in milk eggs, parmigiana-reggiano, softened butter, black pepper and salt. Blend in food processor till well blended. Add in chopped parsley. Butter baking dish,sprinkle bread crumbs on bottom of dish. Spread thin layer of potato mix on baking dish, cover first with slices of provolone cheese, then shredded fontina. Top with remaining potato mixture, Top with 1 tablespoon grated parmigiana-reggiano cheese. Bake in oven preheated to 425 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with finely chopped parsley on top.

**Join me in Italy on May 3,2012 for an all inclusive luxury cruise to the Mediterranean. I will be hosting on board culinary demos, dinners and vineyard excursions. And best part is everything is included. This is truly the way to see Europe. Your flight from a major city anywhere in the world to Venice and one night in a luxury hotel in Venice is included. With stops in Sorrento, Tuscany, Sicily, Ancona, Monte Carlo, Dubrovnik,Montenegro and Corfu this promises to be a true luxury experience. All food, gratuities, tips,meals excursions transportation to and from Italy are all included with a $400 on board credit..A few places left..reserve your spot and join me..call Julie at Rosenbluth Vacations at 1-880-257-8279

Get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style for 100 recipes from the very regions DaVinci traveled to with poetry from Davinci’s prized notebook and stories on his travels to some of Italy’s most delicious places..

Thanks to all my fans that ‘spent the weekend with me’  (this weekend)and attended my appearances at the Suburban Home Show and the Philly Food and Wine Show.  It is always fun  to meet you and thanks you for sharing  all your stories about your experiences and questions trying the recipes in The Basic Art of Italian Cooking book  series  and questions about the places I visit in the books …. and sharing stories about your family’s origins in Italy and stories about the  towns they come from.

The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style has had a very successful release and is doing very well ..thanks to the support of all of you…thanks for all your love and support!!

As promised, here is another recipe from my onstage cooking appearances and photos of the beautiful items I paired the recipes with. It is just as important to know what foods to pair together as well as the items they are presented in, And I am sure you will agree that the Fiestaware and Wendell August pieces were the perfect pairing. Fiestaware’s  75th anniversary color –Marigold- added the perfect touch to show off the other colors in the ingredients used.

Rotini Pasta alla Spinaci

1 pound rotini pasta (whole wheat )

8 ozs. fresh spinach (washed, chopped)

2 cloves garlic (peeled)

1/4 cup cooking cream or cream

4 ounces steamed crabmeat, shredded

3 ozs. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup dry white wine

Cook pasta in boiling water  10-12 minutes. While pasta is boiling, place olive oil in saute pan, place in whole garlic cloves. Saute just till garlic becomes golden. Add in fresh spinach, saute for 2 minutes, than add in crabmeat. Saute for 3 minutes, add in wine. Saute for 5 minutes or until half of liquid has been absorbed.  remove garlic cloves.Add in  cream. Saute till creamy. remove from heat,keep warm. When past is al dente, drain and place into saute pan and toss pasta to coat with creamy sauce.  Serve hot.

**Join me on in Italy for my Cruise to the Mediterranean and a culinary adventure (May 3, 2012). This luxury cruise will leave from Venice Italy and go to Rome, Tuscany, Sorrento, Amalfi Coast, Sicily, Monte Carlo, Your flight to Venice,  and a night in a luxury hotel in Venice (included) and all your food, excursions, on board alcoholic beverages,flight back and shuttles to and from airport are all included. The suites you wil stay in are luxury suites. No better way to see Europe and I iwll be happy to introduce you to the Mediterranean that I know so well! I will be doing on board dinners and cooking demos and taking you on a visit to a vineyard in Sicily. Only a few spots left..join us call Julie at Rosenbluth Vacations at 1-800-257-8279…see you then

copyright Art of Living, PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati 2011

If home is where the heart is then it’s the details that count, the little things that make you feel comfortable and remind you who you are… a recipe, a sound, a fragrance…some of the things that help make someplace feel like home..

A recipe that makes makes me feel like home at the country home here in the mountains of Abruzzo is a frittata made with fresh cipolotti onions since they are so easy to find at the local open air markets or sometimes one of my neighbors will surprise with a bag of onions from their ‘giardina’ or garden.

I received a surprise visit that came with a small bag of freshly picked onions today..It was an unexpected visit and a special one from a couple that has a small farm in the next town…..just a hop,skip and a jump over a few hills from me….

Fresh Onion Frittata

10 eggs

½ cup parmigiana-reggiana grated

8 ounces ricotta cheese

3 fresh cipolotti onions

½ cup milk

½ cup dry white wine

pinch of salt and pepper

pinch of nutmeg

2 tablespoons of butter

Peel and clean the cipolotti onions, removing the tougher outer layer. Chop the onions and saute in butter (on low heat) with pinch of salt and pepper. Add in wine, be careful not to brown onions. Let alcohol evaporate, add in 2 tablespoons of water and cover, cook this way over medium low heat til onion has become transparent.

Place ricotta, eggs, milk, grated cheese, nutmeg in a bowl and whisk together with a wire whisk. Pour into non stick and /or buttered, round casserole dish. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place in oven for 20 minutes or until firm and brown on top.

Serve with a dry, chilled white wine like Trebbiano D’Abruzzo. As the Italians say the this wine and the frittata “make the perfect marriage…. the hint of sweetness of the frittata and the acidity of the Trebbiano wine”.

**Join me in Italy, on my all inclusive luxury cruise to experience flavors of Italy and the Mediterranean in May 2012. Only a few spaces left, includes airfare, meals, taxes ,transfers, everything. Email :events@marialiberati.com or call Rosenbluth Travel  1-800-257-8279

Besides, my frequent trips to the internet to find out about the latest weather reports in the East Coast of the US, I was preoccupied with making 2 chocolate ricotta cheesecakes for an outdoor ‘spaghettata’. A spaghetta is a sort of a dinner  or party and the menu is made up mainly of different spaghetti dishes.

The event will be held at the villa of an acquaintance..luckily it is in the mountains so I know the air will be cool and fresh. But the dessert will be a ricotta chocolate cheesecake.

I cheated a bit on this one..with temps in the 100’s here everyday… I did not feel like making  a full blown cheesecake and used as a principal ingredient, a  chocolate box cake mix that has pudding added to . It is half homemade and half pre made…well anyway it was surprisingly delicious and not one piece of 2  of these cheesecakes was left over.

Chocolate Ricotta Cheesecake squares

2 lbs ricotta cheese

8 ounces baking chocolate  chopped

rind of one orange

1/4 cup orange juice

1/2 cup sugar

! box chocolate cake mix with pudding

3 eggs

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup water

In bowl, mix ricotta with orange rind and chopped chocolate and sugar. Set aside. Mix cake mix as package directs with rest of ingredients. Blend. Butter and flour a 13 x 9” pan. pour in batter. Spoon ricotta mixture on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until ricotta on top becomes brown. Remove from oven and let cool.Cut into squares

**Join me on a culinary cruise to Italy in May 2012. Besides a visit t oa vineyard in Sicily, I will be doing culinary demos and dinners throughout the cruise to explore tastes of the Mediterranean. And best of all everything is included, it is all inclusive, airfare, meals, tips, excursions, my events, are all included. Only a few spots left, to reserve your spot or for more info email: events@marialiberati.com