(Photo credits  http://benvenutiinitalia.it)

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

Happy Holidays and a thanks to all of our 100,000 subscribers. The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm wishes you  a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Healthy & Delicious New Year! Thank you for helping us grow to over 100,000 worldwide subscribers and a worldwide classic!

I  want to personally thank those that have come out to book signings and special events and appearances. Thanks also for  sharing your stories and experiences with using recipes  from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking book series as well as visitng some of the lesser known captivating little towns here in Italy as mentioned in the book.

As a special gift from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm from our kitchen to yours a FREE Mini version of the award winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition.

For your Free Mini Holiday Book, click the title below:

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

Maria

xox

Hope to see you on my all inclusive luxury Mediterranean cruise in May 2012!

I never realized how welcoming a hot plate of pasta could be on a cold, blustery day….nothing fancy now I am not talking about some of the lobster and pasta dishes but a simple pasta and a tomato sugo (sauce) and a sprinkle of freshly shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese..a glass of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and there you have it ..my best defense to venture out on a cold, snowy  day in the mountains of Abruzzo

But if you want more  Holiday  cheer, here is another recipe from the Gourmand World Award Winning Cookbook The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions- 2nd edtion..I think this dish will also be making it’s way onto our table for Vigilia dinner (Christmas Eve dinner) or as many have come to call this The Feast of the Seven Fishes..it makes a great first course or one of the many courses..

Tagliolini Pasta with Mussels

excerpted from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Award. You can find it here, but it is now available from kindle in many different countries

First Course

Tagliolini is an egg noodle pasta that is a traditional pasta served in the Emilia-Romagna region but is now sold all over the world.

Serves 4.

• 1 lb Tagliolini pasta (Egg Noodle Pasta)
• 1 lb zucchini
• 1 ½ pounds fresh mussels
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• 1 scallion
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 handful fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley leaves
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

  Chop onion and scallion. Place 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan. Saute on medium low heat for 5 minutes, do nor brown. Wash and slice zucchini into small sticks. In another saucepan,place in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, warm for 1 minute and place in zucchini, saute for 5 minutes,season with salt and pepper to taste. In another sauce pan place in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, place in washed mussels and chopped parsley. Cover and when mussels have opened their shells, remove from heat. Set aside. Remove mussels from pan and shell. Filter the water from cooking mussels and set aside. Place shelled mussels, cooking water, sautéed zucchini, in saute pan with onion. Saute together for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Place in chopped basil and remaining olive oil. Cover and set aside. Cook noodles. Drain. Place into saute pan with mussels, place over moderate low heat for one minute, toss gently.

  Serve.

.**Need Last minute ideas for Holiday Gifts,find them here

**March 24-45, Charlottesville, Va, Virginia Festival of the book appearance with my ,latest book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVince Style that was selected to be a part of the event! see you there or for more info and opportunities on sponsoring the appearance or The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm there email us at : events@marialiberati.com

**May 3 ,2012-join me on a luxury once in a lifetime,all inclusive  cruise to Italy

copyright 2010 art of living,PrimaMedia,Inc.

Here it is..just in time  for the 12 Days of Christmas..our 2010 Annual Holiday Guide…filled with extra special ‘foodie’products ‘discovered’ by our  team of Editors (and me too!) while scouting for gifts. The Madame Alexander doll can be found at www.madamealexander.com

 We are hard at work already for the Spring Holiday Gift Guide, so if you have any gift or product suggestions email to us at editor@marialiberati.com If your product suggestion is selected you will receive a free ebook version of ‘ How to Make the Perfect Pizza’

and it’s not too early to plan your Feast of the Seven Fishes (for Christmas Eve)dinner..

Let us know what will be on your menu ..and tell us where you will be spending your Christams Eve or Holiday dinner,send jpegs as well..we will be selecting Holiday photos   to place on the blog. I’ll be spending my Christmas Eve in the mountains of Abruzzo and polsting photos and recipes as well!

Here’s a recipe from my Feast of the Seven Fishes menu…

Cod (Merluzzo) in AcquaPazza (Crazy Water) (for 2 people)

*Codfish  (fresh or fresh frozen) 1/2 pound divided into 2-3 pieces

*4 (fresh, red, ripe) medium size plum tomatoes or canned San Marzano  tomatoes (3 or 4 without the tomato juice) 

*2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

*2 garlic cloves

*1/2 t o3/4 cup dry white wine (or water) ‘

*3 tablespoons fresh chopped or torn parsley pinch of red hot

pepperoncino (red pepper )-optional

*2 thick slices of crusty bread-place under broiler till golden

Place in saute pan- olive oil, garlic saute for 1 minute, then tomatoes > fish, parsley and wine. Then cook 10-15 minutes or until fish is cooked.  Serve cod on top of bread slices and pour sauce on top. Garnish with  fresh parsley on side.

Don’t forget to enjoy  this year’s Annual Holiday Guide

Get more recipes for your Feast of the Seven Fishes Dinner  in the Award Winning Holiday Book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

My favorite thing in the kitchen has become my On Top of Spaghetti Doll (part of the Madame Alexander collection). If I need any ‘pasta inspiration’ she seems to give it to me.  Perched on a special shelf, she looks down at me and my work table as I create my pasta dishes.  ’She’ was selected  for  our Best of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking 2010  Annual Holiday Guide to be released soon…we couldn’t resist her..I think you’ll agree.. a skirt made of pasta, a chef’s hat and a dish full of  spaghetti…

ON TOP OF SPAGHETTI

She inspired this Spaghetti recipe..

This is from my Award Winning Book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special   Occasions-2nd edition and is perfect for a Feast of The Seven Fishes Christmas Eve Dinner.

Spaghetti ai Calamari

(Spaghetti with Calamari)

1 lb of spaghetti

1 lb of fresh octopus or squid- cleaned and soaked

4 tblsps extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

1 hot red dry pepper

1 cup of dry white wine

1 tblsp of tarragon

Salt and pepper to taste

Finely chop garlic and place in large frying pan with olive oil. Place over low heat. When oil just begins to bubble place in fresh squid or octopus, and tarragon (finely chopped). Place in ¾ cup wine, pinch of salt and pepper and cook all for about 10-15 minutes on high. Place spaghetti in boiling water, cook till al dente. Drain and toss in squid and sauce. Serve with fresh parsley.

copyright 2009, art of living,PrimaMedia,Inc and Maria Liberati

Hope you enjoy our continuing posting of  yummy Holiday recipes. Share your favorite Holiday recipe with us here or email to us at editor@marialiberati.com

 Here is the perfect main course for one of your Holiday meals, thanks to Fred Cohen of J & A Culinary Arts School in Philadelphia, the recipes use   Sempre Sapori-Tuscan Picnic  Spice Blend,all natural spices with Tuscan flavors, that  I developed in Tuscany, you can still get them for the Holidays here    and enjoy our Holiday Gift Guide, products that were selected by our staff for their exceptional artisan quality and for the experience  they provide consumers. Find a special coupon offer for the open sky store on the last page!

Holiday Gift Guide 2009

Tuscan Roasted Chicken with Savory Herb Bread Pudding and Buttered Cauliflower

*Bread Pudding*:
Serves 6:
One large crusty loaf bread (crust removed)
1 t Sage leaves chiffonade
1 T chopped parsley
2 t chopped chive
1 egg yolk
3 oz chicken stock
1 oz heavy cream
1-2 oz milk
2 t Tuscan spice mix

*Tuscan Spiced Chicken*:
2 Cornish Hens, halved, serves  2 – 4:
2 oz butter
1 T Tuscan Spice Blend

*Procedure*:
-Remove the crust from the bread and cut into small dice. Place into a deep
dish container. Combine remaining ingredients to form a creamy batter. If
batter seems too thick, thin it down with a little bit of water, stock, or
milk to reach a creamy but not heavy consistency. Place mixture over the
bread and mix well. Allow to soak for 1 – 2 hours.
-In the mean time, pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
-Create a compound butter by mixing the spice mixture into raw butter. Smear
the mixture over and under the skin of the Cornish hens.
-Place the chicken onto a rack in a roasting pan and roast for 35 – 40
minutes.
-Pack the bread pudding into ramekins that have been lightly sprayed and
bake for 20 – 30 minutes, depending on how brown you want it to be.
-To plate, take the bread pudding out of the ramekin and center it in the
middle of the plate. Lay the chicken on the side and on the opposite side,
lay some buttered cauliflower. Drizzle some parsley oil (or any oil of your
choosing) onto the side of the plate.

UPCOMING EVENTS

See you on Saturday December 12th in Somerset NJ at the Franklin Township library at 2 PM.. Cooking demo and book signing will feature my latest relaese The Basic Art of  Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions- winner of The Best Italian Cuisine Book of 2009 from Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

http://twitter.com/Marialiberati

copyright 2009, art of living,PrimaMedia, Inc.

The Holiday Season is in full blast , especially  now that much of the US got their first dose of  Holiday snow this weekend. Here is a perfect recipe for a Holiday appetizer or light course for a brunch or light dinner. Special thanks goes to Fred Cohen a culinary student at J & A Culinary Arts school in Philadelphia for coming up with this Holiday recipe using Tuscan Picnic Spice Blend

The 2009 Holiday Gift Guide has 27 pages full of our Best of 2009 Products selected for their artisan quality and the experience they provide for the consumer. See it here:

Holiday Gift Guide 2009

http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1jim0/HolidayGiftGuide2009/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=

*Roasted Fig Salad with Crispy Prosciutto and Parmigiana cheese (served with
a Tuscan spiced crouton and reduced balsamic dressing)**Dressing*:* *
Serves 6:
1/2 c balsamic vinegar reduced by half to make 1/4 cup of  balsamic syrup
2 t chopped parsley
3 T extra-virgin olive oil (check out our selections of  olive oil in the Holiday Gift Guide)
1/2 – 1 t dijon mustard
Salt  & Pepper  to  taste

*Figs*:
Black figs sliced in half lengthwise
Coarse Sea Salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
A sprinkle of sugar

*Other:
Salad Greens
Crusty Loaf Bread
Shaved parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 tsps Tuscan Picnic Spice Blend 

Proscuitto slices cut into  julienne strips

*Directions*:
-Combine the reduced balsamic  syrup with the chopped parsley, olive oil, and dijon
mustard. Whisk until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper and hold to the
side.
-Slice thin slices of crusty loaf bread and brush with olive oil. Season
with the Tuscan Picnic  spice blend and toast in the oven (or grill/broil if
desired) until toasted. For dryer croutons hold them in the oven (heat off)
until they cool.
-Lay the figs in a roasting pan and sprinkle with olive oil and the coarse
salt. Roast in the oven at 375 degrees until cooked. If desired, sprinkle a
little bit of sugar onto the figs three – five minutes before the figs are
done.
-Lay the prosciutto slices on a sheet pan and crisp in the oven, roughly 1 -
2 minutes.
-Gather the shaved cheese and assemble the salad. Lay the crouton on the
plate, topped with the salad tossed in the dressing. Lay the roasted figs on
the side and top the greens with the prosciutto and then the shaved cheese.
For garnish, paint some of the remaining balsamic syrup with a spoon on the
side of the plate.

Form more recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking:Holidays & Special Occasions- winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards as Best Italian Cuisine Book in America in 2009. Thanks for all those that voted for the book and have purchased copies of the book and have been ‘spreading the word’.

Hope to see you on December 12th at the Franklin Township Library at 12 noon for a Holiday book signing and cooking demo!