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

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

A perfect Christmas  concert at Santa Prassede in the center of Rome, was an unexpected surprise as I arrived on Sunday. I have heard about this church before but it has always been closed..what a hidden gem.

Outside it is plain and doesn’t beckon to come inside, but once inside you are splendidly surprised with so many frescoes and mosaic tiles and balconies in marble. Your mouth will drop in awe as your head spins around savoring every beautiful bit of color…

The Christmas concert just happened to be an extra something..with the International Choir of Rome and pieces from Mozart and Bach….

But of course my favorite part was getting home to enjoy a pre –Holiday dinner with friends and a dish of pasta with lobster, it has become a favorite for dinner and is excerpted here from my Award Winning book The Basic Art of  Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

Pasta Shells with Lobster and Spinach

First Course

Serves 4.

• 8 ounces cooked lobster meat
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces dried mushrooms
• 1 finely chopped onion
• 1 pound washed and chopped fresh spinach
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• ¼ Cup cream
• 1 pound pasta shells
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

  Cut lobster meat into small chunks. In a bowl, blend lemon juice with 4 tablespoons olive oil. Let stand for 15 minutes. Place dried mushrooms in 1 cup warm water and let sit for 15 minutes.

  Place 1 tablespoon olive oil in sauté pan with chopped onion and spinach. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add in mushrooms, lobster meat, pinch of salt and pepper, and cream. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

  Cook pasta until al dente, then drain. Place pasta in sauce and toss.

  Serve on individual plates. Drizzle with olive oil/lemon sauce and sprinkle fresh parsley on top. Serve with a dry white wine or even a sparklling Prosecco.

For more recipes get your copy of the Gourmand World Award Winning Cookbook The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special  Occasions-2nd edition you can still get a copy rushed for a Christmas gift or get a Kindle or ebook version

May 2012-Join me in Italy for a luxury cruise across Italy and parts of the Mediterranean. it is an all inclusive cruise… so even your flight and luxury suite, food ,tips, excursions are all included..makes a great Christmas gift also!

March 24-25, 2012- see you at Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville, Virginia. The latest release The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style was just selected to be part of this amazing festival celebrating the written word. If you are in or near Charlottesville, Virgina, stop by! For more info and/or to be included as one of the sponsors of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm email: events@marialiberati.com

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

At WTMJ Studios Milwaukee Wisconsin

At WTMJ TV Studios, Milwaukee with Marie Lieber, in  charge of Cucina Showcase and my right hand assistant while at Festa, she  was responsible for making all (including mine) Cucina events a success!

If you thought I was AWOL….since many of you have been wondering why you have not received a new blog post for a week you are absolutely right!!  I was invited  to be one of the guest Celebrity Chefs along with Nick Stellino and Buddy Vilastro at Festa Italiana in Milwaukee Wisconsin..most of you probably  don’t know  that Festa Italiana in Milwaukee Wisconsin is the biggest Italian Festival in the USA ..and ohhh what a Festa it is!!  From the beautiful setting along Lake Michigan to the great music and the food and the spectacular old style fireworks..it is just one unforgettable event..and I  was so honored to be a part of it!

And did I mention that most of the people helping out behind the scenes to make Festa run smoothly are all volunteers! they work many hours before the event  and then when the actual event happens they work non stop for the 4 days of the event to make sure the event runs smoothly…the secret ingredient to the success and the excitement of the Festa is not the food or the events but the volunteers behind the scenes who run this Festa with true passion..like the best Italian things! The yare passionate about their Festa and well they should be!

And they also have a passion for showing off their beautiful city..from Lake Michigan to the beaches and the Marina and the Milwaukee Arts Center….not to mention the spectacular restaurants!!  So many came to my book signing after to say HI! from all over the US> If you have any photos of Festa email so we can put them up on my facebook event page.  Email  to: events@marialiberati.com

Both Milwaukee and its’ Festa Italiana are truly 2  little known gems. For all of you that saw my  TV appearance there (promoting Festa)  on the morning TV  show on WTMJ  (the Milwaukee NBC affiliate) and asked for the recipe here it is. Here’s a clip from the TV appearance

http://www.todaystmj4.com/multimedia/videos/?bctid=1073291883001

Here  is a link to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Celebrity Chat article:

http://www.jsonline.com/features/food/125779703.html

Farfalle Pasta with Ricotta

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

(from the Gourmand World Cookbook Award Winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions

1 pound farfalle pasta

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 small finely chopped onion

½ cup dry white wine

8 ounces fresh spinach chopped

½ cup ricotta

2 tblsps cream

pinch salt and pepper

1 tblsp chopped parsley

2 fresh basil leaves

1 tsp dried oregano

pinch nutmeg

3 tsps coarse salt

4 tablespoons Parmigiana-Reggiano

Place olive oil in saute pan and heat. Place in chopped onion, saute onion till just golden. Add in white wine and let liquid evaporate for 1 minute. Add in spinach and ricotta, mash ricotta with fork. Add in cream, salt and pepper to taste. Let cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Boil water for pasta, boil, add in salt. Cook pasta till al dente. Drain. Add into cream sauce, remove from heat and add in basil, parsley, oregano, nutmeg. Toss gently and serve topped tih freshly grated parmigiana reggiano cheese.

In honor of Independence Day, a recipe that may have been influenced by Thomas Jefferson’s love for many Italian things- he was the  first to bring  over the maccheroni machine and parmigiano -reggiano cheese from Italy from his European travels .One of the first to plant tomatoes at his gardens in Monticello. So here  is  a recipe our Founding Father would have loved. It’s summer, so I didn’t think that you would want to labor over making maccheroni by hand, so this recipe calls for store bought spaghetti- but be sure to get 100% durum wheat pasta. makes  a great eating ‘al fresco’ pasta dish. This is from my upcoming book The Basic Art of Pasta:

Spaghetti Primavera

1  lb spaghetti

4 red, ripe tomatoes

1 handful freshly chopped basil

1 handful freshly chopped parsley

2 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons freshly grated parmigiana -reggiano cheese

Cook pasta till al dente. While pasta is cooking, prepare the  sauce.  Chop tomatoes , basil, garlic, parsley. Drain pasta and place in serving dish. Place tomato mixture on top. Place olive oil in saute pan to heat or just until oil begins to bubble. Remove from heat. Pour over pasta and cover bowl for 1 minute. Toss and serve with freshly grated parmigiana reggiano cheese.

Happy 4th of July!

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

Today in my kitchen I opened up  the largest can of tomatoes (5 lbs 10 ounces)  I have ever opened. It was also the sweetest can of tomatoes I ever opened… not because they were  San Marzano tomatoes..but because they were one of the last ingredients found in my aunt’s kitchen the day she passed away, almost a year ago.

The can weighed just as heavy on my kitchen shelf as her loss weighed on my heart. It almost seemed that as long as the can was there ,she was here , at least in spirit. But today I was finally able to bring myself to open this 5 lb can of tomatoes and  making 10 small containers of sauce.

As the can opener whirled around this gigantic lid, I found myself staring inside almost thinking that something else would be inside. Her life ,her face, quickly glimmered in my mind. But all that appeared inside the can  were these beautiful fragrant, red ripe tomatoes. She would have approved these for a tomato sauce.The aroma was haunting. True to her last words, “Please don’t ever forget me”. This sauce will produce even more reasons to reminisce about her ..now I have this empty can that I absolutely can not trash.Who knows maybe I will put a tomato plant inside…

Spaghetti with Red Clam Sauce

1 lb baby clams

4 tblsps olive oil

2 cloves minced garlic

2 tblsps finely chopped parsley

1 14 oz can peeled tomatoes

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 lb spaghetti

Steam clams for 2 minutes. Discard clams that remian closed.  Set liquid aside. Remove clams from shells, leavea few intact for plate  garnish.  Place oilive oil in saucepan with garlic. Saute till garlic begins to turn golden.  Add in chopped parsley, liquid from clams. Suate until liquid has evaporated. Add in clams, tomatoes. Simmer for 20-25 minutes. Cook pasta in boiling salted water till al dente. Drain. Place in sauce ,toss and serve.  Garnish with parsley, and whole clams.

For more recipes get your copy of the Gourmand World Cookbook Award Winning Book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions.

Events:
June 11-12, Great Grapes wine tasting, food festival, Cockeysville, MD. The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati t mtakes center stage wit hcooking demos and book signings. Email: events@marialiberati.com for more info or sponsorship info

July 13- Harleysville, PA,  Girls Night Out in Tuscany-Cooking class/demo. Join The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm for a cooking class/demo and sample  a 4 course Tuscan picnic meal from the Gouramnd Award Winning book The Basic Art of  Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions. registration is limited. For more info, contact Sue Thomson at 215-436-9524 or events@marialiberati.com To be held at Agehman Remodelers Kitchen Showroom, 355 Main St,  Harleysville, Pa

July 21-24, Festa Italiana, Milwaukee Wisconsin, the largest Italian festival in the USA . This year Maria Liberati will be the Celebrity Chef along with PBS Chef Nick Stelllino. Maria will be taking center stage wit hcooking demos and book signings thorughotu the event. For more info or sponsorship opportunities contact: Sue Thomson at events@marialiberati.com

July 29-31 Gourmet Food & wine Show, Bally’s Casino, Atlantic City, NJ.  The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm takes center stage with cooking demos, book signings thorughout the event. For more info and sponsorship opportunities contact Sue Thomson at events@marialiberati.com

The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm produces culinary events, for your company, organization, Corporate training events with a culinary theme, fundraisers, meet and greets wtih Celebrity Chef Maria Liberati and book signings of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking, wine pairing events/classes. Let us design your nextspecial event with a culinary theme, anywhere in the world. For a free proposal email: events@marialiberati.com

copyright 2011 art of living,PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati

Editor: Caroline Walsh

Lavender, my favorite summer ingredient, has quite a literary and culinary past (and present)

Hot lavender, mints, savory, marjoram;
The marigold, that goes to bed wi’ th’ sun,
And with him rises weeping; these are flow’rs
Of middle summer, and I think they are given
To men of middle age.

Shakespeare from a Winter’s Tale

With summer around the corner, thoughts of what to plant on our gardens abound… With peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, and everything else you could be planting, this season I would suggest you throw in some lavender! It is the new (or albeit old)  and upcoming flavor to add to an array of foods. My favorite recipe is a refreshing cold pasta dish. It’s made with fusilli pasta, fresh peppers, olives and fresh lavender, flowers. A summertime refreshing pasta dish with the fragrance of lavender and a spritz of lemon juice. Here’s the recipe for what is sure to be one of your favorite dishes of the summer.

Lavender & Fusilli Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 red pepper
• 2 tablespoons (30 gr) chopped olives
• 4 lavender flowers
• 1 lb (500 gr) fusilli pasta
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of ½ fresh lemon
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

• Cut and clean peppers removing seed. Place on cookie sheet under broiler for 10 minutes or until skin begins to burn. Remove. Let cool in a paper bag. Remove skin.Chop peppers. Place peppers in large bowl and add in chopped olives. Gently break apart lavender flowers and add to olive mixture. Add in olive oil and squeeze in ½ lemon and blend Set aside. Boil pasta till al dente. Place into olive oil condiment, toss and serve al fresco! Add salt and pepper to taste
• For more great recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards
• June 11-12-See you at the Great Grapes Festival in Cockeysville, Maryland for wine tastings, and other events and  The Basic Art of Italian Cooking demos and a book signing on stage during the 2 day event, For more info email: info@marialiberati.com

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 2010 Maria Liberati/ art of living,PrimaMedia,Inc.

As temperatures hover over 100 in most of the USA a cold dish of pasta is a perfect way to have A cool evening meal..or take it to work for a healthy lunch. A cold pasta dish is not just about throwing cold pasta together with anything you find in the fridge.

There are some chef secrets to the art of cold pasta dishes and here they are, making cold pasta dishes is a simple, basic art….easy to do but you must follow specific rules to have the perfect summer dish…and experience the most flavor.

*As with all pasta dishes –hot or cold-always use pasta made of 100% durum semolina wheat cooked to ‘al dente’

*Use one principal ingredient-a meat, or cheese, or tuna or other seafood, then 1 or 2 other secondary ingredients-vegetables make good choices..i.e. tomatoes, peppers,  eggplant, peas, zucchini, or even olives. For optimum taste choose veggies that you can find grown locally and in season.

There are so many combinations for any palate and you can mix and match using those rules..Farfalle Primavera, cold pasta with vegetables, fusilli pasta with eggplant and fontina cheese, penne pasta with mackerel, celery and olives and the list continues. But keep it simple, pasta plus 2-3 other ingredients. Of course don’t forget to drizzle with extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil, and a pinch of salt.

*My last secret…once pasta is cooked to ‘al dente’ no need to add ingredients in immediately. best to add in ingredients a half hour before serving. Did you know that after an hour of being cut-tomatoes lose most of their original flavor..so best not to keep your tomatoes or pasta dish waiting around..

Make your cold pasta dish an eating experience!

For more tips and recipes get a copy of the book selected as the Best Italian Cusine Book in  the USA-The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition.http://www.marialiberati.com/products-page

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Sept 9-12-Hudson Valley Wine Fest, Rhinebeck, NY at Dutchess County Fairgrounds-Maria Liberati will be bringing The Basic Art of Italian Cooking to center stage with cooking demos from the award winning new book release and a book signing. For more info or to sponsor this appearance email: info@marialiberati.com

Oct 29-31-Philadelphia Food & Wine Festival at Valley Forge Convention Center. Maria Liberati will be bringing The Basic Art of Italian Cooking to center stage at this Gourmet Food and Wine event. For info or to sponsor this appearance email: info@marialiberati.com

Maria

www.marialiberati.com

where food meets art, travel and life!