Umbria | Maria Liberati.com

Il Gattopardo. a Tomato and Cheese Flan for Sunday Lunch

January 8th 2012 by Maria Liberati

A house is at its’ most beautiful when filled with guests ..today’s Sunday dinner, with a house full of people reminded me of the classic Italian movie Il Gattopardo (The Leopard)..some of the film’s most beautiful scenes take place at the table of this royal Sicilian Family filled with guests and their consorts..meals of many courses were well choreographed with banter as guests supped and interacted together….

But moreover today’s lunch reminded me of one of Don Fabrizio’s( the Prince played by the award winning actor Burt Lancaster) lines in the film

“If we want things to stay as they are ,things will have to change”

Today’s Sunday dinner ..

*eaten at a table of 25 dinner guests but filled with new faces, new family and friends

*new twists on traditional recipes…the Sunday ravioli, made with a melt in your mouth pasta but filled with a creamy pumpkin and amaretti filling not the usual ricotta filling..but the same delicious ravioli (pumpkin ravioli is traditional for the North of Italy not for the South).

*the dinner was eaten not in my grandparent’s house in the South Philadelphia neighborhood…but in a house located 10 minutes from where my grandfather was born… (Tagliacozzo Italy)

*same warm banter and feelings being passed around the table with many of the same courses but different faces…

*an after dinner coffee at a local coffee bar and a passseggiata was enjoyed in the town my grandfather was born in Tagliacozzo…Sunday dinner usually ended with coffee and my grandfather sharing stories, photos and songs about that very town..

My how things stay the same..my how things change..

Here is a recipe for one of today’s second courses

Flan di Pomodoro, Zucchini, e Formaggio (Zucchini, Tomato, Cheese Flan)

from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking:DaVinci Style

1 cup (200 gr) extra virgin olive oil

1 lb (500 gr) tomatoes pureed- fresh or canned

1 lb (½ kilo) zucchini-sliced

2 leeks

1 onion

4 eggs

6 tablespoons (90 gr) cream

1 whole carrot peeled and cleaned

8 ounces Emmenthal cheese-grated

pinch of oregano

pinch of salt and pepper

Place ¼ cup (60 gr) olive oil in sauce pan and saute finely chopped onion till golden. Add in sliced zucchini and saute for 3-5 minutes over low heat. Remove from heat, Place zucchini, onion mixture in food processor with 2 eggs, 3 tablespoons (45 gr) cream, grated Emmenthal cheese, pinch of salt and pepper. Blend to a puree. Set aside.

Place ¼ cup (60 gr) olive oil in saute pan, heat, place in tomatoes, pinch of oregano, salt and pepper, whole carrot (to sweeten sauce). Let cook for 15 minutes over low heat.

Slice leeks into round slices. Place ¼ cup olive oil in saute pan, heat and saute sliced leeks. Saute till golden. Remove from heat. Place leeks in food processor with 2 eggs,remaining cream, pinch of salt and pepper. Blend to a puree.

Oil a loaf pan. Pour in a layer of leek puree. Then on top of that a layer of zucchini puree. Then add in layer of tomato pulp that has been cooked. You can make a zig zag design with the tomato pulp on top. Place loaf pan in another pan that had been half filled with hot water. Bake in oven preheated to 350 F (175C) for 40 to 50 minutes till firm. Remove from oven, serve.

For more recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVInci Style here or the digital version exclusively at Kindle

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Two Cheesecakes and a Spaghettata

August 27th 2011 by Maria Liberati

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

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Travel Squire and Join Me…..

August 21st 2011 by Maria Liberati

TravelSquire.com provides a rich travel experience offering detailed destination information as well as designing the actual journey; the online magazine is filled with original content featuring far-flung locales around the world. The site features columns, videos, an interactive map and much more. Every article transports the reader to places all around the world in an engaging, fun and informative way. The content on TravelSquire.com covers what’s hot and new around the globe. Destination articles are updated every other week and the site as a whole is updated daily. Each week, Travel Squire’s 10,000 newsletter subscribers receive the most current news delivered right to their inbox. These newsletters feature what’s new and happening on Travel Squire.com to ensure that their readers don’t miss a thing. They feature great places to stay- from established to exotic destinations to the latest trendy hotel. They review the world’s most interesting hotels whether a unique, stand alone property or a member of an established chain. Travel Squire is the perfect place to find out about some of the destinations on my upcoming culinary cruise to the Mediterranean

Here’s my suggestions for a great trip to Little Italy in NYC

Join me on a luxury culinary cruise to the Mediterranean. Visit a vineyard in Sicily with me and be part of my culinary demonstrations and dinners on board. And it is all inclusive, even your flight ticket is included from wherever you are leaving from in the world to join us in the departure city of Venice. To join me call Rosenbluth Travel at 1-800-257-8279 or email: events@marialiberati.com and reserve your luxury cabin, reserve your place now before they are sold out!

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Pasta Memories….

May 22nd 2010 by Maria Liberati

Nothing better than fresh pasta…the taste or maybe the memories of (making fresh pasta in Italy..in Umbria..in Le Marche..in Abruzzo) how could I even think about pasta and not think about the memories created around a large table of flour and water and eggs and people..lots of people passionate about the same thing ..food…. fresh pasta to be exact..

In all the cooking programs that I have hosted, throughout Italy…fresh pasta is the most requested course…one of my favorite recipes for a pasta dish and some of my favorite memories in photos of making pasta are here… Create your own pasta memories around a table…ones that you won’t soon forget….what you create will linger in your mind ..the camaraderie, the fun,the taste of an artisan dish of pasta…

These are some pasta memories from a country house in Umbria….

Fresh Pasta with Zucchini & Ricotta

2 ounces ricotta

2 cups white flour

1 ½ cups cold water

pinch of salt and pepper to taste

2 zucchini

10 cherry tomatoes

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons plain tomato sauce

Preparation for pasta:

Place flour on wooden board and shape into a well. Place water and salt in center of well. Blend by hand and work the dough till smooth and well blended. Let rest for 2 hours covered with a clean towel.

Divide pasta ball into 4 portions. Roll out each portion on well floured board. Cut into noodles that are ½ inch thick with the help of a pasta machine or by hand.

Cut each noodle into smaller strips. Sprinkle with flour, let sit.

Preparation for Sauce:

Place olive oil in saute pan with the zucchini that has been cut into quarters. Cook over high heat for 2 minutes. Place in tomatoes that have been cut in quarters with the plain tomato sauce. Let simmer together for 5 minutes. Add in salt as desired. Turn off heat.

Boil water ion pasta pot. Place in fresh pasta, cook for 2 -4 minutes (taste after 3 minutes do not overcook). Drain. Place in saute pan with zucchini, toss, serve with grated dried ricotta

Serve on rustic plates in a bright, sunny house in the country..ohh and don’t forget the wine..a Chianti..from the hills of Tuscany will do or a Montepulciano from the mountains of Abruzzo..

Wednesday,May 26th, 11 AM-Book Expo America-Book Signing /release of second edition of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions. Hope to see you there. If you want more info on this appearance- email: info@marialiberati.com

Hudson Valley Wine Fest-Sept 9-12-Rhinebeck NY. I am very excited this year to be one of the two Celebrity Chefs selected to appear at this event. Along with Celebrity Chef Vincent Tropepe, I will be doing cooking demos all weekend. If you want more info on attending this event or sponsoring one of my on stage cooking appearances –email : info@marialiberati.com

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Abruzzo, Caro Diario.(dear diary..), cucina, cucina povere, entertaining, La Dolce Vita, Le Marche, Pasta, recipes, the Mediterranean diet, Travel & customs, Tuscan, Umbria, Uncategorized, world pasta dayNo Comments

Flavors of Life’s Chapters

June 14th 2009 by Maria Liberati

Life seems to be broken up into chapters that could be described in tastes–sweet, salty, bitter..think of all the experiences in your life that can be described per these tastes..

Now that you have had some food for thought..here are the recipes I promised from some of the cooking programs and book signings in the past few weeks.

Insalata di riso con rucola e pomodori

2 cups of short grain brown rice

8 red, ripe plum tomatoes-chopped with seeds removed

4 ounces arugula chopped

1/4 cup shelled pistachios chopped

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tsps balsamic vinegar

4 ounces parmigiano-reggiano cheese, shaved

Place chopped tomatoes, chopped arugula, olive oil, balsamic vinegar in bowl and let marinate for 30 minutes.

Boil rice till al dente as directed on package. Add to tomato mixture. Add in pistahchios, shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese. Stir serve.

Tuna & Beans Tuscan Style

1 6 oz can albacore or yellow fin tuna packed in water

1 can cannelini beans drained, rinsed or 1/2 cup dry cannelini beans soaked over night, cooked till tender

1 fresh lemon

4 tblsps olive oil-extra virgin, cold pressed

2 slices of red onion finely chopped

Drain tuna and place in bowl, flake with fork and drizzle approx 2 tsps on top and blend in. Add in cannelini beans, chopped onion and remaining olive oil, Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.

Ricotta e Frutta

3/4 cup freshly made ricotta

3 tblsps sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

3 tablespoons dark semi sweet chocoalt e chipps or shaved chocolate

1 lb fresh strawberries hulled ,washed and quartered

8 ozs fresh blueberries washed

Place fruit in bowl, sprinkle 1 tblsp sugar on top, stir gently. Place ricotta in bowl. Place in remaining sugar, cinnamon. Divide fruit into 8 serving dishes, top with a dollop of ricotta cream and 1 tblsp chocolate chips or shaved chocolate and serve .

June 15th Willngboro Library, Willingboro, NJ 7 PM- Cooking on a Budget with The Basic Art of Italian cooking. Join me for a fun book signing and cooking demo. Open to the public. Call library for info or email events@marialiberati.com

Get a copy of the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at www.marialiberati.com

Mangai Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

http://twitter.com/marialiberati

aperitifs, Caro Diario.(dear diary..), cucina, cucina povere, entertaining, La Dolce Vita, recipes, slow food, the Mediterranean diet, Tuscan, UmbriaNo Comments

Flavors of Life's Chapters

June 14th 2009 by Maria Liberati

Life seems to be broken up into chapters that could be described in tastes–sweet, salty, bitter..think of all the experiences in your life that can be described per these tastes..

Now that you have had some food for thought..here are the recipes I promised from some of the cooking programs and book signings in the past few weeks.

Insalata di riso con rucola e pomodori

2 cups of short grain brown rice

8 red, ripe plum tomatoes-chopped with seeds removed

4 ounces arugula chopped

1/4 cup shelled pistachios chopped

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tsps balsamic vinegar

4 ounces parmigiano-reggiano cheese, shaved

Place chopped tomatoes, chopped arugula, olive oil, balsamic vinegar in bowl and let marinate for 30 minutes.

Boil rice till al dente as directed on package. Add to tomato mixture. Add in pistahchios, shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese. Stir serve.

Tuna & Beans Tuscan Style

1 6 oz can albacore or yellow fin tuna packed in water

1 can cannelini beans drained, rinsed or 1/2 cup dry cannelini beans soaked over night, cooked till tender

1 fresh lemon

4 tblsps olive oil-extra virgin, cold pressed

2 slices of red onion finely chopped

Ricotta e Frutta

3/4 cup freshly made ricotta

3 tblsps sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

3 tablespoons dark semi sweet chocoalt e chipps or shaved chocolate

1 lb fresh strawberries hulled ,washed and quartered

8 ozs fresh blueberries washed

Get a copy of the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at www.marialiberati.com

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

http://twitter.com/marialiberati

aperitifs, cucina, cucina povere, entertaining, La Dolce Vita, recipes, slow food, the Mediterranean diet, Tuscan, UmbriaNo Comments

Farfalle..the Stylish Pasta

May 12th 2009 by Maria Liberati

Farfalle pasta (or bow tie pasta) always seemed more stylish and elegant to me than spaghetti or penne. Maybe it’s the fact that they look like a stylish little bow tie or that they are easier to manage with a fork than spaghetti…but whatever the reason they are my favorite pasta..stylish and delicious.

Here is one of my favorite recipes for spring and summer with farfalle and an appetizer and dessert course to go with them. These make 3 courses for a Spring or Summer Picnic and make use of fresh fruits and vegetables..the taste here is fresh..so fresh….

Farfalline all’Ortolana

(Farfalle or Bow Tie Pasta Garden Style)

http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2

http://www.marialiberati.com

1 lb Farfalle Pasta (Bow Tie Pasta)

3 small zucchini

½ lb string beans fresh or frozen

½ lb peas-fresh or frozen

4 ounces fresh pecorino cheese cut into small cubes

1 garlic clove

Fresh basil leaves-torn or chopped

Cook zucchini, string beans, peas in 3 seperate pots with boiling water or steam till just past al dente stage. Remove from heat and drain.

Placeqa pot of water to boil t ocook pasta. Cut zucchini in cubes, string beans in small pieces.

Saute garlic in approx 1 tblsp of extra virgin olive oil. When beginning to turn golden, place in zucchini, string beans and peas and saute. Place in dash of salt and grated black pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Cook pasta as directed. Drain. Place in bowl and place in vegetables, place in fresh basil leaves torn and pecorino cheese cut into small cubes or shaved. Toss. Drizzle olive oil on top, toss and serve.

Tramezzini Sandwiches

12 slices of sliced or whole wheat bread

1 can of albacore or yellow fin tuna packed in water

1/2 red onion finely chopped

2 kirby cucumbers sluced thinly

1 red ripe tomato sliced thinly

8 slices fresh mozzarella or fontina cheese sliced thinly

Olive oil to taste

freshly ground black pepper

Cut crusts off all sides of bread slices. Drain and flake tuna in small bowl, add in 1 tblsps of extra virgin olive oil and chopped red onion, mix with fork, let marinate. On 1 slice of bred spread tuna mixture, top wihta slice of bread and top this slice with 2 cheese slices, some cucumber and tomato slices, drizzle olive oil on top, grate black pepper on top. Tope with anothr bread slice, cut into 4 triangle sandwiches. Wrap wax or parchment paper on bottom and serve. Repeat with remaining ingredients

Fresh Fruit Macedonia

1 whole cantaloupe-peeled and cut into large cubes

1 pound fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and quartered

1/2 pound fresh blackberries washed

5 bananas

5 fresh peaches sliced into 1/2 ” thick slices

2 fresh lemons

1/2 cup sugar

Wash and cut fruit, banans peel and cut into 1 inch slices. Place in large bowl. Squeeze juice of 2 lemons on top. Sprinkle with sugar. Stir and let marinate for at least two hours before serving, garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Upcoming Events….

May 15th-5-8 PM & May 16th-1-4 PM - Book signing and Cooking demo at Bella Italia Retail Store in Bethesda Row, Bethesda, MD for their Style Event. May 15 from 5-8 PM, May 16th from 1-4 PM. Email events@marialiberati.com for more info or go to http://www.bethesdarow.com/

http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2524400/

Tuesday, June 2^nd 7 PM- Book Signing & Cooking on a Budget with The Basic Art of Italian Cooking with Celebrity Chef Maria Liberati. Recipes from her best selling book and The Basic Art of Italian Cooking School in Italy. Samples provided. Kenilworth Library, 548 Kenilworth Blvd., Kenilworth, NJ 908-276-2451

June 4th at Foster’s Gourmet & Housewares, Philadelphia, Pa. The Basic Art of Italian Cooking School with Celebrity Chef Maria Liberati and Preparing a Tuscan Picnic. In conjunction with Temple University Continuing Educ. Fee of $55 includes cooking demo, sampler 4 course meal and lesson. Email events@marialiberati.com or call 215-204-6496

June 6th- Horsham Day in Horsham, Penna.-Book signing and The Basic Art of Italian Cooking School demo with Celebrity Chef Maria Liberati. Deep Meadow Park, Horsham, Pa. 1-3 PM

June 7th-Book signing and on stage appearance-Chicago Tribune Literary Festival- Printer’s Row Chicago. Celebrity Chef-Maria Liberati will be bringing The Basic Art of Italian Cooking School to Chicago along with a book signing. The Basic Art of Italian Cooking was one of the books specially selected to be a part of this annual event. For more info email:events@marialiberati.com

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Abruzzo, Caro Diario.(dear diary..), cucina, cucina povere, entertaining, Features, La Dolce Vita, Newsletter/ezine, recipes, Rome, slow food, Tagliacozzo, the Mediterranean diet, Umbria, Upcoming AppearancesNo Comments

Those Wild Etruscans!

April 23rd 2009 by Maria Liberati

Editor: Christa Gutzler

The Etruscans were wild. Wildly mysterious, wildly artistic, and wildly efficient in their influence over Italian culture, the Etruscan civilization infiltrated the Umbrian region and dominated parts of their fertile lands for many centuries. Etruscan dominion covered the scope of art, politics, language, and religion. Exceptionally skilled, motivated, and powerful, they withstood opposition from the Umbrians and others who fought against them for control over many areas of northern Rome from the 9^th to 1^st century B.C. Known to be a seagoing community, the Etruscans traded exclusively in the Mediterranean. They are thought to have originated from Asia Minor, though modern thought strays to ideas that they actually formed as a consequence of internal struggle within the confines of Italy, leaving doubt as to the true location of their native lands. Regardless of where they came from, it is what they brought with them that still matters today, in the twenty-first century.

Both linguistic and creative contributions are evident by way of excavated tombs and surviving wall paintings and other artistic structures. Loaning words to Latin before AD 100, the Etruscan language was eventually replaced by Latin. Because some of the last Italian kings, before Italy transitioned into the republic system in 510 AD, are believed to have been Etruscan, a rich cabinet of Etruscan literature, legal codifications, and religious doctrine are said to have existed and served as the primary linguistic template. Figures like Claudius (10 BC-AD 54), Tarquin the Proud (AD 500), and Varo were literate in Etruscan language. Today, Etruscan inscriptions appear in their ancient form meant to be read from right to left. Only one Etruscan book survives and is almost entirely unreadable by modern linguists. This fact does not, however, render their linguistic offerings obsolete, as the Romans accessed much of the Etruscan language and influenced many modern languages still spoken today. Their writing mechanics found their way into Latin who later contributed to the romance languages like Italian, Spanish, French, and Romanian evident by their lexical, grammatical, and syntactic similarities.

The Etruscan people embraced artistic expression to reveal themselves to the world. Intricately decorated wall paintings, tombs, sculptures, rings, and other stones showcase their attention to detail and rich cultural influence on areas including but not limited to Umbria and Tuscany. Statues like Portonaccio Temple’s the Apulu demonstrate how expressive and deliberate their artistic processes were. The Etruscan she-wolf, dating back to 500 BC, is said to be the most legendary animal in art’s history. Why was their work so distinguished? The Etruscans did not revel in a few different types of art, but rather, they draped their talent, contributions, and legacy over so many aspects of the art world. The architecture and other concrete displays of art accredited to the Romans in many areas of Italy can be traced back to the Etruscans. They were pioneers in design, composition, materials, perspective, and impact on both ancient and modern Italian aesthetic beauty.

Find out how the Etruscans influenced today’s olive oil

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