Holiday Guide
copyright 2011 Art of Living, PrimaMedia, Inc/Maria Liberati
HOLIDAY GUIDE 2011
Where Food Meets Art, Travel and Life!
Holiday Issue
2011
www.marialiberati.com
Content
Quote of the Month
Editorial
Feature Recipe
Menu of the Month
Holiday Gift Giving Guide
Wine and Spirits
Quote of the Month
“Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make every day a holiday and celebrate just living”… Amanda Bradley
From Maria,
It’s that time of year again and this holiday season we at The Basic Art of Italian Cooking are sending a little love your way in a form of a holiday gift giving guide!
Let’s face it, holidays are stressful and usually the leading cause for that stress is figuring out what to give that special someone in your life to make them know that you really care. With that in mind, we compiled a list of gift giving ideas that were chosen from over a hundred products submitted. So, if you’re special someone’s loves the kitchen and can’t live without food, these gift ideas are for you!
Remember, the season isn’t just about getting gifts; it’s about sharing in the love and joy of the holiday with family and friends.
Mark Your Calendar: Coming May 3, 2012 Hope you’ll join me on my 10 day Culinary Cruise to Italy. With stops at a vineyard in Sicily, a Tuscan visit and more! Everything is Included.
Happy Holidays!!
Maria Liberati
From Our Guest Editor
Dear Readers,
Putting together this magazine was a wonderful experience. My team learned about so many products that are great holiday and birthday gifts. We tested cookware, enjoyed delicious sweet treats and mead sure we have an array of cookbooks to prepare our special holiday dinners. We hope you enjoy this issue and look forward to your reading other. The items in our Gift Guide are available without you going out into the hustle and bustle with the last minute holiday shoppers. The interest is a wonderful tool So don’t hesitate order your items are online. The companies have wonderful people waiting to assist with your purchase.
For information on how your product van be included in that upcoming Gift Guides and reach our cooking, gourmet food lovers and travel enthusiast email us at:
We wish everyone a happy, safe and joyous holiday season.
Toodles,
Kym
P.S. You comments are important to us so please submit them at: info @marialiberati.com
Wines& Spirits
Here is our Wine & Spirits pick for the holiday and great for the New Year’s ~ Cheers
For lovers of anything Long Island, enter Bouké, which evokes the salty air, bright sunlight and the scrumptious feel of an afternoon at the beach with their aromatic and stylish wines. With a strong review in the New York Times, “These aesthetically and technically deft blends” … “will please sophisticated palates.” Bouké from Long Island is poised to say, “Move over Napa Valley!”
Wines: 7 blended wines from the North Fork of Long Island, New York
4 dry: Bouké White, Red, Rosé (dry) and Perlant (lightly effervescent)
4 dry: Bouké White, Red, Rosé (dry) and Perlant (lightly effervescent)
3 sweet: Bouquet White Dessert Wine, Red Dessert Wine and Rosé (off-dry)
Pairing with Italian Food:
Bouké Red: anything with tomato sauce, red meat, grilled chicken with rosemary, bruschetta,
Bouké White: anything fried (zucchini, calamari, shrimp), seafood pasta or risotto
Bouquet Red Dessert Wine: biscotti
Bouquet White Dessert Wine: semifreddo
Recipe for the Season
Wild Mushroom Risotto
(For 2 people)
1 cup rice for risotto
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 slice onion – chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons butter
4 teaspoons grated parmigiana reggiano cheese
2 ounces dried wild mushroom
White wine
INSTRUCTIONS:
Place mushrooms in small dish, pour in ½ cup warm water, and soak for 15 minutes. Heat broth till hot. I sauté pan, place in olive oil and chopped onion, place in rice and toast for 30 seconds then pour in white wine. When liquid is absorbed, pour in more ¾ cup broth, stir, and when liquid is absorbed repeat, place in mushroom with their water and stir, then repeat with broth and stirring til all dente. Remove from heat. Top with butter and grated parmigiana reggiano cheese, stir and serve hot.
Menu of the Month
Appetizer:
Fettunta ( Tuscan style Bruschetta)
First Course:
Risotto di Porcini ( wild mushroom risotto)
Second Course:
Spinaci all Fiorentina ( Florentine Spinach)
Dessert:
Tiramisu
All recipes can be found in The Basic Art of Italian Cooking or at www.marialiberati.com
Chef
Kitchen Talk
With Sean Kanan of Young an d Restless
“ Don’t Just Set The Table – Set The Mood. “
Sean Kanan who stars as the evil Deacon Sharpe on “The Young & The Restless” (the same role he originated on “The Bold & The Beautiful”) has written a great book that just came out 2 months ago called THE MODERN GENTLEMAN: COOKING & ENTERTAINING WITH SEAN KANAN (Dunham Books).
The book includes tons of recipes that Sean has collected from his many trips and years in Italy and from family and friends. Sean speaks Italian fluently and did a season of the Italian version of “Dancing With The Stars”. The book also offers tips and suggestions for men on how to impress a woman by cooking and entertaining, including the topics of etiquette, manners, etc. In the beginning Sean intended for this book to be stylish men’s cook book, however after he started writing beyond the basic recipes, he realized that he was filling a gap for men who have long been ignored.
The book includes tons of recipes that Sean has collected from his many trips and years in Italy and from family and friends. Sean speaks Italian fluently and did a season of the Italian version of “Dancing With The Stars”. The book also offers tips and suggestions for men on how to impress a woman by cooking and entertaining, including the topics of etiquette, manners, etc. In the beginning Sean intended for this book to be stylish men’s cook book, however after he started writing beyond the basic recipes, he realized that he was filling a gap for men who have long been ignored.
The culinary influence for Pork Chops Bada Bing draws its inspiration from the far East rather than New Jersey by way of Napoli as the name might suggest.
Pork Chops Bada Bing
Serves 4 – Prep time 25 minutes
¼ cup ketchup * 1 teaspoon chopped garlic * 2 teaspoon soy sauce * 1 teaspoon cinnamon * 1 teaspoon Chinese chili paste * ¼ cup olive oil * 1 shallot * ¼ cup brown sugar * 1 tablespoon orange marmalade * ¼ cup pineapple * 4 boneless pork chops
Combine all ingredients together in a quart size resalable bag. Place in the refrigerator until ready to cook. They can be marinated overnight if desired. Preheat the grill or if you don’t have a grill you can use the broiler in your oven. Remove pork loins from the bag and place on grill/broiler. Cook for about 7 minutes on each side, slice into one to make sure it’s done or use a meat thermometer. Garnish with papaya and paprika.
By the way, Pork Chops Bada Bing tastes even better the second day so if you don’t finish them just throw them in the refrigerator and “fuggetaboutit:. www.SEANKANANTHEMODERNGENTLEMAN.com.
Holiday Gift Guide
This year we at The Basic art of Italian Cooking have been busy reviewing hundreds of Holiday gift ideas and we picked the best for you here. From cookbook, kitchen products , gourmet foods and other in our annual Holiday Gift Guide.
Honey Ridge Farms Balsamic Vinegar
This product is amazing and has become a favorite in The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm test kitchens. It is made entirely from artisan honeys but made in the same artisan process that balsamic vinegar is made. Use it as you would balsamic vinegar, makes a great addition to appetizers for Holiday parties or snacks! Use it on salads, on fresh strawberries, on fresh pears and parmigiana reggiano cheese and many other flavors. Find more info at www.honeyridgefarms.com
Chef Kitchen Boards by Weber’s Cabinets
This has become another favorite as well for it’s quality and durability and we know how hectic things get in The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm test kitchens. These are absolutely beautiful or as the title of one of my favorite British TV shows – Absolutely Fabulous!
Go to www.weberscabinets.com to find one of these beauties, they make a beautiful addition to any kitchen!
Don’t forget to check out our Tuscan Picnic -Tuscan Spices. They are an artisan blend of all the flavors used in Tuscan cooking to make it easy for you to whip up a Tuscan meal in no time. Just add those spices,
extra virgin olive oil to many main ingredients, salads, veggies and you have a taste of Tuscany on the table. They come packaged in rustic Tuscan farmhouse burlap bags and contain no artificial ingredients or fillers, just real spices and a dash of sea salt. Order a bag or two and with every order you also get a mini cookbook with recipes. This is the first product in The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm line of food products.
extra virgin olive oil to many main ingredients, salads, veggies and you have a taste of Tuscany on the table. They come packaged in rustic Tuscan farmhouse burlap bags and contain no artificial ingredients or fillers, just real spices and a dash of sea salt. Order a bag or two and with every order you also get a mini cookbook with recipes. This is the first product in The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm line of food products.Check out our new short books in The Basic Art of Italian Cooking series, the pricing ranges f rom $4.95 to $12.95 and are available in both ebook and print as well as Kindle
All the books are available as print or ebooks and you can even find them on Kindle
***And as a really special gift for that special someone purchase tickets to join me on a luxury cruise of a lifetime to explore Italy and the Mediterranean on May 3, 2012. It is an all inclusive cruise and everything is included form flight to and from Italy,food, tips, luxury cabin, on board services, excursions and more. Call Julie at Rosenbluth Vacations at 1-800-257-8279
