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

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 art of living, PrimaMedia,Inc

My favorite way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon is eating al fresco at home, so that I can have a leisurely, meal with a great bottle of wine, crusty bread. This past Sunday ,it was  a lazy, hazy day, and I was outside with  more than one bottle of wine at the Great Grapes Festival in Cockeysville, Maryland on stage cooking a dish from my latest book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition.  it wasn’t a lazy Sunday for me, but it was an enjoyable one.

I enjoyed speaking to everyone and answering questions about ingredients to use with recipes in my books and how to get to some of the out of the way places in Italy that are  mentioned in my books.  You can find a lot of info on those places here on this Blog

Never realized there were so many great wineries in Maryland.  But many states in the US are developing their own winemaking.  And with choices of wines produced locally, I receive many emails  asking me how to organize an informal wine tasting with friends and family. Summertime makes a perfect time to do an outdoor one and add that to your roster of activities for having a ‘staycation’

I am hired to do many formal wine tastings, pairings and dinners and the first thing we always decide on is (the most important guests) the wine that we will be tasting.

*Decide on a theme-wines from a specific state in the US or a region in Italy

*Red or white wines

*Divide wine bottle up into stations-tables that hold 1- 4 bottles of wine. Next to each bottle, have a card that tells name, and something about the wine or print up a list guests can carry around with them to take home.

*Each guest needs one glass for each wine he /she will use per each bottle of wine they will be tasting.

*For white wines,sparkling wines, roses, you will need buckets half filled with ice/cold water to keep wines in. Every so often you will want to remove wines so they do not become too cold.

*Have a spittoon on each table and give someone the task of emptying the spittoon every so often

*Include pitchers of water at each table.

*Have crackers and bread cubes or small pieces of bread at each table to eat with wine.

*If you want to make this into a wine pairing, pair  snack foods at each table with those particular wines-cheeses ,breads, crackers, nuts, etc.

*Lastly remember that it is a wine tasting not wine drinking event. So everyone should be prepared to taste a gulp of each wine, not to drink many glasses of each. The purpose of a wine tasting is to be able to discover new wines to try with upcoming meals.

Since mushrooms seem to be considered the meat of the vegetable kingdom, here is a grilling recipe to pair with a red wine

Grilled Porcini Mushrooms

from the upcoming book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style-2nd edition

8 large porcini mushroom caps
2 cloves of garlic
1 handful fresh parsley
4 tablespoons (60 gr) extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Clean the mushroom caps with a wet paper towel. Do not put under water, but clean delicately with damp paper towel. Chop fresh parsley and garlic. Place mushroom caps,olive oil, chopped parsley, garlic, salt, pepper to taste to marinade in a bowl for 3 minutes. Turn over and marinade for another 3 minutes. Place on hot grill for about 10 minutes-5 minutes for each side. Serve immediately.

See you at:
July 21-24 -Festa Italiana ,Milwaukee Wiconsin-The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm will be on stage doing  cooking demos all weekend

If you are having some type of letdown after Easter, consider celebrating ‘Pasquetta’ or Little Easter as they do in Italy. Always celebrated on Easter Monday and it’s also like celebrating that  Spring is finally here..with picnics mountain hiking or trips to the beach (if weather permits) typical ways to celebrate..a great way to prolong that Spring- Easter feeling.

My favorite memories of Pasquetta past are picnics in the mountains of Abruzzo and the Abruzzo national park..but one particularly interesting Pasquetta was a drive to the Amalfi coast with my significant other..a fearless driver (nonetheless). Night had approached and ,of course we had  overstayed what had been a beautiful, long Spring day. All of a sudden out of nowhere a hail storm began. Driving the curves,or sitting in the passenger side of a car that is driving the curves of the Amalfi coast while a hail storm is raging was not the perfect way to end what was a beautiful day. It was a terrifying end to the day. I tried  to focus  my gaze on some of the sparsely lit up cliffs and scenery that I could see only because of a few lights we passed to take my mind off the winding and turning sharp curves he was driving..that seemed like forever but in reality was some 30 minutes.. Focusing on the  spectacular scenery, even though vaguely visible through the hail, was enough to get me through that ride..it is a beauty that I will never forget….the raging hail through these hazy cliffs..

Needless to say, when we reached the end, of course the hail seemed to begin subsiding, almost magically, and  my thoughts quickly went back to the day we spent…. an unforgettable  picnic and the outdoor coffee bar trips for many a Neapolitan pastry and gelato…. all fear seemed to have subsided.

If you are able to have a Pasquetta today, even if only in your mind..go for it..

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

When it is cold outside, it’s time to enjoy the inner warmth of your home..sitting by the fireplace..or by the light of a beaming candle and rediscover the simple things you have right there..reading that novel you have been wanting to finish, write..if nothing creative comes to mind..keep a daily journal or diary, or sit and enjoy a hot cup of tea..simple but all beautiful things to be savored in the warmth of your own home…oh I guess it is the beautiful  simplicity of a country house here in the mountains of Italy that has taught me the beauty of simplicity..

A piece of cheesecake makes a perfect accompaniment to that hot cup of tea…

Ricotta Amaretto Cheesecake

*4 eggs

* 10 ounces of crushed amaretti cookies

*7 graham crackers crushed

*8 ounces cream cheese

*1 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup whipping cream

*3/4 cup sugar

*1/2 cup unsalted butter

*1 tsp vanilla

Let cream cheese sit a t room temperature for 20 minutes. Crush amaretti and graham crakers. Melt butter in pan. add in crushed cookies to butter. Blend until a smooth paste. Cover 8 inch cake pan with parchment paper. Butter the paper and arrange crumb mixture on botom and sides of pan as crust. Set aside

In a bowl blend cream cheese ,ricotta, sugar and vanilla, until well blended. Separate the eggs. Place egg yolks cream  into cream cheese mixture, blend in by hand with spatula.  In a separate bowl whip egg whites till peaks form,then blend into cheese mixture. When unifrmly blended, place int ocrust and let cook in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 1 hour. remove from oven and let cool for approximately 4 hours. Serve with a glass of Prosecco

For more great recipes, get your copy of the award winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

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

Quote of the Day:
“ We all  exist under the same  sun, no matter where we live”

Did you know that...

When you make your own mayonnaise at home, the lemon and oil do not mix or blend in together, but when you add in egg yolks, because of their lecithin content, they act as a natural emulsifier and emulsify the oil and lemon mixture naturally..no chemicals needed. If you have ever made mayonnaise at home, share your tips and recipes here for home made mayonnaise..

 Lemons pair so well with seafood and this recipe combines both.. I use this dish as an appetizer or sometimes as a main course for a light dinner meal. Either way, it is easy and quick to make and will impress your guests. Serve with a glass of chilled white wine. It was certainly a welcome change today..,a light Holiday Lunch..after a full week of  multi course meals everyone seems without energy for cooking as well as eating..still 4 more days to go of Holiday celebrations here

Limoncini with Creamy Tuna

• 4 lemons
• 12 ounces of tuna packed in olive oil
• 2 hard boiled eggs
• 4 ounces of green olives
• 1 tsp capers
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Cut lemons lengthwise and ‘clean out’ the pulp inside. In the food processor, place drained tuna, pitted green olives, hard boiled eggs, capers. Blend until creamy consistency. Placei n bowl and dilute with olive oil and juice of one lemon. Fill 8 lemon halves with this mixture. Place a bed of salad greens on a plate and place 2 lemon halves on top of greens on each plate, serve.

A day spent looking for’ funghi’ (mushrooms) for a dish of hot polenta on a cold winter day…..a fun day to look for mushrooms because I encountered so many friends and family in town while searching for the perfect mushroom..The 30^th of the year and everyone wishing “tanti auguri” (good wishes) and sharing their plans for a ‘capodanno’ (New Year’s Eve). Most spending a night at home with friends and family..others going to free concert in the Coliseum in the center of Rome..to a night in the discoteca and a grand ‘cenone’ (Dinner) in many different locations. But no one had definite plans yet. After all it is only the 30th and procrastination seems to be ‘de rigeur’ here when it comes to making final decisions.

 But my splendid day was ended with a cup of hot chocolate at a ‘chocolateria’ with friends..discussing plans..my mind was distracted by the thick, so chocolatey taste of this hot chocolate made with 90% cocoa..all chocolate..nothing else..as my mind wandered in and out of consciousness from the splendid taste to the plans..I seemed to lose track of the conversation…how can you concentrate on anything else?

One thing is for sure, tomorrow, December 31^st, Lentil soup will be the first course, 12 grapes will be eaten  and a bottle of Braccheto will pop open at the stroke of Midnight….that seems to be all you can count on in this little town where plans are always made at the last minute…but that’s okay..I like to be surprised!

Here’s a recipe for a quick appetizer for your New Year’s Eve party..I will fill you in on my menu as soon as it is figured out..that may be 10 minutes before the stroke of midnight..

This recipe makes a colorful dish and is an easy one as well. Here is a quick way to make use of leftover bread, or quickly put together a meal with things commonly found in the household pantry. An economical recipe that doesn’t taste economical. This recipe is for 4 people. The peppers can be used as a main course or as a side dish, or served with a salad. Serve with a dry white wine for a special added touch. You can even serve these stuffed peppers as an appetizer. These are great as leftovers too, so don’t hesitate to take these for lunch to work the next day, Place in a covered container and eat cold with a slice of bread or crakers or alone.

 Stuffed Peppers

 (excerpted/copyright 2010 The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2^nd edition)

*2 red peppers

*2 yellow peppers

*1 tsp capers,drained

*10 ounces of day old crusty Italian bread -cut into cubes

*1-16 ounce can tuna packed in olive oil

*1 cup milk

*4 garlic cloves

*salt

Wash and dry the peppers, cut off the tops and leave the stems on, set aside. Place bread cubes and milk in separate bowl,then add in tuna, capers and a pinch of salt. Mix together. Divide the mixture amongst all 4 peppers and stuff each one. Place a whole garlic clove on top of stuffing and then top with top of pepper that was cut off. Place in a baking pan and drizzle olive oil on top of peppers. Bake in oven preheated to to 450 degrees for 30 minutes.

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

Cassola is traditionally a Jewish dessert, but because the main ingredient is fresh ricotta cheese it is also a traditional cheesecake served in Italy. Simple, sweet and delicious as all Italian dishes are, this one only has 5 ingredients and is easy for even the novice cook to whip up. The trick to its’ creamy consistency is using freshly made  ricotta not ricotta that has been made in a processing plant or sitting in the refrigerated aisle of a large supermarket for many days.  Fresh ricotta is creamy, and smooth, and almost nothing like it’s factory made version.

Cassola

*2 pounds freshly made  ricotta cheese

*5 whole eggs

*1 1/3 cups sugar

* grated zest of one fresh lemon

*1/2 fresh vanilla bean, ground

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place riocotta cheese i na food processor and belnd with a steel balde until smooth. In another bowl, place in eggs, sugar, ground vanilla bean, grated lemon zest. Beat until a  smooth and creamy mixture.  Place into ricotta (already in food processor) about 2 tablesponns at a time.

Butter the bottom of 9 1/2 inch springform pan, then ocntinue ot line with parchment paper. Pour in mixture and place into the oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes. When finished the outer edges will be firm but inside will be a bit soft and will not be firm. Turn off oven when done and continue to leave in oven for 15 minutes. Open oven door and let cool for 15 minutes in oven. This dessert can be eaten warm or cool.

For more traditional Italian Holiday recipes get your copy of the Award Winning Book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays &  Special Occasions-2nd edition

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

And the week continues on as one long Festa..today is Santo Stefano ( Saint Stephen).. this day has been a national Holiday here in Italy since 1946. But this is also non-officially known as the ‘day of leftovers’ and a day to relax from all the ’madness’ in the kitchen… besides everyone is usually ‘cooked out’ after Christmas….

And that is just fine with me..there is nothing better than leftover lasagna..and as I looked in the fridge this morning attempting to piece together a coordinated menu from all the leftovers (one never knows what one will find still in fridge with so many overnight guests at home)

Ahh… I am pleasantly surprised to find  3/4 pan of one lasagna .. sardines..fresh tomatoes..fresh arugula..fresh mushrooms..parmigiana-reggiano..locally made Pecorino from Abruzzo and a loaf of bread ( in the bread cupboard) from our local ‘forno’..

Menu:
*Lasagne

*Baked Mushrooms

*sardines

*Pecorino cheese

*Fresh arugula, tomato, salad topped with shaved parmigiana-reggiano cheese and drizzeld with extra virgin olive oil

*An opened, but half full, bottle of Prosecco (perfect to accompany the second course and side dishes)

Unlike my Christmas meals this one will come together quickly.. and I will still be able to get to the Santo Stefano Christmas Mercato (Market) in the piazza for a stroll,,,, but don’t forget the fresh fruit, Panettone and torrone for dessert..and the ever obligatory game of Tombola (Bingo) ..but Panettone always takes a central place on the table nop matter what is going on during these festive days..

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

 Anticipating my Christmas in Italy this year and planning my menu…I am reflecting  (for lack of a better word)on(what will be) a  continuing 24 hour meal, from Christmas Eve to the end of Christmas Day. One feels as though they have just finished one meal and soon  starts another without a pause in between.  Christmas Day dinner ,which is usually eaten around 1 or 2 pm begins with a light soup. Although I know this soup as  Stracciatella- different regions have their own names for this dish as well as their own variations. This is a welcome  dish to start a meal on a cold, blustery day. This year, in many parts of the World, Christmas Day should be  a  snowy one..and   this soup (an Italian comfort food) always a ‘comfort food’ )adds to the warmth of the Holiday season..

Stracciatella Soup

This soup serves 4-6

*4 egg yolks

*¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese

*½ cup homemade breadcrumbs (no spices added)

*pinch of salt

*pinch of nutmeg

*grated zest of one lemon

8 cups chicken broth (can also use vegetable broth for vegetarians). Homemade broth is always best. (Check out The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition- for a recipes for Homemade Broth)

Blend together in a bowl the first 6 ingredients. Work them until they are well blended and a form mixture is formed. Simmer broth in a large pot. When broth is simmering whisk in egg yolk mixture with a wire whisk. Simmer for 4 minutes and serve immediately with freshly grated parmigiana-reggiano cheese and finely chopped parsley on top.

 For  easy and festive Holiday recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition