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!

copyright 2009, Maria Liberati

From locally produced zucchini and plumcots to heirloom tomatoes..my trip to Annapolis ,Maryland down to Fairfax Virginia…was a delicious  one. 

Traveling by car (in the US) when possible is a wonderful way to discover not only new places but new local produce wherever you are. Stop at local farm markets or stores that carry local produce. If you can find a hotel room with a kitchenette-even better- you may be able to make a dinner or lunch using your local finds.

A simple lunch -of yogurt and locally produced fruit was a refreshing lunch to enjoy -without having to cook. Local  plumcots were juicy and sweet and made the yogurt ever so luscious…. the perfect way ot make  a container of yogurt into  a meal. Fresh local zucchini cut up and put on top of a pre prepared salad made it into a local summer treat..a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and that was all I needed for a light summer dinner. (sorry no wine… I was driving, so I had to skip the wine)

Thanks to  the Tuscan Picnic and wine pairing event I hosted  at Whole Foods- Fair Lakes, Virginia- I also discovered some new great wines. I asked for the white wine Est!Est Est! for the appetizer  course  I prepared and they didn’t have that but substituted a  Tuscan wine called Vernaccio. It complemented the Tuscan  bean salad so well..

A Barolo Rose was served with the Insalata di Riso con Rucola e Pomodoro (Cold rice salad with arugula and tomatoes). Light and refreshing as well.
But the star of the event was the Casorza served with the dessert course which was a crema di ricotta con frutta (ricotta cream with fruit). I had selected a Braccheto D”Acqui that I know so well from many a special occasions we have celebrated and many dessert and wine pairings I have hosted at  vineyards in Italy.  I was disappointed to hear they did not have that and would need to choose a substitute..but the substitute wine  was definitely a ‘twin’ of Bracchetto and paired so well with the desseet.

Casorza is from Piemonte (the Piedmont region of Italy (like  Bracchetto) and it is bubbly, light, red ,and has  tinge of sweetness but fits just as well with appetizers as desserts. The bubbles  and its’ tinge of sweetness just float along your tongue and produce a yummy combination when paired with a light dessert! A festive wine that makes any occasion..even an afternoon  Tuscan Picnic-a special one..

Thnaks to all 84 of you that came out to share the picnic with us at the Fair Lakes Whole Foods, I so enjoyed sharing the event with you and meeting you all…… and for those of you that tried to register after the class sold out..put your name on the waiting list  (before my next event sells out) I will be back to do another dinner and wine pairing event from my best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking and the new release (released in Sept 2009) The Basic Art of Italian Cooking -Holidays and Special Occasions.

If you that were not able to make it out to the Fair Lakes Whole Foods The Basic Art of Italian Cooking- Tuscan Picnic event, here are the recipes..don’t forget to pair them with the wines suggested and if you are near the Fair Lakes Whole Foods you can get your copy of  The Basic Art of Italian Cooking there.

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene

http://twitter.com/Marialiberati

http://mariaandco.blogspot.com

Maria

Hope to see you at The Basic Art of Italian Cooking events.  Come join us for the book release at :

July 31-August 2-Atlantic City Food & Wine Show-email:events@marialiberati.com

copyright 2009, 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

copyright 2009, 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

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

http://twitter.com/marialiberati

copyright 2009, Maria Liberati

In Italy whatever you do must always be beautiful..the way you eat,  the things you eat and so on. In keeping along those lines.. I had a beautiful experience this week. I had a chance to try an artisan produced balsamic vinegar-not from Modena, Italy but from the US.

A balsamic vinegar produced from wines made on a biodynamic farm…produced in a true artisan fashion. You can read more about their wines and their balsamic at www.coopermountainwine.com

My Memorial Day was spent mostly in The Basic Art of Italian  Cooking Kitchen… working on and trying out some recipes ..not just any recipe for ‘not just any’ balsamic vinegar. But needless to say it can be enjoyed simply drizzled sparingly on pistachios, strawberries, avocados , parmigiano -reggiano cheese, pears, pecorino cheese and more.

I am always amazed at how most think that balsamic vinegar is only for salads..it is such a versatile liquid that can add a unique flavor to many foods, but artisan foods to matcvh the artisan quality of this finely produced gem.

To start off in the spirit of celebrating the unofficial start of summer..how about a strawberry aperitif?

Fragole con Balsamico

(strawberries with balsamic)

*8 fresh medium strawberries

*3 tblsps sugar

*2 measures of vodka

*2 tsps Balsamic  Vinegar

*fresh mint leaves

*sparkling soda to taste

Chop strawberries or place in food processor to chop(do not liquefy), place in large pitcher, add in sugar and balsamic vinegar.  Add in vodka, soem ice and shake. Pour in two glasses or 4 (depending on serving size you want)< add in some sparkling soda and garnish with mint leaves.

For a main course :

Fusilli Pasta & Balsamic Sauce

*1 lb of fusili pasta

*2 lbs of fresh ripe tomatoes

*handful of fresh parsley

*1 small onion, finely chopped

*1 tsp fresh thyme

*2 tblsps extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil

*2 tsps of Balsamic Vinegar

Chop tomatoes into small cubes, chop finely parsley, and thyme. Place olive oil in saute pan with chopped onion, saute. Place in chopped tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper stir  frequently and cover, stir every few minutes, place over low heat. Let simmer down for approx 30 minutes.

Boil pasta. Place drained pasta in sauce and saute for a minute. Serve in heated plates.

You can top with grated parmigina reggiano cheese.

Hope to see you all 

* June 2 at  7 PM at the Kenilworth Library in Kenilworth,NJ for a cooking wiht The Basic Art of Italian Cooking program and booksigning

June 4th- a Tuscan dinner cooking program at Foster’s Gourmet Housewares in Philadelphia, Pa.

June 6th-Horsham Days in Deep Meadow Park

June 7th-Chicago Literary Fest, Chicago, Illinois

July 18th- Whole Foods Market in Falls Church Virginia

More dates to come

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria