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

Excitement is in the air here in anticipation of August the 15th…the beach resembles a large restaurant in the open with long tables set up everywhere and families and friends enjoying meals of large pizzas,fresh slices of watermelon and bottles of wine and Brachetto (A sparkling red wine) overflowing…the beach has become a piazza by the sea where people now linger from morning till sunset with food, friends, family..while the sounds of the sea keep the atmosphere relaxed..

I am keeping it cool and fresh…and in the morning..before getting to the beach, finding my local produce and creating recipes to use and share on the beach.. to use the fresh, local produce ..while it is still fresh and local..

Baked Fruit Kebabs with Gelato

4 tablespoons brown sugar

dash of freshly ground black pepper

small handful of fresh mint

4 apricots

4 fresh peaches

4 fresh strawberries

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut pineapple in uneven rectangular shapes.  Peel peach and remove pit. Cut peach into quarters. Remove pit from apricots and cut in half, Hull strawberries, cut in half. Alternate fruit slices on four fruit sticks. After arranging fruit on them, place sticks on a cookie sheet lined with baking paper.

In a bowl place brown sugar and, finely chopped mint leaves and a dash of black pepper. Mix with wooden spoon.  Sprinkle on fruit sticks and place in preheated oven for approximately 7 minutes.. Remove from oven, place each fruit stick on a single plate accompanied by a scoop of gelato and a fresh mint leaf for decoration

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

The excitement of summer is almost gone for most of us..with about a month to go..but here in Italy the excitement of summer has been re-ignited with the anticipation of the summer’s biggest crescendo.. August the 15th. A holiday that dates back to the Ancient Romans.

August the 15th reminds us that summer is almost gone and this is her last hurrah!! to celebrate the brilliance of the sun..the food.the sea, the beach ,the carefree relaxed feeling..

Today starts the anticipation with just a week to go..the beach has become one big block party..children running all over..people congregating in small groups everywhere on the beaach, taking a passeggiata from one beach to the next while taking in the fresh sea air and meeting friends along the way… talking, laughing,sharing recipes, making plans for the 15th..smiles abound everywhere..it is as almost as if Christmas is coming in the  Summer..well of course watermelon has replaced panettone (at least for this for season).

One of our favorite dishes to bring to the beach is Eggplant Parmigiano. It travels well, we can leave it in the glass dish it is baked in, slice it before taking it to the beach. Bring some paper plates, napkins, plastic forks, one spatula. And no need to worry about refrigerating leftovers..there are never any leftovers.. Slice up a watermelon for dessert, a bottle of mineral water and you have a great meal

Eggplant Parmigiano

2 lbs fresh eggplant-cleaned, sliced

1 lb scamorza cheese

1 lb red ripe plum tomatoes

3 leaves fresh basil

2 cloves garlic

1 fresh carrot, cleaned,peeled, cut in two

1/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese

1 slice fresh onion

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Filet fresh tomatoes. In saute pan, place 3 tblsps olive oil,  whole garlic cloves, slice fresh onion. Saute for 2 minutes, place in tomato pieces, carrot pieces let simmer for 20 minutes.

In glass baking dish, layer, eggplant slices with tomato sauce, sliced scamorza cheese, sprinkle of parmigiano cheese. Top with scamorza cheese and grated parmigiana reggiano cheese and a sprinkle of breadcrumbs,. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven, when cool, slice, and it is ready to go-wherever your lunch will be.

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

A dinner of freshly prepared seafood and linguine is always on the menu when I am at  the beach and this weekend was no exception.  Eating grilled fish and pasta alla vongole  outside overlooking the beach adds so much to the meal…

Our meal was accompanied by a locally made Pecorino wine from a small town called Offida in the province of Le Marche.. The sky above us was the perfect ‘ceiling’ of brightly shining stars and half moon the scene below us was gently rolling waves and a quiet sandy beach dotted by empty chairs and closed beach umbrellas waiting for tomorrow’s visitors..

To finish up the meal and refresh from the warm August breezes rolling in off the shore was a lemon sorbetto made with limoncello-a refresher for the taste buds and the perfect ending to a meal in 3 acts..linguine alla vongole..grilled fish (caught fresh that day)..lemon sorbetto..

Here’s the recipe be sure to use the smallest clams you can find)..  clams are best when bought freshest and prepared the same day as purchased or caught ..

Linguine Alla Vongole

2 lbs of freshly washed clams

a small handful of parsley leaves

3 cloves garlic

1 small onion

1 lb linguine or spaghetti

½ fresh lemon

1 cup dry white wine

2 tblsps extra virgin cold pressed, olive oil

Immerse clams in fresh, clean water and remove taking out the sand, brush as well with small brush, repeat this till sand is removed.

Bring water to boil in separate pasta pot. Place in pasta and cook till al dente.

In a pot , place in the white wine and all clams. Bring clams to a boil, let boil for 5 minutes. Discard any clams that have not opened up. Remove from heat. Filter the liquid and set aside to be used as cooking liquid.

Chop parsley, onion and garlic. Place all in saute pan with olive oil and cooking liquid made from wine. Add in juice squeezed from ½ fresh lemon, pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper and clams.

Saute for 5 minutes. Lower heat and toss in cooked pasta. Toss and serve.

And how was your weekend..did you do anything special for the end of the summer or making plans for your last summer picnic..share your plans and recipes with us!

Get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking for Holidays & Special Occasions before the mad Holiday rush with over 140 recipes, menus and more..

Mangai Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

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 I have just returned again from my ‘pied a terre’ in the mountains of Abruzzo, just about an hour away from Rome.  Still emotionally drunk with all the food, wine and beauty this little spot (well not really so little) has to offer. I know most get to travel only the well known places in Tuscany or Rome or Venice..not that there is anything wrong with that. But you are missing a true experience, an old world experience..

Abruzzo is considered the ‘greenest region of Europe’ for its’ natural beauty. The beauty of Abruzzo, is that we have mountains (Appenines) on one side and the Adriatic sea on the other, and lush parks in between. It is a place where the mountains co-exist harmoniously wiht the sea. The beach stretches for 130 kilometers (approx 80 miles) with the sea cliff serving as a continuous backdrop.

For many years famous writers have used the words ‘forte e gentile’  (strong and gentle)  to describe this beautiful region.

Some streets are still  filled with cobblestone. My favorite towns are Tagliacozzo, Avezzano, Pescara, and L’Aquila. I am in close proximity to them all  and although each of these towns do hold some sentimentality for me, they also hold some great culinary experiences, too many to include all at once. So let’s start with some delights in and around Pescara.

In the US, the San Marzano tomatoes are considered ‘king’ but if you are a food insider in Italy and a true”Abruzzese” you know about the tomatoes from Francavilla-right near the biggest city in Abruzzo-Pescara.  They are even more delicious than the San Marzano and in August they are sold everywhere in Abruzzo.  Everyone jars them  for sauce ( ‘sugo’) all year around. They just don’t have the publicity surrounding them that the San Marzano  do and they are difficult to find outside certain parts of Italy but a true treat to behold. The ‘pomodoro of Francavilla’ are   deformed in shape and not perfectly round or oval-but they are a  gourmet delight. A pound of these tomatoes with some  olive oil (see below), fresh basil, 2 cloves of garlic, slice of onion  makes a   tasty ‘sugo’ to top penne or spaghetti.

Near Pescara is my favorite little town to buy olive oil-Loreto Aprutino. A beautiful little town that was once owned by the family of St Thomas Aquinas.  The drive up the hill to Loreto-Aprutino is a sight to behold. The landscape  covered  with olive trees  and dotted with  little churches  that are filled with thousand year old frescoes. Here you can find olive oil made from olives picked by hand, another taste like no other, an old world treat.

Then you will need some wine to go with that meal and in the same vicinity  you will find Pasetti vineyards and a superb Montepulciano D’Abruzzo to go with that pasta. Dessert is next with a trip to the locals’ favorite gelato bar in Pescara. Although the tourists opt for the glitzy, ornate gelato bars in center of town,you will find the locals standing out the door at the little Bar Bologna for their artisan produced gelato.

 Going to the beach and being near the sea always makes me hungry. But that is no problem here with plenty of ways to satisfy your hunger..in fact ,too many ways.

Here is a traditional recipe from Pescara..you will also find it in my best selling book The Basic Art of  Italian Cooking.  A desert made with a type of sponge cake, almonds and dark chocolate called Parozzo.

Parozzo (serves 4)

1/3 cup melted dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa)

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon of  almonds

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup potato starch

10 toasted almonds (for decoration)

3 eggs

Grind almonds with 1 tblsp sugar.  beat egg yolks with remaining sugar. Add in ground almonds, then flour and then potato starch. Add in melted butter.

Whip egg whites till peaks form and fold into flour mixture. Place in a round cake pan and bake in a preheated oven for 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, cool, take out of pan and cover with melted chocolate and decorate with 10 toasted almonds. Let chocolate harden before eating.

If you would like to get to Pescara, the easiest way to get there is by train from Rome at Termini Station. There are buses that go to many points as well ,the bus system in Abruzzo is known as ARPA. Or if you want to drive for a true Italian adventure, from Rome take the A24 going North and then the A25 going East follow indications for Pescara.

Next we will take a trip to the mountains, which makes me hungry as well, but there will be plenty of culinary delights  to find along the way to take care of that.

Ciao for now.

Maria

For more recipes get your copy of the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at http://www.marialiberati.com

  

While enjoying pranzo on our beachfront flat here in the seaside resort of Pescara-we also enjoyed a bottle of Barolo. My souvenir today is the undescribable beauty of the colors near the Adratic Sea, the summer sun and the sea breeze along with a bottle of Barolo.

  From the province of Cuneo in Italy’s Piedmont region comes what is sometimes called “The wine of kings and the king of wines.” Barolo, named after a tiny town in the middle of the growing zone, is a thick, red wine and is one of the most collected wines in Italy.

Rarely can famous wines be traced back to their exact origins because many have been produced for centuries. In the grand scheme of things, Barolo is a fairly new wine.  Though it was present during the Middle Ages and was enjoyed by Louis XIV, its era of greatness dates back to merely the 1800s, when the Marchesa Giulietta Colbert Falletti decided to start making wine from Nebbiolo grapes. Barolo is produced primarily from these grapes.

These days, only about 3,000 acres of Nebbiolo are being cultivated in the region, which means that Barolo, though in high demand, is in short supply For the perfect Barolo, a certain type of soil is necessary. Oddly, the hills of the growing zone are split between two types of soil, which result in mild variations in flavor.The “left hills” produce a fruitier, longer lasting wine, whereas the “right hills” wine has a more composed taste that should be enjoyed more quickly.

The scent of Barolo is said to be reminiscent of cherry blossoms and the color is a light ruby red that becomes somewhat orangey with age. Age is very important when it comes to Barolo and DOCG regulations state that the wine must be aged at least three years before it can be sold.  To become a coveted Barolo Riserva, a bottle of this wine must age at least 5 years. These are just the stated minimums, though, as Barolo is often enjoyed when aged over 10 years.

This wine is at its best when paired with a meal. Be sure, though, to let it aerate before serving.

For more great recipes and tips get your copy of the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at http://www.marialiberati.com

 copyright, 2008, Maria Liberati

The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm

http://www.marialiberati.com

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Editor:Alexis Popov

The days of summer are dwindling down, so don’t forget to enjoy every last minute of this sun filled season. Eating ‘al fresco’ is one of our favorite things to do at home in the mountains of Abruzzo.Eating on our terazzo or bringing a picnic to eat in the mountains after a hike or even bringing our mid-afternoon meal to the beach. Eating outside in the Italian sun….well…. gives you an understanding of the old Italian folk song :

O Sole Mio

Each and every word becomes so meaningful….

The Italians know that they own this strangely beautiful sun and it is most evident in the summer. It is hard to explain why it is so beautiful and why it feels like a different sun.. And they miss it when they are not in the light of their own sun- in the Italian countryside…to experience the Italian  sun while in the hills of Tuscany or in an olive grove in Umbria or even on the streets of Rome or the mountains of Abruzzo is an experience unto itself..a beautiful experience ..not easily put into words…

But anyway before I digress….. to experience ‘O Sole Mio’-here is an idea to enjoy a meal anywhere in the world but makes sure it is outside in the summertime-’al fresco’.

A picnic basket complete with a bottle of wine, a blanket, and a finger-friendly meal is a not so costly way to “go out” to eat after a hot day at the office without having to worry about getting a seat in a crowded outdoor restaurant or factoring in a tip, ( all you have to do is thank your chef and dust the grass off of your blanket). Or this is what we call dining ‘al fresco’. The ideal meal for an outdoor spread is easily transferable and preferably does not require silverware. Also, it has to be something that can be eaten at room temperature, because an unpleasantly cold lunch will make the ambiance of the trees less enjoyable.

Focaccia, like pizza, is doughy bread with yummies sprinkled on top. However, focaccia places more of a focus on the bread, which is fluffy in the middle with a crunch at the very edge of the crust, than the toppings. Focaccia is a perfect outdoor meal; it can be easily moved, does not need to be eaten with a fork and knife or need to be piping hot to be mouth watering. It is also super easy to make and to change up to tantalize varying taste buds. My favorite focaccia has broccoli, red peppers, all of which has been sautéed in garlic and olive oil before being baked onto the bread.  You can even make it with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste on top..

Whether your favorite toppings are sun-dried tomatoes or sliced black olives and pesto or even a cut up, left-over chicken you can have a delicious meal in under an hour that can be taken to even a local park to be eaten at a shady bench or enjoyed from the bleachers at a little league game. And for a real treat instead of topping the bread with cheese, make a sandwich or pannini with fresh mozzarella using the focaccia bread.

Focaccia:

Pizza dough (just ask the guys behind the counter in your local pizza parlor for a hunk of dough, it’s easier and quicker than making your own)

2 red bell peppers

1 head of broccoli

1 clove garlic

8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese

1 small onion

olive oil

salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat a non-stick skillet and coat the bottom with olive oil. Chop up the garlic and onion. Once the oil is hot allow the garlic and onion to brown slightly.

Dice veggies and add to mixture in the skillet.

Liberally oil a baking sheet and roll out the dough to fit the sheet. Dimple the dough with your fingers to make it stick and to create an outline for a crust.

Once the veggies are cooked, spread everything out on top of the dough, making sure that the dough is adequately covered in oil.

Take the fresh sliced mozzarella cheese and place it over the veggies.

(Using smaller handfuls of cheese or using a low-fat cheese is a good way to make this meal more diet friendly.)

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Once the focaccia has cooled, cut into finger friendly squares or slices and enjoy!

For more great recipes and tips get your copy of the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at http://www.marialiberati.com and http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2