copyright 2009, Maria Liberati

Being a foodie when I think of the World Series..it doesn’t bring to mind baseball but  brings food to mind…  not just any food..Philly has  great soft pretzels..great with mustard or you can make a yummy grilled cheese sandwich with a Philly pretzel and fontina cheese. NY city brings to mind my favorite bagels..and NY cheesecake.  Of course Philadelphia has a famous Italian market and so does NY city (Brooklyn)…So if we had to decide the world series on food  I don’t know if I could pick a winner, would probably be a tie. Do you have any favorite foods from Philly or NY?  They are both great food towns..when visiting both cities you will always say ’so much food, so little time’  because there is never enough time to taste everything. And it really makes you think..do you have to be a great food town to get into the World Series??..I mean what we would have done if Boston was also in the World Series..too much great food to occupy your mind (and stomach) how could you concentrate on any game??

I can’t predict whther Philly or NY will win but I know  they will both have great food to celebrate with- so it’s a win-win situation all around…another occasion to celebrate with great food!  Here is a recipe for a long time favorite in Philly’s Italian market (now you can find them all over the city)-the Philadelphia cheesesteak. You can also find vegetarian ones in the city,they are healthier and are worth a try also..

 http://trifter.com/usa-canada/pennsylvania/philadelphias-famous-cheesesteak/

http://notecook.com/appetizers/sandwiches/authentic-philadelphia-cheesesteak-recipe/

In the spirit of the World Series, do you have a favorite Philly or NY city food? Tell us about it.

Just in time for the Holidays get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking : Holidays & Special Occasions

Hope to see you at my next appearances at:
 Monday, Nov 2, 7 PM-Willingbboro Public Library in Willingboro, NJ

Saturday, Nov 14th, 2pm. Warren Twp Library, Warren NJ
Sat Nov 21st, Kuhns Corner Books, Perkasie, Pa

Sat December 12th, Franklin Twp Library, Franklin NJ

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

I am excited  and looking forward to being a special guest at the Le Cordon Bleu School in Boston, Massachusetts on Friday for a special event that was organized by The Italian Culinary Foundation. It is a wonderful foundation that was organized to promote the authentic flavors and history of real Italian Cuisine.

In the US we have become very used to calling  what is really Italian-American cuisine - authentic Italian,but it really is not authentic Italian. For instance a  simple dish of spaghetti and meatballs is not authentic Italian.   In Italy .. Spaghetti (in a small portion ) is eaten seperate as the first course of a meal and the meatballs (polpette) are eaten seperately as the second course.  And the pasta is not served in a gigantic bowl but in a small dish for one portion size.

These are all part of what the Italian Culinary Foundation hopes to make people aware of in order to promote what is really Italian cooking and so that everyone undestands why the Italian diet is so healthy.  Real, authentic cuisine is high quality ingredients in small quantities and not covered up with  lots of  heavy processed flavors but letting each flavor shine through and using light amounts of sauces to dress your dish and not cover it up.

Anyway, I will have more on this upon my return on Saturday. But as an added bonus I will also be attending a cooking  demo by one of Italy’s top chefs from Assissi, Italy-Enea Barbanera.

In honor of this event I am going to include some of his recipes on my upcoming posts. Here is one to start with,enjoy..:

Potato Gnocchi with Fava Beans and Black Truffle

“Gnocchetti di patate con fave e tartufo nero”

by Chef Enea Barbanera

Method

1. Boil the potatoes in their skins in lightly salted water or cook them in a steam oven. Peel and mash the potatoes on a marble surface while they’re still warm.

2. Add the flour, egg, a pinch of salt, pepper and nutmeg to the mashed potatoes and gently combine. Form the batter into gnocchi according to the traditional method.

3. Saute  one minced scallion in a saucepan; add ¼ of the beans and finish cooking with a little vegetable broth. When the beans are tender, pureè in a blender with olive oil.

4. In a saucpan, heat some olive oil and sweat the remaining scallion with the branch of rosemary. Add the remaining whole beans and the tomato concasse; cook for a few minutes over low heat, adding vegetable stock if necessary.

5. Cook the gnocchi in abundant salted water, removing them as soon as they come to the surface and transferring them directly into the prepared sauce. Finish the plate with a grating of black truffle and garnish with a small piece of rosemary. (Alternative: serve in parmesan crisp or potato bowls.

For more great recipe stay tuned to this blog i nthe next few days and also get your copy of the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at http://www.marialiberati.com or    http://stores.lulu.com/marialiberati

“Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene”

Maria