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

Watching scenes of the recent wedding of Prince Albert of Monaco brings me back to many trips along the Riviera from Italy to Monaco and the South of France in the summertime..besides thoughts of picturesque little towns like-Beaulieu Sur La Mer and Saint  Jean Cap Ferrat-my other favorite memories of the Riviera is the fresh,flavorful food in the summertime.

This is a popular recipe served along the Riviera in the summertime…

Spaghetti al Fresco Riviera style

1 lb. of spaghetti

1 lb. red, ripe, fresh tomatoes

1 celery heart

4 anchovies packed in olive oil

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice

Boil tomatoes for 1 minute, peel, remove the seeds and cut in small cubes. Place olive oil in a pan and heat till warm, place in anchovies and stir until they have dissolved, add in cubed tomatoes, stir. Remove from heat and cool.

Cook spaghetti till al dente (look at package directions for proper cooking time). Drain spaghetti and place under cold running water while still in colander for 3 seconds.

Drain off all water and place in pan with sauce. Sprinkle on lemon juice a twist of freshly grated white pepper. Toss spaghetti. Then add in chopped celery heart. Toss again. Place on serving plate and serve immediately.

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 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.

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.

Here it is..just in time  for the 12 Days of Christmas..our 2010 Annual Holiday Guide…filled with extra special ‘foodie’products ‘discovered’ by our  team of Editors (and me too!) while scouting for gifts. The Madame Alexander doll can be found at www.madamealexander.com

 We are hard at work already for the Spring Holiday Gift Guide, so if you have any gift or product suggestions email to us at editor@marialiberati.com If your product suggestion is selected you will receive a free ebook version of ‘ How to Make the Perfect Pizza’

and it’s not too early to plan your Feast of the Seven Fishes (for Christmas Eve)dinner..

Let us know what will be on your menu ..and tell us where you will be spending your Christams Eve or Holiday dinner,send jpegs as well..we will be selecting Holiday photos   to place on the blog. I’ll be spending my Christmas Eve in the mountains of Abruzzo and polsting photos and recipes as well!

Here’s a recipe from my Feast of the Seven Fishes menu…

Cod (Merluzzo) in AcquaPazza (Crazy Water) (for 2 people)

*Codfish  (fresh or fresh frozen) 1/2 pound divided into 2-3 pieces

*4 (fresh, red, ripe) medium size plum tomatoes or canned San Marzano  tomatoes (3 or 4 without the tomato juice) 

*2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

*2 garlic cloves

*1/2 t o3/4 cup dry white wine (or water) ‘

*3 tablespoons fresh chopped or torn parsley pinch of red hot

pepperoncino (red pepper )-optional

*2 thick slices of crusty bread-place under broiler till golden

Place in saute pan- olive oil, garlic saute for 1 minute, then tomatoes > fish, parsley and wine. Then cook 10-15 minutes or until fish is cooked.  Serve cod on top of bread slices and pour sauce on top. Garnish with  fresh parsley on side.

Don’t forget to enjoy  this year’s Annual Holiday Guide

Get more recipes for your Feast of the Seven Fishes Dinner  in the Award Winning Holiday Book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

It was George Bernard Shaw who once said “There is no sincerer love than the love of food “

Thanksgiving day is a day that is uniquely American ..a day we can truly call our own..and a day that fascinates many others around the world..In Italy it is called Festa del Ringraziamento and known as ‘the  Holiday that causes  Americans  to behave like Italians’-sit around the table eating all day with friends and family

The beverage of the first Thanksgiving and the Mayflower was beer..it wasn’t safe to drink the water.so beer was served..

In Honor of the First Thanksgiving beverage and the Italian American  Thanksgiving tradition of   serving a pasta dish before the turkey

Penne Pasta with Beer

1 pound penne pasta

1 glass beer

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic

1 yellow pepper

6 red ripe tomatoes

10 pitted green olives

1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped

1 tablespoon capers

1 tablespoon marjoram chopped

1/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano grated

salt to taste

Cut peppers into small cubes, cut tomatoes into strips, chop garlic. Place extra virgin olive oil in saute pan, place in peppers, tomatoes, and chopped garlic. Saute for 2 minutes, then add in beer a little at a time. Saute for 15 minutes on low heat. Then add in chopped olives, capers, parsley and marjoram.

Cook over medium high heat for 10 minutes, salt and pepper to taste. Cook pasta till al dente. Drain. Add into sauce, toss. Serve with grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

Friday-November 26th- 1-3 PM Bloomingdale’s at The Shops at Riverside in Hackensack, NJ- Cooking demo, sampling, book signings of the Award winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition For info email: info@marialiberati.com

Favorite thing I enjoy  about  being on my book tour for my latest release The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition  is meeting so many ..and hearing of new little towns and places and traditions and foods..most Italian and some from other parts of the World..every culture in the World is somehow related to food.

At an event last weekend someone shared with me their Romanian grandmother’s recipe for a type of eggplant dip..A pizza maker,so proud of his pizza told me  a story of how he found out that one of his customers enjoyed his pizza with ketchup on it..so insulted he was that he told this customer he would never sell him pizza again…and on and on the food stories go…

My second favorite part is that I get to share my knowledge of wines and cooking with wine recipes and tips.. And when speaking about wines..my first suggestion is to read the label of the wine..just as if you would read a food label.. But I realized that many terms used on wine labels are in Italian and some terms are technical similar to  musical terms…you know Allegro…con vivace…con dolcezza…and not always easy  to decipher.

Here are some of my favorite wine terms you can find on bottles or  or you may over hear these terms at your next wine tasting:

Abboccato- lightly sweet

Amabile-semi sweet

Azienda Agricola or Vitivinicola-the farm or estate that produces all or most of the grapes for wine sold under its’ label

Cerasuolo- cherry-hued rose wine

Chiaretto-deep rose

Dolce- sweet

Consorzio-consortium of producers

Enologo-an enologist with a university degree

Fattoria-farm or estate

Invecchiato-aged

Frizzante-bubbly,sparkling

Imbottigliata- bottled

Passito or Passita-partially dried grapes and the strong sweet wines made from them

Rosso-red wine

Secco-dry

Spumante-sparkling dry or sweet wine

Uva-grape

Vino Novello- literally means new wine. But it is a wine that must be bottled and sold within the year of it’s harvest.

Vino da Tavola-table wine, not usually with a DOC or trademark. Most homemade wines are vino da tavola

Vendemmia- harvest

See you: 

November 13th at Borders Express in Woodbridge, NJ

December 3rd -Feast of the Seven Fishes Dinner and Book signing at Copper Fish Restaurant in Cape May, NJ

Peace, Love & Pasta,

Maria

Share the Joy! if you have a special Food Memory. This week Ginnie Bivona, author of The Seductive Chef: A Cookbook & More For Lovers  Shares the Joy! with her story:

How I wish I could go home for just one more Sunday. My fondest memories of holiday dinners were the family feasts at my Aunt Jo and Uncle Ed’s house. Everyone in the family, from the littlest kids to the family elders were all packed around the dinner table. All talking and laughing at the same time. Loud, I might add. We started with the antipasto, then platter after bowl after heaping tray passed around the table for hours. And of course, wine with every new offering. But my favorite part of the meal was not at the table (although it was there I learned to love Italian cooking) it was later in the day. When the meal was finally over, the boys went out to play, the girls and women cleaned up the dishes, the men went into the living room to drink port, smoke cigars and listen to scratchy Caruso records, weeping at the beauty of the Great Man’s voice. Then, finally, when the house was back in perfect order we all gathered around the piano, singing arias from opera and traditional songs from the old country. I never could carry a tune, but how I loved that singing. It day was full of great food, family love and beautiful Italian music. We sang till dark, leaving then in a flurry of hugs, kisses and pinched cheeks. Who wouldn’t want to go back one more time for a day like that?   

Ginnie Siena Bivona
www.ginniebivona.com

Get your copy of the book voted Best Italian Cuisine Book in the USA by Gourmand World Cookbook Awards-The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays &  Special Occasions-2nd edition

Visit OpenSky

Oct 29-31-See you at the Philly Gourmet Food & Wine Show at Valley Forge Convention Center this weekend at my culinary book signing

Nov 2nd- 7 PM-Book Signing, sampling at Fair Lakes Library, Fair Lakes, NJ

Nov 13-Borders Express- Woodbridge, NJ

Dec4-Borders, Mount Laurel, NJ

This week, a special thanks goes to Marlene Caroselli for Sharing the Joy! with everyone and her favorite family recipe for chocolate pizzelle. Marlene is an author and this story she has sent is a touching one since her Mom has since passed. Thanks Marlene and here is wishing you Peace, Love & Always Lots of Pasta!

by Marlene Caroselli

The cookie table was laden with delicacies the Italian aunts had been baking and freezing for weeks. The waiters were prepared to serve–salmon, yes, but the traditional Italian dishes as well, an unending stream of them. The neighborhood priest was ready to give his blessing. First, though–the toast to my aunt on her 50th wedding anniversary from her sister, my mother. With only an 8th grade education to her name, my mother was understandably nervous addressing the assembled guests. But, she raised her glass
to honor the anniversary couple. Then, in a quivering voice, she offered her toast….and an unfortunate spoonerism, “I wish you continued love and joy, from the heart of my bottom!” (None of the laughter-evoked choking from the guests subsequently proved fatal.)
Our favorite family recipe for chocolate pizzelles:
3 medium eggs or 4 small ones
3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. butter (no substitutes), melted
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 c. sugar plus three tablespoons
2 tsp. favorite flavoring
3 tbsp cocoa powder
Beat eggs and sugar together. Add cooled butter, flavoring and cocoa. Sift the flour and baking powder together. Add them to the egg mixture.
Use a spoon to put the batter in the pizzelle machine. Remove when pizzelles have turned a golden color.
The recipe makes about two dozen pizzelles

If you have  a special food memory Share the Joy! and see your story published here and it may be selected to be in a national publication. Email your story of 300 words or less to sharethejoy@marialiberati.com

Get your copy of the book selected as The Best Italian Cuisine Book in the USA-The Basic Art of Italian Cooking:Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition  filled with recipes and charming Holiday stories, wine pairing tips, menus.

October 14th-Lower Southampton Library, Feasterville, Pa 7PM-book signing, lesson on olive oil tasting/Reservations required. email: events@marialiberati.com

October 27- TV appearance on NBC the !10 Show

October 29-31 Philadelphia Gourmet Food & Wine Show-Valley Forge Convention  Center- email: events@marialiberati.com

November 2-Franklin Lakes Public Lilbrary, Frankllin Lakes, NJ Book signing and lesson in olive oil tasting. Email: info@marialiberati.com

December 4th: Borders, Princeton, NJ book signing and olive oil tasting

For any info on appearances or to schedule an appearance email: events@marialiberati.com