copyright 2011 Art of Living, PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati

Today in my kitchen I opened up  the largest can of tomatoes (5 lbs 10 ounces)  I have ever opened. It was also the sweetest can of tomatoes I ever opened… not because they were  San Marzano tomatoes..but because they were one of the last ingredients found in my aunt’s kitchen the day she passed away, almost a year ago.

The can weighed just as heavy on my kitchen shelf as her loss weighed on my heart. It almost seemed that as long as the can was there ,she was here , at least in spirit. But today I was finally able to bring myself to open this 5 lb can of tomatoes and  making 10 small containers of sauce.

As the can opener whirled around this gigantic lid, I found myself staring inside almost thinking that something else would be inside. Her life ,her face, quickly glimmered in my mind. But all that appeared inside the can  were these beautiful fragrant, red ripe tomatoes. She would have approved these for a tomato sauce.The aroma was haunting. True to her last words, “Please don’t ever forget me”. This sauce will produce even more reasons to reminisce about her ..now I have this empty can that I absolutely can not trash.Who knows maybe I will put a tomato plant inside…

Spaghetti with Red Clam Sauce

1 lb baby clams

4 tblsps olive oil

2 cloves minced garlic

2 tblsps finely chopped parsley

1 14 oz can peeled tomatoes

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 lb spaghetti

Steam clams for 2 minutes. Discard clams that remian closed.  Set liquid aside. Remove clams from shells, leavea few intact for plate  garnish.  Place oilive oil in saucepan with garlic. Saute till garlic begins to turn golden.  Add in chopped parsley, liquid from clams. Suate until liquid has evaporated. Add in clams, tomatoes. Simmer for 20-25 minutes. Cook pasta in boiling salted water till al dente. Drain. Place in sauce ,toss and serve.  Garnish with parsley, and whole clams.

For more recipes get your copy of the Gourmand World Cookbook Award Winning Book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions.

Events:
June 11-12, Great Grapes wine tasting, food festival, Cockeysville, MD. The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati t mtakes center stage wit hcooking demos and book signings. Email: events@marialiberati.com for more info or sponsorship info

July 13- Harleysville, PA,  Girls Night Out in Tuscany-Cooking class/demo. Join The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm for a cooking class/demo and sample  a 4 course Tuscan picnic meal from the Gouramnd Award Winning book The Basic Art of  Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions. registration is limited. For more info, contact Sue Thomson at 215-436-9524 or events@marialiberati.com To be held at Agehman Remodelers Kitchen Showroom, 355 Main St,  Harleysville, Pa

July 21-24, Festa Italiana, Milwaukee Wisconsin, the largest Italian festival in the USA . This year Maria Liberati will be the Celebrity Chef along with PBS Chef Nick Stelllino. Maria will be taking center stage wit hcooking demos and book signings thorughotu the event. For more info or sponsorship opportunities contact: Sue Thomson at events@marialiberati.com

July 29-31 Gourmet Food & wine Show, Bally’s Casino, Atlantic City, NJ.  The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm takes center stage with cooking demos, book signings thorughout the event. For more info and sponsorship opportunities contact Sue Thomson at events@marialiberati.com

The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm produces culinary events, for your company, organization, Corporate training events with a culinary theme, fundraisers, meet and greets wtih Celebrity Chef Maria Liberati and book signings of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking, wine pairing events/classes. Let us design your nextspecial event with a culinary theme, anywhere in the world. For a free proposal email: events@marialiberati.com

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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copyright 2009, Maria Liberati. The Basic Art of Italian Cooking 

ahhh..it is getting closer to Valentine’s Day..I can smell the roses and taste the chocolate..

Don’t forget the wine. My choice is Orvieto Classico..perfect for risotto or fish or chicken..My suggestion would be a risotto al mare.seafood risotto.

Well it contains clams and they are an aphrodisiac.

Here is the recipe and more on Orvieto Classico shortly.

Risotto al Mare

1 cup arborio rice

4 -5 cups vegetable broth

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

4 pounds small fresh or fresh frozen clams

1 slice onion chopped finely

1 clove garlic

2 cups Orvieto Classico or dry white wine

1 tablespoon butter (unsalted)

5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil in saute pan and heat,place in clams and pour in 1 cup white wine. Saute til clams open. Take out any that do not open.  Set aside sauteed opened clams.

In another saute pan, place in 1 tablespoon olive oil, heat, place in chopped parsley and the juice from clams that have just cooked. Saute for 2 minutes.

 Place vegetable broth in soup pan, add in parsley mixture to broth. Stir and heat to boiling. In another saute pan, add in remaining olive oil chopped onion, garlic clove whole, and saute till onion begins to turn golden.Add in dry rice, pour in 1 cup white wine. When liquid is absorbed, add in 3/4 cup of broth and stir continuously, Repeat this process until rice is al dente (about 15-20 minutes).Add in cooked clams, stir. Place in butter, stir till melted, serve with Orvieto Classico

Join me on February 18th at 6PM at Whole Foods Market in Marlton NJ. Book signing & The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm cooking school. Join us for a cooking class-Pasta & Their Sauces- after book signing.

To register call the store at 856-697-7191 or email events@marialiberati.com

Join me also on February 19th at Whole Foods Market, Philadelphia,Pa at 6 PM for a book signing and The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm Cooking school. “Cooking on a Budget The Basic Art of Italian Cooking.Cook a 4 course authentic Italian meal on a budget from the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking. To register email us at events@marialiberati.com or call the store at 215-599-9735

Join me on February 26th at 7 PM at the Whole Foods  in Princeton, NJ-Book Signing and The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm Cooking School. “Every Pasta Has Its’ Sauce” Cooking Class includes lesson on pairing pasta withtheir sauces, how to cook perfect pasta and making 4 separate pasta dishes. recipes,samples and lessons provided. To register call the store at 609-799-2919 or email events@marialiberati.com

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See Valentine’s day around the world

Mangia Bene Vivi Bene

Maria