copyright 2010, Maria Liberati

Apologies  for not gettting this out sooner but think that you still have time to make this for your Easter dinner. I have been scouring my recipes and looking for just the right one for our community of  ’foodies’..not too difficult-some of the Italian Spring Holiday breads can be so time consuming and something well a little unique.. So for a little bit of inspiration and no Easter egg shaped something… I decided to go with one of my favorite cakes. … a recipe I learned in Austria, the cake is named after a famous Austrian-Italian Prince-Prince Eugenio of the Royal Family of Savoia.
Although he doesn’t have anything to do with Easter..the cake is really a special one..it is made with lots of chocolate ..which always reminds me of Easter..and not too ordinary-as a Holiday dessert should be- and great to have with a glass of bubbly Brachetto d’Acqui or with some dessert coffee or .. alone.. And to make it even more interesting here is some info on Prince Eugenio
Buon Appetito and Buona Pasqua! Please write and let us know how your  torta turns out!

Prince Eugenio’s Cake

( This cake was created  in Austria and named after Prince Eugenio who was born in France to royalty related to the Royal Savoia Family . His mother was Italian. He became a high ranking soldier in the Austrian army and protected Italy from some of their military rivals in the early  1700′s. He was an aficionado of art and this ‘torta’ or cake was created many years ago in homage to this Prince)

16 ounces unsweetened dark chocolate (containing at least 60% cocoa)

1 1/2 cups crushed almonds

1 ¼ cups sugar

2 tablespoons butter

6 eggs

1 tablespoon rum

1 tablespoon brandy

butter for pan

Topping:

2 cups raspberries

1 tablespoon sugar

6 ounces milk chocolate

½ cup whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

Beat softened butter,sugar and egg yolks until creamy. Melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave. Add the chocolate into the egg yolk mixture,then add in ground almonds,brandy and rum.

Beat egg whites till soft peaks form. Fold into the egg yolk mixture gently till well blended.. Butter and flour a low cake pan and bake for 35 minutes in oven at 350 degrees.

Remove from oven. Leaving a 1 /12 “ border around cake, cut out the interior cake , to make about ¼ cup of crumbs. Place crumbs in oven on cookie sheet for to dry and become crisp, set aside., to use as crumble on topping.

Cook raspberries and sugar over low heat for 2 minutes let sugar melt. Let cool. Place whipping cream and vanilla, sugar in bowl. Whip cream till peaks form, add in grated chocolate. Place cooled raspberry mixture in cavity of cake made from digging out crumbs. Top with whipped cream mixture in center of raspberries. Sprinkle with cake crumbs and top with whipped cream and serve.

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copyright 2009, Maria Liberati

Editor: Christa Gutzler

The Etruscans were wild. Wildly mysterious, wildly artistic, and wildly efficient in their influence over Italian culture, the Etruscan civilization infiltrated the Umbrian region and dominated parts of their fertile lands for many centuries. Etruscan dominion covered the scope of art, politics, language, and religion. Exceptionally skilled, motivated, and powerful, they withstood opposition from the Umbrians and others who fought against them for control over many areas of northern Rome from the 9^th to 1^st century B.C. Known to be a seagoing community, the Etruscans traded exclusively in the Mediterranean. They are thought to have originated from Asia Minor, though modern thought strays to ideas that they actually formed as a consequence of internal struggle within the confines of Italy, leaving doubt as to the true location of their native lands. Regardless of where they came from, it is what they brought with them that still matters today, in the twenty-first century.

Both linguistic and creative contributions are evident by way of excavated tombs and surviving wall paintings and other artistic structures. Loaning words to Latin before AD 100, the Etruscan language was eventually replaced by Latin. Because some of the last Italian kings, before Italy transitioned into the republic system in 510 AD, are believed to have been Etruscan, a rich cabinet of Etruscan literature, legal codifications, and religious doctrine are said to have existed and served as the primary linguistic template. Figures like Claudius (10 BC-AD 54), Tarquin the Proud (AD 500), and Varo were literate in Etruscan language. Today, Etruscan inscriptions appear in their ancient form meant to be read from right to left. Only one Etruscan book survives and is almost entirely unreadable by modern linguists. This fact does not, however, render their linguistic offerings obsolete, as the Romans accessed much of the Etruscan language and influenced many modern languages still spoken today. Their writing mechanics found their way into Latin who later contributed to the romance languages like Italian, Spanish, French, and Romanian evident by their lexical, grammatical, and syntactic similarities.

The Etruscan people embraced artistic expression to reveal themselves to the world. Intricately decorated wall paintings, tombs, sculptures, rings, and other stones showcase their attention to detail and rich cultural influence on areas including but not limited to Umbria and Tuscany. Statues like Portonaccio Temple’s the Apulu demonstrate how expressive and deliberate their artistic processes were. The Etruscan she-wolf, dating back to 500 BC, is said to be the most legendary animal in art’s history. Why was their work so distinguished? The Etruscans did not revel in a few different types of art, but rather, they draped their talent, contributions, and legacy over so many aspects of the art world. The architecture and other concrete displays of art accredited to the Romans in many areas of Italy can be traced back to the Etruscans. They were pioneers in design, composition, materials, perspective, and impact on both ancient and modern Italian aesthetic beauty.

Find out how the Etruscans influenced today’s olive oil 

More on Etruscans

Museums of Umbria

Behind the Walls, Perugia, Umbria’s Capital

Join me in Italy at The Basic Art of Italian Cooking School, in the land of the Etruscans , Umbria

May 6th- Wine Sampler Dinner & Wine Pairing- Country Creek Winery in Telford, Pa. Call 215-723-6516 for reservations.

If you havea blog or website and want to be part of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking virtual book tour go to http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2/?page_id=606

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May 2nd-Book signing, wine pairing with Terranova wines at Raya Coiffeur in Haverford, Pa. Grand opening  with a Sonia Rykiel fashion show. Email events@marialiberati.com for more info

June 7th- The Basic Art of Italian Cooking and Maria Liberati- Book Signing and Cooking Demo at  Chicago Tribune Literary Fest at Printers Row in Chicago. For more info email: events@marialiberati.com

copyright, 2009, Maria Liberati

Editor: Erin Kuhns

Do you ever contemplate the perfect combination for a bouquet of flowers? Simple sunflowers with a few sprigs of baby’s breath add a spot of sunshine to even the dreariest room. A collection of lavender, daisies and poppies will certainly liven up your dinner table. But have you considered a bouquet of fresh thyme, rosemary and Italian parsley?

Another type of bouquet is a bouquet garni: gather a variety of fresh herbs together and instead of standing them in Grandma’s favorite vase, fasten them together with a string and plunge them into your next pot of soup. That’s right—you drown them.

A bouquet garni is a unique way of flavouring your favorite soups, stews or hot drinks. It works particularly well when your creation is one that demands the flavours of fresh herbs and spices without the small bits swimming around. Traditionally, a bouquet garni is fashioned out of fresh parsley, thyme and a bay leaf. But the real beauty of a bouquet garni is that you can be as creative as you wish when putting one together.

There are two popular ways to create a bouquet garni: tie a string around the stems, steep the herbs in your pot and tie the other end of the string to the pot’s handle; or bundle your herbs in a piece of cheesecloth—you could add garlic and peppercorns, too—and pop it into your creation. Either way, the essence of the herbs seeps into your dish while it simmers.

Some ideas for bouguet garni:

Chicken soup: Parsley, lovage & basil

Beef consommé: Basil, thyme, savory & Italian parsley

Hot apple cider: Cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, orange peel & whole cloves

The combinations of herbs you can use in a bouquet garni are endless! There are no set rules to creating a bouquet garni so have fun inventing your own concoctions. And when it is serving time, complement your table with a beautiful spread of flowers—propped up in Grandma’s favorite vase, of course—and your meal will be complete.

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

Join me in Italy for a culinary experience

For more recipes & articles

Limoncello

Editor: Kate Hollinger

copyright, 2009, Maria Liberati

If you’ve never had the pleasure of trying the Italian classic limoncello, you are missing out! Limoncello, a “digestivo” or dessert drink originating from Southern Italy, is today common the United States and France as well as its home country. You can find limoncello  in many Italian homes or restaurants. It is served in chilled glasses and never with ice after dinnner. Some places occasionally alter it slightly and make a cream of limoncello, which is the same creation but with milk added- known as Crema Di Limone.

Limoncello traces back centuries ago to Italian convents, where the nuns created a drink called a “rosoli”. The most common areas that produced this concoction which later turned into limoncello were Southern Italy around the Gulf of Naples, the Sorrentine Peninsula, the coast of Amalfi and islands of Procida, Capri, Sicily, and Sardinia. Although you will hear different arguments, most claim that the best limoncello can be found on the island of Capri.

Limoncello is not a complicated recipe, and since very few ingredients are required, you can make it at home too. Traditionally, it is made from lemon rinds, preferably from Sorrento lemons, which are sweet and bright in color but not as sour as typical lemons. Amalfi lemons are also good as they are said to have a strong scent and a sweet pulp, and the fact that they don’t have very many seeds is a plus. In fact, they are so sweet that they have been nicknamed “bread” because some Italians actually eat slices of the lemon plain since they are not overly sour.

The lemon rinds are then mixed with alcohol, which is typically vodka or grain alcohol; water; and sugar. If ever clear is the alcohol that you choose to use, it is recommended that you dilute it to 40% alcohol so that it isn’t too strong. The higher the alcohol proof, the more lemon flavor is extracted. Limoncello comes out sweet and delicious, and the reason it doesn’t taste sour is because only the rinds of the lemons are used and not the juice. If you are making it in large quantities, limoncello can be stored in your freezer when you are not serving it, as it will not freeze over due to the alcohol content.

Also you should note that in order for a product to be allowed (according to E.U. regulations) to be labeled as Limoncello- the lemons used have to be the typical large lemons from Sorrento. They are grown without pesticides and have very thick skin and not perfect in shape just in taste. If not using this lemon, the product will be called by a similar name-Limoncino, and other similar names.

My recipe for limoncello is an old family recipe.. you will find it in The Basic Art of Italian Cooking

APril 4th -Join me at Whole Foods Market in Jenkintown, Pa- where I will be signing copies of my best selling book and bringing The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm Cooking School there for a Class on Cooking on A Budget with The Basic Art of Italian Cooking. To register call the store at 215-481-0800 or email events@marialiberati.com  Here are some other appearances if you can’t make that one

For more Recipes and Articles

Join me on Sept 23-Oct 6th in Italy for Experience Italy! at The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm Cooking School. Experience 6 nights/7 days that you will never forget!! la Dolce Vita at its’ finest relaxing at the villa in the hills of  Umbria. Hurry only 12 participants and if you register by May 1st you get $200 off the entire price.

http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2/?page_id=542

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Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

Thanksgiving and each one -no matter how they are spent is always one for the memory books.  This year I was fortunate to have my feast with close friends and thier families. 

 The food was great but we also added in a touch of ‘warm feelings’ of sharing a meal with friends and family and then a pinch of memories from Thanksgivings’ past  that I always carry with me no matter where  I go.. and this was our formula for a great day..

Another one for my book of memories….

Now that the Holiday season has officially begun here is a recipe for the traditional Italian Christmas bread. This is an easier recipe and after you make this look for my recipes that use leftover panettone (that is if you have any leftover). 

http://www.notecook.com/Bread/Panettone-for-Christmas.57131

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

 ”Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene”

Maria