Spring Holidays are upon us and with Holidays come food memories. Traditional Holiday foods always bring back remembrances of Holidays past  when dishes decorate the Holiday table.

It’s always fun to find out about my family tree through the traditional foods. If you want to explore your family history,   think of “what was your first memory of food’? what was your typical family meal? what types of food were around the house? what foods were made to celebrate Holidays?

 

One of my favorite Spring dishes is  Crespelle with Fresh Asparagus. Crespelle is an Italian version of a crepe. These are served as a first course and was sometimes a usual Holiday dish.Crespelle are traditional fare from the Abruzzo region of Italy, where my family originated from.

Crespelle with Asparagus

(from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

Serves 4.

For crespelle:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ cup milk
• 4 eggs
• Pinch of salt

Filling:

• 1 lb fresh asparagus

• 1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
• 1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
• freshly grated Parmigiano–Reggiano cheese
• 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites
• Pinch of salt

Wash, clean, and steam asparagus. Cut off tips.

In a bowl, place in ricotta, grated cheese, whole egg, egg whites, asparagus tips, and pinch of salt. Blend with wooden spoon and set aside.

In another bowl, place in all ingredients for crespelle. Blend with wire whisk. Heat a nonstick crêpe pan and cook crespelle. Use 1 tablespoon for each. When finished with batter, stuff crespelle with ricotta mixture.

Lightly butter a casserole dish. Place filled crespelle in dish. Top with freshly grated cheese. Bake 10 minutes or until top of crespelle are golden. Serve.

**Love hearing all your Spring Holiday Food Memories. Please don’t keep them all to yourself. Share them here with all our readers!!

 

Appearances:

**March 24th Book signing and Cooking Demo at The Happy Cook in Charlottesville, VA-Address is : 1107-B Emmett St in Charlottesville ,Va. for more info call The Happy Cook at 437-977-2665

 

**To book a cooking demo/appearance/book signing  with Celebrity Chef Maria Liberati and  the award winning book series The Basic Art of Italian Cooking  email: events@marialiberati.com

copyright 2012 Art of Living, PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati

One of my favorite quotes from the Oscar winning film of the past (Mediterraneo) about a group of  Italian soldiers stranded on a beautiful Greek isle during World War II….

“Life isn’t enough. One life isn’t enough for me. There aren’t enough days. Too many things to do, too many ideas. Every sunset upsets me because another day has gone by”.

So another day and weekend has gone by..but not without trying some new food experiences.. a great recipe for an Oscar viewing party,for those of us observing the Awards from afar…

Tomato & Mozzarella Appetizer

(excerpted from the Gourmand World Award Winning Book- The Basic Art of Italian Cooking-Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition)

*1/2 lb mozzarella di buffalo

*1/4 cup finely chopped almonds

*1 tablespoon chopped pinoli nuts

*1 egg

* 1 salad tomato

*1 garlic clove

* fresh rosemary sprigs

*1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar glaze

*olive oil (for frying)

Slice mozzarella into slices (approximately 1/2 “ thick). Beat whole egg in bowl. Place chopped pinoli and almonds on a flat plate. Heat some oil in saute pan.

Dip mozzarella slices first into beaten egg, then coat with chopped nuts. Place garlic clove, sprig of rosemary into oil, then fry dipped mozzarella slices till golden brown.

Slice tomato and place in serving dish, top each slice of tomato with a slice of fried mozzarella, drizzle balsamic glaze on top, serve as appetizer.

Get more recipes in the Goumand World Award Winning Book- The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition here or in ebook version exclusively on kindle

 

Editor : Chris Manganaro

copyright 2012 Art of Living, PrimaMedia,Inc

Have you ever tasted dandelion greens? Growing up, my grandfather got me hooked on the dandelion soup he used to make with his freshly harvested dandelion greens . Dandelions are extremely healthy for you. They are even more nutritious than broccoli or spinach and contain all sorts of vitamins and minerals. So, why not eat dandelions? Apparently we should.

In Deirdre M. Capone’s book, Uncle Al Capone, there is a chapter named after the unique dish that is dandelion soup. She would help her family prepare this soup by collecting and cleaning the dandelions. Fortunately for us, she decided to share this recipe along with some very interesting family memorabilia in her latest book.

Dandelion Soup

(photo credit: http:// www.kcrw.com)

2 pounds dandelion greens

½ cup olive oil

3 cloves minced garlic

1 medium onion minced

4 cups chicken stock

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp fresh ground pepper

½ cup freshly grated Romano cheese

Aside from the use of dandelion greens, it would seem to be a very basic soup recipe. And that is because it is. This recipe’s simplicity is one of the reasons that it is so inviting. For the author, the recipe holds memories, just as the other recipes in the book. What makes this recipe and all the recipes even more tantalizing is the fact that they are authentically Italian recipes that were made in the Capone family.

This is just one of the many recipes included in the book. Being able to cook recipes that Al Capone used to eat is fun and definitely worth a try. The inclusion of these recipes in the book not only help to make a point, but add just a little bit more value by creating another facet to this part of history,

There is more to the dandelion than the annoyingness of their weedy abundance or the ability to make children smile when blowing their seedy white fluff all around. Similar to Al Capone, there is more to them than people think. Next time you look outside and scowl at the overabundance of dandelions, just think of a delicious pot of dandelion soup simmering on your stove!

For more recipes get your copy of the latest The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style here or get your ebook version exclusively at Kindle

French and Italian combinations work marvelously in food-just think of beschamel sauce, onion soup, crepes. recipes created in the kitchens of Caterina DeMedici  with her private chefs,while living in France-

 

 

and in art- Amedeo Modigliani an Italian artist born in Livorno Italy who moved to Paris to pursue his art…

(by Amedeo Modigliani)

So a salad combining the French artisan Roquefort cheese, and extra virgin Italian made olive oil with Tuscan Picnic flavor

Walnut, Pomegranate ,Roquefort Salad

*4 handfuls mixed salad greens (arugula, romaine,baby spinach)

*1 lb Roquefort cheese, crumbled

*2 hard boiled eggs

*3 tblsps extra virgin oilve oil

*4 tblsps shelled walnuts

*2 tsps Sempre Sapori spice blend (Tuscan Picnic flavor)

*2 tblsps pomegranate seeds

Wash, dry salad greeens. Crumble cheese into dish and set aside.  Boil eggs for 8 minutes, peel and chop.  Fold cheese, eggs, walnuts,pomegranate seeds into salad in a large bowl.

In small bowl whisk together lemon juice, 3 tblsps extra virgin olive oil, Sempre  Sapori. Pour over salad, toss and serve.

 

*Get Sempre Spaori  Tuscan Spice Blend here

Get more recipes in The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci style

*March 24th-see you at the Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville, Virginia..For more info email: events@marialiberati.com

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

After surviving another Feast of the Seven Fishes in Italy  last year (the meal typically celebrated in Italy and now all over the world for Christmas Eve with many seafood dishes) I wanted to jot down some quick tips on cooking seafood many different ways. Everyone always seems puzzled as to what to make and how to make it. These are some quick, easy tips to help, but not only for the Feast of the Seven Fishes but all year round seafood dishes too! These are the principal 5 ways to cook specific types of seafood.

Alla Brace (usually refers to cooking in a fireplace or wood burning oven -over wood or coal)

Fish that has firm meat inside like tuna, are perfect for cooking this way,not all fish can hold up to this cooking method.

You can add a sort of aroma and splash with white or red wine or seafood broth to reinforce the perfume of the herbs/spices added. Choose a double sided grill that will make turning the fish easier.

Alla Griglia (grilled)

If you are going to grill fish you shouldn’t scale it, the skin protects the delicate meat of the fish from the intense heat of the grill. Before placing on the grill, dry the fish well with paper towels, even if it has been soaking in a marinade. Don’t overcook the fish. For example, sardines cook for only 1 minute on each side, for a sea bass-10 minutes per side. A large fish should be cooked slowly and drizzled with oil every so often to keep it moist.

Alla Mugnaia (a la meuniere- a French cooking term that means lightly dusted with flour and sautéed with butter)

A whole fish or one that has delicate meat inside like Sole should first be sautéed in a sauté pan with butter, then cooked over medium heat. In general, most fish can be lightly salted and breaded before cooking. The cooking time varies from between 2-3 minutes per side.

Fritto (Fried)

Fish best fried are small fish or those cut into smaller pieces or those like cod and sole. Always dry the fish before frying, coat with flour and dust with breadcrumbs. Oil should be hot but not smoking and should also be in an abundant quantity. Avoid keeping the breaded fish in the pan for too long a time, after cooking remove and place on absorbent paper or paper towels to absorb the oil.

Al Forno (Baked)

Al Forno – best to cook medium or large fish this way. You can also flavor the fish with flavorful spices and/or herbs or herb butter, broth, white wine. And if the fish is big enough you can also bake it stuffed with bread crumbs or shrimp or crab meat. In the oven, you can also cook smaller fish in parchment paper

So many of you have emailed  asking about how to celebrate this feast. So for those of you that do, please share with readers your favorite Feast of the Seven Fishes traditions and recipes. Christmas Eve is almost here!

For more Christmas recipes get a copy of the Gourmand World Award Winning Cookbook The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays &Special Occasions-2nd edition

**December 10th- Join me at Wendell August (103 Woodcutter Dr) in Exton, Pa from 1:30 –2:45 for a book signing of the Holiday book and Holiday recipes. Hope to see you then. For more info email: events@marialiberati.com

Your email:

 

To Celebrate the Holidays I will be posting excerpts from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards and was selected as the Best Italian Cuisine  Book in the USA. (follow along if you have a copy of the book) It is also available on Kindle.

 

Memories of Rome

(excerpted from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking:Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition, page 54

Christmas and the holiday season in Rome has never been as commercial as it is in most large cities. For example, in the Eternal City, a lavish Nativity scene is more commonplace than a light up reindeer or glowing elf. Head straight to the Piazza di Spagna (The Spanish Steps) and you will see a rustic version of an 18th century presepio (nativity scene), scaled down and recon­structed on the second level. To make your own original presepio, head over to Piazza Navona for the Christmas Market and you can purchase anything: the figurines, mini light up pizza ovens, small working fountains, innumerable moving and light up items for your presepio, terra cotta tavern keepers, butchers, bakers, man­gers, paper with the picture of the sky above with stars, and any­thing else you can think of. To do it the easy way, you can get up early on a Sunday before Christmas and head over to that endless market, Porta Portese, and purchase an already created ceramic presepio handcrafted at Capodimonte in Napoli.

Tortini ai Funghi

(Mushroom Tarts)

Appetizer

Serves 4.

• 2 scallions
• ¾ pound fresh mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Pinch of salt and black pepper
• 1 large puff pastry strip, or 4 small strips
• 2 eggs
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 ounces grated Comté cheese
• 3 finely chopped leeks
• 4 small ceramic or glass baking cups; should be about four inches in diameter

Peel and finely chop the scallions. Carefully wash, clean, and thinly slice the mushrooms. Place 1 tablespoon butter in a sauté pan and sauté the scallions over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and let simmer until all liquid has been absorbed. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and let cool.

Use the remaining butter to butter the baking cups. Place puff pastry in baking cups and cover the bottom and sides of cups with pastry. In a bowl, mix together the eggs, pinch of nutmeg, pinch of salt, and grated Comté cheese.

Cover bottom of each baking cup with mushroom slices, then cover with chopped leeks. Pour egg mixture on top.

Cook in oven preheated to 425 degrees for 10 minutes, then for an additional 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Best served hot.

*Dec 10th from 1:30-2:45-  join me at Wendell August in Exton, Pa

Wendell August located at:

103 Woodcutter Street
Exton, PA 19341
Store Phone:610-363-2426

I will be signing copies of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking:Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition and serving recipes from the book on beautiful Wendell August pieces. For more info email:events@marialiberati.com

 

Join me for an all inclusive luxury cruise in Italy leaving from Venice Italy. Everything is included ,join me for the trip of a lifetime. Call Julie at Rosenbluth Vacations at 1-800-587-8279 or email:events@marialiberati.com Makes a great Christmas present for that special someone

 

 

I have been receiving requests from the media asking for recipes that are unique for Thanksgiving dinner. This  dessert that comes form Siena, Italy, is an interesting cross between a rice pudding and a cake. It’s not your typical Thanksgiving day dessert but one that will make it a memorable one and this will bring Siena, Italy close to your dinner table for one day…

And if you love to cook here is a resource for finding cooking classes

Torta Alla Senese (Siena Style Cake)

excerpted from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style

½ cup (100 gr) milk

1 ½ cups (300 gr) rice

1 cup (200 gr) sugar

3 eggs

1/3 cup(70 gr) raisins

8 hazelnuts

¼ cup (50 gr) pinoli nuts

1/3 cup (70 gr) butter

1 tsp baking powder

zest of ½ lemon grated

Boil milk. Add in uncooked rice and sugar. Cook till liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and cool. Add in eggs. raisins, hazelnuts, pinoli nuts, softened butter, baking powder, grated lemon zest. Blend all together. Butter and flour an 8” cake pan, pour in batter. Bake in oven preheated to 400 F (200C) and bake for 30 minutes. Serve chilled.

For more great recipes get your copy of

The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci  Style

 

 

Join me in Italy on May 3, 2012 for an exicting all inclusive luxury cruise to Italy and the Mediterranean. A few spots remaining, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to expereince the delights of the Mediterranean, including to onboard culinary events and visits to vineyards as wel as other excitign excursions. Call Julie at Rosenbluth Vacations at 1-800-257-8279 to reserve your spot now! Hope to see you there!!

copyright 2011 Art of Living, PrimaMedia,inc/Maria Liberati(except sorbet photo)

Cranberries are here..and these health filled beautiful red berries can be used in so many ways…. to dress up a meal, to accompany a poultry dish or in a dessert. One of my favorite desserts this time of year is a (very easy to make) cranberry sorbetto (sorbet). A dish that adds a lot of color to your table but also one that brings a lot of antioxidants your way

 

(photo from:countryliving.com)

Cranberry Sorbetto

• 1 pound fresh cranberries
• 10 cups water
• 5 ½ cups sugar
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin with 2 tablespoons cold water
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 4 egg whites

In large saucepan combine cranberries, 1 cup water, 2 cups sugar.Bring to boil and cook just until berries pop open. Cool then place in food processor to puree. Add orange and lemon juices and zests to puree. In a deep saucepan, boil 9 cups water and remaining sugar for 20 minutes over medium heat. Dissolve gelatin in small bowl with 2 tblsps cold water. Stir gelatin into hot water/sugar mixture. Add in cranberry mixture and blend together.

Pour this mixture into two flat pans. Freeze till slushy consistency, approximately 30 minutes.

Remove from freezer and place slushy mixture into lareg bowl and break up. In a bowl beat egg whites till fluffy. Fold ½ of cranberry mixture into egg whites and blend together. Then ad this into the remaining cranberry slush. Pour this back into flat pans and freeze again for 30 minutes. Remove from freezer, stir. Freeze again til firm. When completely frozen, serve and//or store in containers and freeze for serving. Garnish with orange peel.

For more colorful recipes that are truly a work of art, but easy to follow…..Get your copy of the newly released The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style and follow Leonardo DaVinci’s travels to some of Italy’s most delicious regions, including recipes from those regions.What recipe did DaVinci use for The Last Supper meal? Why did he only spend a short time in Bologna and quite longer time in Venice?? Find out why and get some great easy to cook recipes Get your print copy or a Kindle edition

Join Me in Italy on May 3 2012 for an all inclusive Mediterranean cruise starting in Venice going to Sorrento, Amalfi Coast, Portofino, Sicily. Tuscany, Rome, Ancona, then to Monte Carlo, Corfu. Montenegro and Dubrovnik.I ncludes a  visit a vineyard in  Sicily and I will be doing onboard cooking demos and events.Everything is included from all your food, tips ,transfers, excursions to those beautiful cities, flights to and from, even your first night will be a stay at a luxury hotel in the city of Venice Italy before we board. Only a few spots left, reserve your place now, call Julie at Rosenbluth Vacations at 1-800-257-8279 or email us at events@marialiberati.com

I understand what DaVinci saw in the quiet, tranquility of Tuscany. Any time I need a break from my hectic life, I sit down and watch a  snippet of a drive through the mountains of Chianti, and I can relax for a few brief seconds. Better than any drug,it is Tuscany. Try this:

Driving through Chianti

 

The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style is officially being released at the Utah Humanities Festival this weekend and Suburban Home Show in Phladelphia on October 21-23 and Philly Gourmet Food Show on October 23.

You can find the book on Amazon.com and Kindle but here’s a recipe to go with that Tuscan snippet

Cantucci Biscotti

(excerpted from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style; copyright 2011 Art of Living, PrimaMedia,Inc)

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1 cup whole almonds

4 whole eggs beaten

1 tsp of grated orange peel

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking powder

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place whole, unpeeled almonds on cookie sheet, place in oven and toast for 3 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and chop in large pieces.

Sift flour into a bowl. Place inside sugar, eggs, baking powder, orange peel, pinch of salt. Blend well till dough is smooth, but not too soft., then add in  almonds and blend in.

Cover cookie sheet with baking paper. Form dough into a long roll, the form of a long finger. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and cut diagonally to form biscotti. Cover cookie sheet with baking paper, place single biscotti on baking paper and bake for approx 25 minutes or until crispy and golden. Remove.

*May 3, 2012 Join me in Italy for an all inclusive luxury cruise. Call Julie at Rosenbluth Travel at 1-800-257-8270

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

 

 

If home is where the heart is then it’s the details that count, the little things that make you feel comfortable and remind you who you are… a recipe, a sound, a fragrance…some of the things that help make someplace feel like home..

A recipe that makes makes me feel like home at the country home here in the mountains of Abruzzo is a frittata made with fresh cipolotti onions since they are so easy to find at the local open air markets or sometimes one of my neighbors will surprise with a bag of onions from their ‘giardina’ or garden.

 

I received a surprise visit that came with a small bag of freshly picked onions today..It was an unexpected visit and a special one from a couple that has a small farm in the next town…..just a hop,skip and a jump over a few hills from me….

Fresh Onion Frittata

10 eggs

½ cup parmigiana-reggiana grated

8 ounces ricotta cheese

3 fresh cipolotti onions

½ cup milk

½ cup dry white wine

pinch of salt and pepper

pinch of nutmeg

2 tablespoons of butter

Peel and clean the cipolotti onions, removing the tougher outer layer. Chop the onions and saute in butter (on low heat) with pinch of salt and pepper. Add in wine, be careful not to brown onions. Let alcohol evaporate, add in 2 tablespoons of water and cover, cook this way over medium low heat til onion has become transparent.

Place ricotta, eggs, milk, grated cheese, nutmeg in a bowl and whisk together with a wire whisk. Pour into non stick and /or buttered, round casserole dish. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place in oven for 20 minutes or until firm and brown on top.

Serve with a dry, chilled white wine like Trebbiano D’Abruzzo. As the Italians say the this wine and the frittata “make the perfect marriage…. the hint of sweetness of the frittata and the acidity of the Trebbiano wine”.

 

**Join me in Italy, on my all inclusive luxury cruise to experience flavors of Italy and the Mediterranean in May 2012. Only a few spaces left, includes airfare, meals, taxes ,transfers, everything. Email :events@marialiberati.com or call Rosenbluth Travel  1-800-257-8279