The excitement of summer is almost gone for most of us..with about a month to go..but here in Italy the excitement of summer has been re-ignited with the anticipation of the summer’s biggest crescendo.. August the 15th. A holiday that dates back to the Ancient Romans.

August the 15th reminds us that summer is almost gone and this is her last hurrah!! to celebrate the brilliance of the sun..the food.the sea, the beach ,the carefree relaxed feeling..

Today starts the anticipation with just a week to go..the beach has become one big block party..children running all over..people congregating in small groups everywhere on the beaach, taking a passeggiata from one beach to the next while taking in the fresh sea air and meeting friends along the way… talking, laughing,sharing recipes, making plans for the 15th..smiles abound everywhere..it is as almost as if Christmas is coming in the  Summer..well of course watermelon has replaced panettone (at least for this for season).

One of our favorite dishes to bring to the beach is Eggplant Parmigiano. It travels well, we can leave it in the glass dish it is baked in, slice it before taking it to the beach. Bring some paper plates, napkins, plastic forks, one spatula. And no need to worry about refrigerating leftovers..there are never any leftovers.. Slice up a watermelon for dessert, a bottle of mineral water and you have a great meal

Eggplant Parmigiano

2 lbs fresh eggplant-cleaned, sliced

1 lb scamorza cheese

1 lb red ripe plum tomatoes

3 leaves fresh basil

2 cloves garlic

1 fresh carrot, cleaned,peeled, cut in two

1/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese

1 slice fresh onion

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Filet fresh tomatoes. In saute pan, place 3 tblsps olive oil,  whole garlic cloves, slice fresh onion. Saute for 2 minutes, place in tomato pieces, carrot pieces let simmer for 20 minutes.

In glass baking dish, layer, eggplant slices with tomato sauce, sliced scamorza cheese, sprinkle of parmigiano cheese. Top with scamorza cheese and grated parmigiana reggiano cheese and a sprinkle of breadcrumbs,. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven, when cool, slice, and it is ready to go-wherever your lunch will be.

For more recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

 copyright 2010 Maria Liberati

“An honest laborious Country-man, with good Bread, Salt and a little Parsley, will make a contented Meal with a roasted Onion.”
John Evelyn (1620-1706)

Parsley is the herb in fashion as it seems everyone is using it on everything..it is at its’ freshest now and most flavorful but where once we were using fresh rosemary it is now fresh parsley…

My morning today was pretty uneventful in this resort on the Adriatic coast..filled with fresh sea air,the sun providing her warm summer rays..On my stop at the local farm market after weighing my zucchini and eggplant, the woman at the counter told me (in Italian but I have translated here)  “parsley is like a perfect friend it makes room for all the other flavors..and rosemary ..is like a bully..crowding out some flavors.so if I want to get the full flavor of all these local veggies and just enhance them I should use fresh parsley when roasting..Rosemary is best to use in the winter when the freshness of the flavors of the veggies are not so intense..

Parsley has now become my best friend..if you take a bunch home from the market place it in a glass vase filled with water and change the water everyday..

For more recipes get your copy of the award winning The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

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Sept 9-12 see you at Hudson Valley Wine Fest in Rhinebeck, NY. For more info email info@marialiberati.com

Oct 29-30 see you at Philadelphia Gourmet Food & Wine Show, Valley Forge Convention Center, For more info email: info@marialiberati.com

copyright 2010 Maria Liberati

After a colazione of a buon cappuccino and a cornetto, a walk surrounded by the  sea air, the sun, and a fresh August breeze is the perfect wake up for me. But preparing lunch takes up most of my morning and keeps me entertained in the morning..from a trip to the ‘forno’ (baker) for fresh focaccia and just baked biscotti for dessert….a trip to the cheese store  for locally produced Pecorino and lastly a trip to the local fruit and vegetable vendor for locally grown fresh veggies, locally grown tomatoes from Francavilla al Mare, fresh zucchini and eggplant and ‘odori’ (aromas) –basil, parsley, celery.

My bags were overflowing with so many aromas I couldn’t concentrate on my walk home with all the scents practically dancing around my head..a 20 minute walk home turned into a 60 minute one..but that was fine I had my the fresh scents to keep me company.

Today’s lunch was a mix of the fresh flavors I brought home..a ratatouille of fresh eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes with shaved pecorino cheese on top of focaccia bread..

Ratatouille

1 fresh eggplant

1 fresh zucchini

3 cloves garlic

1 slice fresh onion

3 red, ripe ,plum tomatoes

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

pinch of salt to taste

Clean eggplant and cut into cubes,clean zucchini and slice. Clean tomatoes, and filet. Place olive oil in saute pan, place in whole garlic, onion slice, saute for 30 seconds. Place in zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, freshly chopped parsley. Cover, stir with wooden spoon every 5minutes. Cook for 30 minutes. Cut focaccia bread into serving sizes top with ratatouille and shave pecorino cheese or parmigiana-reggiano cheese on top.Serve with a chilled white wine.

For more recipes and stories of travels in Italy get your copy of The Basic Art of Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition (winner of the Best Italian Cuisine Book in the USA

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copyright 2010 Maria Liberati/art of living,PrimaMedia,Inc

Continuing my ‘Gastraonaut’ travels in Italy..in Pescara to experience some of the artisan foods, but also to view the new pedestrian bridge that was opened  this year…

But on the way made a stop in Rapino, a medieval town in the province of Chieti..Besides the ancient ruins..the menus that 4 of the restaurants there offer for lunch or dinner were spectacular..but since I could only stay for lunch and experience one menu it was a difficult choice and I spent an hour on the important decision.. but in an hour you can reflect poetic on the splendid view from Rapino a city that is’ media montagna’ (in mid mountain)….What would you choose?:

Menu 1-Potato & Truffle  mini gnocchi,Pappardelle pasta, palotte cace e ove (‘meatballs’  without meat made of cheese and eggs) fresh fruit in season

Menu 2-Cavatelli pasta with beschamel sauce, with zucchini and saffron from Navelli ( a town nearby),Pappardelle pasta with tomatoes, Raosted rabbit with roasted potatoes with rosemary and fresh mixed greens,fruit in season

Menu 3-Ravioli with nut sauce, Pasta alla Chitarra with meat sauce (ragu),Roasted lamb and roasted potatoes,mixed fruit in season

Menu 4-Pasta alla Chitarra with bacon (pancetta) and arugula, roasted wild boar, roasted peppers, fresh fruits in season.

A lot of eating for one lunch..but after a long reflection and a visit of the Grotto del Colle and the church of San Giovanni… I chose Menu 1 because of the appetizer of mini gnocchi (Gnoccchetti)  and the local specialty of ‘pallotte cace e ove’ (Meatless meatballs made with cheese and eggs). I slowly savored every bite of this meal, that was certainly a 100 mile meal (all ingredients came from nearby-100 miles or less) so everything was fresh and flavorful… after the meal a long walk around the  mercato for artisan crafts  (held in August) to relax

Here’s a recipe for a local specialty from Menu 1-

Palotte Cace e Ove.

(this is in dialect of region of Abruzzo, palotte means small balls and ‘cace’-short for ‘cacciocavallo’ –a type of cheese;ove is dialect for uove-which means eggs

2 whole eggs

1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese or a mix of pecorino and romano or parmiggiana cheese.

2 garlic cloves

handful of fresh parsley leaves chopped

bread crumbs  (freshly made)

pinch of salt

pinch of baking soda

4 tablespoons olive oil (for frying)

In a bowl place in chopped garlic, eggs, grated cheese, chopped parsley, pinch of salt and baking soda. Mix with a fork. Little by little place in bread crumbs and mix by hand. Place in enough breadcrumbs to be able to roll the mixture into the consistency of firm meatballs. Heat oil in frying pan and fry till brown. Serve plain or with some tomato sauce (sugo).

For more great recipes and stories on out of the way place in Italy get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions- 2nd edition

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Sept 9-12-Hudson valley Wine Fest,Rhinebeck, NY. For more info or to sponsor The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm onstage demo email: Info@marialiberati.com

Oct 29-30th- Gourmet Food & Wine Show, Philadelphia at the Valley Forge Convention  Center, Valley Forge ,Pa The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm will be onstage. To attend or sponsor one of the onstage cooking demos email: Info@marialiberati.com

copyright 2010 Maria Liberati

My flavors have all been packed..well at least the dried ones..my fresh ones will have to wait till early tomorrow morning. I am packing for a week at the beach house..

Dried pepperoncini, dried rosemary, black pepper and its’ grinder, sea salt from Sicily..tomorrow morning awake early and grab a handful of fresh, organic rosemary from the garden,fresh parsley and fresh basil..some fresh lemons from Sorrento..a bottle of organic olive oil from Le Marche..a bottle of balsamic vinegar.

My suitcase of flavors always follow me to wherever I go..so that I can experience the local cuisine. One of the dishes will surely be a linguine with clams-those tiny little clams they have at the sea, a handful of freshly chopped parsley and a spritz of lemon to brighten the dish..

For more recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking : Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition winner of the best Italian Cuisine Book in the USA

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Guest Writers Share your Joy with us..deadline July 31http://www.marialiberati.com/share-the-joy

It pays to listen to gossip and conversation in the town piazza at night..some more than others..from overheard conversations last night was a variety of talk about family riffs going on..to the latest couple breaking up in town because of a cheating husband and those disagreeing on whether the wife should forgive and take him back..and then the most useful piece of gossip was overheard at midnight a woman speaking in detail about the fresh parsley in her garden this year and how she used it to flavor roasted potatoes instead of Rosemary (which is the usual here) and how delicious they were..of course she mentioned how her husband did not like Rosemary much so she decided to substitute, This was my favorite piece of gossip and the only one I care to remember in detail…I knew I would eventually hear something of true interest!

Today’s lunch will be a variety of roasted vegetables including roasted potatoes with parsley and locally produced fresh mozzarella..the bread from our local baker or ‘forno’..it is bread made from potatoes..a specialty of this region where potatoes are cultivated..I guess we could think of this area as the Idaho of Italy. Potatoes from the Fucino valley are known throughout and even the headquarters of Micron for Italy (also in Idaho) is located here

Roasted Parsley Potatoes

1 lb of peeled potatoes

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 handful chopped parsley leaves

Boil potatoes for 5 minutes. Peel. Drizzle 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil on bottom of pan. Cut potatoes into quarters, place in pan. Drizzle remaining olive oil on top. Sprinkle on chopped fresh parsley. Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees ,then place under broil for 2 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with a chilled white wine-Trebbiano D’Abruzzo

For more recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

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Sept 9-12 Rhinebeck, NY, see you at Hudson Valley Wine Festival at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds. I will be bringing the Basic Art of Italian Cooking on stage with recipes and stories from the book series and book signing event will be held all weekend. For more info or to sponsor the on stage cooking demos email: Info@marialiberati.com

Oct 29-30-Philadelphia Gourmet Food & Wine Show , Valley Forge, Pa. The Basic Art of Italian Cooking will take center stage throughout the event and book signing swill be held throughout the show. For more info or to sponsor on stage demos contact: info@marialiberati.com

copyright 2010 Maria Liberati

Evenings here always include a walk in the piazza to chat with old friends, make new ones, catch up on town gossip, and share recipes. The best excuse to take a walk after dinner….going to the piazza. Last night, besides some fluff type conversation of ‘how are you doing?” and “how is the family?” we also caught up with an old friend of ours that runs a local trattoria and also has a small farm that produces many of the vegetables served there. He bragged about his  eggplant (melanzane) this year  and he shared a recipe for a specialty dish they are serving at the trattoria in honor of his successful crop of eggplants.

But even better yet, since I had such a ‘voglio’ to make this dish  for today’s lunch….this morning I was gifted with 3 fresh eggplants from Mario’s small farm…and am feverishly working on the recipe now….serve with a glass of Montepulciano D’Abruzzo and eat al fresco (if possible).

(So glad we went to the piazza last night!)  Please write and let me know if you get to try this easy recipe!

Pennette Alla Melanzane (Small Penne Pasta with Eggplant)

1 lb of pennette (small penne pasta)

1 lb of fresh eggplant-washed and cut into cubes

1 lb fresh plum tomatoes

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion-finely chopped

‘1 tsp of capers

1/4 cup black olives ,pitted and chopped

handful fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

Place pennete in a pot of boiling water and cook for time indicated on package-till al dente.

Place olive oil in saute pan, place in chopped onion, saute till just before golden, place in cubed eggplant, diced tomatoes, add in pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Saute for 5 minutes ,add in chopped black olives and capers. Saute for 15 minutes over low heat ,covered.  Uncover and stir with wooden spoon every 2 or 3 minutes. Remove from heat, place in drained pasta toss. Serve hot ,cold or warm with a sprinkling of chopped fresh basil leaves.

For more great recipes get your copy of the Award winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking : Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

Looking for Guest writers to Share the Joy. Do you have a favorite food memory of a Holiday you would like to share with our readers? Stories are being selected now  for publication

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Sept 9-12 –see you at  Hudson Valley Wine Festival in Rhinebeck, NY.  Join me for onstage demos of recipes from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking series.  For more info or for sponsorship info email: info@marialiberati.com

In our American culture we tend to consider things that are not  pristine and spanking brand new less than worthy..but if you are planning a trip to Italy you will need to change your frame of mind… Italy is like a woman that has aged  beautifully..yes there are wrinkles and the foundation is not perfect but the history she has lived through and experienced all contribute to a different type of beauty. It is a type of beauty that you can’t purchase in a makeup bottle.. a beauty that is not achieved  easily..one that takes years to develop..like a fine bottle of wine or aged cheese.

ahh..fine aged cheese..gruyere cheese and potatoes and the perfect ‘pranzo’ (lunch)…working on this easy recipe for lunch for our first course..a change instead of pasta..great with a bottle of chilled Prosecco. You can also have these as a ‘chic’ appetizer…

Crostatine di Patate e Gruviera (Potato & Gruyere Tarts)

1 lb of gold potatoes

1 cup flour (unbleached)

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

1 egg

1/4 lb of gruyere cheese (Or substitute fresh mozzarella cheese) cut into small pieces.

Homemade breadcrumbs (put day old bread in food processor,grind to crumbs and place in oven on cookie sheet till toasted)

dash of nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

Peel, clean potatoes,place in boiling water and boil till tender-approximately 20 minutes). Place in food processor and mash. Place in bowl while still hot and add in butter, parmigiana-reggiano, egg, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Blend with a wooden spoon, add in some breadcrumbs to make the mixture firm.  Divide mixture into small meatballs-the size of small peach. pat down slightly to make small pizza shapes.  Place on cookie sheet or grill pan that has been lightly coated with olive oil.Cover top of patties  with gruyere cheese. place under broiler for approximately 4 minutes or until cheese has melted and slightly golden. Serve hot with some freshly chopped parsley leaves and or top each little pizza with some chopped ,fresh tomatoes.

Buon Appetito!
Serve with a chilled white wine,Prosecco or Champagne

As Napoleon once said “one needs to drink champagne to celebrate  victory or to console oneself  upon defeat” .

For more great recipes get your copy of the award winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

Visit me at OpenSky

Sept 9-12-see you at Hudson Valley Wine Festival in Rhinebeck, NY. I will be bringing The Basic Art of Italian Cooking to center stage with cooking demos, wine pairings from the latest book release.  For info or to sponsor on stage apperances email us at: info@marialiberati

Some of the new exciting happenings here in Italy while I have been gone..the invention or creation of a  gelato sandwich (because of the hot hot summer temperatures). it consists of gelato made of creamy parmigiano reggiano cheese, a slice of prosciutto ,a brush of hazelnut mayonnaise all served on white bread with crusts removed..sounds refreshing but I have not been able to find one… If anyone out there  can tell me of a  coffee bar serving this, please let me know!   Hopefully my ‘gastronaut ‘skills will lead me to one this summer. I think they are all the rage in the North… but now I am off to the local fish market for fresh clams and the local market to find a lemon from the Amalfi Coast..what would a plate of linguine alla vongole be without a spritz of the fresh juice of a lemon from the Amalfi coast??…not worth eating

For more recipes get your copy of the award winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

Sept 9-12-see you at Hudson Valley Wine fest in Rhinebeck NY at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds. For sponsorship info for The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm booth and on stage cooking demos- email: info@marialiberati.com

I always think of myself as a ‘gastronaut’- ( gastronomy + astronaut=gastronaut) someone that travels and explores through food..and I think there are many of you out there! 

Sundays in the center of Rome are my favorite way to spend a lazy summer afternoon,  exploring as a gastronaut..while many flock to nearby beaches I prefer to ‘sweat it out’ walking through the cobblestoned streets and admiring  the view and  some of the simple foods special to this city..gelato, pizza,cornetti, tramezzini..

You can find these in other places in Italy..but you will find the best of them here,in Rome.  And on Sundays if  lunch isn’t eaten at home in grand fashion,it is a casual lunch while making my way through this living art museum they call Rome. A tramezzini is my usual choice for lunch..I call it the elegant sandwich (If you have a favorite food from your trips to Rome, let us know!)

Tramezzini are beautifully decorated sandwiches usually placed in front in the glass cases at the coffee bars at lunchtime,sometimes even for breakfast and during happy hour eaten with aperitifs. When I’m not in Rome but longing for my days there, I make a tramezzini on a lazy Sunday afternoon-wherever I am and reminisce…

Tramezzini are great to bring to the beach or a picnic or even to the office. Who thought Italians use sliced bread? crusts are removed to make this an elegant sandwich

Tramezzini

serves 1

3 slices of thinly sliced white or whole wheat bread (crusts removed)

1- 3ounce can of tuna packed in water

*1 chopped celery stalk

*1 small tomato sliced

*1 tsp chopped red onion

*1/4 cup shredded romaine lettuce

*4 large green or black olives hulled and chopped

*2 tsps extra virgin olive oil

Drain and flake tuna, place in bowl. Add in chopped red onion, chopped celery,olives. Drizzle one tsp olive oil on top and mix.

Cut bread slices in quarters- triangle shapes. Brush both slices with olive oil, place in oven under broil for a minute to toast. Remove from oven. Make small sandwiches by placing tuna mixture on top of one slice then place a triangle on top, then place a slice of tomato, drizzle with olive oil, cover with another triangle. Now stick a toothpick through to hold it together. Place a grape tomato or olive on top of toothpick. Make 4 of these. You can use the same fillings for your sandwiches that you use for almost any sandwiches-cheeses, meats, roasted veggies

Garnish with parsley leaves,serve. No passport needed!

Any foods that take you back to a special place? Share your summer food memories here..or foods that bring you back to a special place…we would love to hear about them!

More on tramezzini

For more recipes get your copy of the award winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holiidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition –selected as the Best Italian Cuisine Book in the USA

Sept 9-12-Hudson Valley Wine Festival- Maria Liberati and The Basic Art of Italian Cooking take center stage for cooking demos and book signings. Held at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, NY. For more  info to attend or to sponsor the cooking demos, email us at : info@marialiberati.com

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