copyright 2010 Maria Liberati

A cool August night in the piazza in Tagliacozzo and nothing soothes the soul more than eating a dish of creamy gelato in front of the fountain in Piazza Obelisco while discussing French and Italian wines….. and ..since the discussion is in Italy with only Italians… favoritism slanted to the wines of Italy..

As the heated discussion continues..and I try to concentrate on the smooth, creamy glob of chocolate sliding down my throat, and the medieval architecture of teh buildings in view… almost not paying any attention to the discussion that is well in progress..

Let’s just say that the conclusion was that Italian wines have an edge over French wines because of the superior quality of the Italian grapes, since climate is more favorable to grow grapes in Italy..,,grapes grown in France tend to be bitter…Italian grapes are sweeter..French tend to aromatize their wines.they have to because the grapes are bitter..Italian wines are made without anything added..just real grapes…

Anyway the perfect way to cool the discussion was to turn all thoughts onto the dishes of gelato we were at this point halfway through..after a few more spoonfuls who could think about anything else..our taste buds  were drunk with the intensity of the flavor..and the discussion turned to which flavor is the best and where the best gelato places were….even a subject that cool got a little heated since Italians are passionate about their gelato also…well what is it that they are not passionate about??

But the discussion all of a sudden stopped as everyone quietly concentrated  on finishing their dish…every last drop..and everything was forgotten..and we joined everyone for our evening walk around the piazza..and an evening of  intent discussion ended cool, relaxed and satiated..

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

Excitement is in the air here in anticipation of August the 15th…the beach resembles a large restaurant in the open with long tables set up everywhere and families and friends enjoying meals of large pizzas,fresh slices of watermelon and bottles of wine and Brachetto (A sparkling red wine) overflowing…the beach has become a piazza by the sea where people now linger from morning till sunset with food, friends, family..while the sounds of the sea keep the atmosphere relaxed..

I am keeping it cool and fresh…and in the morning..before getting to the beach, finding my local produce and creating recipes to use and share on the beach.. to use the fresh, local produce ..while it is still fresh and local..

Baked Fruit Kebabs with Gelato

4 tablespoons brown sugar

dash of freshly ground black pepper

small handful of fresh mint

4 apricots

4 fresh peaches

4 fresh strawberries

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut pineapple in uneven rectangular shapes.  Peel peach and remove pit. Cut peach into quarters. Remove pit from apricots and cut in half, Hull strawberries, cut in half. Alternate fruit slices on four fruit sticks. After arranging fruit on them, place sticks on a cookie sheet lined with baking paper.

In a bowl place brown sugar and, finely chopped mint leaves and a dash of black pepper. Mix with wooden spoon.  Sprinkle on fruit sticks and place in preheated oven for approximately 7 minutes.. Remove from oven, place each fruit stick on a single plate accompanied by a scoop of gelato and a fresh mint leaf for decoration

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

copyright 2010, Maria Liberati

And so goes the summer..almost..one month left to summer..don’t let it pass you by without taking advantage of something ‘summery’..eat an ice cream or a gelato outside…al fresco…at the beach..taking a stroll..on the boardwalk…sightseeing..just relaxing..anyway to really enjoy that gelato/ice cream

I am getting ready to do our evening ‘passeggiata’ in the piazza with some friends and enjoy my first gelato for summer 2010..can’t believe I have almost let summer pass me by without taking time to do that.

Does anyone have a favorite gelato or ice cream place anywhere in the world they can share.. In Rome, one of my favorite coffee bars for artisan gelato is Giolitti. In the seaside resort of Pescara my favorite gelato place is out of the center and not very ‘touristy’ but it is delicious and will have you dreaming about it for many days after. It is simply called Bar Bologna-if you want to go there, just send me an email and I will tell you exact address.

Does anyone know of any homemade ice cream places anywhere? We all would love to know …

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

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

To express my love for  Cooking,nothing is more appropriate than an Italian word-Cucinami (made up of the words for kitchen-cucina- and Love-Ami) Cucinami!

But then a famous person once said

“One cannot live without food and love”

So it is an appropriate word that combines 2 important essentials of life!

As I dwell on my love for cooking in 100 degree weather on the East Coast, thoughts also trickle to a cool gelato..and making something that takes me away from the heat…better even yet if you can get fresh,local lemons.

Gelato Di Limone

*3 fresh,fragrant lemons

*3/4 cup sugar

2 cups milk

1 egg white

Squeeze lemons. Add sugar to lemon juice. Whip with wire whisk till sugar has melted into the juice. With a wire whisk quickly blend  in the milk. In  separate bowl, whip the egg white till firm. Fold beaten egg white into mixture. Place into gelato or ice cream maker according to directions on machine. Enjoy with sprig of fresh mint, grated lemon peel

For more recipes, get your copy of the award winning book selected as the Best Italian Cuisine Book in the USA The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions

Sept 9-12 see you at the Hudson Valley Wine Festival in Rhinebeck, NY at Dutchess County Fairgrounds. For sponsorship info email:info@marialiberati.com

Upcoming Articles:

Tramezzini-The Elegant Sandwich

The History of Cappuccino

The Rossini Cocktail

Maria

www.marialiberati.com

where food meets art, travel & life!

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

Summer has just begun, but here in Italy it means the sunniest and hottest days of the year are soon to come. A small dish or cone of gelato is the perfect way to refresh. But to avoid the boredom of the same cone or dish of gelato, here is a unique dish that has become my favorite after dinner dessert or afternoon ‘pick me up’. This dessert is approx 175 calories per portion.

Ginger & Peach Delight

*2 cups of vanilla or cream gelato

*4 ripe peaches

*1 small piece of fresh ginger

*2 tsps butter

*2 tsps sugar

*1 tsp cinnamon

Wash the peaches and cut into slices. Finely chop the ginger. Place butter, chopped ginger and peach slices in a saute pan over low heat. Sprinkle sugar on top of fruit and saute for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Let gelato sit at room temperature or soften for approx 10 minutes. Add in cinnamon and blend well. Divide peach mixture into 4 glasses, placing some first on bottom of glasses, then place in gelato, then top with remaining peaches. Serve.

For more recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition- order your pre release copy now. Voted as The Best Italian Cuisine Book in  the USA

Hope to see you at the Hudson Valley Wine Festival in Rhinebeck, NY on Sept 9-12 at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds. As one of the selected  Celebrity Chefs for the event , I will be  on stage cooking demos of recipes from my latest book with some great wines from the event. For more info, or for sponsorship info email: info@marialiberati.com

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

Editor-Kate Hollinger

What’s richer, softer and more luscious than ice cream, and comes in any flavor you can imagine? Gelato of course! This centuries-old classic has been credited to many countries and continents, but credit definitely should be given to Italy. While origins of gelato can be traced to Marco Polo in China and various people in Arabia, the truest form can be traced back to 16^th century Italia.

Gelato, Italian for “frozen”, can truly be attributed to the ingenuity of Bernardo Buontalenti, an Italian architect who was hired by the Medici family in 1565 to cater and plan events and banquets. He unleashed his fabulous “frozen desserts” which eventually became famous throughout the whole country. Initially this mixture of frozen sweet milk with egg yolks and other flavorings was a pretty exclusive treat, known as the “rich man’s dessert”. Because of the trouble that was gone through to make the unique treat, few could have it at first.

Snow was collected during the winter months and then stored in cold places until it was ready to be turned into gelato. Rich families actually had their own ice basements or wells where they stored ice up to 30 meters deep. These intensive harvesting methods made gelato consumption a lavish luxury in the 16^th century. The ice concoction primarily included flavors of fruit, chocolate, or nut. Gelato from Northern Italy included milk, and tasted like a rich dense combination of ice and creamy flavoring. In Southern Italy, however, there was only water and no milk, and therefore was a lighter, healthier version known as sorbetto. The southern rendition is lower fat but higher in sugar content due to the more intense flavorings that make up for the lack of dairy product.

Since the 16^th century invention of gelato in this European country, different variations have been formed from this frozen treat. Argentina boasts helado and France offers la glace, which was introduced by Catherine de Medici of Italy. Ice cream is consumed in bulk in the United States, although this is a less dense, less rich version of gelato because there is more air in it.

Today, gelato still remains ever-so-popular in Italy. It is a tradition as well as an art form, passed down from one family member to the next. Gelaterie, the cafes where this gelato is made, sold, and enjoyed, are sprinkled all over Italy and serve a wide array of delightful flavors and often served with wafers or biscuits, or in cones. Other variations can be found in each gelateria.

And to explain to you in words the delight that is gelato is so impossible.. you must experience an artisan gelato yourself..if only once it is worth every taste…

A great idea for San Valentino (Saint Valentine’s Day).. for gelato lovers.

Place Champagne or Spumanti in an elegant glass and add a scoop formed into a small ball into the champgne or spumanti…

or in a fluted glass and layer two different flavors of gelato, top with strawberry halves and dried orange peel with shaved dark chocolate…

If you have a favorite gelato bar in Italy..please let us know. I have a few that I love..Giolitti in Rome..not only for the gelato but for the elegant feel of this coffee bar that makes their own artisan gelato…I have some others but would love t ohear from everyone about their favorite gelateria in Italy or if you have found someone that makes a great gelato in the US or anywhere else in the world..do tell….

 Meet me  at the Whole Foods Market in Marlton, NJ at 6 PM. I will be signing copies of my bestselling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking and  I will be doing a cooking class after. Pairing pastas with their matching sauces-we will cook 4 pasta dishes. recipes are from the cooking school in Italy, registration is limited. Call Whole Foods and register at 856-697-7191 or email events@marialiberati.com

Join me at The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm cooking school in Italy on September 26th to October 3rd at the villa and castle in  the hills of Umbria.. Stay at the villa or the castello di Sismano for 7 days. Experience Italy, with 4 cooking classes at the villa, tours to local vineyards and olive oil mills, sights and tastes of Italy and enjoying La Dolce Vita at the villa and castle… All included, 4 cooking classes included and transportation from Rome Fiumicino airport to the villa and back.. La Dolce Vita is included at no extra charge!! See you then.  This event gets sold out quickly and is limited to12 participants only.For reservations and more info email us at events@marialiberati.com

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

 I have just returned again from my ‘pied a terre’ in the mountains of Abruzzo, just about an hour away from Rome.  Still emotionally drunk with all the food, wine and beauty this little spot (well not really so little) has to offer. I know most get to travel only the well known places in Tuscany or Rome or Venice..not that there is anything wrong with that. But you are missing a true experience, an old world experience..

Abruzzo is considered the ‘greenest region of Europe’ for its’ natural beauty. The beauty of Abruzzo, is that we have mountains (Appenines) on one side and the Adriatic sea on the other, and lush parks in between. It is a place where the mountains co-exist harmoniously wiht the sea. The beach stretches for 130 kilometers (approx 80 miles) with the sea cliff serving as a continuous backdrop.

For many years famous writers have used the words ‘forte e gentile’  (strong and gentle)  to describe this beautiful region.

Some streets are still  filled with cobblestone. My favorite towns are Tagliacozzo, Avezzano, Pescara, and L’Aquila. I am in close proximity to them all  and although each of these towns do hold some sentimentality for me, they also hold some great culinary experiences, too many to include all at once. So let’s start with some delights in and around Pescara.

In the US, the San Marzano tomatoes are considered ‘king’ but if you are a food insider in Italy and a true”Abruzzese” you know about the tomatoes from Francavilla-right near the biggest city in Abruzzo-Pescara.  They are even more delicious than the San Marzano and in August they are sold everywhere in Abruzzo.  Everyone jars them  for sauce ( ‘sugo’) all year around. They just don’t have the publicity surrounding them that the San Marzano  do and they are difficult to find outside certain parts of Italy but a true treat to behold. The ‘pomodoro of Francavilla’ are   deformed in shape and not perfectly round or oval-but they are a  gourmet delight. A pound of these tomatoes with some  olive oil (see below), fresh basil, 2 cloves of garlic, slice of onion  makes a   tasty ‘sugo’ to top penne or spaghetti.

Near Pescara is my favorite little town to buy olive oil-Loreto Aprutino. A beautiful little town that was once owned by the family of St Thomas Aquinas.  The drive up the hill to Loreto-Aprutino is a sight to behold. The landscape  covered  with olive trees  and dotted with  little churches  that are filled with thousand year old frescoes. Here you can find olive oil made from olives picked by hand, another taste like no other, an old world treat.

Then you will need some wine to go with that meal and in the same vicinity  you will find Pasetti vineyards and a superb Montepulciano D’Abruzzo to go with that pasta. Dessert is next with a trip to the locals’ favorite gelato bar in Pescara. Although the tourists opt for the glitzy, ornate gelato bars in center of town,you will find the locals standing out the door at the little Bar Bologna for their artisan produced gelato.

 Going to the beach and being near the sea always makes me hungry. But that is no problem here with plenty of ways to satisfy your hunger..in fact ,too many ways.

Here is a traditional recipe from Pescara..you will also find it in my best selling book The Basic Art of  Italian Cooking.  A desert made with a type of sponge cake, almonds and dark chocolate called Parozzo.

Parozzo (serves 4)

1/3 cup melted dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa)

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon of  almonds

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup potato starch

10 toasted almonds (for decoration)

3 eggs

Grind almonds with 1 tblsp sugar.  beat egg yolks with remaining sugar. Add in ground almonds, then flour and then potato starch. Add in melted butter.

Whip egg whites till peaks form and fold into flour mixture. Place in a round cake pan and bake in a preheated oven for 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, cool, take out of pan and cover with melted chocolate and decorate with 10 toasted almonds. Let chocolate harden before eating.

If you would like to get to Pescara, the easiest way to get there is by train from Rome at Termini Station. There are buses that go to many points as well ,the bus system in Abruzzo is known as ARPA. Or if you want to drive for a true Italian adventure, from Rome take the A24 going North and then the A25 going East follow indications for Pescara.

Next we will take a trip to the mountains, which makes me hungry as well, but there will be plenty of culinary delights  to find along the way to take care of that.

Ciao for now.

Maria

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

Buon Ferragosto Picnic (Second Part)

copyright, 2008, Maria Liberati,

The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm

Editor: Michela Pompeo

Here is the second part of the recipes for a great Ferragosto, or August 15^th Picnic. You don’t have to be in Italy or in Nice, France to watch the fireworks on the beach to celebrate. Make your own August 15^th celebration wherever you are. Bring along some of the dishes suggested here and in part 1 of the article.

The beaches and the lakes are beautiful with the Italian sun shining down. I wanted to also leave you with this photo of a town called Limone sul Garda which is a popular spot also for Ferragosto. (see photo above) 

Number three is Vitello tonnato, the main course. Buy 2 poundsof veal in one piece. Put a large pan filled with water, salt, a carrot, an onion and a stick of celery (everything cut into three or four big pieces) on the stove. When the water boils, throw in the meat and let it cook for about 1 hour (or more, if the piece of meat is very thick). Take it out and leave it till cold: two or three hours should be sufficient. Then with a sharp knife, cut thin slices and place them on a dish in such a manner that they do not overlap. Prepare a purée with: 4 ounces tuna fish (canned is ok), some mayonnaise, some capers; mix all together in the mixer till you obtain the purée with which you will cover every single slice of veal. Decorate with capers. Keep it in the fridge and take it with you to the picnic; it is to be served cold.

nutmeg,

oil to fry

Boil potatoes in abundant salted water, drain, peel and smash them. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1 whole egg + a yolk, and Parmigiano. Stir carefully. Make small round disks and flour them. Then fry in hot vegetable oil (sunflower oil is all right). Dry them on kitchen paper. Do not put them in the fridge. They can be served the following day at the picnic!

Now, it’s time for fruit. Here the thing is very simple: in Italy everybody eats watermelon in August, but especially during picnics. You can prepare it the day before by cutting the two ends of a watermelon; then, keeping it upright make slices, cut the red pulp into pieces, put them into a suitable container, keep it in the fridge and then put in the cool bag till the moment of eating it.

Vai a: Navigazione, cerca

Finally, your perfect picnic should finish with a small glass of Sgroppino. This is a kind of dialect term and the nearest translation is ‘sorbet lemon’ just to give you an idea of what it is. We usually buy it (it comes in bottles) already frozen, we keep it in the freezer till a couple of hours before of drinking it. If you want to take it to the picnic, put it in the cool bag until the moment you need it. It will have melted a bit, but it will still retain its cold, creamy thickness, which would be a pleasure to drink. (if you can get some lemons from Sorrento to garnish this- it will be even better)!!

Of course you can do it at home, because it is very easy. For 4 people you need:

12 ounces lemon ice-cream

2 glasses of Prosecco wine (sparkling)

2 small glasses Vodka lemon

Mix everything in the mixer for some minutes, pour into a bottle and, if you want to use it for the picnic, freeze it; if not, you can directly drink it, served in flutes.

Enjoy your picnic!

Buon Ferragosto

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

Stay tuned next week for part two of my visit to Umbria. and my memoirs from a farmhouse in Umbria. You will get a special sneek peak into recipes from my first cooking tour in Umbria, the farmhouse, the feast , the beautiful feast eaten under the shooting stars for the feast of San Lorenzo, the cooking class we did  with Velia and  Gian Luca the Champagneria in Orvieto and my beautiful farmhouse with photos and of course we will include recipes as well!! The food was wonderful as well. Special thanks to Domenico and Paola at  www.borgofontanile.com

 We are now planning the second cooking tour to Orvieto, the farmhouse and the Champagneria, the lodging will be at the beautiful farmhouse in Orvieto where we cook with the fruits and vegetables, herbs, picked there that morning.. Stay tuned for more info on the cooking tour.

Ciao for now and an ‘abraccio forte’ to all my new friends in Orvieto, Baschi, Todi ….