copyright 2011 art of living,PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati

My eyes open, awakened by that inspiring aroma of freshly ground coffee beans..my night stand full of books, 2 notebooks-one for dreams and one for thoughts.. From my antique window filter in a bit of the sun’s rays.

It is 8 AM..the breakfast table is ready fruit, cornetti (Italian croissant), cappuccino, juice..and a welcoming sight of   a ‘dolce al cucchaio’ ( a spoon dessert)..a delicious morning treat or dessert Bianco Da Mangiare (white pudding)…I prepared yesterday and

Bianco da Mangiare (White Pudding)

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

2 ounces( ½ dl) almond milk

4 ounces (1 dl) milk

1 tsp (5 gr) pure vanilla

2 tablespoons + 1 tsp (50 gr) sugar

1 cinnamon stick

peel of one half lemon-(in one or a few large pieces)

1tsp (5 gr) agar-agar powder or flakes or other gelatine substitute

Place almond milk, milk, sugar, cinnamon stick, vanilla and lemon zest in saucepan and heat on low heat for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat. Place in agar-agar powder and dissolve. Return to heat and keep stirring till becoming a dense cream. Take out lemon peel and cinnamon stick. Place pudding in a large mold or small molds. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve with slivered almonds and strawberries or raspberries and a sprinkle of cinnamon,

A  morning exercise in concentration..taste the first spoonful with your eyes closed and let the gentle kiss of the lemon and cinnamon flavors caress your taste buds..

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

 Look for my new release at Book Expo America in NYC at the Javits Convention Center on Tuesday May 24th, from 3:30-4:30 PM I will be signing pre publication copies of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style.  recipes and an eating style that was influenced by Leonardo DaVinci, with 100+ recipes and DaVinci’s poems about food from his personal notebook..DaVinci was also a ‘foodie’.

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

Cassola is traditionally a Jewish dessert, but because the main ingredient is fresh ricotta cheese it is also a traditional cheesecake served in Italy. Simple, sweet and delicious as all Italian dishes are, this one only has 5 ingredients and is easy for even the novice cook to whip up. The trick to its’ creamy consistency is using freshly made  ricotta not ricotta that has been made in a processing plant or sitting in the refrigerated aisle of a large supermarket for many days.  Fresh ricotta is creamy, and smooth, and almost nothing like it’s factory made version.

Cassola

*2 pounds freshly made  ricotta cheese

*5 whole eggs

*1 1/3 cups sugar

* grated zest of one fresh lemon

*1/2 fresh vanilla bean, ground

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place riocotta cheese i na food processor and belnd with a steel balde until smooth. In another bowl, place in eggs, sugar, ground vanilla bean, grated lemon zest. Beat until a  smooth and creamy mixture.  Place into ricotta (already in food processor) about 2 tablesponns at a time.

Butter the bottom of 9 1/2 inch springform pan, then ocntinue ot line with parchment paper. Pour in mixture and place into the oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes. When finished the outer edges will be firm but inside will be a bit soft and will not be firm. Turn off oven when done and continue to leave in oven for 15 minutes. Open oven door and let cool for 15 minutes in oven. This dessert can be eaten warm or cool.

For more traditional Italian Holiday recipes get your copy of the Award Winning Book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays &  Special Occasions-2nd edition

Couscous is a pasta too!..Most of us  don’t think of it as one. But in Sicily a dish of couscous is commonly served as  first course as is a pasta dish. Here’s my  recipe for an  easy to make, bright, fragrant couscous dish. Use  Meyer Lemon oil to emphasize the fresh lemon taste.

Lemony Couscous

1 cup couscous

1 1/4 cups water

1  teaspoon Meyer Lemon  Oil

1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3/4 tsp sea salt or kosher salt

1/2 cup shopped scallions

1/4 cup chopped leeks

1 fresh garlic clove minced

finely grated peel of 1 fresh lemon

1/4 tsp of freshly ground black pepper

In a saucepan (2-3 quart size) heat water till boiling. Add in couscous when boiling with sea or kosher salt. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for approximately 10 minutes, stirring once.

Place Extra virgin Olive Oil in small saute pan. Place in scallions, leeks, garlic and saute on low to medium heat for 3 minutes or until leeks & scallions, garlic, have just begun to turn golden. Stir in lemon peel. Remove from heat.

Drain couscous. Place couscous in saute pan with garlic mixture. Toss gently, drizzle with Meyer Lemon Oil.Serve and top with freshly ground black pepper. For garnish decorate plate with long strips of lemon peel or fresh lemon slices and fresh ,torn mint leaves.

Shop for yummy specialty oils and Balsamic vinegars to liven any dish

For lots of Holiday Ideas, Recipes, Tips, get your copy of the book selected as The Best Italian Cuisine Book in the USA- The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

*October 14th-Lower Southampton Twp Library-book signing and Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar tasting and presentation

*October 27th-11AM-NBC TV !10 Show (morning magazine show-0check your local paper for listings)

*October 29-31- Philadelphia Gourmet Food & WIne Show-Culinary Book Signing event-signing copies of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

*Nov 2nd-Franklin Lakes Library-Book singing and Olive oil sampling & Tasting

*Dec. 4th-Borders Princeton, NJ

 Shar Family food memories right her on our blog in our Share the Joy Feature

Peace, Love & Pasta.

Maria

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!

Is it just me?  or does it really make sense when someone says “ I  don’t know how to cook anything”..is that possible? Every day you must eat, speak, walk and enjoy life…those are all things that come naturally..like cooking..it should just be an everyday natural function. (Unless you have a physical limitation)..does it make sense to say I don’t know how to walk or to speak or to enjoy life??

Cooking is so strongly related to daily enjoyment, pleasure and the passion of food!!If you don’t enjoy the simple pleasure of cooking you are missing out on one of life’s simpler pleasures!

Many even say that they think of cooking as work or as a job…. well I would like to totally change that sentiment..that cooking is work..

Cooking, eating and food should be a passion…. Don’t just eat the first thing you find to satisfy your hunger. Take the time to really savor what you are eating..and make it something that can be savored.

Be passionate about everything you do..especially eating and cooking

Here  is a recipe to be passionate about:

Strawberry & Spumante Mousse

(serves 4; 385 calories per portion)

1/2 cup Spumante

3 eggs

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablspoons powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tablspoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons of cream

8 ounces amaretti cookies

juice of one fresh orange

Place Spumante in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Beat eggs,vanilla, corn starch with granulated sugar in a bowl . With wooden spoon,  gently fold  in hot spumante.

Blend until creamy and smooth.

Place mixture into a saucepan and beat over low heat, stirring. Mixture should thicken while stirring. Remove from heat  just before boiling.

Sieve cream through a cheesecloth and let cool. Place plastic wrap on top of cream to avoid forming a skin.

Prepare strawberry mixture by washing and hulling strawberries. Cut strawberries into small pieces. Place cut strawberries and orange juice into a saucepan and let boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Place in food processor with pinch of powdered sugar and blend.

Whip cream till firm and fold with wooden spoon into the spumante cream (already cooled). Divide into 4 dessert or spumante glasses-first a layer of crushed amaretti, then strawberry compost then top with spumante cream. Repeat, ending with spumante cream on top and garnish with fresh mint leaf.

visit me at OpenSky

May 8th- 2 PM- book signing, sampling for the award winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-Borders, Warrington, Pa.  Hope to see you there!

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

Mint, another flavor of Spring and Summer…a flavor we want to remember all year round..

….that the mounds of ices, and the bowls of mint-julep and sherry cobbler they make in these latitudes, are refreshments never to be thought of afterwards, in summer, by those who would preserve contented minds.”
Charles Dickens, while traveling in America (1842)

Mint syrup is has become ‘de rigeur’ or a something we can’t do without in my house during  the warmer months..to refresh..cool down and create all sorts of drinks and desserts..

Mint Syrup

3 lbs of fresh peppermint leaves (no stems)

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 fresh lemon

1/2 cup water

Wash and clean peppermint, remove leaves from stems.  Dry carefully. Pass leaves through  a potato ricer..  Place  this compost with juice from  the mint in a ceramic or glass bowl with juice of one lemon and peel of one lemon.. Let  sit ,covered for approx 2 hours. Place water and sugar in a saucepan and let bring to a boil, remove from heat let cool and before it thickens, pour into mint juice and stir. When syrup is cool, sieve out the peppermint leaves,  remove lemon peel and place in jars, top.

For more recipes get your copy of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards Winner- The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions

April 14th-Book signing at Free Library of Philadelphia

Visit me at OpenSky

copyright 2009, art of living, PrimaMedia,Inc

Maria Liberati

If you are planning your Holiday menus here is one for a light Holiday appetizer, it’s from my latest book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays &Special Occasions.

In the summer, this would probably be a light, late night dinner.

From The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays &Special Occasions by Maria Liberati

(Publisher : art of living,PrimaMedia,Inc; ISBN1928911021)

Perfect Tuscan Salad

¼ lb of dried white cannelini beans

1-16 ounce can or jar of albacore tuna in extra virgin olive oil

2 celery stalks finely chopped

juice of one lemon

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

8 ounces of arugula leaves

Red onion cut into rings for decoration

2 tsps Tuscan Picnic Spice Blend

Soak cannelini beans overnight. Then boil for approx 1 hour or until tender with 1 tsp Tuscan Picnic Spice Blend and 1 clove garlic. Drain and set aside. Drain tuna and flake in a small bowl, add in chopped celery. Whisk lemon juice olive oil together with 1 tsp sapori in small bowl. Add warm beans to tuna mixture, pour dressing on top, toss. Serve warm on top of arugula leaves and red onion rings on top as garnish.

 Book signings and appearances coming up:
 November 14th at 2PM-Warren Twp Library,  Warren Twp, NJ 2PM

December 12th-Franklin Twp Library, Franklin Twp NJ-12 noon

Spaghetti al Pescatore will be on schedule tomorrow in The Basic Art of Italian Cooking kitchen tomorrow. I know it’s Labor Day back in the States and most are planning a picnic but this is ‘do-able’ even for an ‘al fresco’ meal..

Planning a fresh seafood meal always means waking  up at the crack of dawn to get the best choices at the fresh seafood market here in town..fresh mussels, and the small tiny clams are going into the dish..If you want to cook along here’ s the dish..

Spaghetti alla Pescatore

1 lb spaghetti

1 lb fresh tiny clams

1 lb fresh mussels

1 lb cherry or grape tomatoes-red ,ripe

1 handful fresh parsley leaves

4 tblsps exra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1 cup dry white wine

Wash clams and mussels, submerse in cold water a few times and take off any sand. Steam clams and mussels for a few minutes, those that don’t open should be discarded.

In saute pan, place in olive oil garlic, saute till garlic begins to turn golden. Place in tomatoes that have been washed and dried. Saute for 3 minutes, place in steamed clams and mussels and white wine, saute for 5 minutes. Add in chopped parsley. Set aside, cook pasta till al dente. Drain, and add into clams and mussels and toss. Serve immediately.. Great with a dry white wine..

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

http://twitter.com/marialiberati

Get your copy of The Basic Art of  Italian Cooking:Holidays & Special Occasions with 140+ recipes and menus especially for the Holidays along with short stories of Holidays spent in Italy.

The Basic Art of Italian Cooking kitchen here in Italy was busy with many recipes today, although still hot,hot, hot and no desire to use an oven or a stove but preparing for some end of summer picnics to take advantage of the summerl iek weather that will be ending soon (I think).

Of all the recipe swe worked on my favorite is a sort of cheesecake made with fresh ricotta..my faovrote part of making the cheesecake was taking a walk to the local place in town where they produce the fresh ricotta.. Here it is ..

Ricotta Raisin Cheesecake

1 1/4 lbs (fresh, if possible) ricotta

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

6 eggs

1/4 cup raisins

peel and juice of one fresh lemon

1 tsp of orange flower water

a pinch of salt

1 tsp baking powder

Place raisins in a small bowl of warm water for 15 minutes. Place ricotta in a bowl with sugar, blend with wooden spoon until you it is a smooth creamy mixture, add in egg yolks. Sift 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder and add into ricotta cream. Blend, then  and add in orange flower water and juice and peel of lemon. Blend

Beat egg whites till firm  with pinch of salt. Add t oricotta mixture blending in with wooden spoon. Drain raisins, dry with paper towel and dust with remaining flour. Add into ricotta cream. Blend in with wooden spoon.

Line a pie pan with baking paper. Place in battter, eve nout batter with wooden spoon. Cook in ove npreheated to 360 degrees for 55 minutes or unti ltop is golden in color.

Get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking:Holidays & Special Occasions before the holidays with 140+ recipes, menus, Holiday stories and more!

Mangia Bene, Viv Bene,

Maria

http://twitter.com/Marialiberati

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

htp://twitter.com/Marialiberati