“Watermelon..it’s good fruit..you eat..you drink..you wash your face..”

Enrico Caruso

copyright, 2010, Maria Liberati

The most prominent,celebrated fruit of the summer in Italy..watermelon (cocomero)..after a day in the hot summer sun..nothing seems to cool you down or refresh body and mind like a thin slice of cool, juicy watermelon.

I always take a suitcase full of flavors with us wherever we go..and a watermelon is one of my required items.. (would not recommend putting it in a suitcase)…when we go to our country house in the mountains of Abruzzo or for a week at the beach..a watermelon is a necessary item in the months of June, July and August…..

My favorite way to eat a watermelon is cold, after it has been chilled in a bucket of ice water or the refrigerator  for an hour or two (although scientists in Italy have found that  watermelon provides more antioxidants when eaten warm) just sliced.. plain and simple..the way Mother Nature provides it..Eating watermelon is a bit like an opera ( A fine one sung by Caruso maybe) ..you really shouldn’t  just slice and eat. Prep it (put in the fridge to become cold-the overture..now it is ready-the first act is slicing into the watermelon..the second act is eating it ,savoring each bite..the final act-disposing of the rinds…you cna expereince your own opera…

If you want to fool with Mother Nature..here are some recipes :

Fruit  Skewers with Chocolate Nut Sauce

serves 4 people

4 bananas cut into 16 thick slices

1 whole, fresh pineapple cut into 16 squares

1/4 whole watermelon cut into 8 melon balls with a melon baller

2 whole kiwi, peeled, cut into 8 thick slices

1 whole cantaloupe cut into 16 melon balls or pieces

8 tablespoons of crushed hazelnuts

1- 16 ounce dark chocolate bar (of 70-90% cocoa)-melted over double boiler.

8 wooden skewer sticks

Alternate fruit on 8 wooden skewer sticks. Place 2 sticks full of fruit on each plate. Drizzle first-melted chocolate, then sprinkle with crushed hazelnuts, serve.

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

Sept 9-12 see you at the Hudson Valley Wine Festival in Rhinebeck, NY in Dutchess County Fairgrounds. For info or sponsorship info contact : Sue at info@marialiberati.com or Andrea at: events.ar@gmail.com

Maria

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 copyright 2009, Maria Liberati

Editor: Erin Kuhns

Easter Sunday is usually a never ending meal, like all holiday meals in Italy. This
year in Abruzzo, still stunned by the earthquake the week before, families managed
to pull together whatever they could. All whilst knowing that the aftershocks could
hit at any moment.   Unless you were in the city of L’Aquila the aftershocks
(luckily) did no physical damage  and were just constant reminders of the
devastation they caused to the beautiful historic city of L’Aquila.

But fear is an awful thing and unfortunately occupied the minds of everyone during
Easter dinner.

While usual Easter dinner banter is about what everyone is doing for “Pasquetta”
(Easter Monday holiday), conversation was filled with ‘what were you doing when the
quake struck?” and all the precautions to take for the coming week..just in case..

Pasquetta plans were curtailed. While this is one of Italy’s biggest Holidays that
marks the start of Spring and people usually to take to the mountains, the sea or go
for a picnic..most in Abruzzoo stayed close to home Most took ‘staycations’ at home.
Automobiles parked outside in the open fields  dotted the landscape.. automobiles in
an open field can provide a safe refuge in case of an earthquake.

Through it all,  the meal began with a Holiday lasagna, traditional easter lamb and
Pizza di Pasqua (Easter bread made with candied fruits and a light touch of
cinnamon) and dark chocolate easter eggs.

To start off the meal, an aperitif -the Rossini cocktail..yes that is Rossini… as
in Giacomo Rossini-the famous composer.   Of course..how could you begin a meal with
a Rossini cocktail without breaking into songs from The Barber of Seville…. at
least those of us that are ‘opera diva wanna be’s'….  could only hum the William
Tell Overture… but at least a fun way to lighten up the conversation… . Here’s
the recipe .

(Keep the city of L’Aquila in your thoughts and prayers, I will be posting more info
on how you can help and the rebuilding of this art filled city in near future posts)
The Rossini is another version of the Bellini cocktail. It began to become popular
in the last century. Prepared with puree of fresh strawberries and Prosecco or
Champagne. Serve this cocktail in a fluted glass and you will have an elegant and
refreshing drink.
 
Recipe for the cocktail is 1/3 fresh strawberry puree to 2/3 cold Prosecco or
Champagne. The preparation consists of the simple union of the ingredients in a
glass with some ice.
 
The most complicated part of this (if you can call it that) is making the strawberry
puree. The only way to do this is to put in a blender or small food processor. Once
pureed, mix with a few drops of lemon juice and some sugar syrup (made by mixing
water and sugar over low heat till sugar is melted)
*Wine Pairing Dinner-Join me on May 6th for a wine pairing dinner at Country Creek
Winery in Montgomery County,Pa. I will be preparing an authentic Italian sampler
dinner, 4 courses, and pairing it with 4 of their wines. Reservations required and
spots are limited. Call the winery at 215-723-6516 or email at
events@marialiberati.com for info
*May 11th- 7PM I will be bringing The Basic Art of Italian Cooking School from Italy
to  Whole Foods, on Pennsylvania Avenue in Philadelphia, Pa We will be doign a
sampler picnic in Tuscany-recipes from the best selling book The Basic Art of
Italian Cooking and cooking school in Italy. To reserve your spot email us at
events@marialiberati.com
Get your copy of the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at
http://www.marialiberati.com
Join me in Italy at The Basic Art of Italian Cooking School and Experience Italy at
our villa in Umbria/Tuscany on Sept 23-Oct 6th. Spaces limited. Includes all cooking
classes, your stay at the villa, all meals, excursions and transport to and from
airport. Limited to only 12 participants. Call 1-800-581-9020 to reserve your spot
or email: events@marialiberati.com 
For more recipes and articles
Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,
MariaLink to the post: http://marialiberati.com/blog2/?p=594Link to Maria Liberati:
http://marialiberati.com/blog2

copyright, 2008, Maria Liberati

 My grandmother (nonna) Maria loved the Italian opera..she loved to sing all the Italian classics and  to this day, when I hear an  opera cd -you can be sure that one of the songs will always bring back memories of her singing at the table after a long dinner…

My grandparents immigrated to the USA and settled in  South Philadelphia. My grandmother even sang with a young Mario Lanza in a local church produced opera there.

But being that nonna loved opera… when I look back on memories of things she did it seems that everything had acts and scenes just like an opera..dinners and making preserves and making her famous biscotti and just about everything.. From the drama of the preparation to the presentation..always almost the same thrill as witnessing an opera-from the overture to the final act..

But I think that one of her grandest ‘operas’ was Thanksgiving dinner. It had many acts..from the grand opening act of a table full of appetizers to the first course which was almost always her scrumptious lasagna made from freshly made pasta dough and freshly made tomato sauce..then the turkey arrived as the second course and everything else arrived seperately as its’ own course..the roasted potatoes with fresh rosemary, the spinach sauteed in garlic and olive oil, then the salad (salad is typically served last in Italian households and in Italy).Then the fresh cheeses and dried meats.  Plates of fresh fruits and nuts..then fresh fruit macedonia (A type of fruit cocktail-made with fresh fruits or fruits she had jarred from the summer)..then the desserts taking stage one after the other..Every course being so special and made with such care that you had to focus on one course at a time..just like at the opera..one act at a time… And nonna was always the ‘diva’ of the opera from it’s preparation to the presentation and the final act…

And I can’t forget about the audience..an audience of 35 or more-family and friends gathered around as many tables as one can fit in a kitchen..old and young and in between all ‘oohed’ and ‘aahed’ at the arrival of another course..just like the beginning of the acts of an opera… And upon the arrival of an act or course the audience became quiet… anxious to savor what was before them..  The tastes were as pleasing to the palate as the sounds of  a great tenor like Pavarotti and Caruso or Mario Lanza or soprano Maria Callas..you don’t want to miss a minute of a memorable performance…

The Opera… and the Final Act

And after dinner and all the plates had been cleared away, the memorable final act was nonna serenading us with one of her opera classics..and nonno may chime in with one of the love songs he serenaded her with when they first met…Oh what a beautiful opera and unfortunately one that I can never see again.

So I am thankful this Thanksgiving not just for being able to have the food on the table but for having had all those special memories that I can look back on. The Thanksgiving Opera… 

If you also have some special Thanksgiving memories..please share…. Memories are special gifts to be shared….

For more memories and recipes get your copy of  bestselling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati at http://www.marialiberati.com or http://stores.lulu.com/marialiberati

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“Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene”
Maria