Editor: Lisa  Zatulovsky

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

Romantic emeralds, flashy rubies and elegant diamonds sparkled in the light on the stage of the Teatro Alla Scala during a three-week engagement of the ballet Jewels. Milan’s La Scala Ballet recently performed multiple performances of George Balanchine’s acclaimed Jewels this May. Balanchine captures the beauty of “Emeralds,” “Rubies,” and “Diamonds,” translating them into distinctive ballet sequences. The grandeur of the theatre framing the dancers of La Scala enhances the opulence of this dazzling ballet, like a menagerie of rare gems in a jewelry box, garnished with bracelets, necklaces and rings. Deep scarlet seats emblazoned with gold and delicate crystal chandeliers, paired with exquisite dancing are all ingredients for a magical recipe.

As the lights dim and the composer carefully waves his baton for “Emeralds”, dancers in deep-green velvet bodices with lithe tulle skirts adorned with emerald accents and magnificent jeweled crowns decorate the stage. A dreamy melody by Gabriel Faure brings the dancers to life, harmoniously chaining the movements together like the links of a delicate gold bracelet.

As the curtains re-open, the next section, “Rubies,” is introduced. Igor Stravinsky’s staccato, alluring and jazzy score starkly contrasts with the previous movement. Dancers in short red costumes with encrusted scarlet stones ooze sensuous appeal. Extreme extensions, angular movements and dazzling turns are front and center in this playful sequence. Like a bold-statement necklace with layers of rubies set in gold, this section demands attention.

The last section begins, presenting “Diamonds,” the culmination of Jewels. Paying homage to the great Russian composer Tchaikovsky, Balanchine creates a magnificent and sophisticated conclusion. Corps dancers in mid-length white tulle tutus ornament the stage like a set of small diamonds decorating a silver engagement ring. As the leading couple starts to dance, a princely cavalier presents a majestic, long-limbed ballerina looking as though she were the central princess cut diamond of the engagement ring.

For an appetizer, inspired by ‘Jewels’ start with Bruschetta al Pesto. Reminiscent of the ballet’s green color, the understated deep emerald pesto sauce made with garlic, basil, olive oil and pine nuts, brushed onto a thin slice of crusty bread is an ideal antipasto.

Let your main course take a front and center role much like Rubies by presenting a show stopping Lasagna . Bold and hearty, Lasagna made with layers of tomato sauce, beef, al dente Lasagna sheets and creamy ricotta, shredded mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano will demand your attention with every bight.

For the grand finale of your meal, finish off with a sparkling Italian dessert white wine, suggestive of the cold finesse of a clear-cut diamond. For one last ovation, make your meal sparkle like a radiant diamond by enjoying sips of the sweet notes of Moscato d’Asti, as the last traces of radiance catch the light before the curtain closes one last time.

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

Ju;y 21- 24, Festa Italiana- the USA’s largest Italian Festival in Milwaukee Wisconsin- See you there at Cucina Showcase. The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm will be doing on stage events every day and book signings by Maria Liberati throughout. For more info email: Info@marialiberati.com

July 29=31 Gourmet Food and Wine Show, Bally’s Atlantic City, Maria Liberati will be doing on stage cooking demos and book signings

copyright art of living, PrimaMedia,Inc

My favorite way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon is eating al fresco at home, so that I can have a leisurely, meal with a great bottle of wine, crusty bread. This past Sunday ,it was  a lazy, hazy day, and I was outside with  more than one bottle of wine at the Great Grapes Festival in Cockeysville, Maryland on stage cooking a dish from my latest book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition.  it wasn’t a lazy Sunday for me, but it was an enjoyable one.

I enjoyed speaking to everyone and answering questions about ingredients to use with recipes in my books and how to get to some of the out of the way places in Italy that are  mentioned in my books.  You can find a lot of info on those places here on this Blog

Never realized there were so many great wineries in Maryland.  But many states in the US are developing their own winemaking.  And with choices of wines produced locally, I receive many emails  asking me how to organize an informal wine tasting with friends and family. Summertime makes a perfect time to do an outdoor one and add that to your roster of activities for having a ‘staycation’

I am hired to do many formal wine tastings, pairings and dinners and the first thing we always decide on is (the most important guests) the wine that we will be tasting.

*Decide on a theme-wines from a specific state in the US or a region in Italy

*Red or white wines

*Divide wine bottle up into stations-tables that hold 1- 4 bottles of wine. Next to each bottle, have a card that tells name, and something about the wine or print up a list guests can carry around with them to take home.

*Each guest needs one glass for each wine he /she will use per each bottle of wine they will be tasting.

*For white wines,sparkling wines, roses, you will need buckets half filled with ice/cold water to keep wines in. Every so often you will want to remove wines so they do not become too cold.

*Have a spittoon on each table and give someone the task of emptying the spittoon every so often

*Include pitchers of water at each table.

*Have crackers and bread cubes or small pieces of bread at each table to eat with wine.

*If you want to make this into a wine pairing, pair  snack foods at each table with those particular wines-cheeses ,breads, crackers, nuts, etc.

*Lastly remember that it is a wine tasting not wine drinking event. So everyone should be prepared to taste a gulp of each wine, not to drink many glasses of each. The purpose of a wine tasting is to be able to discover new wines to try with upcoming meals.

Since mushrooms seem to be considered the meat of the vegetable kingdom, here is a grilling recipe to pair with a red wine

Grilled Porcini Mushrooms

from the upcoming book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style-2nd edition

8 large porcini mushroom caps
2 cloves of garlic
1 handful fresh parsley
4 tablespoons (60 gr) extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Clean the mushroom caps with a wet paper towel. Do not put under water, but clean delicately with damp paper towel. Chop fresh parsley and garlic. Place mushroom caps,olive oil, chopped parsley, garlic, salt, pepper to taste to marinade in a bowl for 3 minutes. Turn over and marinade for another 3 minutes. Place on hot grill for about 10 minutes-5 minutes for each side. Serve immediately.

See you at:
July 21-24 -Festa Italiana ,Milwaukee Wiconsin-The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm will be on stage doing  cooking demos all weekend

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

Today in my kitchen I opened up  the largest can of tomatoes (5 lbs 10 ounces)  I have ever opened. It was also the sweetest can of tomatoes I ever opened… not because they were  San Marzano tomatoes..but because they were one of the last ingredients found in my aunt’s kitchen the day she passed away, almost a year ago.

The can weighed just as heavy on my kitchen shelf as her loss weighed on my heart. It almost seemed that as long as the can was there ,she was here , at least in spirit. But today I was finally able to bring myself to open this 5 lb can of tomatoes and  making 10 small containers of sauce.

As the can opener whirled around this gigantic lid, I found myself staring inside almost thinking that something else would be inside. Her life ,her face, quickly glimmered in my mind. But all that appeared inside the can  were these beautiful fragrant, red ripe tomatoes. She would have approved these for a tomato sauce.The aroma was haunting. True to her last words, “Please don’t ever forget me”. This sauce will produce even more reasons to reminisce about her ..now I have this empty can that I absolutely can not trash.Who knows maybe I will put a tomato plant inside…

Spaghetti with Red Clam Sauce

1 lb baby clams

4 tblsps olive oil

2 cloves minced garlic

2 tblsps finely chopped parsley

1 14 oz can peeled tomatoes

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 lb spaghetti

Steam clams for 2 minutes. Discard clams that remian closed.  Set liquid aside. Remove clams from shells, leavea few intact for plate  garnish.  Place oilive oil in saucepan with garlic. Saute till garlic begins to turn golden.  Add in chopped parsley, liquid from clams. Suate until liquid has evaporated. Add in clams, tomatoes. Simmer for 20-25 minutes. Cook pasta in boiling salted water till al dente. Drain. Place in sauce ,toss and serve.  Garnish with parsley, and whole clams.

For more recipes get your copy of the Gourmand World Cookbook Award Winning Book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions.

Events:
June 11-12, Great Grapes wine tasting, food festival, Cockeysville, MD. The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati t mtakes center stage wit hcooking demos and book signings. Email: events@marialiberati.com for more info or sponsorship info

July 13- Harleysville, PA,  Girls Night Out in Tuscany-Cooking class/demo. Join The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm for a cooking class/demo and sample  a 4 course Tuscan picnic meal from the Gouramnd Award Winning book The Basic Art of  Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions. registration is limited. For more info, contact Sue Thomson at 215-436-9524 or events@marialiberati.com To be held at Agehman Remodelers Kitchen Showroom, 355 Main St,  Harleysville, Pa

July 21-24, Festa Italiana, Milwaukee Wisconsin, the largest Italian festival in the USA . This year Maria Liberati will be the Celebrity Chef along with PBS Chef Nick Stelllino. Maria will be taking center stage wit hcooking demos and book signings thorughotu the event. For more info or sponsorship opportunities contact: Sue Thomson at events@marialiberati.com

July 29-31 Gourmet Food & wine Show, Bally’s Casino, Atlantic City, NJ.  The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm takes center stage with cooking demos, book signings thorughout the event. For more info and sponsorship opportunities contact Sue Thomson at events@marialiberati.com

The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm produces culinary events, for your company, organization, Corporate training events with a culinary theme, fundraisers, meet and greets wtih Celebrity Chef Maria Liberati and book signings of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking, wine pairing events/classes. Let us design your nextspecial event with a culinary theme, anywhere in the world. For a free proposal email: events@marialiberati.com

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

February 17th and Spring is (almost) in the air (begins on March 20th at 7:21 PM), and thoughts of butterflies beckon. February 17th Madame Butterfly, the opera composed by Puccini made it’s debut  at  La Scala in Milan. And after a few revisions became, and still is  one of the most performed operas in North America

If you have begun seeing little hopeful glimpses of Spring in the air, it is not a mirage, with Spring only about a month away visions of butterflies, sun, fresh Spring veggies come to mind and a Spring time dish that includes farfalle (translation-butterfly) pasta and fresh peas for a true bite of Spring.

Farfalle pasta have strong similiarites to the character of  Puccini’s Madame Butterfly-they are delicate little creatures, and are usually served with delicate sauces. One would never think of weighing down farfalle with gobs of heavy sauce, they are just too delicate.

Farfalle with Spring Peas

*1 lb farfalle pasta

*1 cup baby peas (if not in season use frozen)

*1/2 cup cream

*2 tblsps Parmigiana Reggiano grated

*2 small scallions peeled and chopped

*1 cup vegetable broth

* 1 1/2 tblsps of extra virgin olive oil

*optional-2 ounces cooked prosiutto cut into cubes

Place oil in saute pan and heat, place in chopped scallions, saute for 1 minute. Add in peas and broth ,set aside 1 tblsp broth for later. When peas are tender but still firm, add in (optional prosciutto) and cream. Add in salt to taste. Let simmer over low heat, for 5 minutes.  Set aside.Boil pasta and cook till al dente, When finished add into cream sauce with 1 tblsp broth,   toss gently to coat with sauce. Complete dish with grated Parmigiana cheese and the dish is ready to be served.

 ***Congratulations to celebrity Chef Vincent Tropepe for being named as USACC Chef of the Year and on February 17th- I will be the host at the Awards dinner for him at Epoca Restaurant in NYC. Even Yogi Berra is a fan of his cookbook, he is also executive chef  at Epoca. F or more info on this go to www.epocanyc.com

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

What a fitting place for a Roman banquet, at the top of the Spanish Steps in the heart of Rome, the same site where the ‘art of the banquet ‘was practically invented by one Roman General/Politician from an aristocratic family-Lucio Lucini Lucullo….a mere (approximately) 2,000 years ago. Lucullo was very well known for his lavish banquets, filled with many elegant courses, he was quite an epicurean for his time. But he loved to dine lavishly whether dining alone or dining with friends. 

 He was also famously  known to order his servants to prepare a sumptuous feast for himself only… when asked by the servants who was coming to this banquet that night, he replied “tonight Lucullo is dining with Lucullo”

Il Palazetto in Rome is a luxurious boutique hotel, restaurant and wine bar at the very site of Lucullo’s famous banquets..I will be experiencing a Roman feast there shortly..you can explore more on Il Palazetto online..

 Here is a traditional recipe for a dish you will also find at Il Palazetto, it is a simple dish, only a few ingredients..people from the region of Abruzzo will tell you it was invented there, but the Romans claim it to be a Roman dish…the dish is a delicious one no matter who invented it. 

Cacio & Pepe

*1 lb of spaghetti (made from durum wheat)

*1/2 cup pecorino romana cheese freshly grated

*dash of freshly ground black pepper

*Extra Virgin Oilve Oil

Cook the pasta in lightly salted water. The cheese you will be using is salty so in this case you only want to lightly salt the water and don’t want to give the pasta an overly salty taste. It will disrupt the balance of the taste combination of the pecorino and spaghetti. Cook spaghetti for time indicated.

Drain pasta, but reserve a few tablespoons of the cooking water. In a bowl add some of the reserved cooking water (a little at a time ) to the grated pecorino cheese. Stir till you get a smooth sauce  and cheese is melted.  Toss in the pasta. Top with a dash of freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and your dish is ready. Please serve hot!

For more recipes and tips get your copy of the best selling book at The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition  

A day spent looking for’ funghi’ (mushrooms) for a dish of hot polenta on a cold winter day…..a fun day to look for mushrooms because I encountered so many friends and family in town while searching for the perfect mushroom..The 30^th of the year and everyone wishing “tanti auguri” (good wishes) and sharing their plans for a ‘capodanno’ (New Year’s Eve). Most spending a night at home with friends and family..others going to free concert in the Coliseum in the center of Rome..to a night in the discoteca and a grand ‘cenone’ (Dinner) in many different locations. But no one had definite plans yet. After all it is only the 30th and procrastination seems to be ‘de rigeur’ here when it comes to making final decisions.

 But my splendid day was ended with a cup of hot chocolate at a ‘chocolateria’ with friends..discussing plans..my mind was distracted by the thick, so chocolatey taste of this hot chocolate made with 90% cocoa..all chocolate..nothing else..as my mind wandered in and out of consciousness from the splendid taste to the plans..I seemed to lose track of the conversation…how can you concentrate on anything else?

One thing is for sure, tomorrow, December 31^st, Lentil soup will be the first course, 12 grapes will be eaten  and a bottle of Braccheto will pop open at the stroke of Midnight….that seems to be all you can count on in this little town where plans are always made at the last minute…but that’s okay..I like to be surprised!

Here’s a recipe for a quick appetizer for your New Year’s Eve party..I will fill you in on my menu as soon as it is figured out..that may be 10 minutes before the stroke of midnight..

This recipe makes a colorful dish and is an easy one as well. Here is a quick way to make use of leftover bread, or quickly put together a meal with things commonly found in the household pantry. An economical recipe that doesn’t taste economical. This recipe is for 4 people. The peppers can be used as a main course or as a side dish, or served with a salad. Serve with a dry white wine for a special added touch. You can even serve these stuffed peppers as an appetizer. These are great as leftovers too, so don’t hesitate to take these for lunch to work the next day, Place in a covered container and eat cold with a slice of bread or crakers or alone.

 Stuffed Peppers

 (excerpted/copyright 2010 The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2^nd edition)

*2 red peppers

*2 yellow peppers

*1 tsp capers,drained

*10 ounces of day old crusty Italian bread -cut into cubes

*1-16 ounce can tuna packed in olive oil

*1 cup milk

*4 garlic cloves

*salt

Wash and dry the peppers, cut off the tops and leave the stems on, set aside. Place bread cubes and milk in separate bowl,then add in tuna, capers and a pinch of salt. Mix together. Divide the mixture amongst all 4 peppers and stuff each one. Place a whole garlic clove on top of stuffing and then top with top of pepper that was cut off. Place in a baking pan and drizzle olive oil on top of peppers. Bake in oven preheated to to 450 degrees for 30 minutes.

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

And the week continues on as one long Festa..today is Santo Stefano ( Saint Stephen).. this day has been a national Holiday here in Italy since 1946. But this is also non-officially known as the ‘day of leftovers’ and a day to relax from all the ’madness’ in the kitchen… besides everyone is usually ‘cooked out’ after Christmas….

And that is just fine with me..there is nothing better than leftover lasagna..and as I looked in the fridge this morning attempting to piece together a coordinated menu from all the leftovers (one never knows what one will find still in fridge with so many overnight guests at home)

Ahh… I am pleasantly surprised to find  3/4 pan of one lasagna .. sardines..fresh tomatoes..fresh arugula..fresh mushrooms..parmigiana-reggiano..locally made Pecorino from Abruzzo and a loaf of bread ( in the bread cupboard) from our local ‘forno’..

Menu:
*Lasagne

*Baked Mushrooms

*sardines

*Pecorino cheese

*Fresh arugula, tomato, salad topped with shaved parmigiana-reggiano cheese and drizzeld with extra virgin olive oil

*An opened, but half full, bottle of Prosecco (perfect to accompany the second course and side dishes)

Unlike my Christmas meals this one will come together quickly.. and I will still be able to get to the Santo Stefano Christmas Mercato (Market) in the piazza for a stroll,,,, but don’t forget the fresh fruit, Panettone and torrone for dessert..and the ever obligatory game of Tombola (Bingo) ..but Panettone always takes a central place on the table nop matter what is going on during these festive days..

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

My better half arrived from Italy a few days ago, had to catch a bus from our ‘pied a terre’ in Rome to catch an early plane at the airport.

When he hopped on the bus in front of the Coliseum at 4:30 AM-he was the only person there..he said  “for the first time ever it  felt like it was just  me  and the Coliseum  that were the only two things in the center of Rome”…..”Io & the Coliseo” were his exact words..I think that would make a great title for a movie…not sure yet what it would be about. …Any film makers out there/?Any ideas??

Well, on the other side of the world, here,  cauliflower is everywhere!  Take advantage of the fresh, local cauliflower available now and use it in a pasta dish. Orecchiette (little ears) pasta pairs great with this dish.And lunch was an absolutely delcious one with this dish…

Orecchiette Pasta with Cauiflower & Pecorino

*1 lb Orrecchiete Pasta

*1 lb fresh, red, ripe tomatoes (plum or vine ripened)

*1/2 lb fresh cauliflower-(florets only)

*1 clove garlic

*1 small onion finely chopped

*1 sage leaf

*1/4 cup freshly  grated pecorino cheese

*pinch of dried thyme

*pinch salt and pepper

*2 tablespoons olive oil

Finely chop garlic, onion, place in saute pan with olive oil. Saute for 30 seconds. Filet tomatoes and place in saute pan, add in thyme, pinch of salt and pepper.

In a pot of salted boiling water, place in pasta, after 5 minutes place in cauliflower, cook till pasta is al dente. Drain in colander. Place pasta  in sauce and toss gently. Sprinkle on pecorino cheese and freshly grated black pepper,serve.

Oct 29-31 see you at the Philly Gourmet Food & Wine Show at Valley Forge Convention Center.

November 2nd-Fair Lakes Public Library, Fair Lakes NJ- Book signing and sampling

November 13th-Book signing-Borders Express store at Woodbridge Mall, Woodbridge, NJ

For more info on events email: events@marialiberati.com

Visit OpenSky

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

Peace, Love & Pasta,

Maria

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

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

Visit OpenSky

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