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

Saturday has always been one of my favorite days..it is market day..and I  always am too excited to sleep the night before anticipating  an early cappuccino and cornetto (Italian version of the croissant) at our local coffee bar..the best way to wake up for the long ..and continually growing market… and also pondering  what particular treasure (s) I may come upon.

Fresh speckled beans, zucchini, basil ,parsley,  tomatoes,celery, cucumbers and zucchini..the fragrance was hypnotizing as  I returned home on foot, carrying bags filled with these ultra fresh, local veggies…

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On a lazy summer Saturday..decisions are not easy to make..the brain isn’t in full focus..the sun,the fresh air, the fragrances..when will we be going to the beach house…all of  what seems to be (at least for the moment) summer’s most important decisions..but no, now the difficult choice of selecting today’s lunch.

A summer light pasta dish with an uncooked tomato sauce made with fresh red, ripe tomatoes, chopped (farm fresh) celery and celery leaves, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and pinch of salt. Let that all marinade..like a summer day marinates in the bright sunshine,fresh air and quiet…

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

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Sept 9-12 Hudson Valley Wine Festival

Oct 29-Philadelphia Gourmet Food & Wine Show

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

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

As temperatures hover over 100 in most of the USA a cold dish of pasta is a perfect way to have A cool evening meal..or take it to work for a healthy lunch. A cold pasta dish is not just about throwing cold pasta together with anything you find in the fridge.

There are some chef secrets to the art of cold pasta dishes and here they are, making cold pasta dishes is a simple, basic art….easy to do but you must follow specific rules to have the perfect summer dish…and experience the most flavor.

*As with all pasta dishes –hot or cold-always use pasta made of 100% durum semolina wheat cooked to ‘al dente’

*Use one principal ingredient-a meat, or cheese, or tuna or other seafood, then 1 or 2 other secondary ingredients-vegetables make good choices..i.e. tomatoes, peppers,  eggplant, peas, zucchini, or even olives. For optimum taste choose veggies that you can find grown locally and in season.

There are so many combinations for any palate and you can mix and match using those rules..Farfalle Primavera, cold pasta with vegetables, fusilli pasta with eggplant and fontina cheese, penne pasta with mackerel, celery and olives and the list continues. But keep it simple, pasta plus 2-3 other ingredients. Of course don’t forget to drizzle with extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil, and a pinch of salt.

*My last secret…once pasta is cooked to ‘al dente’ no need to add ingredients in immediately. best to add in ingredients a half hour before serving. Did you know that after an hour of being cut-tomatoes lose most of their original flavor..so best not to keep your tomatoes or pasta dish waiting around..

Make your cold pasta dish an eating experience!

For more tips and recipes get a copy of the book selected as the Best Italian Cusine Book in  the USA-The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition.http://www.marialiberati.com/products-page

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Sept 9-12-Hudson Valley Wine Fest, Rhinebeck, NY at Dutchess County Fairgrounds-Maria Liberati will be bringing The Basic Art of Italian Cooking to center stage with cooking demos from the award winning new book release and a book signing. For more info or to sponsor this appearance email: info@marialiberati.com

Oct 29-31-Philadelphia Food & Wine Festival at Valley Forge Convention Center. Maria Liberati will be bringing The Basic Art of Italian Cooking to center stage at this Gourmet Food and Wine event. For info or to sponsor this appearance email: info@marialiberati.com

Maria

www.marialiberati.com

where food meets art, travel and life!

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

As we are enjoying our evening meal alfresco with fireworks bursting below us…patriotic thoughts of one of my favorite signers of the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson….he was so inspired by his travels to Italy that he gave a Tuscan winemaker some land contiguous to Monticello to cultivate. He also hired many vintners from Italy to cultivate his gardens..he illegally  ‘smuggled’ rice in his coat pockets on one trip back from Italy and he also carefully researched the olive production in Italy and recommended their cultivation to acquaintances in South Carolina.

So inspired by the works of architect Andrea Palladio that he consulted his books as bibles for the construction of Monticello.   Palladio was an admirer of ancient Rome as was Jefferson and he said that   “Roman taste, genius and magnificence excite ideas”

Also inspired by the Italian language ,he taught it to himself while a student at William and Mary but he made sure it was included in the languages studied at the University of Virginia in 1764.

While Ambassador to France he toured much of Italy-especially the north and spent some time finding out how Parmigiano-Reggiano was produced,he even looked for a machine to make macaroni to bring back to the US..

One of Jefferson’s favorite wines was a Montepulciano.So who would have thought that this pasta dish served with a Montepulciano could be considered patriotic? it is if you are  celebrating the Fourth with Jefferson in mind!

Pasta with Fresh Zucchini

2 ounces ricotta

2 cups white flour

1 ½ cups cold water

pinch of salt and pepper to taste

2 zucchini

10 cherry tomatoes

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons plain tomato sauce

Preparation:

Place flour on wooden board and shape into a well. Place water and salt in center of wekk. Blend by hand and work the dough till smooth and well blended. Let rest for 2 hours covered with a clean towel.

Divide pasta ball into 4 portions. Roll out each portion on well floured board. Cut into noodles that are ½ inch thick with the help of a pasta machine or by hand.

Cut each noodle into smaller strips. Sprinkle with flour, let sit.

Place olive oil in saute pan with the zucchini that has been cut into quarters. Cook over high heat for 2 minutes. Place in tomatoes that have been cut in quarters with the plain tomato sauce. Let simmer together for 5 minutes. Add in salt as desired. Turn off heat.

Boil water ion pasta pot. Place in fresh pasta, cook for 2 -4 minutes (taste after 3 minutes do not overcook). Drain. Place in saute pan with zucchini, toss, serve with grated dried ricotta

In honor of our founding fathers, serve with a Montepulciano and don’t forget the fireworks

For more recipes 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.

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Sept 9-12 ,see you at the Hudson Valley Wine Festival in Rhinebeck, NY

Maria

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

They say that the  guitar is a  romantic instrument…this could not be truer than in Abruzzo..where every kitchen has one..well sort of ..I mean’ la chitarra’ the instrument called so because of it’s similar wooden frame and steel thin wires.. responsible for some of my great loves..’pasta a la chitarra’ the dish that began my love affair with pasta..and…(well wait more to come)…

On special Sunday mornings I would watch as my nonna..’strummed  that pasta  dough into a culinary creation..with the dexterity of a musician.(not to mention the passion).each piece would look like a perfect piece of art..I remember the dishes of ‘pasta a la chitarra’ covered with just a splash of tomato sauce and a dusting of parmigiana-reggiano..a prettier picture there could not be…

Flash forward to…..A warm summer night.. in the mountains of Abruzzo..eating al fresco on the terrace of a mountainside resort…’pasta a la chitarra con tartufi’ (with truffles)..the first meal I had with my fiance…it was love at first sight..the pasta or him..or both..

Here’s a recipe..

2 cups semoilina flour

2 cups all purpose flour

4 eggs

4 tblsps extra virgin olive oil

tepid water as needed

On pastry board, place flour and make a well in center. Place in eggs, olive oil and pinch of salt, spoonful of water. Begin to work in the ingredients by hand. Working the dough until a smooth ball is formed. If needed add a little more water to make dough smooth. If dough is too sticky sprinkle a bit more flour on the surface. Knead dough for 15 minutes. Form into a ball and leave covered in bowl for 15 minutes. Sprinkle semolina flour on pastry board and roll dough out to a thin pasta dough. Once the dough is rolled out cut it into sheets the length of your ‘chitarra’. Place sheet on top of chitarra and roll with a rolling pin. Run your fingers over exposed strings at end of chitarra and pasta will fall to bottom of the chitarra. Let pasta dry on sheet sprinkled with semolina flour for approximately 1 hour. Then cook pasta for a 2-3 minutes or until al dente in lightly salted boiling water. Top with your favorite sauce.

For more recipes get your copy of the award winning book selected as The Best Italian Cuisine Book in the USA by Gourmand Cookbook Awards-The Basic Art of Italian Cooking:Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition.

Hope to see you on Sept 9-12 at the Hudson Valley Wine Festival

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Maria

www.marilaiberati.com

where food meets art, travel & life!

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

Nothing better than fresh pasta…the taste or maybe the memories of (making fresh pasta in Italy..in Umbria..in Le Marche..in Abruzzo) how could I even think about pasta and not think about the memories created around a large table of flour and water and eggs and people..lots of people passionate about the same thing ..food…. fresh pasta to be exact..

In all the cooking programs that I have hosted, throughout Italy…fresh pasta is the most requested course…one of my favorite recipes for a pasta dish and some of my favorite memories in photos of making pasta are here… Create your own pasta memories around a table…ones that you won’t soon forget….what you create will linger in your mind ..the camaraderie, the fun,the taste of an artisan dish of pasta…

These are some pasta memories from a country house in Umbria….

Fresh Pasta with Zucchini & Ricotta

2 ounces ricotta

2 cups white flour

1 ½ cups cold water

pinch of salt and pepper to taste

2 zucchini

10 cherry tomatoes

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons plain tomato sauce

Preparation for pasta:

Place flour on wooden board and shape into a well. Place water and salt in center of well. Blend by hand and work the dough till smooth and well blended. Let rest for 2 hours covered with a clean towel.

Divide pasta ball into 4 portions. Roll out each portion on well floured board. Cut into noodles that are ½ inch thick with the help of a pasta machine or by hand.

Cut each noodle into smaller strips. Sprinkle with flour, let sit.

Preparation for Sauce:

Place olive oil in saute pan with the zucchini that has been cut into quarters. Cook over high heat for 2 minutes. Place in tomatoes that have been cut in quarters with the plain tomato sauce. Let simmer together for 5 minutes. Add in salt as desired. Turn off heat.

Boil water ion pasta pot. Place in fresh pasta, cook for 2 -4 minutes (taste after 3 minutes do not overcook). Drain. Place in saute pan with zucchini, toss, serve with grated dried ricotta

Serve on rustic plates in a bright, sunny house in the country..ohh and don’t forget the wine..a Chianti..from the hills of Tuscany will do or a Montepulciano from the mountains of Abruzzo..

 Wednesday,May 26th, 11 AM-Book Expo America-Book Signing /release of second edition of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions. Hope to see you there. If you want more info on this appearance- email: info@marialiberati.com

Hudson Valley Wine Fest-Sept 9-12-Rhinebeck NY. I am very excited this year to be one of the two Celebrity Chefs selected to appear at this event.  Along with Celebrity Chef Vincent Tropepe, I  will be doing cooking demos all weekend. If you want more info on attending this event or sponsoring one of my on stage cooking appearances –email : info@marialiberati.com

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Felicia Mcclinton from Mediterraneanrecipes.org is a guest author today  for a recipe that includes ingredients used in the Mediterranean Diet with the benefits of the healthy Mediterranean diet, delicious tasting… but with not a lot of calories. We do invite guest authors a few times a month so if you  would like info on how you could be guest author for a day here, email Sue at info@marialiberati.com

Couscous with Vegetables

Ingredients

2 cups — Couscous
4 pieces — Ripe Tomatoes
1 cup — Canned Corn

2 pieces — Carrots

1/4 cup grams — Green Olives

1 piece — Green Pepper

5 tablespoons –  Extra Virgin Olive Oil

You can prepare 4 servings of this recipe within 40 minutes. Couscous and vegetables are easy to prepare and flavorful. Couscous comes  from grains and bran and are normally cooked by steaming.

Preparation

First, wash and clean the vegetables. Cut the veggies into small pieces and put them in a bowl. Then you can add the grated carrot and corn. To season, you must add  a pinch of salt and oil.

The next step is to boil one quart of water with a tablespoon of oil. Add the couscous into the boiling water. Stir thoroughly until all the water has been absorbed. Cool the mixture then pout it into the vegetable bowl. Mix thoroughly and season with lemon juice.

Nutritional Value:

This recipe totals about 126 calories per 100 gram serving

 ***About the Author – Felicia Mcclinton writes for the blog http://www.mediterraneanrecipes.org/ , her personal hobby blog she uses to help people learn how to make Mediterranean recipes to eat healthy to prevent diseases.

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

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See you May 8th-2 PM- at Borders Warrington, PA.   for a book signing

See you May 25th at 11 AM at Javits Convention Center, NY, NY  for release/book signing  of the second edition of   the award winning book:

The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions

Maria

marialiberati.com   where food meets art, travel & life!

copyright 2010, Maria Liberati

“Life is a combination of magic and pasta” a saying of the late film director Federico Fellini..and it is so true…

Fellini was from Rimini in the north of Italy but a trip to the Eternal City when he was a young boy changed his life forever…he was enamored with  Rome..its’ people. its’ food, its’ flavors,its’ sights, the magic..and so the films of Federico Felllini were born.

I have walked  past and stopped at many of his old haunts in Rome  and wonder what it would have been like to have dinner with him and his delightful wife, actress Giuliana Massina…a Sunday  dinner ..you know first a’ passeggiata’ on Via Margutta..known for their antiques stores and one of his favorite neighborhoods.

And then heading over to Sora Lella’s restaurant  for a typical Roman pasta dish -Pasta a la Matriciana  (a specialty of the restaurant)– accompanied by a glass of Montepulciano….entertained by the intense flavors of the pasta and the interesting stories of Fellini and his  wife Giuliana and the cinematic  memories of Sora Lella herself…..that would be truly magic and pasta. And the evening’s dinner would finish with a stroll .. under a serene  Roman evening sky….to  coffee bar Giolitti  for a sweet taste of gelato….and an espresso  at Caffe Greco..as famous for its’ coffee as its’creative ‘literati’ customers.

I hope we could fit a quick tour of Cinecitta (the original studios in Rome where he filmed most of his movies) in before dinner..

An imaginary dinner… but here is the real Pasta a la Matriciana

La Matriciana

(from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions winner of the Best Italian Cuisine Book in the USA)

for 4 people

*1 lb of pasta (spaghetti, bucatini,rigatoni)

• ½ onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• ¼ pound bacon (optional), cut into thin strips
• 3 tblsps of extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup of dry white wine with ½ tblsp of white wine vinegar
• 5-6 leaves of fresh basil
• ¼ of a dry, hot ,red pepper
• a pinch of black pepper
• 2 lbs of ripe red plum tomatoes
• ¼ cup of pecorino romano cheese freshly grated

Place olive oil in saute pan and warm, place in bacon and chopped onion, hot red pepper, garlic .Saute until onion begins to become golden. Pour in wine and let liquid evaporate. Then add in the tomatoes that have been fileted (seeds removed) and fresh basil leaves.

Saute on medium heat for approx 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

Cook the pasta till al dente. Drain and place in sauce, toss and place in half of the grated cheese, toss. Serve each portion with a pinch of black pepper and more grated cheese.

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copyright 2010, Maria Liberati

I think we should make the ‘Day after Valentine’s Day’ a  Day to celebrate!! … boxes of chocolates are still there to be enjoyed.. half opened bottle of  Prosecco still in the fridge waiting to be finished..so there… you have  some of the makings for one special meal-Prosecco and chocolates.

So celebrate..the “Day after Valentines’ Day” ..as a special Occasion.. Tonight’s meal is Farfalle with Gorgonzola cheese served  with Prosecco (left over from last night’s dinner) and chocolates for dessert..and to keep things warm..and light- chocolate truffle coffee for an after dinner drink.

Farfalle (bow tie pasta) in Gorgonzola

Copyright 2009-2010 from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards

4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese

1 tablespoon +  ½  tblsp butter

3 tablespoons cold milk

1 lb of farfalle (bow tie) pasta

4 tblsps of  pasta cooking water

Place gorgonzola in saucepan with butter and milk, melt over low to medium heat. Add in pasta cooking water to thin sauce. Cook farfalle till al dente. Toss pasta  in Gorgonzola sauce. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley. Serve with a glass of  Santa Margherita Prosecco.

For more recipes and menus to make any day a Special Occasions

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Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

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