copyright 2010 art of living,PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati
“We do not remember days, we remember moments” once said Cesare Pavese-Italian author/novelist…
so create a special moment for Father’s Day..a meal ..a brunch together..a picnic..a meal…time together ..created by you…create a moment to remember.
Ingredients for a Happy Father’s Day: A recipe that uses local and in season ingredients
Your Dad or someone that is a Father figure to you
Time spent together… accompanied by great food, friends and family..
Strawberries are at their sweetest..try this dish accompanied by a Prosecco or Spumante:
Risotto alla Fragole (risotto with strawberries)
4 cups vegetable broth
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks chopped finely
1 cup arborio or carnaroli rice
1 tablespoon butter (unsalted)
pinch of salt
1 cup Prosecco, Spumante or dry white wine
10 ounces fresh strawberries, washed and cut in half
Heat vegetable broth till boiling. Place olive oil in large saute pan. Place in chopped leeks and saute till leeks are just about golden. Place in rice and toast till rice is coated with oil and all liquid is evaporated. Add in wine or Prosecco. Stir till all liquid is evaporated. Place in ½ cup of vegetable broth and stir till all liquid is evaporated and repeat placing in ½ cup liquid til evaporated till rice is al dente (approximately 15 minutes).
Puree strawberries. When rice is almost done, place in strawberry puree. Stir in well. Remove from heat. Let stand for 2 minutes. Place 1 tablespon of butter on top and stir till melted. Serve ,top with grated parmigiana-reggiano cheese. Decorate plates with strawberry garnish.
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
copyright 2009, art of living,PrimaMedia,Inc, Maria Liberati
Special gifts are sometimes the simplest things… At The Basic Art of ItalianCooking by Maria Liberati tm we are getting ready to release our Holiday Guide of 2009 with some fantastic gift ideas.
I do enjoy material gifts, but I am so enamored with gifts that can’t be wrapped up in a package.. There are so many special gifts that come to mind that I could never put a price on and everyone has those gifts that are not appreciated enough for those are the gifts that are the real treasures..the gifts that we are not thankful enough for..Think about it…
In one of my online chats with my significant other yesterday evening…while he was in Rome, he emailed me a photo of a colorful sunset in Rome he experienced that day and he told me how much he wished I was there to see it.. and I wished I was there so much to see it as well. But the photo really brightened up my evening..just imagining myself being in Rome to see another beautiful sunset there..with this photo..if only for a minute I could take myself there.. this photo and thought was my favorite gift of the day… I have included it here to share with you.
A purchased gift is a nice thought as well, but remember all the gifts you have all throughout the day.
As we are getting ready for the Holiday Gift Guide we have gotten to work with many an exceptional olive oil in The Basic Art of Italian Cooking kitchen. Here is a recipe that put the olive oil to good use:
Place 2 tablespoons olive oil in sauté pan Chop scallions finely. Heat oil and place in scallions. Saute till they begin to turn golden. Add in ½ of teamed broccoli, uncooked orzo pasta to toast, stir with wooden spoonPour in white wine let liquid evaporate. Then add in 1 cup vegetable broth and stir with wooden spoon. Uisng the same technique as cooking risotto, add in ½ cup of vegetable broth when liquid evaporates and repeat until orzo is al ‘dente’ (following cooking time directions on orzo package). Five minutes before cooking time is up- add in remaining steamed broccoli, steamed, cleaned shrimp, packet of saffron. Stir until saffron is well blended in.
When finished cooking, remove from heat. Place 1 tsp butter on top, stir in. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley. Stir. Let sit one minute before serving. For serving idea, serve in small glasses. Top with one whole shrimp and a broccoli floret for decoration
Hope to see you at my upcoming book events/ cooking demos/ tastings at:
December 9th-Girls Night Out- Chestnut Hill Business Association, Chestnut Hill, Pa
December 12th- Franklin Twp Library, Franklin Twp, NJ at 2 PM
To schedule a cooking class , wine pairing event or a culinary tour in the US or Italy with The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm email us at events@marialiberati.com
Is your mouth watering for a meaty truffle? Well, as distinct as the cooking is in Umbria, you won’t find a chocolate truffle infused with pork, but separately these two items top the list of famous specialty foods coming from the beautiful Umbria region in Italy. With its tree-laden grounds scoured by uniquely trained “truffle dogs,” Umbria maintains favorable conditions for which wild mushrooms abound during truffle season. The soil created by oak and willow trees are said to be rich in Norcia, one of Umbria’s most reliable areas for bountiful truffle raising and famous for its black truffles and flourishing truffle trade industry.
Coming to a close at the end of March, truffle season harvests Umbria’s most sought after and expensive treat starting in December each year. Secretive and mysterious, the professional truffle harvesters of Umbria, known as the trifolau, partake in festivals and other celebrations throughout truffle hunting season seeking truffles of all sizes and shapes and pungency. Once these truffles are found, they are cooked and stored, or sold to restaurants and added to high cuisine recipes.
Eaten alone or thrown into a pasta dish, truffles are a delectable addition to various Italian dishes including but not limited to roast squab, mayonnaise, cakes, rice, fondue and a variety of spreads and sauces. The legacy of the truffle is attributed to its versatility and flavor. No other terrain in the world produces as many truffles as Italy does and 80% of Italy’s truffles come from Umbria. Gastronomes around the world agree that Italian truffles possess a earthy and heavenly taste, though black truffles from Norcia are known to be less aromatic than its white complement. The truffle is not the only hot commodity in Umbria, as there are just as many butchers as there are truffle hunters in this extraordinary region.
If you’ve ever been to an open market in Italy, you are sure to have been surrounded by the various meats that have been butchered, prepared, and sold for generations. Most commonly in the form of salami, sausages, and ham, Umbria’s primary meat is pork. Dishes such as mazzafegati (pig’s liver sausages), porchetta (pork roast), and Umbrian mortadella (seasoned sausage mixed with pork and bacon) are recognized as flavorful, sweet, and savory. It’s said that Italian butchers do not hold back when it comes to the pig, doing everything and anything that can be done to them in the name of cooking. From the pig’s feet and cheeks to the ox’s tongue, the Italians are creative and ingenious in how they approach the livestock from which they create their specialty foods and dishes. Umbria’s conscientious cooking processes, embedded in history and perfected through experimentation, continue to provide pleasing treats and meats.
Villa LaVeranda Interview and Tour-Umbria Italy
it is breathtaking ,the villa that I just fell in love with enough to have my culinary tours there for The Basic Art of Italian Cooking. Here is video of my visit there and the interview with Susan Evans-who headed the transformation of this once animal stall into the beautiful villa it is today. Watch!
If you want to join our next culinary tour and stay there ..see more info at http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2/page_id=542 or look below
Check out my informal interview inside the kitchen of La Veranda here:
**Please keep your thoughts and prayers with the people of central Italy who were hit with the devastating earthquake on April 6th. Hardest hit was the city of L’Aquila and towns nearby. Since L’Aquila is the capital city of Abruzzo I have been there for many events many a time. You can put the name L’Aquila in the search engine of my blog to find past posts on this medieval town. But here is one of the posts: http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2/?p=341
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
Risotto with White Grapes is a delicious recipe and great with Orvieto wine from Umbria
1 cuo rice for risotto-arborio or carnaroli
½ lb white grapes (seedless)
1 slice onion chopped finely
4 ounces parmigiana reggiano cheese
1 tablespoon butter
3-6 cups vegetable broth
1 cup dry white wine or champagne
2 tablespoons olive oil
In saute pan, saute olive chopped onion in olive oil. When golden put in rice and saute for 2 minutes, Place in wine or champagne. When liquid is absorbed, pour in ¾ cup broth. Stir and when liquid is absorbed pour in another ¾ cup of broth. Repeast this processs for approx 15 minutes or until al dente. Half way during cooking time. Place in washed grapes. When finished, top with butter, and parmigiano reggiano cheese.
May 6th, Wine Pairing Dinner at Country Creek Winery in Telford, witha 4 course authentic Italian sampler dinner and 4 wine samples..join us at an authentic rustic vineyard voted as Montgomery County’s Best. Fee is $39.95 reservations are limited ,call the winery at 215-723-6516 for reservations.
Tonight at Whole Foods Market in Philadelphia, I will prove that,yes you can cook from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking and stick to a budget..it is simple since a lot of the authentic recipes from Italy come from the ‘cucina povere’. They were forced to come up with delicious ways to make use of every last drop of food and not throw anything away Iwhich is great for the environment as well). But true, healthy authentic Italian cooking does not require a lot of any one ingredient. So even though an ingredient like olive oil is certainly not an inexpensive item-you only use a few tablspoons in a recipe..it is a ‘healthy for you’ oil as well….
The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm Cooking School will be held tonight at Whole Foods Market, 2001 Pennsylvania Ave, Philadelphia, Pa. Class fee is $10 or $5 with purchase of the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking. Places limited, call store to register at 215-599-9735.
copyright 2009, Maria Liberati. The Basic Art of Italian Cooking
ahhh..it is getting closer to Valentine’s Day..I can smell the roses and taste the chocolate..
Don’t forget the wine. My choice is Orvieto Classico..perfect for risotto or fish or chicken..My suggestion would be a risotto al mare.seafood risotto.
Well it contains clams and they are an aphrodisiac.
Here is the recipe and more on Orvieto Classico shortly.
Risotto al Mare
1 cup arborio rice
4 -5 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
4 pounds small fresh or fresh frozen clams
1 slice onion chopped finely
1 clove garlic
2 cups Orvieto Classico or dry white wine
1 tablespoon butter (unsalted)
5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil in saute pan and heat,place in clams and pour in 1 cup white wine. Saute til clams open. Take out any that do not open. Set aside sauteed opened clams.
In another saute pan, place in 1 tablespoon olive oil, heat, place in chopped parsley and the juice from clams that have just cooked. Saute for 2 minutes.
Place vegetable broth in soup pan, add in parsley mixture to broth. Stir and heat to boiling. In another saute pan, add in remaining olive oil chopped onion, garlic clove whole, and saute till onion begins to turn golden.Add in dry rice, pour in 1 cup white wine. When liquid is absorbed, add in 3/4 cup of broth and stir continuously, Repeat this process until rice is al dente (about 15-20 minutes).Add in cooked clams, stir. Place in butter, stir till melted, serve with Orvieto Classico
Join me on February 18th at 6PM at Whole Foods Market in Marlton NJ. Book signing & The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm cooking school. Join us for a cooking class-Pasta & Their Sauces- after book signing.
Join me also on February 19th at Whole Foods Market, Philadelphia,Pa at 6 PM for a book signing and The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm Cooking school. “Cooking on a Budget The Basic Art of Italian Cooking.Cook a 4 course authentic Italian meal on a budget from the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking. To register email us at events@marialiberati.com or call the store at 215-599-9735
Join me on February 26th at 7 PM at the Whole Foods in Princeton, NJ-Book Signing and The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm Cooking School. “Every Pasta Has Its’ Sauce” Cooking Class includes lesson on pairing pasta withtheir sauces, how to cook perfect pasta and making 4 separate pasta dishes. recipes,samples and lessons provided. To register call the store at 609-799-2919 or email events@marialiberati.com
Although The Basic Art of Italian Cooking kitchens both here in Italy and the USA are always ‘buzzing’ with cooking. We never seem to have enough places to put cooking utensils… but especially the many pots and pans that we have here..You know we have to have a pot or a pan for every little thing and I do have my favorite pots and pans (sort of like they were my favorite pets). So I especially liked the suggestions that was just emailed me to me-enclume pot racks.
The most important thing I love about these things are that they do not take up any more of our precious space. The racks can hang from the ceiling. Or if we want we can use one of the enclume potracks that are like a portable island so that when someone needs to be at one end of the kitchen for one part of a recipe they can place all the needed utensils on the rack, wheel it to their part of the kitchen and they are ready to go. And things can be stored on the rack as well.
But besides not taking up too much space, (and you know how we Italians focus on beautiful things) the enclume potracks are beautiful and classic pieces. They are finely crafted and suitable for so many of the fine pots and pans that we have in both The Basic Art of Italian Cooking kitchens. And they add a sense of style which is so important to have in a kitchen. Well, the atmosphere is just as important as the food in The Basic Art of Italian Cooking kitchen and an enclume pot rack provides that. They can also ship to most places around the world so we will certainly be getting one in our The Basic Art of Italian Cooking kitchen in Italy in the villa’s main kitchen…
Happy cooking and here is a recipe
It ocmes from Treviso Italy..famous for its’ locally grown red radicchhio. They use it for just about everything..even desserts and it is healthy for you. Since I love my risotto, here is a simple risotto recipe using red radicchio.
Risotto Trevigiano
*1 cup Carnaroli rice
*2 heads of red radicchio
*4-5 cups of vegetable broth
*1 tsp of finely chopped onion
*1 cup of dry white wine
*pinch of salt and pepper
*2 tablespoons of parmigiano-reggiano cheese
*2 tblsps of extra virgin olive oil
Clean and cut the radicchio. Cut off tough outer leaves and bottom of heads. Cut out the leaves outside that are dark red, use mostly the white heart inside. Place olive oil in saute pan and warm, place in onions and saute till just golden.. Add in radicchio. Saute for about 3 minutes. Add in dry rice and saute ,then pour in wine,. When liquid is absorbed add in hot vegetable broth- 3/4 cup at a time. Stirring constantly. Continue this till rice is al dente. When done, remove from heat, sprinkle on finely grated cheese and stir. Top each serving with a drizzle of olive oil.
For mroe great recipes get your copy of the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at http://www.marialiberati.com
copyright, 2008, art of living,PrimaMedia,Inc, The Basic Art of Italian Cooking
Tartufi (truffles) are considered by many to be a ‘mystery of nature’. Gaio Plinio Secondo known as Plinio il Vecchio, born in 79 AD wrote in Naturalis Historia- ‘that tartufi are born spontaneously and not from seeds and they live without roots’, according to Plinio the origin of tartufi remain always in an ‘aura of mystery’ and to this day that remians true..
According to botanists tartufi (truffles) are categorized as a ‘fungus’ that live under ground that is rich in water, minerals and near the roots of a tree. They live in symbiosis with the tree root.
Tartufi are rich in fiber ,a complete protein and easily digested.
Truffles have long been a part of the history of the gourmet table. It was said that Lord Byron kept a truffle on his desk, he believed that the perfume of the truffle ignited his creativity. Alexander Dumas (the writer of The Three Miusketeers) described tartufi as one ofthe most maginifient ingredients of the table.
You can find truffles in many regions of Italy-Abruzzo, Tuscany, Umbria and others. For this a national association known as the”Associazione Nazionale Citta di Tartufo” (National Association of Truffle Cities) has been formed to discover new ways of finding and growing this ‘mystical fungus’.
Truffles (tartufi) come in black and white. The white truffle is the more delicate and costly. Most gourmet stores carry truffles But if you canlt find fres htruffles, you can find them jarred in olive oil or truffle oil.
Truffles have a strong taste and a very little goes a long way. To experience the taste of truffles, drizzle (sparingly) some truffle oil on top of a plate of risotto or grate (sparingly) some fresh truffle on a plate of pasta or pizza. Not even a full teaspoon of grated truffle is needed to experience the flavor.
Since we live in a region where truffles are found- I always find presents of a tartufi or two left for me at home in the winter. Truffles have become my favorite present and I use them to flavor everything.
Here is a recipe we have been working on in The Basic Art of Italian Cooking kitchen here in Italy to experiecne the truffles in season now:
Risotto con Tartufo
*1 cup of rice (carnaroli or arborio)
*2 tblsps + 2 tsps extra virgin olive oil
*2 scallions
*4 large oysters-steamed
*1 white truffle
*3 tblsps parmigiano cheese grated
* 2 quarts Vegetable Broth
*1/2 cup dry white wine
Heat vegetable broth till boiling, lower heat and let simmer.
Cut scallions into small rounds. Place olive oil in saute pan and heat, place in scallions and saute till just about golden. Place in rice. Saute for 30 sedonds. Add in white wine, consistently stirring. When liquid is absorbed begin adding in broth approx 1/2 cup at a time and stirring till liquid is absorbed. Repeaat till rice is cooked till al dente (approx 18 minutes). Stir in parmigiano cheese and drizzle approx 2 tsps on top, stir risotto. Remove from heat.
Divide into 4 portions and place on 4 plates. On top of risotto, place an open steamed clam and on top of this place a few very thin slices of white truffle.
For more great recipes get a copy of the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at http://www.marialiberati.com
I wine, I saw I conquered.. I think that any trip to Italy could best be described in these words. Each day has its own special wine and I attempt to pair every day’s lunch with a new wine. I am partial to light white wines like Trebbiano D’Abruzzo and Fallenghina and the favorite of the ancient Romans- Est!Est!Est! However, I have a new favorite white wine- Pecorino. It is an heirloom wine produced from an heirloom grape. Pecorino is also the name of a cheese that comes from the same region in Abruzzo.The name Pecorino refers to sheep. The milk of the sheep is used to produce the Pecorino cheese here and flocks of sheep dot the landscape here. However, wine from the Pecorino grape was produced in the past and then phased out. But the art of producing Pecorino has been revived. The Pecorino grape is found in Abruzzo and Le Marche regions of Italy.
Pecorino is produced in small quantities. I have not been able to find it in the US yet. White wine is my favorite ingredient to add to risotto and Pecorino makes and excellent risotto. And is a great wine to pair with risotto. Pecorino has a slight citrus flavor and goes especially well with seafood-risotto, seafood and pecorino together in a recipe make an indescribably delicious delight!
Today for ‘pranzo’, lunch was a sublime ‘risotto a la pescatore’ -(risotto with seafood). Pecorino made a great ingredient. See recipe below, but here are some websites to check out for info on Abruzzo and Pecorino
copyright, The Basic Art of Italian Cooking 2007,2008, Maria Liberati4 tblsps.
(2-3 servings)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 lb of cleaned squid rings
1/2 lb of cleaned shelled shrimp
5 mussels, scrubbed and cleaned
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 cup of Pecorino wine (if not available use a dry white wine)
2-3 cups vegetable broth
Place oil and onion in a saute pan, heat just until onion begins to become golden.
Add white wine and reduce by half.
Add 1/2 cup vegetable broth and squid, cook for 5 minutes or until liquid almost dissipates. Stir in rice, place shrimp and mussels . Add broth to cover and stir unti liquid evaporates. Add in liquid, constantly stirring and repeat until cooked -about 18 minutes Serve with Pecorino wine or another dry white wine. If you can find a bottle of Pecorino, it will be worth the effort.Ciao for now!!
More recipes like this can be found in the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati. Order at http://www.marialiberati.com and receive free shipping and $5 off retail price..
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