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To Celebrate the Holidays I will be posting excerpts from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards and was selected as the Best Italian Cuisine  Book in the USA. (follow along if you have a copy of the book) It is also available on Kindle.

 

Memories of Rome

(excerpted from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking:Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition, page 54

Christmas and the holiday season in Rome has never been as commercial as it is in most large cities. For example, in the Eternal City, a lavish Nativity scene is more commonplace than a light up reindeer or glowing elf. Head straight to the Piazza di Spagna (The Spanish Steps) and you will see a rustic version of an 18th century presepio (nativity scene), scaled down and recon­structed on the second level. To make your own original presepio, head over to Piazza Navona for the Christmas Market and you can purchase anything: the figurines, mini light up pizza ovens, small working fountains, innumerable moving and light up items for your presepio, terra cotta tavern keepers, butchers, bakers, man­gers, paper with the picture of the sky above with stars, and any­thing else you can think of. To do it the easy way, you can get up early on a Sunday before Christmas and head over to that endless market, Porta Portese, and purchase an already created ceramic presepio handcrafted at Capodimonte in Napoli.

Tortini ai Funghi

(Mushroom Tarts)

Appetizer

Serves 4.

• 2 scallions
• ¾ pound fresh mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Pinch of salt and black pepper
• 1 large puff pastry strip, or 4 small strips
• 2 eggs
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 ounces grated Comté cheese
• 3 finely chopped leeks
• 4 small ceramic or glass baking cups; should be about four inches in diameter

Peel and finely chop the scallions. Carefully wash, clean, and thinly slice the mushrooms. Place 1 tablespoon butter in a sauté pan and sauté the scallions over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and let simmer until all liquid has been absorbed. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and let cool.

Use the remaining butter to butter the baking cups. Place puff pastry in baking cups and cover the bottom and sides of cups with pastry. In a bowl, mix together the eggs, pinch of nutmeg, pinch of salt, and grated Comté cheese.

Cover bottom of each baking cup with mushroom slices, then cover with chopped leeks. Pour egg mixture on top.

Cook in oven preheated to 425 degrees for 10 minutes, then for an additional 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Best served hot.

*Dec 10th from 1:30-2:45-  join me at Wendell August in Exton, Pa

Wendell August located at:

103 Woodcutter Street
Exton, PA 19341
Store Phone:610-363-2426

I will be signing copies of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking:Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition and serving recipes from the book on beautiful Wendell August pieces. For more info email:events@marialiberati.com

 

Join me for an all inclusive luxury cruise in Italy leaving from Venice Italy. Everything is included ,join me for the trip of a lifetime. Call Julie at Rosenbluth Vacations at 1-800-587-8279 or email:events@marialiberati.com Makes a great Christmas present for that special someone

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

To quote Cezanne. “ I will astonish Paris with an apple”

and  recently I left Rome asotnished with  apples..

 

I was pulled out of line by a a security agent when leaving from Leonardo DaVinci International Airport ( Rome)..the culprit..a jar of homemade apple butter stashed in my carry on for on the plane snacking with crackers. I couldn’t figure out why I was being searched, interrogated, pulled out of line…ahh!! …until it was all over..when I asked why ..a small homemade jar of apple butter was held up by the customs agent.

Apple Butter is one of those foods that is still not possible to find in Italy and I do miss it so when there… though I set out to make it and preserve some jars to leave and one to take back ..an apple orchard filled with apples at our country farm..delicious, organic, pesticide free apples..just in time apple season had just begun..

Apple butter pairs well with a touch of mascarpone cheese on a slice of freshly baked crusty bread from the local forno in the morning for a true country farm breakfast…

Apple Butter

*7 cups of homemade applesauce (if you really must use store bought but homemade is best)

*2 cups of apple cider

*1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp allspice

Optional: 1 ½ cups honey

You need a slow cooker or crockpot for this. Mix all the ingredients and place in the slow cooker, cover and let cook on low heat for 14 hours or until the mixture is a deep brown color. While the mixture is hot, place into 4 pint sized jars that are hot as well. Place ina hot water bath. Once the water begins to boil after adding in the jars ,time for 10 minutes and remove jars. Cool jars upside down

t http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release-service/235980

See you at the Utah Humanities festival on October 2nd in Salt Lake City Utah

Join me in Italy in May 2012 on my all inclusive   luxury Mediterranean cruise

Editor: Lisa Zatulovsky

 

Although Fourth of July has passed and all of the celebratory fireworks displays and festivities have ended, the fireworks in Italy are just about to begin. Through the end of July into August, Italy’s “Fiori di Fuoco” takes the colorful pyrotechnics to a new level with their thirteenth annual World Championships of Fireworks. International pyrotechnic companies from Ukraine, Taiwan, Mexico, Germany and Switzerland compete and show off their spectacular fireworks displays. This year the competition is held in various regions throughout Italy including the beautiful settings of Verbania and Novara. Each location highlights some of Italy’s most stunning backdrops with grandiose mountains and poetic waterfalls.

Streaking the night sky with explosive colors and stunning choreographed performances, Fiori di Fuoco displays the artistic vision of each extraordinary country. With dazzling lights luminescent like thousands of shooting stars, the fireworks championship has enthralled audiences with show-stopping performances, each one outdoing the next.

 

Even if you don’t get a chance to see the “Fiori di Fuoco” for yourself, baking Panforte, an Italian fruit cake full of sweet fruit and savory spice is a delightful addition to your morning coffee, or after a meal when paired with a dessert wine. Spices like cinnamon and clove mixed with honey and sugar make this cake chewy, dense and filling. Making a delicious Panforte Italian fruitcake incorporates festive morsels of dried candied fruit, spices and nuts into a bakery style fireworks display. When cutting into a slice you will see a menagerie of colorful fruits and nuts suspended in the cake, just like an explosive firework shooting up into the sky with hundreds of pieces of confetti-like candied fruits and nuts. Said to have been popular among European Crusaders, Panforte maintains its flavor and freshness. Unlike the fleeting brilliance of a fading firework, Panforte will satisfy your sweet tooth for weeks to come.

July 21-24- Festa Italiana, Milwaukee Wisconsin. The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm will be on stage at the Cucina Showcase each day. Maria Liberati will be signing copies of her latest award winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions For more info email: info@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 will be doing on stage demos throughout the event and Maria Liberati will be signing copies of her latest book

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

 

Editor: Lisa Zatulovsky

From June 17 to June 20^th incredible floral works of art will line the streets of the small town of Genzano, at the Infiorata 2011 Genzano di Roma. The Flower Festival in Genzano has a rich history, dating back to the eighteenth century. Originating in Rome, the Infiorata was designed to celebrate Corpus Christi, a Catholic Feast. The festival is one of the highlights for Roman’s during the summer, with its feeling of celebration and beauty, in lieu of the Catholic holiday. As a sight to behold, floral designs reminiscent of mosaics transform the streets of Italy into detailed depictions of famous paintings, laid out with an incomprehensible amount of flower petals. From deep scarlet reds to playful pistachio greens, intricate designs are first sketched with chalk and then filled in with petals. This year Genzano’s theme celebrates the 150^th anniversary of the Unity of Italy, dating back to 1861. Seen as a true celebration, locals host concerts, fashion shows, craft markets and painting exhibitions. On the last day of the festival children are allowed to run through the flower carpets and destroy the art, reminiscent of a chalk painting smeared with rain. Some of the elderly collect and dry the remaining petals, which symbolize blessings.

 

The festive and bright dessert Cassata Siciliana, is just like the celebratory spirit and beauty of the floral carpets. Originating in Sicily, this colorful candied fruitcake is a delectable sweet treat, rich in tradition just like the Genzano Infiorata. Cassata Siciliana is made with a sponge cake, ricotta cheese filling (very similar to Cannoli filling,) dried candied fruit and hints of dark chocolate. The cake is then covered in pastel colored marzipan and topped with candied fruits like cherries and oranges. Delightfully sweet, the dessert will soon disappear once you take your first bight, just like the children running through the streets of Genzano as they erase the last trace of flowers. Sicilian Cassata can be a laborious cake to make, but all works of art take time and patience to create!

Here is a less complicated version of the original recipe for those that want to try it but don’t have a lot of time:

Cassata

1 lb or 500 gr.of ricotta cheese
1 cup or 300 gr.of sugar
16 ozs. or 50 gr.of dark chocolate

2 tsps vanilla

1/2 cup apricot jam

1/4 cup or 50 gr.of  candied fruit
1 sponge cake ( diameter  12 inches or 30 cm)
3 tbsps of rum

For frosting: 2 cups (475 gr)confectioner’s sugar, 2 tablespoons (30 gr) milk, 1  tsp (5 gr) vanilla, 1 drop of  pistachio green coloring. (If necessary add more liquid till spreadable but thick frosting is achieved).

Line a cake pan with parchment paper. Spread apricot jam on paper. Cut sponge cake in half diagonally. Place bottom layer on top of jam.

Sieve ricotta through cheese cloth to get a smooth creamy consistency. Add sugar, rum, chocolate in shaved or chopped pieces, candied fruit (cut into small pieces) and vanilla. Blend well and spread on layer of sponge cake. Cover with top layer and cover with a piece of parchment paper. Refrigerate for at least two hours.

Once refrigerated, remove from pan by turning pan upside down onto a plate.

Blend 2 cup confectioner’s sugar with 2 tblsps milk and 1 tsp vanilla,  blend till  a thick, but spreadable icing. Add in  a pistachio green coloring. Spread on cake, decorate top with chopped candied fruit and refrigerate till icing is firm and serve.

This makes for an easier version for those not used to working with marzipan (almond paste).

 

July 21-24- Festa Italiana ,Milwaukee Wisconsin- The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm takes center stage on all 4 days for cooking demos and book signings. Hope to see you there.

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

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

The 15th of March was made famous by an event in Ancient Rome, back in 44 AC when Rome lost it’s mighty Emperor that day at the hands of Brutus.  But this wasn’t immortalized worldwide till 1589, until Shakespeare  penned the play about Julius Caesar and the now infamous line “Beware the Ides of March”.  Under Caeasar’s rule, although  Emperor and a Dictator, there was a type of grandeur that was never recaptured again in Ancient Rome. Romans of today still remember him by bringing flowers to  the Foro Romano.

The Ides of March was based on the Roman Calendar. It was said that on  the 15th day of the months of March, May, July, October  and on the 13th of every other month, there was a full moon and legend has it still today that strange things happen when there is a full moon.  Things that stretch our imagination, sometimes good, sometimes bad..the philosophy of the Romans. 

In honor of Ancient Rome, although most of these ingredients were not around at that time, this is a typical Roman dish using Ricotta Romana. If you have never tried it you are in for a treat. It is made from the whey of sheep’s milk and is sold in a conical form, the surface has a  criss cross , with the lines left from the basket the cheese is put to drain in. It is famous for its’ sweet taste and is often used for traditional pies made for various Holidays.

A delicious meal for lunch or dinner..fit for a Roman Emperor. A  dish of Maccheroni Romana for lunch or dinner with a glass of a dry red wine from Castelli Romana (is  deliciously out of the ordinary enough to be served on the Ides of any month) and  you will appreciate another famous line in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar

“Enjoy the honey heavy dew of slumber”

 RICOTTA ROMANA

Maccheroni Romana

1 (500 g) lb maccheroni

1/2 lb (250 g) Ricotta Romana

1 lb (500 gr) plum tomatoes (fresh or canned)

a small handful fresh basil leaves (no stems)

1 garlic clove

1/3 cup (80 grams) freshly grated parmigiana reggiano cheese

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

3 tblsps extra virgin olive oil

Wash,pat dry and chop cut basil into thin strips. Cut tomatoes into quarters, place in bowl and squash or mash down with fork.

Place olive oil in saucepan with garlic, saute over medium heat. When garlic is just about golden, place in tomatoes. Cook over low heat for 20 minutes,  or until thick, place in basil and salt  to taste, remove from heat and cover.

In rapidly boiling ,salted water , place in maccheroni. Cook till al dente, drain. Place ricotta in bowl, remove 2 (30 gr) tablespoons of cooking water from pasta and place into ricotta, with fork, soften ricotta with water, set aside.

Drain pasta, place into tomato sauce and toss. Serve, top with ricotta, freshly grated parmigiana reggiano and freshly grated black pepper.

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

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie that’s amore….

An overused song, I know, but when you are walking through the streets of Rome and you hear an accordion playing the tune, it seems so apropos and so romantic..it just seems to go with the scenery…  and  for Valentine’s Day- an acceptable excuse to quote the song..The easiest main course to do for a Valentine’s Day dinner is Pizza. Amateur cooks and expert cooks alike can master a pizza. As my grandmother once told me when I asked her for her recipe “it’s just a little flour, some yeast and water”..she knew how to master the dough by the touch,the weight, the feel. But for those who are just learning, never fear,   and topping ideas are endless..choose whatever suits you..but for Valentine’s  Day you may want to avoid  garlic and onions.

Bake in a heart shaped pan. If you are using a silicone pan, cover the pan first with alluminum foil and oil that foil. Leave enough foil on the sides so that you can cover the pizza while baking. If you use regular pizza pan, you can eliminate the aluminum foil. This recipe can be considered more of a focaccia type pizza or in the US we call it a deep dish pizza. I have  included these interesting pastes, Amore Pastes, that are available in the US,  just as they are in Italy. If you have never cooked with tomato paste in a tube, try it ,it is so…. Italian!   And once you have used the tube, you won’t want to go back to the canned stuff.

Amore Pizza

Pizza Dough

from The Basic Art of Pizza: copyright 2011 art of living, PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati)

6 1/2 cups unbleached flour

1 cake of active yeast

2 1/4 cups tepid water

1 tsp sugar

For topping
1 tblsp olive oil

2 teaspoons of Amore Garlic Paste

1/3 tsp oregano

2 medium tomatoes

6 ozs. thinly sliced provolone cheese

Optional-3 ounces of cooked and drained Italian suasage crumbled or use a vegetarian substitute

5 tablespoons Amore Tomato Paste

2 teaspoons Amore Pesto Paste

12 ounces shredded mozzarella

Place yeast cube in tall glass, place in  1/2 cupwater and tsp sugar, stir.  Yeast mixture will become bubbly. In bowl place in flour and yeast mixture and blend by hand, as needed add in more water until dough is not sticky. Place flour on wooden board. Place dough here and continue mixing in until dough is soft yet not sticky, and a little  firm. Then cover and leave in warm place to rise.

When double in size, place into a pan and shape to fit. Oil your hands with olive oil, this will make it easier to lay the dough into pan shape. Press dough against sides and just over rim of pan,

Filet the tomatoes by cutting out the liquid part and slicing meat of tomatoes. In small bowl, add in tomato paste, garlic paste, oregano,olive oil. Place half the provolone on dough and spread tomato pase mixture on top. Layer sausage with provolone, dot wiht pesto paste. Place tomato slices on top and then top wiht mozzarella. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 monutes in a  preheasted oven at 425 degrees. Open foil to expose top of pizza and bake this way 5 more minutes or until top is golden brown. Wait 10 minutes before cutting.

Serve with a dry red wine.

For more pizza  recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Pizza, also available as a downloadable ebook

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

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

“Journeys end in lovers meeting”..William Shakespeare

Who but Shakespeare could put it so eloquently..a message for the ‘coming soon’ Valentine’s Day..and the perfect Valentine’s Day journey could end at the Hassler Hotel or Il Palazzetto.. both in the center of Rome,Italy….on a recent visit I got to experience the beauty, the charm, the elegance of both. A romantic view from the Trinita dei Monti  atop  the Spanish Steps…in the center of Rome.. from just  the panoramic view  you experience the charm, the uniqueness, the romance, the beauty of Rome…apart from the elegance of each venue…

The Hassler, is one of Rome’s most luxurious,unique hotels..known not only for it’s elegance but design,style,it is truly an ‘artisan hote’l…and the 16th century  Il Palazetto, atop the ancient stones where the infamous banquets of Lucullus were once held is .. . filled with the elegance and unique style of the Hassler but more like your’home away from home’ in the center of Rome on the Trinita dei Monti.. from artisan cocktails to spas to cigar rooms and wine pairing events either venue  would be my choice for the perfect Valentine’s Day.   

My suggested recipe for the upgcoming ‘giornata di San Valentino’( in Italian) or Cupid’s Day in modern English is this one filled with mandarin oranges:

Linguini with Salmone e Mandarini (Salmon & mandarin oranges)

From The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition;copyright 2011  art of living,PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati)

(serves 4)

*1 lb of linguini pasta   

*2 ounces of smoked salmon

*2 mandarin oranges

*1/4 cup cream

*1 scallion

* small handful of celery leaves (found at top of celery stalks) 

*freshly ground black  pepper to taste

With a potato peeler peel 2 pieces of mandarin orange peel (take only orange peel, not white part) and cut pieces into thin strips. Place in boiling water for one minute and drain.

Use juicer to juice the mandarins and place juice in saucepan. Peel and cut scallion into thin slices, place into pan with  mandarin orange juice, place in cut orange peel and warm this on low heat. Stir and let cook till only approx 4 tblsps of liquid are remaining. Remove from heat and pour through a chesecloth. Discard everything except filtered juice.

Place filtered juice back in sauce pan and pour in the cream. Stir with wire whisk and cook over low heat just until boiling. Remove from heat before  mixture boils. Place pasta in salted water and cook till al dente. Drain.

Cut salmon into thin strips and add into sauce. If sauce has cooled warm a bit and stir with wire whisk, do not let boil. Place al dente pasta in serving bowl, pour sauce on top and garnish with chopped celery leaves, and ground black pepper. If possible, and for a special added  touch, serve on warmed plates

For more great recipes and Valentine’s Day suggestions get your copy of  The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition  selected as the Best Italian Cuisine Book in the USA by Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

Also a special thanks to Roberto Wirth, President & General Manager of the Hotel Hassler and fifth generation of a famous Swiss dynasty of hoteliers, for the hospitality on my visits. Roberto stopped for a  minute on his busy day to tell me about both venues and  point out  the beautiful sculpture near front entrance of  the Hassler of Romulus and Remus-Rome’s eternal symbols.

Peace, Love & Pasta,

Maria   xoxo

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  

 

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