copyright 2010 art of living, PrimaMedia, Inc.

Just about half over..summer that is…and just about time to recharge your summer before it is all gone. Here are some fun things to do to put the spark back into (what is left of) Summer:

*Eat a meal (or two) al fresco..there is nothing like it. Keep it uncomplicated, make it fresh!

*Purchase fresh produce at a local farm market. Summer gives us fresh produce like no other season..don’t forego the taste of freshly picked summer blueberries, strawberries, peaches, tomatoes, corn. The fresh taste will dazzle your taste buds.

*Visit one of the summer county fairs held throughout the country. A great way to experience local food finds and local regional specialties.

*Get an ice cream maker and make your own fresh ice cream or gelato! Nothing like it. I just made a fresh strawberry gelato with local strawberries..all I can say is mmmmmmm!

*Try berry picking at a local farm..it is a fun but also educational thing to do with the kids.but you can do it yourself or friends as well.

*Make a blueberry or strawberry pie or crostata with those fresh berries. If you make a vanilla ice cream or gelato this makes the perfect accompaniment

Tours To Italy

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

Visit me at OpenSky

Is it just me?  or does it really make sense when someone says “ I  don’t know how to cook anything”..is that possible? Every day you must eat, speak, walk and enjoy life…those are all things that come naturally..like cooking..it should just be an everyday natural function. (Unless you have a physical limitation)..does it make sense to say I don’t know how to walk or to speak or to enjoy life??

Cooking is so strongly related to daily enjoyment, pleasure and the passion of food!!If you don’t enjoy the simple pleasure of cooking you are missing out on one of life’s simpler pleasures!

Many even say that they think of cooking as work or as a job…. well I would like to totally change that sentiment..that cooking is work..

Cooking, eating and food should be a passion…. Don’t just eat the first thing you find to satisfy your hunger. Take the time to really savor what you are eating..and make it something that can be savored.

Be passionate about everything you do..especially eating and cooking

Here  is a recipe to be passionate about:

Strawberry & Spumante Mousse

(serves 4; 385 calories per portion)

1/2 cup Spumante

3 eggs

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablspoons powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tablspoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons of cream

8 ounces amaretti cookies

juice of one fresh orange

Place Spumante in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Beat eggs,vanilla, corn starch with granulated sugar in a bowl . With wooden spoon,  gently fold  in hot spumante.

Blend until creamy and smooth.

Place mixture into a saucepan and beat over low heat, stirring. Mixture should thicken while stirring. Remove from heat  just before boiling.

Sieve cream through a cheesecloth and let cool. Place plastic wrap on top of cream to avoid forming a skin.

Prepare strawberry mixture by washing and hulling strawberries. Cut strawberries into small pieces. Place cut strawberries and orange juice into a saucepan and let boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Place in food processor with pinch of powdered sugar and blend.

Whip cream till firm and fold with wooden spoon into the spumante cream (already cooled). Divide into 4 dessert or spumante glasses-first a layer of crushed amaretti, then strawberry compost then top with spumante cream. Repeat, ending with spumante cream on top and garnish with fresh mint leaf.

visit me at OpenSky

May 8th- 2 PM- book signing, sampling for the award winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-Borders, Warrington, Pa.  Hope to see you there!

copyright 2009-2010, art of living .PrimaMedia,Inc

Olive oil..one of the elixirs of life..and if it is an elixir of life you want to use only the best elixir

Choose your olive oil as you are choosing an important part of your life…

The key to choosing great Olive Oil is choosing one that is made from only olives in a specific region in Italy and will have the letters doc or dop after the name.

Walking up the hill in the   town of -Loreto Aprutina-right outside Pescara (a seaside resort in Abruzzo) the constant view of olive trees put me in a calm,.meditative state. The sun sparkled its’ light brightly onto  the leaves which seemed to shine in thank you to the sun.. Its’ no wonder the olive oil here has long been known as liquid golf

Loreto-Aprutino-is famous for many things. But  the  Loreto-Aprutino DOC olive oil has been known throughout history as ‘liquid gold’..because of it’s taste and color but also because most of the people in town earned their living from the olive oil they produced

The perfect Spring recipe to use the Loreto-Aprutino DOC olive oil :
Insalata di Pollo al Limone

1 lb chicken breasts

2 lemons-squeezed and peeled (chop peel finely)

7-8 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 cup fresh strawberries washed and hulled

1 lb fresh asparagus tips steamed

2 lbs Scamorza Cheese (dried mozzarella)-cut into cubes

16 ounces of fresh salad greens (Any mix you like)

Dressing:
Mix 3/4 cup  strawberries, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. dash of salt and pepper to taste. Mix in blender or food processor.

Instructions:

Place chicken breasts in saute pan with 3 tablespoons of already warm olive oil,lemon peel. Saute on both sides till brown and cooked thoroughly. remove from heat. Place asparagus tips in 2 tablespoons of olive oil,.dash of salt and pepper for10 minutes to marinate.. In separate bowl marinate scamorza cheese, with olive oil and dash of salt and pepper. arrange plate this way:Place marinated scamorza in center then place slices of chicken breasts around it, then surround that with greens and fresh strawberry slices, Top with strawberry vinaigrette. and slivered almonds.

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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

Book signings

Maria

at marialiberati.com….where Food meets Art, Travel & Life!

copyright 2010  Maria Liberati

I love Holidays ..especially Spring Holidays..it’s like we are waking up after this long winter nap and all of a sudden..Bam!! there they are  the shining rays of  the sun..real flavors of strawberries and asparagus and mint..and lnoger days…. and if that isn’t enough to celebrate..along comes some Holidays that give us a reason to bring friends and family together with incredible dishes. At my house, we  celebrate Easter but I love some of the flavors  of Passover and like to ‘mix things up’.

Almonds are used a lot in Italian cooking and one of my favorite flavors..so if you’re a fan of the healthy almond you will want to make this cake part of your Spring Holiday meal

  Almond  Passover Cake

6 eggs

1 cup white sugar

1 cup finely chopped almonds

2 teaspoons of maraschino liqueur

juice of one fresh lemon

With an electric mixer, blend sugar with egg yolks till well blended,then add in first the chopped almonds and then liqueur and lemon juice.  In separate bowl,whip egg whites till firm with a pinch of salt. With a wooden spoon, blend in the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture,gently. When blended in, place batter  in pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and let cool and serve. Happy Passover! Happy Easter! and let me know about any other Spring Holiday we should be celebrating!

For more great recipes get your copy of:

  The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions  voted Best Italian Cuisine Book in America by Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

http://twitter.com/Marialiberati

Visit me at OpenSky

copyright 2009, Maria Liberati 

Last  night ended with the best refresher of all..a slice of locally produced watermelon…

Not a fan of air conditioning and at home there is not one in sight..the month of August you will always find a watermelon in our refrigerator..our natural way of cooling down from a hot August day or night or both.

August is always hot and temperatures ranging from hot to sweltering..with a beautiful sun. ..almost everyday. But the sun is so vibrant and alive in August and is rumored to make people do some crazy things..from political decisions to happenings..in the month of August when someone does something unusual or unexplicable the heat of the sun is always to blame.  In the month of August an important politician has decided that alll dialects (in Italy ) should be taught in the schools along with the regular language classes..blame it on the sun…

Really fresh, chilled watermelon is great by itself..but if you want to try another way to use watermelon before the  fresh ones disappear ..here is one of my favorite refreshing appetizers combining Japanese and Italian (wasabi and alici or snchovies) healthy for you also..

Watermelon Sushi  & Fizz Cocktail

*1 lb fresh strawberries

*rind of one lemon for decoration

*8 ounces plain seltzer water (gazzosa)

*2 lbs fresh watermelon

*8 anchovies marinated in extra virgin olive oil

*wasabi sauce

*leeks

Wash watermelon and cut ‘meat’  into 8 square slices, remove rind on each piece. Place some wasabi on each slice and on top of wasabi, place 2 marinated anchovies.Cut leeks into small rings and decorate top of anchovies with leek rings. Wash strawberries. Set aside 4 whole strawberries. Hull the remaining strawberries and place in a food processor with a cup of chopped ice.  Blend till thick liquid. Divideinto 8 glasses and add seltzer to each glass.Top each with a strawberry on a toothpick. Add in some ice if desired and some lemon rind for decoration. Serve with your watermelon sushi…Italian style..

For the  digital magazine edition of August/Sept 2009 The Basic Art of Italiain Cooking    ezine go to

Gelato-The Perfect Summer Dessert

Travel Column: “The Florentine Tradition”

Q&A with Aida Mollenkamp  from CHOW.com

Finger Food Italian Style Recipes 

**For more recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking : Holidays & Special Occasions before the mad Holiday rush..great for your own kitchen for recipes ideas or for gifts..140+ recipes ,menus, short stories on Holidays spent in Italy..

Spend Christmas in Italy..don’t need a passport for this one.  Spend a weekend of cooking classes,. culinar yh tours, wine pairings with recipes from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions at the Harvest Moon Bed & breakfast in Lancaster, Pa.  Places are limited..email :events@marialiberati.com t oreserve your spot or for more info..

Mangia Been, Vivi Bene,

Maria

http://twitter.com/Marialiberati

copyright 2009, Maria Liberati

In Italy whatever you do must always be beautiful..the way you eat,  the things you eat and so on. In keeping along those lines.. I had a beautiful experience this week. I had a chance to try an artisan produced balsamic vinegar-not from Modena, Italy but from the US.

A balsamic vinegar produced from wines made on a biodynamic farm…produced in a true artisan fashion. You can read more about their wines and their balsamic at www.coopermountainwine.com

My Memorial Day was spent mostly in The Basic Art of Italian  Cooking Kitchen… working on and trying out some recipes ..not just any recipe for ‘not just any’ balsamic vinegar. But needless to say it can be enjoyed simply drizzled sparingly on pistachios, strawberries, avocados , parmigiano -reggiano cheese, pears, pecorino cheese and more.

I am always amazed at how most think that balsamic vinegar is only for salads..it is such a versatile liquid that can add a unique flavor to many foods, but artisan foods to matcvh the artisan quality of this finely produced gem.

To start off in the spirit of celebrating the unofficial start of summer..how about a strawberry aperitif?

Fragole con Balsamico

(strawberries with balsamic)

*8 fresh medium strawberries

*3 tblsps sugar

*2 measures of vodka

*2 tsps Balsamic  Vinegar

*fresh mint leaves

*sparkling soda to taste

Chop strawberries or place in food processor to chop(do not liquefy), place in large pitcher, add in sugar and balsamic vinegar.  Add in vodka, soem ice and shake. Pour in two glasses or 4 (depending on serving size you want)< add in some sparkling soda and garnish with mint leaves.

For a main course :

Fusilli Pasta & Balsamic Sauce

*1 lb of fusili pasta

*2 lbs of fresh ripe tomatoes

*handful of fresh parsley

*1 small onion, finely chopped

*1 tsp fresh thyme

*2 tblsps extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil

*2 tsps of Balsamic Vinegar

Chop tomatoes into small cubes, chop finely parsley, and thyme. Place olive oil in saute pan with chopped onion, saute. Place in chopped tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper stir  frequently and cover, stir every few minutes, place over low heat. Let simmer down for approx 30 minutes.

Boil pasta. Place drained pasta in sauce and saute for a minute. Serve in heated plates.

You can top with grated parmigina reggiano cheese.

Hope to see you all 

* June 2 at  7 PM at the Kenilworth Library in Kenilworth,NJ for a cooking wiht The Basic Art of Italian Cooking program and booksigning

June 4th- a Tuscan dinner cooking program at Foster’s Gourmet Housewares in Philadelphia, Pa.

June 6th-Horsham Days in Deep Meadow Park

June 7th-Chicago Literary Fest, Chicago, Illinois

July 18th- Whole Foods Market in Falls Church Virginia

More dates to come

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

copyright 2009, Maria Liberati

 A Happy Memorial Day weekend.. Does this mean summer is finally here? It must be summer, I got to purchase my first baby watermelon yesterday and plan on eating the whole thing  myself!!

I can’t  think of a more refreshing way to spend a warm summer style day..besides it reminds me of my summers spent in the mountains of Abruzzo..eating lunch on the terrazzo and reveling in the beautiful Italian sun and peaceful quiet while being cooled down by  munching on a  slice of   sweet watermelon..

For those of you that don’t  want to eat a whole watermelon or would appreciate another type of fruit..try my second favorite summer time dessert fresh strawberries with lemon.

Fragole con Limone

1 pound of fresh strawberries

1 fresh lemon

1/4 cup sugar

handful of fresh mint leaves

Wash and quarter strawberries. Squeeze juice of one lemon on top, sprinkle sugar and toss gently. let marinade in refrigerator for 2 hours. Serve  chilled garnished with fresh mint leaves.

Enjoy!

Hope to see you on June 4th at Foster’s Gourmet in Philadelphia and /or Horsham Day in Horsham, Pa at Deep Meadow Park..See you then..

Happy summer eating.

Mangai Bene, Vivi Bene

Maria

copyright 2009, art of living,PrimaMedia,Inc

Editor: Erin Kuhns 

Fresh and local berries (not those that have traveled hundreds of miles to get to the table ) are coming now that Spring is here and Summer is fast approaching.

 My trips to the mountains of Abruzzo to pick fresh blackberries are just as fresh a memory. August is the time that wild fresh blackberries can be found abundantly throughout, but a special place I found, hidden in the mountains, always produced enough berries to make 5 jars of preserves. I always thought of this spot as my own special garden. It seemed as though they were waiting there for me to come to get them.

Last year, armed with enough bags to transport oodles of blackberries, to my dismay, when I arrived, half were gone, someone had found my garden.. and well only enough  for 2 jars of preserves were found.  Those preserves,which were polished off quicker than the time it took to make them are only a sweet memory..my hopes are high for this year.

Few pleasures compare to sinking your teeth into a slice of fresh, succulent fruit. Whether you are one of the many berry lovers who inundate strawberry fields in the spring or you delight in crowding your kitchen with baskets of raspberries, peaches and blueberries from the farmer’s market, you know that aside from gobbling down these sweet treats, preserving them quickly becomes a priority.

Historically, jams and jellies have become an ideal way to stretch out the fruit season into the rest of the year. The process is a rather large undertaking: boiling jars, cooking the fruit, adding the pectin—and sugar; lots and lots of sugar. But traditional jam-making is not the only option anymore.

Freezers now add another possibility for fruit preservation. Freezer jam, for example, is becoming increasingly popular. Like traditional jam, it can be prepared using berries, apples, oranges, pears, peaches, and an unlimited combination of tasty treats. But best of all, freezer jam benefits our health, the environment and our taste buds.

One way in which freezer jam is unique is that the fruit is not cooked. The fruit retains its bright color, its many nutrients and, most importantly, its fresh flavor. The ratio of fruit to sugar in traditional jam is often 1:1. When making freezer jam, only about a third of the sugar is necessary.

Unlike jars used for traditional preserves, freezer jam can be stored in clean plastic containers or jars of any kind. They don’t even need to be boiled first, cutting out one time-consuming step right there. And if you have kids that need to be put to work, don’t forget that jam-making can be a family affair. Most freezer jam recipes call for finely chopping or crushing the fruit. Who loves squishing slimy peeled peaches or juicy berries more than kids? (Supervision of pre-squishing-hand-washing is highly recommended.)

Making freezer jam isn’t quite as much fuss as you might think. From fruit preparation to the freezer, it can take less than an hour. However, if you are plunging into jam-making mode, one key piece of advice: be sure to have some fresh bread or a luscious croissant close by, for once the jars are filled, your melt-in-your-mouth creation is ready to savor!

May 2nd- The Basic Art of Italian Cooking book signing and wine sampling with Sonia Rykiel Fashion Show at Raya Coiffeur & Boutique in Haverford,Pa. 8 PM. More info : events@marialiberati.com

*May 6th-Wine Pairing  & Dinner at Country Creek Wineryin Telford, Pa.  I will be preparing an authentic 4 course Italian dinner and pairing it with 4 of their wines. Places are limited, reservations are required, $39,95 includes 4 course sampler dinner ,cooking demo, 4 samplers of wine, wine pairing.

*Join me in Italy at The Basic Art of Italian Cooking School

*Have a blog or website? Be part of my virtual book tour

*Get your copy of the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at http://www.marialiberati.com

*More recipes & articles

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

http://twitter.com/marialiberati

 copyright 2009, Maria Liberati

Editor: Erin Kuhns

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

copyright 2009, Maria Liberati, The Basic Art of Italian Cooking

Editor-Kate Hollinger

What’s richer, softer and more luscious than ice cream, and comes in any flavor you can imagine? Gelato of course! This centuries-old classic has been credited to many countries and continents, but credit definitely should be given to Italy. While origins of gelato can be traced to Marco Polo in China and various people in Arabia, the truest form can be traced back to 16^th century Italia.

Gelato, Italian for “frozen”, can truly be attributed to the ingenuity of Bernardo Buontalenti, an Italian architect who was hired by the Medici family in 1565 to cater and plan events and banquets. He unleashed his fabulous “frozen desserts” which eventually became famous throughout the whole country. Initially this mixture of frozen sweet milk with egg yolks and other flavorings was a pretty exclusive treat, known as the “rich man’s dessert”. Because of the trouble that was gone through to make the unique treat, few could have it at first.

Snow was collected during the winter months and then stored in cold places until it was ready to be turned into gelato. Rich families actually had their own ice basements or wells where they stored ice up to 30 meters deep. These intensive harvesting methods made gelato consumption a lavish luxury in the 16^th century. The ice concoction primarily included flavors of fruit, chocolate, or nut. Gelato from Northern Italy included milk, and tasted like a rich dense combination of ice and creamy flavoring. In Southern Italy, however, there was only water and no milk, and therefore was a lighter, healthier version known as sorbetto. The southern rendition is lower fat but higher in sugar content due to the more intense flavorings that make up for the lack of dairy product.

Since the 16^th century invention of gelato in this European country, different variations have been formed from this frozen treat. Argentina boasts helado and France offers la glace, which was introduced by Catherine de Medici of Italy. Ice cream is consumed in bulk in the United States, although this is a less dense, less rich version of gelato because there is more air in it.

Today, gelato still remains ever-so-popular in Italy. It is a tradition as well as an art form, passed down from one family member to the next. Gelaterie, the cafes where this gelato is made, sold, and enjoyed, are sprinkled all over Italy and serve a wide array of delightful flavors and often served with wafers or biscuits, or in cones. Other variations can be found in each gelateria.

And to explain to you in words the delight that is gelato is so impossible.. you must experience an artisan gelato yourself..if only once it is worth every taste…

A great idea for San Valentino (Saint Valentine’s Day).. for gelato lovers.

Place Champagne or Spumanti in an elegant glass and add a scoop formed into a small ball into the champgne or spumanti…

or in a fluted glass and layer two different flavors of gelato, top with strawberry halves and dried orange peel with shaved dark chocolate…

If you have a favorite gelato bar in Italy..please let us know. I have a few that I love..Giolitti in Rome..not only for the gelato but for the elegant feel of this coffee bar that makes their own artisan gelato…I have some others but would love t ohear from everyone about their favorite gelateria in Italy or if you have found someone that makes a great gelato in the US or anywhere else in the world..do tell….

 Meet me  at the Whole Foods Market in Marlton, NJ at 6 PM. I will be signing copies of my bestselling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking and  I will be doing a cooking class after. Pairing pastas with their matching sauces-we will cook 4 pasta dishes. recipes are from the cooking school in Italy, registration is limited. Call Whole Foods and register at 856-697-7191 or email events@marialiberati.com

Join me at The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm cooking school in Italy on September 26th to October 3rd at the villa and castle in  the hills of Umbria.. Stay at the villa or the castello di Sismano for 7 days. Experience Italy, with 4 cooking classes at the villa, tours to local vineyards and olive oil mills, sights and tastes of Italy and enjoying La Dolce Vita at the villa and castle… All included, 4 cooking classes included and transportation from Rome Fiumicino airport to the villa and back.. La Dolce Vita is included at no extra charge!! See you then.  This event gets sold out quickly and is limited to12 participants only.For reservations and more info email us at events@marialiberati.com

For more great recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at http://www.marialiberati.com