The variety of landscapes in the region of Abruzzo, Italy, in November are filled with subdued colors. Close to the sea, the fields that once were overflowing with  grapevines and olives are now scraggly fields  and make silhouettes against the oft gray skies. The new winter frosts have dimmed the once cheerful giardini (gardens). Sunflowers have closed and gone to sleep for most of the winter. The cold harsh winds drive the rains against terra cotta roofs. In the mountains, off in the distance the snow capped mountain tops , can be seen as a sign of things to come to the valley below.

The sheep still graze outside on the muddy hills with a sheepdog, known as an Abruzzese shepherd minds them  under a watchful eye.

Truffle and mushroom hunters roam the mountainsides. The open air markets provide a point of color on the brown landscapes, filled with colorful apples, oranges, pears, kiwi, pomegranates on display.

Vino Novello, the new wine that has just been produced from the ‘vendemmia’ in October can be found everywhere as people begin to prepare to gather items for the Holiday table.

As November wears on the harsh rains halt and I wake up to crisp morning skies with a sun as  brilliant as the sun of August, so harsh it hurts your eyes. It provides the perfect setting for local farmers to cut and cord the wood for fireplaces everywhere. Especially the kitchen fireplaces that will be used to grill meats and cheese or roast chestnuts for the Holiday meals to come.

Fall signals the time for certain foods ,especially pears in wine, and roasted chestnuts. Jars of white -flesh, preserved pears, now make a stark contrast next to the bright red  jarred tomatoes from  summer’s end. that decorate  many wine cellars or cantinas usually in home basements or separate small attached buildings. But it is time to think of the Holiday meals.

Although Thanksgiving is not officially celebrated here, meals leading up to the Holidays rival any Thanksgiving celebration. Panetone and Pan D’oro the sweet dessert breads of the winter Holidays line the windows of local bakeries and aisles of the supermarkets.

One of my favorite,elegant yet simple appetizers to make for Holiday  soirees or to start off a Holiday meal are these mushroom appetizers since mushrooms are in abundance.

An online culinary arts education is what some people pursue when they want to become a chef.

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.

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It was George Bernard Shaw who once said “There is no sincerer love than the love of food “

Thanksgiving day is a day that is uniquely American ..a day we can truly call our own..and a day that fascinates many others around the world..In Italy it is called Festa del Ringraziamento and known as ‘the  Holiday that causes  Americans  to behave like Italians’-sit around the table eating all day with friends and family

The beverage of the first Thanksgiving and the Mayflower was beer..it wasn’t safe to drink the water.so beer was served..

In Honor of the First Thanksgiving beverage and the Italian American  Thanksgiving tradition of   serving a pasta dish before the turkey

Penne Pasta with Beer

1 pound penne pasta

1 glass beer

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic

1 yellow pepper

6 red ripe tomatoes

10 pitted green olives

1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped

1 tablespoon capers

1 tablespoon marjoram chopped

1/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano grated

salt to taste

Cut peppers into small cubes, cut tomatoes into strips, chop garlic. Place extra virgin olive oil in saute pan, place in peppers, tomatoes, and chopped garlic. Saute for 2 minutes, then add in beer a little at a time. Saute for 15 minutes on low heat. Then add in chopped olives, capers, parsley and marjoram.

Cook over medium high heat for 10 minutes, salt and pepper to taste. Cook pasta till al dente. Drain. Add into sauce, toss. Serve with grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

Friday-November 26th- 1-3 PM Bloomingdale’s at The Shops at Riverside in Hackensack, NJ- Cooking demo, sampling, book signings of the Award winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition For info email: info@marialiberati.com

Happy Thanksgiving! Here are some short simple tips for Thanksgiving dinner:
*If possible, prepare some of your dishes or a part of a dish the night before the big meal so that you can enjoy the day as well

*Sparkling wines (alcoholic or non-alcoholic)- add a festive touch to any meal. You can serve a sparkling wine with the meal as long as it pairs well with what is being served.

*Keep it real ,simple and authentic,donlt overwhelm yoruslef. Using authentic ingredients like extra  virgin cold pressed olive oil, fresh vegetables, fresh breads are easy ways to almost insure a delicious meal, try not to use anything canned (if possible) and nothing processed and buy local as much!
Oh well,that’s my short simple Thanksgiving message.

We are having Black Friday sale at The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm to celebrate the release of my Holiday book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking:Holidays & Special Occasions.

Get a free copy of the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking

Buy a copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions at http://www.marialiberati.com/store/page4.html  and you will automatically receive a free gift copy of the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking with your order.  Place your order online from 12:01 AM on Friday, November 25th to 12 pm midnight Friday and  free copy will be  included (a $19.95 value). You donlt have to do anything when you place your order, it will be shipped as a Holiday gift for you automatically with your order! This offer is only valid on Friday Novmber 25th. You w

More Black Friday shopping gifts, go shopping at  marialiberati.theopenskyproject.com and use this coupon to receive $25 off

One of my favorite sayings is

“L’appetito vien mangiare” (Loosely translated to mean) The more you see the more you want to eat-so appropriate for this Holiday!

Maria

http://twitter.com/Marialiberati

Thanksgiving is upon us again and in Italy it is known as Ringraziamento..well anyway you say it still means ‘to give thanks’ . Here is one of my favorite recipes for an appetizer for  Thanksgiving or anytime and a video of  Thanksgiving decorating tips from Design2Share.com

Also as a special Holiday gift here is a coupon for some Holiday shopping at my new store at the openskyproject.com  hope you will visit and check out  the interesting products we found for you. We are adding new products every day..

So many times we take for granted everything we have. but remember to be thankful for whatever you have ….food on the table..a roof over your head..a kitchen to cook in..friends and family to share with..the sun, the sky…the stars. the moon…we all have something to be thankful for…

 Avocado Italiano  

*2 ripe avocados

*juice of 1 lemon

*4 tablespoons grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

*1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

*3 tablespoons chopped sun dried tomatoes (packed in oil, drained)

 Mash the avocado. Add in all other ingredients.

If you are taking this spread with you to someone else’s house, place in plastic container and place plastic wrap against surface of avocado spread before you close container

You can use this as a dip for breadsticks, cut vegetables, tortilla chips.

Thanksgiving decorating tips video

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ie3mMY_emk

Happy Thanksgiving

Get your copy of  The Basic Art of Italian Cooking:Holidays & Special Occasions

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria 

copyright, 2008, Maria Liberati

 My grandmother (nonna) Maria loved the Italian opera..she loved to sing all the Italian classics and  to this day, when I hear an  opera cd -you can be sure that one of the songs will always bring back memories of her singing at the table after a long dinner…

My grandparents immigrated to the USA and settled in  South Philadelphia. My grandmother even sang with a young Mario Lanza in a local church produced opera there.

But being that nonna loved opera… when I look back on memories of things she did it seems that everything had acts and scenes just like an opera..dinners and making preserves and making her famous biscotti and just about everything.. From the drama of the preparation to the presentation..always almost the same thrill as witnessing an opera-from the overture to the final act..

But I think that one of her grandest ‘operas’ was Thanksgiving dinner. It had many acts..from the grand opening act of a table full of appetizers to the first course which was almost always her scrumptious lasagna made from freshly made pasta dough and freshly made tomato sauce..then the turkey arrived as the second course and everything else arrived seperately as its’ own course..the roasted potatoes with fresh rosemary, the spinach sauteed in garlic and olive oil, then the salad (salad is typically served last in Italian households and in Italy).Then the fresh cheeses and dried meats.  Plates of fresh fruits and nuts..then fresh fruit macedonia (A type of fruit cocktail-made with fresh fruits or fruits she had jarred from the summer)..then the desserts taking stage one after the other..Every course being so special and made with such care that you had to focus on one course at a time..just like at the opera..one act at a time… And nonna was always the ‘diva’ of the opera from it’s preparation to the presentation and the final act…

And I can’t forget about the audience..an audience of 35 or more-family and friends gathered around as many tables as one can fit in a kitchen..old and young and in between all ‘oohed’ and ‘aahed’ at the arrival of another course..just like the beginning of the acts of an opera… And upon the arrival of an act or course the audience became quiet… anxious to savor what was before them..  The tastes were as pleasing to the palate as the sounds of  a great tenor like Pavarotti and Caruso or Mario Lanza or soprano Maria Callas..you don’t want to miss a minute of a memorable performance…

The Opera… and the Final Act

And after dinner and all the plates had been cleared away, the memorable final act was nonna serenading us with one of her opera classics..and nonno may chime in with one of the love songs he serenaded her with when they first met…Oh what a beautiful opera and unfortunately one that I can never see again.

So I am thankful this Thanksgiving not just for being able to have the food on the table but for having had all those special memories that I can look back on. The Thanksgiving Opera… 

If you also have some special Thanksgiving memories..please share…. Memories are special gifts to be shared….

For more memories and recipes get your copy of  bestselling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati at http://www.marialiberati.com or http://stores.lulu.com/marialiberati

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“Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene”
Maria