copyright 2010 art of living, PrimaMedia, Inc.

I love having a kitchen full of people to cook for, but every now and again I love to relax..and cook for one..Me! I can create something just for me! Today was one of those days, and a frittata is one of my favorite things to make for one…fun, easy and not too many utensils needed..only a bowl for the eggs, one cutting board for veggies, one pan.

The 8″ saute pan from Beka Cookware (one of our 2010 Annual Holiday Guide Picks) has become one of my favorites in the kiitchen. I keep it in close proximity to the range. It’s a stylish piece to add to the kitchen but also is the first 100% ‘green’ cookware. No chemicals are used in the manufacturing of  the pan-so no one is harmed when producing the pan or cooking with it. And since it is coated with a patented ceramic coating and non-stick- my frittata comes out of  the pan..picture perfect. And it can also safely be put into the oven to finish that frittata.

Here is my ‘cooking for one’ (or maybe two) frittata:

Frittata Dell’Orto (Garden Style Frittata)

*2 fresh eggs

1 zucchini sliced

1/2 small eggplant cubed

1 small potato cubed

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove

1 shallot chopped finely

pinch of rosemary

1 tsp of fresh parsley chopped

pinch of salt and pepper

Peel potato and boil in boiling water for 5 minutes, remove ,cool, cut into cubes.  Place 1 tablespoon of  extra virgin olive oil in Beka 8″ saute pan, place in finely chopped shallot and whole garlic clove. Saute for 2 minutes. Place in cubed eggplant, sliced zucchini,,cubed potatoes. Saute for 5 minutes over medium heat, remove garlic clove.  Break eggs into bowl and whisk with wire whisk. Pour over vegetables, sprinkle in rosemary, parsley, pinch of salt and pepper. Saute till edges are firm and middle is firm. Toss onto another plate or place in oven preheated to 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Remove from pan. This is a generous portion for on, and could be enough for an unexpected guest!

For more recipes, get your coy of the book selected as the Best Italian Cuisine Book in the USA

The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holiday & Special Occasions-2nd edition now with an added chapter on the Feast of the Seven Fishes

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.

Visit OpenSky

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

Maria

  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

Visit OpenSky

Visit http://twitter.com/marialiberati

copyright 2009, Art of Living, PrimaMedia,Inc./ Maria Liberati

Today as I finished up a panel discussion at the Chestnut Hill Book Festival in Chestnut Hill, Pa on writing  your own cookbook (with  noted cookbook writers’ ) someone in the audience came up to thank me for noting that cookbook writing and cooking should be a passion.  But he also put it more succinctly…… that cooking and eating a meal should be more than just putting ingredients together..it should be an experience no matter how simple!
Think of  eating a meal as an experience..an experience to try a new food  or a new flavor combination. It can be a simple dish..bruschetta with fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella..a truly delicious experience of  true flavors! An fun experience to lift up your spirits..to give you something to look forward to at the end of the day!

Here are some great recipes to experience:

Zucchini Parmigiana Frittata

*6 eggs

*2 small zucchini, chopped

*4 tblsps of olive oil

*4 tblsps of parmigiana-reggiano cheese grated

*handful of fresh parsley finely chopped

*salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in saute pan. Place in chopped zucchini. Saute for 5 minuts. Break eggs in a bowl. wisk with a wire whisk, place in chopped parsley, grated parmigiana-reggiano cheese wisk together. Add in salt and pepper to taste. Place in saute pan with zucchini. When all sides are dryu and top does not have runny liquid, flip over with a plate on top and place back in sauce pan. Brown on that side, take out of pan and slice and serve.

Panzanella (tuscan bread salad)

*4 slices of thick crusty bread

*1/2 cup  extra virgin olive oil

*4 plum tonatoes chopped

*1 cucumber peeled and chopped

*1/2 red onion peeled and chopped

*handful of fresh basil leaves chopped

Tear bread slices and place in bowl with chopped cucumber and chopped onion. In  small bowl whisk together olive oil and red wine vinegar. Pour over bread and salad and let marinade for 30 minutes.

Then place in tomatoes, and toss, top with chopped basil leaves and serve.

Hope to see you at the upcoming The Basic Art of Italian Cooking events at:
July 16th- Annapolis, MD- Whole Foods Market, Annapolis Culinary Center, 7 PM- A Tuscan Picnic cooking demo and book signing. Call store for info or email events@marialiberati.com

July 18th- Fair Lakes/Fairfax, Va., Whole Foods Market, A Tuscan Picnic  and Wine Pairing, 1PM. Call store for info or email:events@marialiberati.com

July 31st-August 2nd ,Atlantic City Wine and Food Festival. Email:events@marialiberati.com

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

http://twitter.com/marialiberati

http://mariandco.blogspot.com

copyright, 2008, Maria Liberati

The Basic Art of Italian Cooking  Kitchen has been getting in the Holiday mood quite early  this year.  We have had endless meetings to discuss the hundreds of products that have been submitted for consideration in our upcoming Holiday Guide.

The ones that meet the criteria for the Holiday Guide will be the ones that we ultimately select, but they also have to be products that will make the Holiday Season enjoyable and fun for our readers and excite them just as much as they have excited us! Products that make you want to run into your kitchen just to use them! 

 Most importantly they have to enhance The Basic Art of Italian Cooking experience!

In The Basic Art of Italian Cooking Kitchen.. one of our favorite products (you will hear about  some others in posts to come) has been The Rosetta Stone language programs. We have been testing out the basic Italian and French programs..and a laptop has been set up in a section of the kitchen with the programs installed. Most of our intern chefs don’t know a word of Italian or French.

This makes a great gift for the culinary enthusiast or traveler on your list..

In The Basic Art of Italian Cooking  kitchen we always stress the importance of knowing at  least the basics of other languages, especially if you want to experience the culinary arts of another country to any of the chefs or chef interns that work with us.

The Rosetta Stone programs are entertaining but also the one thing that we think you will find amazing is that with these programs a microphone can be hooked up to the computer and when you pronounce the words you are told whether or not it is correct, so it is almost like having a live teacher!  Some of our chef interns have used the programs and after a few days are already able to communicate in basic Italian…So kudos to The Rosetta Stone for making the world just a little bit smaller. 

By the way, there are also other languages that are really important to have some basic knowledge of, who knows next year maybe we will try Japanese, Chinese, Russian.. with the Rosetta Stone it should be easy..

 Here is an easy expression that is used at the dinner table, before you eat your meal in Italy everyone says..”Buon Appetito” ( Pronounced: Bwone-ah-peh-tee-toe)

After you have mastered that expression, you can enjoy eating this recipe:

Ratatouille of Zucchini and Eggplant

*2 medium fresh eggplants

*3 medium size zucchini

*5 fresh plum tomatoes

*2 cloves of garlic

*3 tblsps of olive oil

*1 slice of  fresh onion chopped

*pinch of salt

*4 ounces of fresh mozzarella cut into cubes

*3 tblsps freshly grated  parmigiana-reggiano cheese

Wash eggplant and zucchini. Cut zucchini into 1/4 inch slices. Cut eggplant into 1/4 inch cubes. Wash tomatoes. Fillet them by removing inside liquid and seeds. Slice into thin slices.

In large saute pan, heat olive oil. Saute whole garlic cloves, chopped onions till golden. place in cut eggplants and zucchini and 1/2 cup dry white wine, 1/2 cup water. Saute for 10 minutes, stirring. Add in tomatoes, stirring and saute for another 10 minutes or until eggplant and zucchini are tender. If at any time liquid is needed add in a little water.

When done remove from heat and add in cubed mozzarella and  freshly grated parmigiana-reggiano cheese. Stir, mozzarella cheese will become stringy. Serve warm or cool. In the winter it is great hot or warm, in the summer cool. Serve with crusty bread  and  dry white wine.

Buon Appetito!

 Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

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

and/or http://stores.lulu.com/marialiberati

(Photo credits : http://www.mets-de-provence.fr)

Have you ever had a ‘voglio’? A voglio is the way Italians express a strong desire for something- someone that you love, a food, a dish,  an experience. One way to say I love you is ‘te voglio bene’- which literally translated means I desire you very much. Or as the students text  the abbreviation t.v.b.(te voglio bene) to each other.

Well enough for our Italian lesson.

Today I had a strong ‘voglio’ for eggplants. There are eggplants everywhere you go since this is their season for the next few weeks and they are grown everywhere. The farm markets are filled with them.

The dish I selected to make for ‘pranzo’ (lunch) was Ratatouille of eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes. But to be worthy of a ‘voglio’ thsi dish must be made with the freshest and best ingredients. There are only a few ingredients in this dish and each one is important.

Let’s start with the tomatoes. I used fresh San Marzano tomatoes (by the way these tomatoes deserve a t.v.b.all  to themselves. They are as sweet as candy and if you ever need a reason to visit Italy- one of those would be to taste a fresh San Marzano tomato grown in Italy-nothing like it.) However if  you can’t get fresh San Marzano tomatoes use a fresh plum tomato that is red and ripe. If you must use canned, use only a high quality canned tomato (but only as a last resort).

Olive oil- use a good quality extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil from Italy. If  you use anything less this dish will not be a success.

Mozzarella cheese- usea freshly made mozzarella

Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese-use only parmigiano-reggiano cheese-don’t use anything that is called anything else- parmesan is not real parmigiano-reggiano cheese.

Fresh zucchini, eggplant, onion- these vegetables should be very fresh, eggplants and zucchini should be firm. Buy your produce locally from a local farm is possible to insure freshness.

Ratatouille of Zucchini and Eggplant

*2 medium fresh eggplants

*3 medium size zucchini

*5 fresh plum tomatoes

*2 cloves of garlic

*3 tblsps of olive oil

*1 slice of  fresh onion chopped

*pinch of salt

* 1/2 cup dry white wine

*4 ounces of fresh mozzarella

*3 tblsps parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Wash eggplant and zucchini. Cut zucchini into 1/4 inch slices. Cut eggplant into 1/4 inch cubes. Wash tomatoes. Filet them by removing inside liquid and seeds. Slice into thin slices.

In large saute pan, heat olive oil. Saute whole garlic cloves, chopped onions till golden. place in cut eggplants and zucchini and 1/2 cup dry white wine, 1/2 cup water. Saute for 10 minutes, stirring. Add in tomatoes, stirring and saute for another 10 minutes or until eggplant and zucchini are tender. If at any time liquid is needed add in a little water.

When done remove from heat and add in cubed mozzarella and grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese. Stir, mozzarella cheese will become stringy. Serve warm or cool. Either way this is a delicious dish for a summer day. Serve with grissini sticks and  dry white wine. We had some Falenghina (one of my favorite white wines) with this dish.

Buon Appetito!
For more recipes get your copy of the bestselling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at http://www.marialiberati.com