Hypnotized or somewhat like Pavlov’s dogs..embarrassingly I am always making bowls of Macedonia (an Italian style fresh fruit salad)  for  an after lunch and dinner dessert…. I didn’t realize how much of the stuff I was always making..until my better half suggested that “we should maybe just have some pieces of fresh fruit after dinner once in awhile”

I realized my dilemma there..Macedonia..which is a fresh fruit salad..was the way we always ended dinner at my grandmother’s house when I was younger and my mother did the same..

Not that I am complaining..I love fresh fruit and because of them I am conditioned to always have fresh fruit after my meals…but it has become more than that is almost as I have been conditioned to end a meal this way.

When dinner was over.. nonna (grandmom) would automatically get up from her seat and everyone knew she was going to the little cool wine cellar in back of the kitchen (the kitchen was under the house) and would come out with a bowl of freshly made macedonia..to the “oohs” and “ahhs” of everyone at the table.. since it was much anticipated after a full meal..something sweet but light and something that seemed to help digest the meal…made with whatever fruits were in season. It almost seems that being in Italy I am now conditioned to feel that my meal is not complete without a dish of fresh macedonia.. Dinner was always filled with opera and singing and freshly made plates of pasta,artisan cheeses, freshly made breads, wine and well here in Italy meals are the same..and the feeling that they are not complete without the grand ending of a bowl of fresh macedonia..

In Italy the tradition is to end the everyday meals with fresh fruit and nuts..and that is a healthy habit..but the macedonia..I think I am hypnotized..anyway here is a recipe for a winter macedonia..see if it becomes one of your after dinner favorites..In the meantime, I am going to make the same for lunch today..I can’t help myself……macedonia obsessed it seems…..

Macedonia

(from the winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards- The Basic Art of Italian Cooking:Holidays &Special Occasions)

*1 whole fresh lemon

*1 whole fresh pineapple

*1/2 lb of red grapes-washed

*2 fresh oranges

*2 bananas-peeled and sliced into 1″ thick slices

*4 fresh kiwi-peeled and sliced

*1 tablespoon sugar

Peel and cut fresh fruits into chunks. Place in bowl. Cut lemon in half and squeeze both halves over fresh cut fruit. Sprinkle with one tablespoon of  sugar. Stir, let marinade covered in refrigerator for 1 hour. Serve with a sprig of fresh mint.

Hope to see you on Saturday May 8th at the Borders Store in Warrington,Pennsylvania.

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Get more recipes in The Basic Art of Italian Cooking Holidays & Special Occasions

Coming up..a culinary truffle hunting trip to Italy in October 2010

Innamorata

copyright, 2010, Maria Liberati

I am in love with the sun … it gives me warmth

I am in love with the wind… it caresses me

I am in love with life… it makes me laugh

I am in love with flowers.. they make my mind drunk with beauty

But chocolate..I am ‘innamorata‘ ( the Italian word meaning’ to be in love’) with because of infinite  reasons and those of you who have a passionate palate will agree that dark chocolate, hot,cold ,or any temperature.. (containing a minimum of 65% cocoa) is the ultimate in comfort food!

Use some of those winter pears for this Torta Di Pere, that mixes dark chocolate and fresh pears for a scrumptious taste experience!  One bite of this and you can not help but utter  the Italian word  ‘innamorata’ from your lips

Torta Di Pere

(from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions 2009;art of living,PrimaMedia, Inc; winner of the Gourmand Cookbook Awards 2009)

2 fresh pears-peeled, cored and cut into small cubes

5 dried dates chopped

2 tablespoons of Cognac

2 tblsps of unsalted butter

1/3 cup sugar

1 -1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

3 egg yolks

3 egg whites beaten or whisked till firm

16 ounces baking or dark chocolate (minimum 65 % cocoa)

For decoration

1 fresh pear ,peeled and sliced thinly

1 tablespoon butter melted

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons of pear or apple jelly

In a food processor place in the chopped dates and pears, and Cognac, blend well, do not liquify. In a bowl, place in  2 tablespoons of unsalted butter,sugar,flour, baking powder,egg yolks, fruit from food processor with liquid and whipped egg whites. Blend well. Butter and flour an 8 ” cake pan and pour in the mixture. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 45 minutes. remove from oven and let cool

Melt baking or dark cocoa in double boiler and use this to  glaze  top of cake. Measure butter and melt, add in sugar. Dip thinly sliced pear in butter and sugar  and  then dip one side of pear slice  in pear jelly  and arrange as a  decoration on outside of cake with pear slices placed all around, stuck to border of cake. Place in fridge till chocolate  glaze is hardened and become……. innamorata …..

Get more recipes to make any day a Special Occasion in The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions

Visit me at OpenSky

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

Each region and city in Italy has their own flavors and tastes to discover..and on a recent trip there I had a flavorful experience discovering the tastes that give Genoa its’ flavor…and secrets of it’s world famous pesto.

In Via San Bernardo, parallel to via Giustiniani, a small metal sign in a miniscule window is the front of Drogheria Torielli. But be careful, if the sun is very strong, you may miss it since the glare of the metal sign on the window will hide this little shop. But it’s name is known by gourmets throughout all of Italy. Why?? well it is here that you will find the best zafferano (saffron) both from Abruzzo and Sardinia. An assortment of the best coffee and teas and 200 types of medicinal herbs exotic and local and any spice you can imagine. Each spice is kept in a large glass jar.

The fragrant odor that fills the air is made up of thousands of different scents and you feel as if you are in a pharmacy instead of a spice shop. Many fo these spices are found in the artisan produced chocolates of Viganotti. It is there that a master chocolatier utilizes apparatus from the ‘800’s to produce sublime chocolate bars and chocolates Chocolates that are crunchy, soft, filled with nuts from Piedmont, covered with dark chocolate, filled with creams made from old artisan recipes and more. Eve nth shop itself has remained in some of its’ original style with its old wooden shelves and counter and the air filled with the smell of sugar, cocoa.

Pesto is a famous dish from Genoa,  with basil, grown famously there, it’s principal ingredient. And the microclimate of Genoa as well as the soil there is perfect for growing basil, but it is also the years of experience of the basil growers in Genoa that produces a  basil of superior qulaity.

This Pesto recipe is similar to that which is used for official tasting courses while in the Province of Genoa and is considered the official Pesto recipe of Genoa, sort of their secret recipe… however I have substituted ingredients that are more easily available for those which are local to Genoa which would be difficult for someone to acquire if not located in close proximity to Genoa. Also the original recipe is done in a pestle and mortar not a food processor as indicated here:

*1 large handful of Basil leaves only (stems removed)

*3 garlic cloves

*1 tablespoon of pinoli nuts

*2 tblsps of Parmigiana Reggiano (Aged for 24 months) grated

*1/2 tblsp of Pecorino Sardo

*pinch of sea salt

*7-8 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil ( I recommend an artisan extra virgin olive oil-Badia a Coltibuono)

Remove leaves from stems of basil. Wash and dry gently. Finely chop the garlic. Finely grind the pinolli nuts. Finely chop the basil. In food processor, place in basil, garlic, pinoli nuts, cheeese. Place in olive oil a little at a time. If the pesto is too thick add in a bit of water to thin out.

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene….

Maria

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For more recipes get the book that won the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards as teh Best Italain Cuisine Book in America 2009- The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions

If you missed my TV  appearance on NBC in Philadelphia..here it is http://tinyurl.com/y9zpedp

The recipe is in The Basic Art of Italian Cooking:Holidays & Special Occasions winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards

My trip to Terni, Italy -(where Valentine’s Day gets it’s origin from St Valentine-who lived there) was not filled with decorations of hearts and flowers  as I had imagined. ..just a  simple town with signs that lead to the church once  led by St Valentine. So what would Valentine’s Day be without hearts and flowers and chocolates  and presents? just a day as it was originally intended -filled with love..

For Valentine’s Day gifts there are so many to choose from..well here is a recipe  to enjoy while opening those gifts..

This is  one of my favorite cocktails made with  Santa Margherita Prosecco and keep your Prosecco cool by using the VinoTemp champagne cooler. Nothing makes a meal more festive than a sparkling fabulous wine.

Valentine’s Day Cocktail

this cocktail is similar to a Bellini but the blood red orange juice gives it a Valentine’s Day twist.

3 ounces Santa margherita Prosecco

1 ounce of blood red orange juice

1 ounce of  regular orange juice

Blend juices together. Divide into two champagne fluted glasses. Pour in Prosecco and stir gently. Garnish with a slice of blood red orange.

Get more recipes for Valentine’s Day and Holidays in the Gourmand World Cookbook winner : The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions

Visit me at the open sky project

Thanks to everyone who watched and assisted  at my appearance on NBC the !10 show on February 2nd. A special thx to makeup person-Cathy Lee Carpenter & Hair Person- Kamilla Florczak and my assistants Patricia Bontempo and Frederick Cohen for your assistance in making the appearance a success!

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Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

copyright 2010, Maria Liberati

Godere -the verb that can be translated to ‘intensely enjoy with pleasure’… but it means more than that…we don’t have one word in english to express the profoundness of this verb. It means to enjoy, but with all your heart and soul, to get lost in the pleasure..

“Mi sono proprio goduto la Domenica”..a phrase told to me by an astute 11 yr old..wise beyond his years about last Sunday and what we should strive for every Sunday… Sunday is meant to be enjoyed..there is only one Sunday per week… So Carpe Diem!

Wise words to follow..just think of what a wonderful week you will have if you have a Sunday to look forward to… a Sunday that you know you will really enjoy

 Sundays are my favorite Holiday! Make it a day to treat yourself to something that you will really enjoy, even if it means just taking a break from your regular routine..but Godere means more than just sleeping late..no sleeping late means that you are letting many beautiful things pass you by..the sun the sky, the museums,a trip to an open air market..a trip to a local coffee bar..a park….somewhere that will be a treat for yourself to go to…

And to begin a beautiful start for a day that is to “godere” here is a recipe for a typical light Italian style pound cake known as ‘ciambellone  classico” and then off to a beautiful day…

Ciambellone Classico (Classic Italian Pound Cake)

from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions (winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards)

2 cups all purpose flour or cake flour sifted

¾ cup sugar

3 eggs

½ cup melted butter

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

peel of 1 lemon

extra flour and butter for greasing pan

Work together the sugar and eggs. Blend in flour and melted butter. Work the dough till it is a smooth blended dough and add in the baking powder and salt and lemon peel. Butter and flour a cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Should be golden on top. Remove from oven and cool. You can decorate the top with a dusting of powdered sugar or shaved dark chocolate.

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

http://marialiberati.theopenskyproject.com

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copyright, 2010, Maria Liberati

“A torta (cake) made with love always bakes perfect and delicious!”..that was the conversation at a dinner we hosted . An acquaintance of ours recounted how she made a cake for her young son. Anxiously awaiting the freshly baked torta, sitting at the kitchen table and upon tasting the still warm, freshly baked sweet, he exclaimed “Mamma, the torta is ‘perfetta’ (perfect)!

So we all deduced that must be it ..the secret ingredient in Italian cooking.LOVE…

As we supped on the meal I made of Lasagne Melanzane (Lasagne with Eggplant), Zuppa di Pesce (Fish Soup), Insalata (salad), Macedonia (Fresh Fruit salad), Torta di Principe Eugenio ( Prince Eugenio Cake-chocolate and raspberries)..with dinner guests from not only Italy but Russia, Slovakia, France, Spain and other parts of the World…

The unanimous vote about the best ingredient for a recipe..from our United Nations confab of  ‘foodie’ dinner guests was always LOVE..

So here is one of the recipes from the dinner, but remember the only ingredient that you must put in that is not listed here is LOVE…….

Lasagne alla Melanzane ( lasagna with eggplant)

(from the  winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards-The Basic Art of Italian Cooking:Holidays &Special Occasions)

1 pound of fresh pasta for lasagna

2 lbs fresh eggplant- sliced and grilled

1 lb fresh mozzarella or scamorza

1handful of fresh basil

1 tsp dried oregano

2 lbs fresh tomatoes or 2-16 ounce cans of plum tomatoes

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

4 tblsps of grated parmigiana-reggiano cheese

2 cloves garlic-whole

In saute pan,  place in olive oil, 2 cloves garlic. Saute for 1 minute or until garlic is just turning golden. Remove garlic. Add in tomatoes and oregano. Stir and cook for 20 minutes.

In baking pan, place thin layer of sauce, one layer of pasta, one layer of eggplant slices, then thinly sliced mozzarella, sauce, freshly chopped basil. Repeast till all ingredients are used up ending with slices of eggplant,mozzarella, sauce on top.  Bake in oven preheated to 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Then sprinkle grated parmigiana cheese on top and bake for another 20 minutes. Put under broiler for last 5 minutes or until cheese bubbles. Serve hot.

After a dinner like this serve artisan chocolates.

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene

Maria

http://marialiberati.theopenskyproject.com

http://twitter.com/Marialiberati

copyright 2009, Maria Liberati

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas in Europe with the Christkindlmarkts of long ago that still exist today. I love to discover new ones .  This year I did just that by stopping by the Christkindlmarkts of the Northern Italian towns of Bolzano, Merano, Bressanone, Brunico, Vipiteno- are 5 cities in Northern Italy with 5 different styles of  celebrating  the festivities of the Christmas Season. This typical Nordic tradition in Middle Europe of the Christkindlmarkt (that began in Germany in the 14^th century) continues till January 6^th in the Alto Adige regions of Italy. The markets are filled with Christmas decorations and gifts. The main scents are of cinnamon and spices, of the wood burning in the mountains and sweet gingerbread, of vin brule (hot spiced wine). And the tastes? Many sweet gifts for the palate, the typical ‘zelten’ with candied fruits, apple strudel, homemade cookies known as ‘Lebkuchen’ and a type of sugar cake soaked in rum known as ‘Feuerzangbowle’. These sweets represent the classic and genuine recipes from Christmas markets of the past but updated for modern tastes. This year these sweets were made in 5 different shapes each one representing something special from each of the 5 cities:

*little angel for Bolzano

*lamb for Bressanone

*star for Brunico

*bell for Merano

*tower for Vipiteno

These sweets were sold exclusively during this year’s Christmas Markets and in Limited edition collectables. And with the purchase of the homemade ‘Lebkuchen’ a donation was made to a new project called”Francisville-The City of Mystery” for the Francesca Rava Foundation that will be used aid the children in Haiti.

Here is a recipe, for traditional ‘Lebkuchen’.  You can use these cookies as ornaments and cut into different shapes.

Lebkuchen 

• 3/4 cup honey 

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup butter

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp of powdered cocoa

•  1 tsp cinnamon,

•  1 tsp coriander  

• 1tsp cardamom 

• pinch of nutmeg 

• pinch of ground cloves 

•  Peel of one  dried lemon and 1 orange chopped finely 

• 1 cup flour

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 3 tablespoons of milk 
  1. Heat honey, sugar and butter in top of  a metal double boiler until sugar is almost totally melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
  2. Add in egg, cocoa and spices,dried orange and lemon peels, blend well. Sift flour and add in. Mix with wooden spoon till blended into a smooth dough.
  3. Dissolve baking soda in milk and add into this the dough. Blend in with hands till the dough is smooth. 
  4. Let pasta rest at room temperature overnight or for at least 24 hours.
  5. Place dough on well floured wooden board. Roll out to about 1/4  inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes.  If you want to use these as tree ornaments, place a hole in the top so that a ribbon can be strung through when cooked.

  Cover a cookie sheet with parchment or baking paper and arrange the cookies on the sheet leaving some distance between each of the cookies. Bake them in oven preheated to 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until golden.

   

For more info on the Christkindlmarkets you can also go to www.suedtirol.info

Have you ever made Lebkuchen, do you have a family recipe for Lebkkuchen you want to share?  Post them here…

Maria

http://twitter.com/Marialiberati

copyright 2010, Maria Liberati

New Year’s Day always means a day of relaxing around the kitchen of our ‘piccolo villa’ here in the mountains of Abruzzo with family and friends that drop by as the day lingers on and  the Vienna Philharmonic on TV with the famed New Year’s Day concert and all kinds of chocolate delights to munch on around the table. From locally produced chocolate torrone, to gianduia torrone, to a type of Panettone filled with chocolate. This year the Philharmonic even put footage of Vienna’s best chocolatiers creating some luscious chocolate creations in sync  to one of the symphonies. But the Raditzky’s March signals the end of another New Year’s Day concert, and the start of another New Year of great food, recipes and places to discover.

Here is a  chocolate recipe ..simple but delicious..one of my Holiday favorites that I picked up the first time I spent some of the Christmas Holidays in Venice. A Chocolate Salami..

http://quazen.com/recreation/food/love-chocolate-try-chocolate-salami/

Maria

http://twitter.com/Marialiberati

The Holidays always have me daydreaming about my visits to the Christmas markets in Vienna and Strasburg, in Austria.  On New Year’s Day I am always in Rome where we eat New Year’s day dinner at home  with the traditional New Year’s Day concert from Vienna on TV… So Vienna always brings back special memories for the  Holidays and besides the spiced wine you drink whilst strolling in the main squares in Vienna  and Salzburg..there is Viennese coffee.  If you can’t get to Vienna for the  Holidays you can have a  Viennese experience in your kitchen with a cup of this hot tasty drink (for the full effect, play some Mozart while enjoying this):

If you missed our Holiday Gift Guide, here it is http://tinyurl.com/yzyb4r4

Viennese Coffee

(serves 4)

4 ounces of dark chocolate- melted

1/2 cup of whipping cream

4 cups of dark espresso or espresso style coffee

1 tsp sugar

powdered cocoa

cinnamon

In large heat proof pitcher - blend cream and melted chocolate till creamy.  Add in boiling hot coffee, sugar, stir and divide into 4 coffee cups, top with some whipped cream, dash of powderd cocoa and dash of powdered cinnamon..don’t forget the Mozart!

You still have time to get a copy of the award winning book 

 The Basic Art of Italian Cooking-Holidays & Special Occasions-winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards for Best Italian Cusisine Book in America for 2009.

If you missed our Holiday Gift Guide for best products selected for their artisan quality and the ultimate experience they provide the consumer, here it is:

Holiday Gift Guide 2009

http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1jim0/HolidayGiftGuide2009/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=

 Tanti Auguri (Best Wishes) for a Great Holiday

Maria

http://twitter.com/Marialiberati