copyright 2010, Maria Liberati

Fast life ,fast cars..turned into slow life..slow food at Fiorano vineyards and olive grove in Le Marche Italy.. Paolo was a successful dentist living the fast life in the quick paced city of Milan…but when he began growing weary of city life Paolo and his family began looking for other options to get back to a simpler,slower way of life ..the way life was meant to be..in its’ most natural state.

Fast forward to the restoration of the organic vineyard and olive grove in the province of Le Marche, Italy in the small village of Ofida.

My visit there on a bright sunny day in January was one for the diary of any true gastronaut (gastronomy and astronaut=gastronaut)..savoring organic olive oil produced from the olive trees that surrounded us…accompanied by organic wines produced by the vines that one could look out onto.

Ahhh the true art of simplicity..a bottle of organic olive oil to drizzle with, freshly made organic bread, organic wine, a colorful dish  of organic olives..and we had lunch….

A lunch that inspired free flowing conversation on the beauty of food..of course food in its most natural state..

You can recreate my day at Fiorano in your own kitchen and create your own ’staycation’for an hour or for a day ..I recommend some organic olive oil, freshly baked bread ,organic wine,artisan cheese, organic olives and the company of great friends..relaxing conversation and here’s a bit of scenery and a recipe for those olives and olive oil..

Pappardelle Al Tonno (pappardelle pasta with tuna)

For 4

*1 lb of pappardelle pasta

*16 ounces of tuna packed in water

*1/3 cup of pitted green olives

*3 tablespoons of extra virgin,cold pressed, olive oil

*1 garlic clove

*1 handful of fresh parsley

*pinch of sea salt

Place pappardelle pasta in boiling water until al dente. Chop olives ,tuna, garlic finely with a mezzaluna or chopping knife. Place olive oil in large sauté pan and heat for 30 seconds. Add in

chopped ingredients and saute for 5 minutes or until garlic begins to turn golden. Remove from heat. Add in cooked pappardelle pasta and toss gently. Serve with finely chopped parsley sprinkled on top.

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene

Appearances coming up:

April 14- 6:30 PM-Book Signing/Reading-Free Library of Philadelphia, 1905 Locust St

May 8th- 2PM- Book Signing/Reading -Borders Books-1565 Main Street, Warrington, Pa

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The Basic Art of Italian Cooking has always been about using basic flavors and ingredients to create delicious meals..One of those basic ingredients is sea salt.

There are those among us who just can’t eat anything without salt….it is the most basic of ingredients and flavors to put into any dish..it brings the flavor alive!

Salt sea is the most natural of those ingredients.

With the spring season just around the corner..thoughts of Tuscan style picnic food abound and salads, soups are not complete dishes without the addition of sea salt or sodium salts.  To host a Tuscan picnic meal or any dinner party where you have guests with varying taste buds-some like more, some like less salt-..have salts available on the table and use only a small amount in the recipes. Everyone will enjoy the meal that way.

But thanks to modern science, for those that have to limit their amount of sodium intake there are many salts out there now,  that have low sodium content. Sea salt has a naturally lower sodium content anyway…but  don’t forget have a lower sodium alternative available on your table… your guests will thank you for it..

So part of your Italian kitchen pantry should always include sea salt and a lower sodium salt..always have on hand for unexpected guests..everyone will always feel welcome at your table and when they say “Buon Appetito”  before they eat at your table (as the custom is in Italy) ..they will truly mean it!

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

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Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

copyright 2010, Maria Liberati

I think we should make the ‘Day after Valentine’s Day’ a  Day to celebrate!! … boxes of chocolates are still there to be enjoyed.. half opened bottle of  Prosecco still in the fridge waiting to be finished..so there… you have  some of the makings for one special meal-Prosecco and chocolates.

So celebrate..the “Day after Valentines’ Day” ..as a special Occasion.. Tonight’s meal is Farfalle with Gorgonzola cheese served  with Prosecco (left over from last night’s dinner) and chocolates for dessert..and to keep things warm..and light- chocolate truffle coffee for an after dinner drink.

Farfalle (bow tie pasta) in Gorgonzola

Copyright 2009-2010 from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards

4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese

1 tablespoon +  ½  tblsp butter

3 tablespoons cold milk

1 lb of farfalle (bow tie) pasta

4 tblsps of  pasta cooking water

Place gorgonzola in saucepan with butter and milk, melt over low to medium heat. Add in pasta cooking water to thin sauce. Cook farfalle till al dente. Toss pasta  in Gorgonzola sauce. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley. Serve with a glass of  Santa Margherita Prosecco.

For more recipes and menus to make any day a Special Occasions

visit me at OpenSky

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

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Running a restaurant isn’t just about the food… we also have to think carefully about   maintaining the equipment used to prepare the foods..  when I speak to chefs and future restaurateurs I always stress that there are so many other facets to running a restaurant and keeping your equipment running smoothly is one of them..

Finding commercial kitchen parts has always been a challenge and in the restaurant biz we always seem to need a replacement part at some inopportune time..you know when reservations are filled to capacity and something important breaks down and no one on staff can be spared to get out to pick up a part.

But now shopping online  at Partstown.com has  is now available to  the commercial kitchen kitchen parts industry and a few clicks at your desk and your part can be on its way in 24 hours.  Partstown.com seems to have discovered how to meet the needs of today’s quick paced restaurants by providing a solution for a quick and convenient way to get important parts and not take away time from what you should be doing..running your restaurant.

But my favorite feature of Partstown.com is that you can find almost any manual for commercial restaurant equipment and find them quickly..for those of us that do what we do best -cook-but are not technically savvy..this makes things so much easier to find exactly what you need and quickly. I love this because you can usually diagnose the parts you need yourself or have one of the restaurant staff do this easily by being able to pull up the exact manual for that equipment..   and you can do it right from your computer.

If you need Frymaster parts, look up the manual for your frymaster, deduce what it is you need and just click to the part and order..wow..makes things so simple for a busy resturant ..so simple that almost anyone can deduce what part you need. What a website!!  I loved it..it makes my job easier so I can have more time to think of what I need to think about..preparing the food.

Pitco parts couldn’t have been simpler to find..somethng highly technical made into something relatively easy. Almost any staff person at a restaurant can figure out what replacement part is needed by just looking up the equipment manual and then the part number.

 Instead of replacing these items you can repair and keep them ..thanks to partstown.com Ordering parts for commercial restaurant equipment couldn’t be easier..

Everyone wants to eat healthy but not everyone has the time to cook healthy..when I speak to large groups or at corporate functions  on healthy eating I always like to use   this anonymous quote ‘”if you don’t spend money and time on eating healthy now you will eventually have to spend money and time on being sick-medicines, doctor bills and more”

Eating healthier means eating foods that are closer to the source using freshly prepared foods..but if you don’t have the time to do that you can easily order online  for a healthy meals delivery..and voila!! to your door a freshly prepared,healthy for you..no work on your part..well the only thing work you have  is to narrow down your choices of which healthy meal to order..your stomach and your body will thank you for it..and if you order for your family they will thank you too!

You can also tone up and trim down in a healthy way..no chemical laden shakes or bars or supplement..you can lose weight  by eating healthy meals ordered easily online with a diet delivery service no need to think about measuring portions what type of foods you should eat, how to keep the meal healthy but lower in calories and fat..with a diet home delivery it is all done for you..losing weight organically couldn’t be easier..and just think of all the time left for exercising or doing other things you enjoy.. a healthy way to get in shape..no stress on your body..no stress on you..

One of my first loves is food..but I have been known to have a fondness for Fashion and when in the kitchen-a home one or a professional kitchen-I am perplexed with a dilemma..wanting to always look ’smashing’ in the kitchen but wanting to make the food look and taste ’smashing’ as well…not as easy to do as it looks on TV

The other day my better half  commented, as I was lovingly preparing the risotto  ‘a deux’ “La Befana, but Christmas is over” (La befana is the good Christmas witch)..I realized I was taking the comfort of my home kitchen too lightly..baggy sweater, baggy comfy pants..baggy apron..hair pulled back in a frizzed out ponytail…ahhhh!! what have I done….so today I set out to find a solution to the fashion in the kitchen problem..ambiance has everything to do with food..and the cook is part of the ambiance…

Just in time for Valentine’s Day..apron elegance has beautiful stylish aprons so you can add some  style to any kitchen..

How  to accomplish both?…after all you should look just as smashing as your food tastes..

With these aprons..I will never be mistaken for La Befana..but maybe cupid or well someone else that is sweet and sassy…

For recipes and menus for Valentines’s Day

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene

Maria

visit me at OpenSky

copyright 2010, Maria Liberati

My visit  to the medieval Abbey of Casamari in the province of Frosinone was a visit back to the medieval  pharmacies where many of the medicinal herbal formulas were discovered by the Benedictine monks here and brought to the world. The liqueurs and honeys  are all produced at the Abbey in a traditional way, all fruits,herbs, plants used are all grown organically by the monks there..a virtual trip back in time.. After Sunday mass (said by the monks in Latin), and a visit to the Abbey’s pharmacy and store the open air market beckoned.

The fragrance of freshly made (locally) made ciambella were almost calling my name. These particularly local ciambella made with anise seeds and boiled then baked (like  a bagel) are a typical product from  this region, but  are an artisan food that are not so easy to find..probably since they are not so quick to make and are made in an artisan way…

They bring back memories of my grandmother (who made her own delicious version of these for breakfast) telling stories of how she would go to her local town bakery ( in the town of Venafro, Italy) in the morning and get them freshly baked for breakfast… my great aunt (her older  sister)  owned the bakery and made these for her…. These locally baked treats have been almost impossible to locate ..so this was a real trip back in time..and an unexpected culinary treat..mmm..a piece of local  cheese with a  hot,freshly baked ciambella..could not have dreamed of a better lunch…can not even describe the experience..it was one to be savored….

Here is another version of a classic ciambella, known as a ciambellone, similar to  a pound cake, delicious also and a little bit easier to make..while I pull out my recipe for the ciambellone I feasted on today..and put on the great new apron I just found that includes a towel attached zipdry

Ciambellone Classico

(from the Gourmand World Cookbook Award Winner The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays &Special Occasions

2 cups all purpose flour or cake flour sifted

¾ cup sugar

2 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

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My recent culinary tour in Le Marche Italy, famous for black truffles, inspired me to create this special lasagna for my appearance on the NBC morning show in Philadelphia- the !10 show. It combines porcini mushrooms and black truffles in a fresh pasta lasagna.

If you want to use authentic ingredients from Italy, as I did, without taking a trip there  it’s easy…..DiPalo Selects.com is where I got most of my delicious ingredients from.. the extra virgin olive oil to the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, the Grana Padano cheese, dried porcini mushrooms, freshly made mozzarella..and they have  a lot more  authentic Italian ingredients to make any recipe a success…no passport needed!

Here’s the recipe, from the NBC TV appearance:

Lasagna with Porcini Tartufata

(Lasagna with Porcini mushrooms and grated truffles)

from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions, copyright 2009, Maria Liberati

*Lasagna Pasta

*2 dried ounces porcini mushrooms

*2 tsps grated black truffles

*¼ cup Parmigiana Reggiano cheese or grana padano

*1/4 cup Santa Margherita Prosecco wine

*3 tsps plain breadcrumbs

*Bechamel sauce (See recipe below)

*2 tsps chopped fresh parsley

*1 tblsp butter to butter pan

*1 tblsp olive oil

Lasagna Dough

*3 1/3 cup fine white or 00 flour

*4 eggs

*pinch of salt

Make a mound on a wooden work surface with the flour. Make a well in center of flour and place in eggs broken one at a time, add in pinch of salt. Begin mixing the dough with your hands until dough is smooth. Knead for about 10-15 minutes, if dough is too thick add a few drops of water. Don’t skimp on kneading or dough will tear easily.

*When smooth, roll into a ball, then divide into 2 balls.

*Flour a wooden or marble board and place one ball on it. Roll it out, sprinkling some flour on it , flipping as it becomes thinner. Dough should be almost transparent.

*cut dough into desired equal sizes for lasagna layers. Roll out second ball of dough and do the same. Let pasta stand for about 10 minutes.

When ready to use ,boil each layer of lasagna pasta for about 15 seconds in boiling salted water, dry on paper towel and then layer with toppings.

Bechamel Sauce

2 tablespoons of butter

1 ½ tblsp of flour

2 ½ cups milk

Place butter in saucepan, let it melt, stir in flour and little by little stir in milk. Use wire whisk to blend all together in clockwise motion till the liquid is creamy. Remove from heat,

Dried Porcini Mushrooms

soak porcini mushrooms in ½ cup warm water for 30 minutes. Place 1 tblsp of olive oil in saute pan with mushrooms, liquid and ¼ cup Santa Margherita Prosecco wine. Saute till liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with ½ tsp chopped parsley.

 Maria

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Put together the lasagna this way:

Butter a lasagna pan lightly,sprinkle bottom of pan with 2 tsps plain breadcrumbs, and then place in layer of pasta, place on top of pasta, thin layer of bechamel sauce, some porcini mushrooms, a few slices of mozzarella cheese, sprinkle of grated parmigiana cheese, chopped parsley. Continue alternating this way. Top layer should be bechamel sauce and grated parmigiana reggiano cheese and a tsp of breadcrumbs. Broil for 1 minute before removing from oven. or until Parmigiana Reggiano cheese on top is golden. Remove from oven. Before serving top with grated truffles and serve with chopped fresh parsley and freshly grated parmigiana-reggiano cheese.

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

NBC TV appearance

Chocolates make the perfect ending to a great meal. And if you choose chocolate that is made of at least 60% cocoa you derive a health benefit from that piece of chocolate as well. One of my favorite desserts is a piece of chocolate after a meal..and a piece of chocolate makes a great accompaniment to the after dinner coffee. My favorite chocolate is a handmade one by Gail Ambrosius chocolate..it is a  cinnamon-cayenne chocolate..the combination of cinnamon and cayenne leaves you glowing from the contrast of he sweetness of the cinnamon and the hot fire roasted chilies…really a great after dinner experience!!

I love that these chocolates are handmade by an artisan chocolatier….give an artisan touch to your meal..and they come beautifully packaged as well.

You can find these earthly delights at  my Open Sky store

 http://marialiberati.theopenskyproject.com/gail-ambrosius-cinnamon-cayenne-chocolate.html

Maria

http://marialiberati.theopenskyproject.com