copyright, 2009, Maria Liberati

One of the most engaging holidays of the season, Halloween, has been carving out ghoulish jack-o-lanterns and the likes of trick-or-treaters for centuries. Highly recognizable are the spellbinding tales of campfires, midnight marshmallow roasts, and guising costume festivals… thus for many, October 31^st marks the modern-day events of the Eve of All Hallows. Originating from Irish immigrants, the traditions spread across Europe to North America in the 19^th century, as Halloween’s many rituals are now celebrated throughout world. Respectively, while some religious perspectives ascribe certain disbeliefs, the expansion of commerce chose to capitalize significant revenues based upon candy sales and billion-dollar costume industries. The evolution of haunting imagery, black cats, witches brew, religious ceremonies, and product commercialization, inevitably, remains the heart of the equinox. But more than ghost stories and prominent symbols, accounts of this spooktacular event date back as far as the first Pagan rituals, hailing ancient Celtic harvest festivals called, Samhain or Celtic New Year. Often paired with the Day of The Dead and All Saints’ Day, many cultures commemorate (the notional holiday) outside the Americanized standard of door-to-door candy solicitation, by marking November 1^st and 2^nd as calendar days of remembrance.

Carnevale Di Venezia, a long-established Italian tradition seems to parallel a combination of both Mardi gras and Halloween’s costume masquerading. However, its elaborate artistry, first recorded in 1268, is celebrated 40 days before Easter with restrictions of Lent and a grand festival just before Ash Wednesday. While gala dinners and extravagant costume balls of this winter festival trumpet throughout the various regions of Italy, some reports claim the urbanity of Halloween is literally beginning to mask those of Carnevale.

As food plays a significant role in the aspects of any celebration, the annual harvest of apples lend an air of entertainment to the many Halloween-themed activities performed. The friendly competition of apple bobbing or as the Scottish refer to as, dooking, remains a pastime favorite. Even holiday ‘begging’ has transformed throughout history, bringing phrases like ‘Do ye want guisers?’ to the simplicity of ‘Trick or Treat’. So, whether it’s pumpkin risotto to pumpkin carving or candied apples to brimming bags of candy cuisine… the sheer magic surrounding such mythical traditions can be enjoyed by all ages, young and old.

Have your own traditional Carnevale celebration for Halloween with these recipes

Frittelle

Ingredients (for 6 people):

1 lb flour

1 cup raisins

2 tblsps pine nuts

1 tablespoon sugar

2 eggs

1 cup milk

I/2 cup grappa

1 packet brewer’s yeast

a pinch of salt

peanut oil to fry

icing sugar to decorate

Melt the brewer’s yeast and sugar with a little bit of warm water; then add flour, the eggs, grappa and milk. Don’t forget the pinch of salt. Mix everything and knead it for a while until you see some kind of small ‘air bubbles’ forming on the surface. Cover then with a napkin and leave it in a warm place to rise. When the dough will have doubled its volume, add the raisins (and pinenuts). Make ‘balls’ with a teaspoon and let them ‘slide’ into peanut boiling oil (oil should be deep enough to cover all the small balls; and remember not to put too may of them at a time). When they rise to the surf, turn them over, so that they become brown all over. Dry on kitchen paper, sprinkle with icing sugar and enjoy your fritoe!

Crostoli (is another typical Carnival dessert).

Ingredients (4 people):

1 cup flour

½ cup sugar

¼ cup butter

2 eggs

½ cup grappa

1 lemon

icing sugar

a pinch of salt

1 tsp pure vanilla

peanut oil to fry

Mix flour, sugar, vanilla, grated lemon peel and salt on the pastry board. Then make a well and put the eggs, the soft butter cut into small cubes inside the hole. Work it till it is smooth. With the rolling pin roll the dough very thin. Cut rectangles (about 8×12 centimetres) with the pastry cutting wheel and make three cuttings on each of the rectangles. Fry two or three rectangles at a time in abundant boiling peanut oil. Drain, dry on kitchen paper, cover with icing sugar. You can eat them either hot or cold.

For  Holiday recipes and tips get your copy of the newly released The Basic Art of Italian Cooking : Holidays & Special Occasions

Follow Maria on Twitter : http://twitter.com/marialiberati 

Special Thx to everyone at teh Lower Southampton Libnrary in Festerville, Pa for hosting my book signing this week!
Other Apperances coming up:
November 2- Willngboro LIbrary-book singing and cooking demo 7PM

November 4th-6th- Christmas in Italy weekend at Harvest Moon Bed and Breakfast in Lancaster,Pa.. Cooking classes and wine pairings from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking : Holidays & Special Occasions. Call 888-824-3763 for reservations and info.

November 14th-Warren Twp Library, Warren NJ 2PM- Book signing and cooking demo

November 21-Kuhn’s Corner Books- Perkasie ,Pa 12 PM- book signing and sampling

December 12th- Franklin Twp Library, Franklinville, NJ 12 noon- Book signing and cooking demo

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

The Basic Art of Italian Cooking kitchen here in Italy was busy with many recipes today, although still hot,hot, hot and no desire to use an oven or a stove but preparing for some end of summer picnics to take advantage of the summerl iek weather that will be ending soon (I think).

Of all the recipe swe worked on my favorite is a sort of cheesecake made with fresh ricotta..my faovrote part of making the cheesecake was taking a walk to the local place in town where they produce the fresh ricotta.. Here it is ..

Ricotta Raisin Cheesecake

1 1/4 lbs (fresh, if possible) ricotta

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

6 eggs

1/4 cup raisins

peel and juice of one fresh lemon

1 tsp of orange flower water

a pinch of salt

1 tsp baking powder

Place raisins in a small bowl of warm water for 15 minutes. Place ricotta in a bowl with sugar, blend with wooden spoon until you it is a smooth creamy mixture, add in egg yolks. Sift 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder and add into ricotta cream. Blend, then  and add in orange flower water and juice and peel of lemon. Blend

Beat egg whites till firm  with pinch of salt. Add t oricotta mixture blending in with wooden spoon. Drain raisins, dry with paper towel and dust with remaining flour. Add into ricotta cream. Blend in with wooden spoon.

Line a pie pan with baking paper. Place in battter, eve nout batter with wooden spoon. Cook in ove npreheated to 360 degrees for 55 minutes or unti ltop is golden in color.

Get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking:Holidays & Special Occasions before the holidays with 140+ recipes, menus, Holiday stories and more!

Mangia Bene, Viv Bene,

Maria

http://twitter.com/Marialiberati

I can hear the fireworks outside my office window as I am writing . Alfonso would like to think they are shooting fireworks for his birthday but I know it is for a feast they celebrate in this part of Italy (abruzzo) Saint Antonio. Bonfires are lit in the street and a small  town in the mountains has a week long fest of eating ,processions and more.

This morning into this afternoon we proceeded with assembling the Sacher Tortes into this beautiful creation. Thank goodness we did this in two days. Yeserday we baked the cake layers. Today was filling and frosting..

Luckily I had some apricot marmelade left over from this summer’s preserves that I maade from the farm here. Apricot marmelade is used to fill the cake that has been cut in two. Then the laborious process of making the chocolate glaze begins. First a syrup of water and sugar has to be boiled slowly, then the dark chocolate added and then the mixture has to thicken and cool.

While that is being done 2 tblsps of apricot marmelade and 1 tablespoon of water have to be heated to a boil on the stove. This mixture has to be put through a sieve and then spread on top of the cake before it is iced.

Now it was item for the icing. The chocolate mixture was ooh so creamy and thick. Spreading it took the longest, to get it smooth on top..you know just like in the photos..

More tomorrow, gotta go ..tonight we are tasting the Sacher tortes….

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

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

Today, (here in the mountains of Abruzzo, Italy) while I was enjoying my colazione (breakfast )with radio station centocinque (105) and listening to Betty give her gossip and advice I began to plan out the recipe for today..sacher torte…

While  the conversation on today’s radio program was about the new website in Japan that talks about places around the world that have memorable aromas (good and bad)  I began thinking of the great perfume of chocolate that will soon be filling The Basic Art of Italian Cooking Kitchen here (in Italy).

Yes that’s right..the famous Austrian  Sacher Torte.. I learned this scrumptious dessert while studying a bit of Austrian delights in Austria a few years back and have been promising to make this for Alfonso’s birthday for a few too many years.

 Now that The Basic Art of Italian Cooking kitchen is here in Italy also and I have some extra hands to assemble everything ..well I decided to begin this experience.. This morning we made and baked the cake, and tomorrow we willassembled the cake.. The smell from the ovens were heavenly…. if you love the odor of melted butter and rich dark chocolate. I am guessing that many people do since we had some locals come by and ask what was ‘in the oven’ today?

Sacher Torte was ‘born’ in Vienna, Austria but is loved all throughout Europe and why not.. it is just as beautiful as it is delicious a dessert and made primarily with dark European chocolate ,butter ,eggs and apricot marmelade and of  course some sugar and flour. No preservatives, chemicals just real ingredients..

It has been awhile since I had my culinary classes in Austria and have not made a Sacher Torte for awhile and almost forgot how laborious a dessert this is..but well worth it.

First to locate ‘farina di frumento’ the flour that will give the cake some substance. Not an easy flour to find, but after a trip to the local shop for professional baker’s in town…I found it..

 Next the measuring out of all ingredients with our scale, then the melting of the dark chocolate on the ‘bain-marie’ (double boiler). Then the creaming of the butter and melted chocolate, then half the sugar. Then beating the egg whites till peaks form.. gently folding in the egg whites and flour and …almost there…..butter and flour the spring form pans, place in batter and cook for about 1 hour at 180 degrees centigrade or 360 degrees fahrenheit.. Well in our oven here they took less than an hour to bake. But the whole process took up all morning into afternoon..

This more than filled our day and by 2 PM we were ready to sit down and eat ‘pranzo’ (lunch). Stay tuned for tomorrow and the assembling of the Sacher Tortes. … and my recipe for the Sacher Torte

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

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

 The day after Christmas was the feast of Santo Stefano. In Abruzzo, what is known as the traditonal cement of Santo Stefano- arrived and covered much of the region..the snow that is.

The eating feasts were still continuing. I had two ‘pranzi’ to get to and decided to eat the first and second course at the first pranzo (luncheon) and then ate desserts and fresh fruit at the second. The only way this could have worked out.

The evening was (brrrrrr) very cold and the traditional ‘mercato’ went off without a hitch since snow in this mountain town is a usual occurrence during the winter Holidays and always to be expected.

But the festa still continues and the eating feasts continue now till January 6^th.

But holidays are always very interesting since many of the residents of this town return for a day or two to visit family and friends during the Holidays. Although many residents, after graduation, leave to pursue their careers in Rome or Milan ,they still miss the quiet and the traditional things that still exist here..the central place that we all know as the piazza. A place where you can catch up with friends that you have not seen for years.

Last night, my better half ran into two of his friends from high school that he had not seen for many years. One has moved to Rome, but told us that he missed the piazza here..a place that you can come to relive memories with friends from the past. Not everyone understands this small town tradition, the piazza, the camaraderie it provides.

It is like a constant in your life..something comforting that you can always be sure of. Even if you move far away..you can be sure that if you go to the piazza at 6:30PM (before dinner) or 10 PM (after dinner) there is usuallly someone to catch up with..you may even find someone that wants to catch a movie or grab a cup of coffee or get a pizza..

Some former residents miss this so much that they drag their spouses back, even if just for Holidays , to experience this with them..and some don’t appreciate this or understand this tradition..as evidenced last night.

A man who had since moved and settled into big city life in Rome and Milan with his wife, had insisted on coming back to visit family and friends and going to the piazza for a few nights to catch up with old friends..However, he announced that his wife just left him without his car, house keys and returned to their house in Rome.

She had announced that if he was not back by 4 PM she was leaving for their house in Rome..alone… and alone he was also. They were staying with his family so he has a bed to sleep in but a way to get back to Rome was his only concern as he tried to make train reservations by cell phone while reminiscing with friends in the piazza.

Not everyone understands or appreciates this old world…. laid back…. style of life and camaraderie..still being able to lose yourself in the conversation of old friends and chatter about nothing important or maybe being able to philosophize about the state of the country or the world or rising gas prices or what your plans are for Capo D’anno (New Year’s).. nothing that will change the world or change your life for that matter..just something that you can always be certain of in this uncertain world..a meeting place filled with friends..

Anyway, here is a fun ,easy to make dessert. The apples are great this time of year and even though we have many desserts left over from holiday get togethers I usually try to make this for an informal get together with friends. Happy Holidays..

Torta Rovesciata alle Mele

(Upside Down Apple Cake)

• 1 ½ cups flour

• 4 ounces butter-softened

• ½ cup sugar

• 1 egg yolk

• 3 fresh apples (granny smith)

Place 2 ounces of softened butter in bowl with flour,1 tbsp sugar and egg yolk. Blend. Add in ½ cup cold water. Mix together with hands. When dough is smooth consistency, place in aluminum foil. Leave in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 360 degrees. Peel apples and thinly slice. In small sauce pan, caramelize remaining butter with remaining sugar over low heat. Remove from heat just before butter turns golden brown. Pour butter mixture into pie pan, arrange apples on top.

Roll out dough to make pie crust. Place crust on top of apples. Bake in oven for 40 minutes. Remove from oven.

When cooled invert pie pan onto serving dish toll pie comes out. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or small scoop of vanilla gelato.

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene

Maria

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

 fritte miste              San Silvestro 

Weddings in Italy..you can only think of one thing when you hear those words-’never ending food’ or endless buffet, and this was no exception… 

This past weekend I had the ’uber’ pleasure of attending the wedding of a prominent person from our little town here. But the wedding was held in one of the 99 churches of the city of L’Aquila. Imagine, the center  of this city that dates back to the 800’s contains 99 churches. The church we went to was San Silvestro, it was constructed in 1350 and has many frescoes that decorate the walls as well as contains many famous works of art. The wedding ceremony was a long one, as usual. But I just kept thinking about the wonderful 8 hour meal we were going to partake of  once the ceremony was over.

And the meal was a long one- but well worth the wait. The reception was at an agriturismo in L’Aquila called Casa Signorile and they produce eveything in house . The event began with a huge buffet outside that contained everything one could imagine from fresh parmigiano-reggiano cheese to smoked salmon to bruschetta, to fritte miste being made right before your eyes. For wines,paired perfectly were the Trebbiano D’Abruzzo  and Prosecco- to  overflowing.

The buffet seemed never ending and as we all thought the dessert was ready to be served, we were told to go inside and sit at our assigned tables for the dinner. Dinner? what..I thought we just ate dinner. But no that was our appetizer we were told. The dinner was a five course one:

*Fagottini di porcini mushrooms served with a vellutato sauce made with the saffro nproduced locally in the nearby town of Navelli

*Fettucini with melanzane and vongole

*Oven baked rombo (type of fish) with fresh steamed cozze (mussels)

*lemon sorbetto (to clean the palate)

*Porchetta (a typical pork dish made with a lot of spices)

*Oven Baked Potatoes

*Salad

All served with a locally produced heirloom wine-Pecorino

Then it was outside to the dessert buffet tables. Fresh fruits, exotic fruits, sliced watermelon, tiramisu, Italian cream cake, apple pies, creme caramel, panna cotta, meringue and the torte nuziale (wedding cake).

Espresso to finish..

Oh, I think I am losing count… it is not 5 courses but 10 and counting.

I am too full for any more food talk but I will be posting the recipe for the wonderful fritte miste I had at the wedding reception  in the next few days and may I say it was  Buonissimo!!! Stay tuned..

copyright, 2008 Maria Liberati 

If you liked the recipe for Italian Chocolate pudding from the last post..here is another recipe to satisfy any chocolate craving. Always use dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa for any recipe to get the most chocolate flavor.

 Torta Di Cacao e Cocco (Chocolate and Coconut Cake)

8 ounces  dark chocolate

8 ounces  shredded coconut

2 cups milk

1/2 cup butter

3 eggs

6 tblsps white flour

3 tblsps corn starch

1/3 cup sugar

 Melt chocolate in double boiler, remove from heat and set aside.Whip egg yolks with sugar till creamy yellow color. Add in melted chocolate with wire whisk. Set aside. In saucepan, boil coconut in milk for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Melt butter and add into melted cocoa and add in flour ,cornstarch, coconut with milk. Mix gently. Cover a loaf pan with baking paper. Pour in batter and cook for 45 minutes in preheated oven. Remove from oven, let cool. Place cake on serving plate. Dust with powdered sugar.

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

Ciao for now!
Maria

http://www.marialiberati.com

http://mariandco.blogspot.com