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

.

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 

Aug/Sept 2009 issue of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati ezine now ready at http://tinyurl.com/pfo8xb

Here is a recipe being prepared..as we speak… in the test kitchens of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm…. it will be today’s lunch accompanied by a chilled  Trebbiano D’Abbruzzo wine.

(read about the tomatoes in last week’s blog at

http://marialiberati.com/2009/08/22/a-house-is-a-home-with-lots-of-food-of-course/

 Linguine with Fresh Tomatoes 

 A light pasta dish, perfect for the end of summer. Topped off with cheese this dish becomes a dining alfresco experience…  You can also make this dish in the morning, refrigerate and  have dinner ready and waiting when you come home.. Or pack in containers for a picnic lunch or a lunch for the office.

• 1 lb linguine pasta

• 6-8 red ripe tomatoes (plum tomatoes or tomatoes grown on the vine)

• 1 lb fresh mozzarella cut into cubes

• a pinch of black pepper

• a pinch of salt

• a handful fresh basil

sea salt for cooking  the pasta

Bring to a boil a pot of water for pasta. Place in sea salt. When boiling, place in-  already washed-tomatoes for 2-3 seconds, remove tomatoes with a slotted spoon. Lower heat under pot and cover. Peel tomatoes, remove seeds and cut into strips. Transfer tomatoes to a food processor and blend with a pinch of salt. Add in 2 tblsps olive oil. Blend at moderate speed. When sauce is blended, set aside.

Raise heat under pot and bring pot to a boil again. Place in linguine and cook for 8 minutes or as directed on package. When cooked to al dente drain in a colander and let cold water run on top of pasta for a few seconds.

Place a white kitchen towel on a table and place separate pasta strands to dry.. When dry,place in bowl. Top with the cold pasta sauce. Cut fresh mozzarella into cubes and mix in. Top with some freshly grated pepper, fresh chopped, basil leaves, Place in container and cover, put in refrigerator.

When ready to serve, wash cherry tomatoes, cut in half and dry with paper towels. Toss into pasta with more fresh basil leaves and serve. You can also drizzle each serving with some extra virgin olive oil.

For more recipes ,travel stories, interviews ,menus , recipe contest,check out the  the Aug/Sept 2009 issue of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm at http://tinyurl.com/pfo8xb

Get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking-Holidays & Special Occasions  just in time for the Holidays and filled with over 140 recipes, menus and short stories about Holidays spent in the mountains of Italy.

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

http://twitter.com/Marialiberati

copyright 2009, Maria Liberati 

I have  always thought of Italian cooking as just that… always making something ordinary into something extraordinary..day old bread becomes an elegant appetizer with just a drizzle of extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil..tomatoes are transformed into a savory condiment for pasta using a few simple ingredients-fresh San Marzano tomatoes (and right now I am up to my elbows in San Marzano tomatoes..it is the season and we are preserving them for the winter) fresh basil, fresh garlic, extra virgin,cold pressed olive oil.

Here is a recipe from The Basic Art of Italian Kitchen here in the mountains of Abruzzo..making ordinary out of the extraordinary with local potatoes, organic rosemary from our garden and locally produced extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil.

Tuscan Roasted Potatoes

*1 lb of red or Yukon Gold Potatoes or locally grown potatoes

*3 stalks of  fresh rosemary

*4 tablespoons extra virgin,cold pressed olive oil

*salt to taste

Wash potatoes, boil  for 10 minutes. Drain, peel. Cut into quarters. Drizzle half of olive oil on bottom of roasting pan, place in potatoes. Drizzle remaining olive oil on top, Salt to  taste, take some rosemary off branches and place on top of potatoes. Place 1 branch of rosemary on top and bake for 30-40 minutes at 450 degrees, place under broiler for 2-3 minutes when finished to brown top.

Serve with a white wine..my choice today will be a chilled Vermentino from Sardinia.

Buon’appetito

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

http://twitter.com/Marialiberati

Get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions just in time for the Holidays with over 140 recipes, menus, tips for the holidays, short stories about Holidays spent in Italy and more

copyright 2009, Maria Liberati

Stopped for a picnic today in the mountains of Abruzzo..after all it is the 15th of August..the biggest summer Holiday in all of Europe. It marks the end of the summer ..one last fling with summer before it is over…so if you are not on a beach or in the mountains you begin to feel like you are in a ghost town..no one is left..But not to worry … come Monday everyone will return.

The menu today was a cold pasta salad, fresh mozzarella slices marinated in olive oil and pepperoncino, roasted potatoes with rosemary,roasted/stuffed eggplant and peppers, grilled chicken with olive oil and rosemary. And what could be more fitting for dessert on this hot August day than fresh slices of watermelon…chill the whole watermelom in a tub of cold ice water for 30 minutes, slice 30 minutes before serving and place slices in refrigerator for 30 minutes..serve cool for the most refreshing effect..can’t forget the wine..we had a Falenghina (comes from a town called Benevento in region of Campania).

The menu was simple and rustic but ohhh so delicious…here are some simple recipes to have your 15th of August picnic this weekend.

Authentic Italian cooking is made up of only a few ingredients so each ingredient plays an important role in making the  recipe a success, so  use the best ingredients and you will get the best results..extra virgin,cold pressed olive oil; fresh basil ,fresh red ripe tomatoes on the vine or grape tomatoes, pasta of durum semolina wheat.

Pasta con Pomodoro Crudo (Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes)

*1 lb rigatoni pasta

*1 lb grape tomatoes or tomatoes on the vine (cut into cubes)

*8 ounces fresh mozzarella cut into cubes

* 6-7 fresh basil leaves washed

*3 tablespooons extra virgin,cold pressed olive oil

*salt to taste

Cook pasta as directed on package, drain. Place in bowl, let cool. When cool, place in other ingredients except basil leaves, salt to taste,stir. Top with fresh basil leaves, place in refrigerator for 30 minutes, serve.

Marinated Mozzarella

*1 lb fresh mozzarella

*3 tblsps extra virgin,cold pressed olive oil

*2 small dry red hot peppers

Cut mozzarella into slices, arrange slices on dish. Pour olive oil on top of slices. place red peppers on top, cover, let marinate for one hour, serve with crusty Italian bread

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

copyright 2009, Maria Liberati

In Italy whatever you do must always be beautiful..the way you eat,  the things you eat and so on. In keeping along those lines.. I had a beautiful experience this week. I had a chance to try an artisan produced balsamic vinegar-not from Modena, Italy but from the US.

A balsamic vinegar produced from wines made on a biodynamic farm…produced in a true artisan fashion. You can read more about their wines and their balsamic at www.coopermountainwine.com

My Memorial Day was spent mostly in The Basic Art of Italian  Cooking Kitchen… working on and trying out some recipes ..not just any recipe for ‘not just any’ balsamic vinegar. But needless to say it can be enjoyed simply drizzled sparingly on pistachios, strawberries, avocados , parmigiano -reggiano cheese, pears, pecorino cheese and more.

I am always amazed at how most think that balsamic vinegar is only for salads..it is such a versatile liquid that can add a unique flavor to many foods, but artisan foods to matcvh the artisan quality of this finely produced gem.

To start off in the spirit of celebrating the unofficial start of summer..how about a strawberry aperitif?

Fragole con Balsamico

(strawberries with balsamic)

*8 fresh medium strawberries

*3 tblsps sugar

*2 measures of vodka

*2 tsps Balsamic  Vinegar

*fresh mint leaves

*sparkling soda to taste

Chop strawberries or place in food processor to chop(do not liquefy), place in large pitcher, add in sugar and balsamic vinegar.  Add in vodka, soem ice and shake. Pour in two glasses or 4 (depending on serving size you want)< add in some sparkling soda and garnish with mint leaves.

For a main course :

Fusilli Pasta & Balsamic Sauce

*1 lb of fusili pasta

*2 lbs of fresh ripe tomatoes

*handful of fresh parsley

*1 small onion, finely chopped

*1 tsp fresh thyme

*2 tblsps extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil

*2 tsps of Balsamic Vinegar

Chop tomatoes into small cubes, chop finely parsley, and thyme. Place olive oil in saute pan with chopped onion, saute. Place in chopped tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper stir  frequently and cover, stir every few minutes, place over low heat. Let simmer down for approx 30 minutes.

Boil pasta. Place drained pasta in sauce and saute for a minute. Serve in heated plates.

You can top with grated parmigina reggiano cheese.

Hope to see you all 

* June 2 at  7 PM at the Kenilworth Library in Kenilworth,NJ for a cooking wiht The Basic Art of Italian Cooking program and booksigning

June 4th- a Tuscan dinner cooking program at Foster’s Gourmet Housewares in Philadelphia, Pa.

June 6th-Horsham Days in Deep Meadow Park

June 7th-Chicago Literary Fest, Chicago, Illinois

July 18th- Whole Foods Market in Falls Church Virginia

More dates to come

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

copyright 2009, Maria Liberati 

Farfalle pasta (or bow tie pasta) always seemed more stylish and elegant to me than spaghetti or penne. Maybe it’s the fact that they look like a stylish little bow tie or that they are easier to manage with a fork than spaghetti…but whatever the reason they are my favorite pasta..stylish and delicious.

Here is one of my favorite recipes for spring and summer with farfalle and an appetizer and dessert course to go with them. These make 3  courses for a Spring or Summer Picnic and make use of fresh fruits and vegetables..the taste here is fresh..so fresh….

Farfalline all’Ortolana

(Farfalle or Bow Tie Pasta Garden Style)

copyright 2009, Maria Liberati

http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2

http://www.marialiberati.com

1 lb Farfalle Pasta (Bow Tie Pasta)

3 small zucchini

½ lb string beans fresh or frozen

½ lb peas-fresh or frozen

4 ounces fresh pecorino cheese cut into small cubes

1 garlic clove

Fresh basil leaves-torn or chopped

Cook zucchini, string beans, peas in 3 seperate pots with boiling water or steam till just past al dente stage. Remove from heat and drain.

Placeqa pot of water to boil t ocook pasta. Cut zucchini in cubes, string beans in small pieces.

Saute garlic in approx 1 tblsp of extra virgin olive oil. When beginning to turn golden, place in zucchini, string beans and peas and saute. Place in dash of salt and grated black pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Cook pasta as directed. Drain. Place in bowl and place in vegetables, place in fresh basil leaves torn and pecorino cheese cut into small cubes or shaved. Toss. Drizzle olive oil on top, toss and serve.

Tramezzini Sandwiches

12 slices of sliced or whole wheat bread

1 can of albacore or yellow fin tuna packed in water

1/2 red onion finely chopped

2 kirby cucumbers sluced thinly

1 red ripe tomato sliced thinly

 8 slices fresh mozzarella or fontina cheese sliced thinly

Olive oil to taste

freshly ground black pepper

Cut crusts off all sides of bread slices. Drain and flake tuna in small bowl, add in 1 tblsps of extra virgin olive oil and chopped red onion, mix with fork, let marinate. On 1 slice of bred spread tuna mixture, top wihta slice of bread and top this slice with 2 cheese slices, some cucumber and tomato slices, drizzle olive oil on top, grate black pepper on top. Tope with anothr bread slice, cut into 4 triangle sandwiches. Wrap wax or parchment paper on bottom and serve. Repeat with remaining ingredients

Fresh Fruit Macedonia

1 whole cantaloupe-peeled and cut into large cubes

1 pound fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and quartered

1/2 pound fresh blackberries washed

5 bananas

5 fresh peaches sliced into 1/2 ” thick slices

2 fresh lemons

1/2 cup sugar

Wash and cut fruit, banans peel and cut into 1 inch slices. Place in large bowl. Squeeze juice of 2 lemons on top. Sprinkle with sugar. Stir and let marinate for at least two hours before serving, garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Upcoming Events….

May 15th-5-8 PM & May 16th-1-4 PM - Book signing and Cooking demo at Bella Italia Retail Store in Bethesda Row, Bethesda, MD for their Style Event. May 15 from 5-8 PM, May 16th from 1-4 PM.  Email events@marialiberati.com for more info or go to http://www.bethesdarow.com/

http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2524400/ 

   Tuesday, June 2^nd 7 PM- Book Signing & Cooking on a Budget with The Basic Art of Italian Cooking with Celebrity Chef Maria Liberati. Recipes from her best selling book and The Basic Art of Italian Cooking School in Italy. Samples provided. Kenilworth Library, 548 Kenilworth Blvd., Kenilworth, NJ 908-276-2451
 

June 4th at Foster’s Gourmet & Housewares, Philadelphia, Pa. The Basic Art of Italian Cooking School with Celebrity Chef Maria Liberati and  Preparing a Tuscan Picnic. In conjunction with Temple University Continuing Educ. Fee of $55 includes cooking demo, sampler 4 course meal and lesson. Email events@marialiberati.com or call 215-204-6496

June 6th- Horsham Day in Horsham, Penna.-Book signing and The Basic Art of Italian Cooking School demo with Celebrity Chef Maria Liberati. Deep Meadow Park, Horsham, Pa. 1-3 PM

June 7th-Book signing and on stage appearance-Chicago Tribune Literary Festival- Printer’s Row Chicago. Celebrity Chef-Maria Liberati will be bringing The Basic Art of Italian Cooking School to Chicago along with a book signing. The Basic Art of Italian Cooking was one of the books specially selected to be a part of this annual event. For more info email:events@marialiberati.com

For more recipes/articles

Join me in Italy for The Basic Art of Italian Cooking School

copyright 2009, Maria Liberati

Plant and herb lovers will tell you that now is the perfect time to pick basil leaves. And chefs will tell you that they’re the ideal size to be chopped up and put into your favorite dishes. Famous Recipes is here to tell you the history of pesto, a delicious sauce where basil plays the most important role.

The term pesto comes from the verb meaning “to pound” or “to crush”. The earliest known recorded version of pesto comes from Roman poet Virgil’s (70 – 19 BCE) Bucoliche. Virgil writes of a similar Roman sauce called moretum. But the sauce alluded to in this epic is not quite the pesto we know today because it didn’t have the most essential ingredient: basil. Basil wasn’t officially added to the recipe until the mid 19^th Century after the plant had been introduced to Europe and found a perfect home in the Liguria region of Italy’s northwest.

After the basil was added, the recipe became extremely more complex. According to the Basil Park in Genova Pra (http://parco-basilico.provincia.genova.it/eng/Index_PBP.html), an Italian website devoted to making the most of Genoa’s most famous food, “For centuries basil was attributed magical virtues in addition to the properties that made it so valuable in the kitchen, so that it had to be gathered in accordance with sacred, codified rituals.” This is why many older recipes will call for hand mixing the leaves in special dishes. A more scientific assumption says that basil helps with ailments such as skin disease and intestinal trouble. But interestingly enough, basil plants can be affected by any number of factors including the time of day of harvest. Whether or not there is any truth behind the medicinal or magical properties of basil, however, is immaterial. A lover of fine Italian foods will tell you that its greatest quality is its taste. And pesto is a solid example of this.

Pesto

2 ½ Cups Basil

½ Cups Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Pine Nuts

2 Cloves Garlic, peeled and crushed

½ Cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 Tbsp Pecorino-Romano cheese

Bit of pepper

In a food processor, put olive oil, pepper, basil, nuts, and garlic. Process until just blended.

Put mixture in bowl and whisk in cheese.

For more great recipes and tips get your copy of the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati at http://www.marialiberati.com and got to http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2

 copyright, 2009, Maria Liberati

Editor: Patrick Coyne

Each culture has traits regarding their dietary habits that are specific to the indigenous people and their regions. Italians are unique in that eating is a necessity to live, both literally and figuratively. It is a feast for the body and the soul. Dining is about comfort, love, and family. This is especially evident in the portrayal of Italians in cinema. Rarely does a movie with a predominantly Italian cast not have a scene in which food is the true star. Everything from Moonstruck to Everybody wants to be Italian stresses the importance of food to the Italian people and the true nourishment it provides.

Moonstruck stars Cher as a widow living with her perpetually bickering and intrusive parents, who decides it’s time to get married again, and accepts the proposal of a man she does not love. The plot thickens when she falls in love with her fiancees estranged brother, Ronnie. My father often cites this movie as one of his favorites because of how much the it reminds him of his Italian upbringing. The characters are finely nuanced Italian-Americans, rather than simplistic stereotypes. More importantly, food plays an integral role in the story. Ronnie, played by Nicholas Cage, works as a baker and the film reaches its climax in Cher’s kitchen. All the complicated romances, affairs, and grudges, reach their boiling point in the kitchen, which acts as the heart of the Italian household.

Beyond the more obvious, practical uses of the kitchen, films will use it and the subsequent dining room as a place for family. Grievances are aired, jokes are made at others expenses but the kitchen serves as a place of fulfillment. The family, while eating dinner will often times assume the role of the chorus in the plays of Ancient Rome. They represent the thoughts of the audience and act as a sounding board for the main character, discouraging(or adding to) their neuroses and concerns.

The physical act of cooking is often used as a metaphor that exemplifies that famous Italian passion. There’s a sensual nature to the way Italian food is prepared. A meticulous, yet heartfelt process that has been passed down through generations like a precious family heirloom.

The film Everyone wants to be Italian follows another lovelorn protagonist, as he navigates through complicated relationships and amusing mishaps, with his family serving as the peanut gallery. Despite the family’s occasionally misguided advice, it’s almost always given with good intentions. There’s a certain loyalty and trust that has been created through the act of the meal. The Italian dinner is a time of family where a true and unique bond is formed. The care and attention taken into preparing the meal, is equaled by the passion and respect shown towards each individual that forms the family.

The dining experience in an Italian household is something that not everyone is lucky enough to have seen first hand. The second best option is experiencing it on film. When it’s done correctly, it’s like having a chair at the head of the table.

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

Join me at The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm cooking school and villa September 23-Oct 6th, 2009 for 6 nights 7 days of cooking classes, visits to vineyards and wine tastings, sightseeing and more, all while staying at the villa nestled in a small village in the hills of Umbria. All meals, ocoking classes ,sightseeing, transport to and from Rome-Fiumicino airport included. Limited to12 guests only. Email events@marialiberati.com for info and to register

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

Get your copy of the January edition of the digital magazine  of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm magazine at:
http://tinyurl.com/98xbtf

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