Rossini Cocktail Perfect for Valentines' Day | Travels in Terni and the History of St. Valentine

Join my Valentine’s day Webinar at www.Bigmarker.com, webinar is scheduled for Friday, February 14th at
2 PM EST-see you then!
 
I claim there ain’t
Another Saint
As great as Valentine.
~Ogden Nash
 
copyright 2014 Maria Liberati/Art of Living,PrimaMedia,inc
With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, memories of visits  to the  town known of Terni, in the region of Umbria, come to mind…the town of the patron of Valentine’s Day-the bishop known as St.Valentine.. besides the chocolates and flowers and valentines..to be truly connected to this day..a day trip to Terni with my Valentine is  my favorite way to experience the day..
Terni  evokes memories of not only the city where the legend of this heart filled Holiday originated and the Basilica of St Valentine-where the patron Saint himself officiated..but mostly memories of discovering the  city  many times over trying to get back on the autostrada and finding our  way back to wherever I need to get to…..

..a circle around the city 3 or 4 times to figure a way out seems to be something I can always count on when visiting Terni or even passing through. The indication  signs for the Baslica of St Valentine  make that the easiest thing  to find, in fact driving around the city many times to find my way out I spot the directional signs to the Basilica many times….

Maybe the city should also consider having well placed signs to direct you to the major highways..oh well..maybe just a way to be sure you don’t leave without a visit to the Basilica..however..it has forced us to discover many times over the many works of art scattered around the city.. or maybe the city has it planned that way..it is as if they are saying “don’t leave without seeing our remarkable sights” and indeed they have forced me to  discover them…

The city is characterized by the wide streets lined with trees and an interesting center filled with monuments and works of art. The Romans left an ampitheatre, and from the Renaissance are many palaces of the noble families who made Terni their home, Palazzo Spada, Palazzo Magoni, Palazzo Mazzancollo, Palazzo Fabrizi, and Palazzo Rosci and the 2 medieval towers. Then there are some examples of neo-classic architecture like the Teatro Communale built in 1849.Some other points of interest are the Piazza Tacito which is built in the typical architecture used during Italy’s Fascism period. In the center is an ornate fountain adorned with mosaics that represent the zodiac signs. And if you decide to do the Nature Tour of Terni you can do a green filled walk on the spiraling hills that culminate in the Cascate Marmore which are considered one of the highest (and most beautiful –in my opinion) waterfalls in Europe.

 
 
Now ..ready for a Rossini Cocktail.. to experience this Holiday in red

Recipe for the cocktail ( :
1/3 fresh strawberry puree to 2/3 cold Prosecco or Champagne. The preparation consists of the simple union of the ingredients in a glass with some ice.
The most complicated part of this (if you can call it that) is making the strawberry puree. The only way to do this is to put washed, cleaned strawberries in a blender or small food processor. Once pureed, mix with a few drops of lemon juice and some sugar syrup (made by mixing water and sugar over low heat till sugar is melted
 
So what do you have planned for Valentine’s Day? Share with us here…
 
To get more recipes get your copy of the Gourmand World Award Winning Book-The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

 
*Join my Valentine’s Day Webinar at  www.Bigmarker.com  scheduled for Friday Feb 14th at 2 PM..see you then!