A Labor Day with Roasted Peppers..Flavorful Memories

copyright 2010. Maria Liberati
Longing for the flavors I met while in Italy this summer…my head bursting with the memories of freshly roasted peppers..that have still not left me.. I embarked upon an all day cooking event..trying to recapture that perfume..
Yesterday I had a ‘deja-vu’ experience, taken aback to our summer  beach condo in Pescara, Italy. The building is  made up of 6 floors, but one floor is  hauntingly aromatic  with the smell of freshly roasted peppers in the  month of August (when fresh peppers are at their peak)..you know that if you get off the elevator to the third floor hallway and just stand there for five minutes you will be almost hypnotized  by the perfume of freshly roasted peppers coming out of all 5 apartments on that floor..if I could  just bottle that aroma and carry it around with me! Everyone that lives on that floor is crazy  (and who could blame them) for fresh peppers and does their roasting at 6 or 7 AM before they go to the beach …
So today, my second day away from Italy, on US soil, I spent all day roasting peppers and reliving my summer at the beach in Pescara…if you would like to create this memory..in your oven..it is a minimalist recipe from the beach house (before the fresh peppers of summer are gone till next year) just clean, seed and cut fresh peppers into strips about 1/4 ” thick. Layer in a baking sheet and drizzle, generously with olive oil and tear fresh parsley leaves and sprinkle on top. Sprinkle a dash of salt Bake at 425 degrees till done and then put under broiler for approx 5 minutes to brown on top. Couldn’t be simpler and the added bonus is that your kitchen will be filled with this fragrance all day…
Use in a pannini, or a frittata, or place them  on top of crusty, warm bread..or on top of a hamburger or just eat plain..
For more great recipes and food memories get your copy of the award winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-second edition
Sept 10-11 see you at the Hudson Valley Wine Festival in Rhinebeck, NY at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds. The Basic Art of Italian Cooking and Maria Liberati will take center stage at 1-2 pm each day with recipes ,stories from the latest book ,for info email: info@marialiberati.com
Be a Guest Writer and Share the Joy! Do you have a special food memory you would like to tell? In honor of the release of the award winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition, we are inviting ourreaders to share a special Holiday food memory. From Sept 1-Dec 31st  one story a week will be selected and pubished on the blog and may be chosen for a national publication. Email your  300 word or less story to : sharethejoy@marialiberati.com