Blog - The Basic Art of Italian Cooking

Dinner is Not Just a Meal | Crostini with Radicchhio, Mozzarella and Caramelized Figs

By maria January 25, 2012aperitifs, Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Italian Culture, Italy, Recipes, VegetarianNo Comments

copyright 2012 Art of Living, PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati (photo credits: www.dolci.it) A cena (dinner) with friends is an all night event..from 8 PM to 1 AM..first the selection of the restaurant..then…

Moving To Online Shopping

By maria January 23, 2012Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Sponsored PostsNo Comments

Thanks for the guest post by Jo Levy Over the years I have started doing more and more of my shopping online. At first I was a little resistant to…

My Favorite Online Furniture Store

By maria January 18, 2012Home Improvement, Interior Design, Life HacksNo Comments

What is the best way to shop for furniture, shop online! And coffee tables are no exception. Shopping for these unique pieces of furniture can be almost as fun as…

How Muffins Invaded Italy | Fruit Muffin Recipe

By maria January 18, 2012Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Food Facts, Italian Culture, RecipesNo Comments

Why I Buy Fresh and Local | Tis Not the Season

By maria January 13, 2012Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Country Living, Pasta, RecipesNo Comments

Free Samples Anyone? | The Importance of Trying Before Buying

By maria January 13, 2012Life Hacks1 Comment

Have you ever bought a new product home only to be disappointed.? Possibly a product that was advertised on TV or in a magazine. You thought it was perfect so…

Gusto as a Mantra | Torta Alla Senese (Siena Style Cake)

By maria January 11, 2012Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Country Living, La Dolce Vita (Dessert Recipes), RecipesNo Comments

copyright Art of Living, PrimaMedia, Inc/Maria Liberati I have adopted the word Gusto as my mantra…… Gusto is an English word, an adverb to describe ‘doing with enjoyment and excitement…..…

Sunday Dinner | Flan di Pomodoro, Zucchini, e Formaggio (Zucchini, Tomato, and Cheese Flan)

By maria January 8, 2012Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Country Living, Movie & Recipe Pairings, RecipesNo Comments

A house is at its’ most beautiful when filled with guests ..today’s Sunday dinner, with a house full of people reminded me of the classic Italian movie Il Gattopardo (The…

3 Quick Chef Tips That Can Make or Break Your Meal

By maria January 7, 2012Cooking TIps, Life HacksNo Comments

Serving Bread and Fond Memories | Cooking Is A Legacy of Love

By maria January 4, 2012Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Country Living, Italian Culture, ItalyNo Comments

It’s kind of eery... but lately I have been feeling as though I am' channeling 'my grandparents and great aunts from Italy through food..let me explain… My grandfather used to…

Why Your Kitchen Needs a Spice Rack

By maria January 3, 2012Cooking TIps, Home Improvement, Interior DesignNo Comments

The perfect way to spice up the new year is by adding a spice rack to your kitchen. Just think of how much easier and more convenient that will make…

An Opera in 3 Acts | The Art of Entertaining

By maria January 2, 2012Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Entertaining, Holidays, Italian Culture, ItalyNo Comments

An Italian Afternoon | Tombola at the Post Office, Hot Borlotti Bean Soup, and Torta Paradiso

By maria December 30, 2011Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Country Living, Italian Culture, Italy, RecipesNo Comments

White…the Color of the Month | Making Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc)

By maria December 29, 2011Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Italy, La Dolce Vita (Dessert Recipes), RecipesNo Comments

I love the brilliance of the color White at home, in my kitchen, my bedroom, my living room on my table….but it can also be considered the color of…

Non Alcoholic Fruit Cocktail

By maria December 28, 2011Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Drink Recipes, RecipesNo Comments

Italy's National Day of Leftovers | Using Leftover Pears For A Chocolate Pear Torte

By maria December 26, 2011Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Holidays, La Dolce Vita (Dessert Recipes), RecipesNo Comments

Today, after weeks and weeks of baking and cooking for the Holidays, a sort of inventory of all the leftovers is taken… The day after Christmas, Santo Stefano (Saint…

Free Mini Holiday Cookbook | Thank You Gift to Subscribers

By maria December 25, 2011Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Contests and Giveaways, HolidaysNo Comments

(Photo credits http://benvenutiinitalia.it) copyright 2011 Art of Living, PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati Happy Holidays and a thanks to all of our 100,000 subscribers. The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria…

Christmas Eve Stories and a Chocolate Panettone

By maria December 23, 2011Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Christmas, Holidays, La Dolce Vita (Dessert Recipes), RecipesNo Comments

copyright 2011 art of living, PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati Here is a Christmas Eve excerpt from the Gourmand World Award winning Book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition.…

Tagliolini Pasta with Mussels for a Cold Blustery Day

By maria December 22, 2011Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Pasta, Recipes, Winter RecipesNo Comments

I never realized how welcoming a hot plate of pasta could be on a cold, blustery day….nothing fancy now I am not talking about some of the lobster and pasta…

Pasta Shells with Lobster and Spinach | Christmas in Rome

By maria December 21, 2011Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Christmas, Country Living, Holidays, Pasta, RecipesNo Comments

A perfect Christmas concert at Santa Prassede in the center of Rome, was an unexpected surprise as I arrived on Sunday. I have heard about this church before but it…

Law and Order

By maria December 16, 2011Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Sponsored PostsNo Comments

Authored by Raymond Whitney I love all the shows I can watch on my ExpertSatellite. Watching TV is how I kind of unwind after a long day of work. Once…

How To Get Extra Cash For the Holidays

By maria December 16, 2011How To's, Life HacksNo Comments

Wow! With the Holidays just around the corner everyone is looking for ways to have an extra stash of cash around for special Holiday meals and gifts and the special…

Christmas Memories of Rome | Farfalle con Tonno (Farfalle Pasta with Tuna)

By maria December 15, 2011Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Christmas, Holidays, Pasta, RecipesNo Comments

copyright 2011 Art of Living,PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati (excerpted from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition) http://www.italyheaven.co.uk/ Christmas and the holiday season in Rome has never been…

A Royal Cup of Strong Vend Coffee | How You Can Try Coffee Fit For a Queen

By maria December 13, 2011Food Facts, How To's, Life HacksNo Comments

Dreaming of a luxe cup of coffee? Want to live like royalty? How about drinking a cup of coffee that has gotten a Royal Warrant . . Strong Vend holds…

How to Make The Feast of the Seven Fishes |Tips From An Italian Chef

By maria December 8, 2011Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Cooking TIps, Holidays, How To'sNo Comments

Rembrandt in the Kitchen | Learning To Cook Italian

By maria December 4, 2011Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Italian Culture, Italy, Recipes, Uncategorized, Upcoming AppearancesNo Comments

Love hearing your heart warming stories of food and cooking Italian with The Basic Art of Italian Cooking! Here is a story from one of our readers. And if you…

Family Focus | A Christmas Story

By maria December 1, 2011FeaturesNo Comments

Many thanks to Family Focus for selecting an excerpt from the award winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking:Holidays & Special Occasions- 2nd edition for their Holiday issue You…

Christmas Memories of Rome & Mushroom Tarts

By maria November 29, 2011Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Christmas, Holidays, RecipesNo Comments

To Celebrate the Holidays I will be posting excerpts from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards and was…

A Buttery Sbrisolana Torta from Mantova | Not Without Food or Love

By maria November 26, 2011La Dolce Vita (Dessert Recipes), RecipesNo Comments

Free Holiday Mini Cookbook | Happy Thanksgiving, Subscribers

By maria November 22, 2011Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Contests and Giveaways, HolidaysNo Comments

Another Thanksgiving , another day to give thanks and remember the simple things that we probably take for granted.. ..if you can celebrate the Holiday in anyway then you should…