Holidays - The Basic Art of Italian Cooking

Eating Cool..Colorful.. Baked Fruit Kebabs with Gelato

By maria August 13, 2010Abruzzo, Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Country Living, Cucina, cucina povere, Entertaining, Holidays, La Dolce Vita, Recipes, Rome, slow food, Special Occasions, the Mediterranean diet, Travel & customs, UncategorizedNo Comments

Share the Joy!

By maria July 20, 2010Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Country Living, Cucina, cucina povere, Entertaining, Events & Appearances, Features, Holidays, La Dolce Vita, slow food, Special Occasions, the Mediterranean diet, Travel & customs, Upcoming Appearances, upcoming booksNo Comments

Your Chance to Share your Holiday and food memories and see them in print! Just a short note to invite you to Share the Joy! with all of our readers.…

A trip to Via Corradini & Mushroom Pate

By maria July 12, 2010Abruzzo, Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Country Living, Cucina, cucina povere, La Dolce Vita, Recipes, UncategorizedNo Comments

I’m really not fond of pate..are you? But I am always on the lookout for ways to make a non-traditional type of pate. At our country house in Abruzzo-we have…

A Mother's Day Brunch

By maria May 8, 2010Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Cucina, cucina povere, Entertaining, Holidays, La Dolce Vita, Recipes, Rome, slow food, the Mediterranean diet, UncategorizedNo Comments

If you really want to treat Mom this weekend, the simple, elegant and back to basics, the perfect gift; a box of chocolates with at least 65% cocoa content are…

Almond Cake for Passover

By maria March 28, 2010Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Cucina, cucina povere, Entertaining, Holidays, Recipes, Special Occasions, the Mediterranean diet1 Comment

The True Meaning of Valentine & A Cocktail

By maria February 4, 2010aperitifs, Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Cucina, Entertaining, Holidays, Recipes, Travel & customs, WineNo Comments

My trip to Terni, Italy -(where Valentine's Day gets it's origin from St Valentine-who lived there) was not filled with decorations of hearts and flowers as I had…

E Dolce Far Niente, & Cooking Broccoli Rabe for La Befana

By maria January 7, 2010Abruzzo, Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Christmas, Cucina, cucina povere, Entertaining, Holidays, Special OccasionsNo Comments

Take a trip right from your own computer over to open sky to see the new design of my store with all the interesting products I have found for those…

Tuscan Roasted Chicken and Savory Herb Bread Pudding

By maria December 8, 2009Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Cucina, cucina povere, Entertaining, Events & Appearances, Holiday Gift Guide, Holidays, Recipes, slow food, the Mediterranean diet, Upcoming AppearancesNo Comments

Holiday Roasted Fig Salad & Holiday Gift Guide

By maria December 7, 2009Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Cucina, cucina povere, Entertaining, Holiday Gift Guide, Holidays, La Dolce Vita, Recipes, slow food, Special Occasions, the Mediterranean diet, Upcoming Appearances, upcoming booksNo Comments

Happy Thanksgiving & A Free Book

By maria November 25, 2009Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Cucina, cucina povere, Holidays, Special Occasions, UncategorizedNo Comments

Happy Thanksgiving! Here are some short simple tips for Thanksgiving dinner: *If possible, prepare some of your dishes or a part of a dish the night before the big meal…

Italian Cuisine..not just pizza and pasta…

By maria October 28, 2009Abruzzo, Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Cucina, cucina povere, Entertaining, Facts, La Dolce Vita, Mediterranean Culinary Cruise, RecipesNo Comments

Italian Cuisine When thinking about Italian cuisine, most people think about pasta, and pizza, pizza, pizza... but potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, and maize, introduced in the 18th century, are often…

Halloween Traditions…Cauldrons, Cuisines, & Carnevale

By maria October 22, 2009Holidays, Recipes, Special Occasions, Uncategorized1 Comment

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.…

Spaghetti alla Pescatore & Labor Day

By maria September 4, 2009Abruzzo, Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Cucina, Entertaining, La Dolce Vita, Recipes, slow food, the Mediterranean diet, WineNo Comments

Spaghetti al Pescatore will be on schedule tomorrow in The Basic Art of Italian Cooking kitchen tomorrow. I know it's Labor Day back in the States and most are planning…

Fresh Ricotta Cheesecake & a Picnic

By maria September 3, 2009Abruzzo, Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Cucina, cucina povere, Entertaining, La Dolce Vita, RecipesNo Comments

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…

Settembrini and September

By maria September 1, 2009Abruzzo, Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Cucina, cucina povere, Entertaining, Facts, Mediterranean Culinary Cruise, Recipes, WineNo Comments

September on the Beach & Pasta al Forno

By maria August 28, 2009Abruzzo, Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Cucina, cucina povere, Entertaining, La Dolce Vita, Mediterranean Culinary Cruise, slow food, the Mediterranean diet, WineNo Comments

copyright 2009, Maria Liberati As we approach September everything here becomes known as 'settembrini' (loosely translated to mean 'septemberish'): The figs that are ripening now are smaller than the ones…

A Day with Moses & Michelangelo

By maria August 24, 2009Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Coffee, Cucina, cucina povere, Entertaining, Features, La Dolce Vita, Pizza, Special Occasions, the Mediterranean diet, Uncategorized, upcoming booksNo Comments

Ciambellone Classico in the Mountains of Abruzzo

By maria August 16, 2009Abruzzo, Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Cucina, cucina povere, Entertaining, Holidays, Special Occasions2 Comments

Atlantic City Food & Wine Show

By maria August 5, 2009Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Celebrity Interviews, Cucina, cucina povere, Entertaining, Events & Appearances, UncategorizedNo Comments

As promised here are photos from the Atlantic City Food and Wine Show.. held recently at Bally's Casino.. was a paradise for foodies....great wines and foods..and many tastings going on all…

Vacation in Paradise

By maria April 24, 2009UncategorizedNo Comments

Whenever I think of a vacation, the lyrics to the song by the 'go-go's "vacation is all I ever wanted, vacation have to get away" always come to mind. Traveling…

Rossini, Cocktails and Spring Holidays

By maria April 19, 2009Abruzzo, aperitifs, Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Cooking School in Tuscany, Cucina, cucina povere, Entertaining, Facts, Features, History of Foods, Holidays, La Dolce Vita, Recipes, Special OccasionsNo Comments

Happy Spring Holidays!

By maria April 10, 2009Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Cucina, Events & Appearances, Facts, Holidays, Special OccasionsNo Comments

copyright, 2009, Maria Liberati Editor: Kate Hollinger Spring Holidays are tasty ones. Easter and Passover have so much tradition and history that they remind us of. The lovely spring…

That Magical Nectar Called..Wine..

By maria February 4, 2009Holidays, Recipes, Special Occasions, WineNo Comments

Well San Valentino or Saint Valentine's Day is fast approaching...the nectar of choice for the perfect Valentine's Day dinner is ...wine. It has been said that wine has magical powers...the…

Quick Desserts with Amaretti

By maria January 7, 2009Abruzzo, Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Features, Recipes, Todi1 Comment

The Basic Art of Italian Cooking Kitchen has been busy working on many a recipe. Although you may be tired of desserts from the Holidays. If you have any leftover…

Happy "La Befana" from Italy…

By maria January 6, 2009Abruzzo, Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Cucina, Entertaining, Facts, Feast Your Eyes Campaign, Holidays, Recipes, Special Occasions, Uncategorized1 Comment

Today will be another day in the US, but for most children in Italy it marks the last day of the Christmas Holidays. The day the good witch known as…

Buon Capo D'anno (Happy New Year)

By maria December 30, 2008Abruzzo, Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Cucina, Entertaining, Facts, Features, Holidays, La Dolce Vita, Recipes, Special Occasions, Trivia, Umbria, WineNo Comments

Santo Stefano & Upside Down Apple Pie

By maria December 28, 2008Abruzzo, Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Cucina, Entertaining, Features, Holidays, RecipesNo Comments

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…

The Feast of the Seven Fishes-Real or Myth?

By maria December 25, 2008Abruzzo, Caro Diario. (Dear diary...), Cucina, Entertaining, Facts, Features, History of Foods, Holidays, TriviaNo Comments

Buon Natale as I am writing here from my office high in the mountains of Abruzzo. Yesterday was a whirlwind of Christmas celebrations-from Rome to Umbria and Abruzzo. The culinary…

The Classic Italian Cookie-Pizzelle

By maria December 16, 2008Abruzzo, Cucina, Holidays, RecipesNo Comments

Holiday cookies are overflowing and The Basic Art of Italian Cooking Kitchen is filled to capacity! A typical Italian cookie that is made for the Holidays is the 'pizzelle'. The…

The Feast of the Seven Fishes

By maria December 14, 2008Holidays, Recipes, Special Occasions, UncategorizedNo Comments

One of my favorite nights of the year is Christmas Eve because of special memories from Christmas Eve dinners of the past. Most Italians have the Feast of the Seven…