The Basic Art of Italian Cooking Diaries: Seasons by Maria Liberati

   Maria Liberati gives readers a glimpse into her new book, The Basic Art Of Italian Cooking Diaries: Seasons, which was released on June 9th, 2022. She leaves readers and listeners with a rich perspective on the history of lobster and its impact on people from the 18th century to the present. Maria connects the dots for her audience about the long history of lobster in Europe, as she sets the stage for her lobster recipe. Be sure to check out her new book, which discovers recipes throughout the four seasons!

Velvety Lobster and Fennel Soup

Ingredients: 

• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 2 lbs of fresh fennel
• 1 onion
• 2 tbs of unsalted butter
• 4 ounces of steamed lobster meat
• 4 cups of vegetable broth
• 1 quarter cup of cream
• Zest of lime
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. First, wash the celery and fennel. Set aside the fennel, grabbing the onion and celery. Then finely chop the celery and onion, by dicing them into small pieces.
2. On a separate cutting board, chop the fennel, setting aside the top part. 
3. Place 1 tbs of unsalted butter in a soup pot. Saute the chopped fennel, onion, and celery until golden brown.
4. Pour the broth into the large soup pot and bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
5. Cut the rest of the fennel into small stick-like pieces and keep the green top part to the side.
6. Place in a pan and saute the remainder fennel with 1 tbs of unsalted butter.
7. Place soup base in a food processor until it reaches a cream, velvety consistency.
8. Pour the soup mixture from the food processor back into the pot and add cream. Stirring occasionally.
9. Add lobster meat to the skillet with the second half of the fennel and saute for 2-4 minutes over low heat.
10. Add lime zest and a dash of salt and pepper to taste. 
11. Divide the soup mixture into 4-6 soup bowls, and top with lobster meat. Dice the fennel bulb and add it as a garnish on top of the soup.
12. Serve with champagne or a dry prosecco and enjoy!

Khaled Atallah and Noun Naturals

    Khaled Atallah, a self-made entrepreneur, guests on this week’s episode of the Maria Liberati Show. Atallah struggled with hair loss in his early teens and went to his mother for help. His mother used natural oils to help balance his hair follicles and scalp to stimulate hair growth. Khaled was inspired by his mother’s methods, and at the age of 18, he started his business venture. Khaled Atallah originally started his company under another brand name, but after being sued for the rights to the name in 2019, he fought and almost lost everything. He settled in 2021 and rebranded his business model into Noun Naturals.

Khaled Atallah and Healthy Oils

  After a little dive into Atallah’s company, he and Maria take a look at the focal point of his company: oils. Khaled uses a variety of oils in his products, but he feels that the most popular are grapeseed oil, hemp oil, jojoba oil, and castor oil. It is a previous misconception that oils are unhealthy and not good for consumption, but rather is the opposite. Oils have healthy fats and amino acids that have numerous health benefits for your body. Oils are most commonly used in cooking, but there is a growing popularity of oils being used in skincare and hair care products. Maria Liberati and Khaled Atallah discuss oils and the benefits that they have on the human body. Be sure to check out next week’s podcast and we will see you soon!