A Taste of the Riviera

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

An excerpt from a June 27th entry titled, Spaghetti and the Riviera

“Recently, friends and I have made a trip along the Riviera by car. I can describe this trip with memories of vivid blues and greens that I have never seen before and of course, there was the food! My favorite souvenirs from my trips are my recipes. So I’ll share with you my souvenirs, as always, but especially to experience the true taste of the Riviera [by] always using the freshest of ingredients..” (Liberati).

Be sure to check out Maria’s book, The Basic Art of Italian Cooking Diaries: Seasons, and stay tuned for Maria’s newest book, where she translated Laura Donadoni’s novel,  How Wine Changes Lives, from Italian to English. It is sure to be a best-seller! Stay tuned for more information to follow!

Spaghetti Al Fresco: Riviera style

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of spaghetti (dry or fresh, either will work)
• 1 lb of fresh tomatoes
• 1 celery heart
• 4 anchovies packed in olive oil
• 4 tbs of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbs of freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions:

1. Start by boiling the tomatoes for approximately 1 minute, then peel off the outer layer of the tomatoes and remove the seeds. Place the peeled tomatoes on a cutting board and cut them into small cubes.
2. On another cutting board, dice the celery heart and put it to the side. We will need this for a later step.
3. Place olive oil in a pan and heat until warm. Add the anchovies and stir until they dissolve. Also, add the tomato cubes from earlier to this mixture.  Stir. After a few minutes, remove from heat and let it cool.
4. Add water to a pan and let it boil. Add the pasta, and cook until al dente. Drain the spaghetti, and while it is still in the colander, let cold water run over it for 3 seconds. Remove from the cold water stream and let the water completely drain out.
5. Place the pasta in the pan with the sauce mixture, and sprinkle the lemon juice over the pasta. Add a twist of freshly grated white pepper and toss the spaghetti.
6. Add chopped celery heart and toss again.
7. Dish out the pasta onto serving plates and enjoy with a glass of Montepulciano or Chianti. Now you have a taste of the riviera, so enjoy and hopefully, you’ll find yourself by a stream of water, whilst you enjoy this dish!

Be sure to check out The Basic Art Of Italian Cooking Diaries: Seasons, wherever books are sold, for more delicious recipes that give you a little taste of Italy!

Maryann Ridini Spencer

In this week’s episode of the Maria Liberati Show, Maria interviews Maryann Ridini Spencer, a best-selling author, producer, and screenwriter. The east coast native now resides in Ventura County, California, and frequently travels to Hawaii, which was the inspiration for her book series, Kate Grace Mystery series. She was a film and television major in college which was spurred on by her love for theatre production. She fell in love with the artistic process and the creative freedom that it supplied. After college, she moved to California for career opportunities, and since college, she has worked for CNN as a producer, a lifestyle writer for Palm Springs Life magazine, produced a movie for Hallmark, and a series for PBS. In 2010, she started a PBS series, called Simply Delicious Living, where she shows her audience “how to” recipes that highlight healthy eating. Maryann Ridini Spencer likes to know what she is putting in her body and loves fresh food, which has been a major inspiration for her series and blog. She implores listeners of the Maria Liberati Show, to take a trip to their local farmer’s market because the difference in the taste of fresh fruits and vegetables is astronomical compared to mass-produced fruits and veggies that you find in a grocery store. She has a long list of credits to her name as she works on more upcoming projects, such as her newest novel, Secrets of Grace Manor, which will be the third book in her Kate Grace Mystery series, and her ongoing PBS series, Simply Delicious Living.

What Does Food Mean to Maryann?

At the conclusion of the interview, Maria asks Maryann “what food means to her”, and she responded that “The first thing that comes to mind is family. Food and family go hand-in-hand, and it’s a part of life. It’s a wonderful way to connect and it’s [ good] for your body. [Food] keeps you healthy. It’s life.”

Be sure to check out Maryann on her blog –> https://maryannridinispencer.com

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Website: https://marialiberati.com/2020/04/13/the-maria-liberati-show/