Glamorosi Giveaway: The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati - Autographed Copy

By REESE AMOROSI

Maria Liberati is a former international model, current award-winning celebrity chef with a best-selling cookbook series, her own food line, a Mediterranean tour hosted by Seven Seas Cruises celebrating her cuisine, and a cooking show in the works.  She is also a world traveler with homes in both the United States and the Abruzzo region of Italy. So where is the first place she goes to eat on her trips back to her native Pennsylvania? Philadelphia's Italian Market.

Liberati's background in cooking is rooted in her childhood with weekly trips to the Italian Market with her grandfather to buy ingredients for family meals and pick out grapes to make wine.  It was in the Market's shops and stands that she "learned the importance of good ingredients". Years later she honed her culinary skills in Italy where she mastered the art of making cheese and studied nearly-forgotten recipes she discovered at her grandparent's vineyard.

My husband A.D. and I recently had the pleasure of sharing a table with Ms. Liberati during her appearance at Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse, where she was featured in their Celebrity Cookbook Dinner Series. The event highlighted her recipes from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions, winner of Best Italian Cuisine Book in the USA by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. It was a night to remember: excellent food, wine and conversation in the grand setting of the restaurant's private penthouse dining room.

Liberati's dishes represent our favorite style of cooking - fresh, healthy, high-quality fare put togther in a such a way that no flavor overpowers the other and every component shines. "In Italy they don't use ingredients the way people do in America", says Liberati. "In Italy when you see cheese in a dish, there's just enough for flavoring. Olive oil?  They only use a little. You don't need a lot, just enough to make the ingredients work together. "

Gnocchi with fresh peas

As each of Liberati's four courses were presented we were enthralled by their simplicity and elegance. The braised baby octopus with chick peas and celery hearts in a broth of San Marzano tomatoes was tender and hearty. The hand-rolled potato gnocchi with artichokes and fresh peas in a sauce of olive oil and Parmigiano

Braised short rib with fennell

Reggiano was light and airy, satisfying but not filling. The braised short rib was served in an oyster mushroom broth with baby carrots, fingerling potatoes and fennel, and set a new standard by which we will forever measure this dish.  Liberati's limoncello torta was so alive with flavor it was as if it was just picked from a lemon cake tree. The wine selections were just as inspired. Our favorite was the Capestrano, Verdicchio di Matelica 2010 that was paired with the first course: a white with hints of apple that was perfect with the seafood.

I am excited to announce that Ms. Liberati is providing an autographed copy of her cookbook The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions for us to give away to one lucky reader of the Glamorosi blog. There is a mandatory entry and two bonus entries:

• MANDATORY ENTRY: Visit Maria Liberati's website by clicking HERE, then come back to this post and   leave a comment telling us your favorite thing about the site. You must complete this step to be entered in the giveaway.

• BONUS ENTRY #1: While you are on Maria Liberati's website sign up for her newsletter, then come back to this blog post and leave a comment letting us know. If you are already receiving the newsletter leave a comment telling us that for your bonus entry.

• BONUS ENTRY #2:  Sign up to receive the monthly Glamorosi newsletter (it's in the left-hand column of this blog), then leave a comment on this blog post letting us know you signed up.

Entries may be posted all in one comment, or in three separate comments. Please be sure there is an email address in your comment or posting profile so I can contact you if you win. The winner will be notified by email and announced on this blog.  

OFFICIAL RULES:
1. No purchase necessary; a purchase of any kind will not increase your chances of winning.
2. Giveaway begins on Friday, June 29, 2012, 2:00pm EST, and ends on Tuesday, July 31, 2012, 11:59pm EST. 
3. One mandatory entry and two bonus entries per person/household, entrants must be 18+,  USA only.
4. For the mandatory entry visit MariaLiberati.com, then come back to this blog post and leave a comment telling us your favorite thing about her site. You must complete this step to be entered in the giveaway.  For bonus entry #1 sign up for Maria Liberati's newsletter via her website, then come back to this blog and post a comment letting us know.  For bonus entry #2 sign up for the Glamorosi newsletter, then let us know you signed up by posting a comment on this blog.
5. One winner will be selected by random draw and will receive one signed copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions by Maria Liberati (ARV $24.95). The winner will be contacted by email and their name will be announced on this blog and in our newsletter. The winner should allow 4-6 weeks for their prize to arrive.
6. PRIVACY POLICY: I will not trade, share, or sell your information, except for the winner's name and address, which will be provided to the prize sponsor for the purpose of shipping the prize.

Comments on this blog are moderated; some contest entries may show right away, but on days I'm working with clients or at events outside of my home entries will be updated the following day.

Abbondanza!

Maria Liberati will be appearing in New Jersey at the Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival at Bally's on July 28, 2012. She'll be signing cookbooks throughout the day and then taking center stage at 2PM. For more info email events@marialiberati.com

 

Cook book photo courtesy of Maria Liberati

Food photos by Glamorosi 2012

UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed and the winner is....

~ >> PANCAK << ~

Congratulations!

Thank you to all who entered. 
A new giveaway begins on Monday, August 6th.

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