Taking a Break!

Hi Everybody,

I’m getting ready for my trip Italy and will be away through October 18th. I will be taking photos and reporting back from Rome, L’Aquila, Bologna and Florence.

a presto,

maria

Testimonial from One of the Participants

My first cooking class was a success! Also very special to teach my first cooking class on my birthday! Here’s my first testimonial….

Cara Maria,
Many thanks again for a fun, informative, and relaxing evening at Front and Center last night! My friend, Kristen, and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. You have such a laid-back way about teaching your passion in food. Coming from an Italian family (my grandparents were from Sicily and Calabria) I have always loved cooking, especially Italian cooking. My aunt has shared many recipes with me over the years (she taught me how to make some terrific cannoli) and now my 3 year old son wants her to teach him how to make homemade sausage! I love rustic cooking and I also believe in using what you have–throw in a little of this, a little of that! Your class was almost like home!
Can’t wait for the next one! Enjoy your trip to Italy! J

Polpettine di Paolo

What I love also about blogging is meeting other bloggers as we share and break bread with recipes! My new blogger cumara is Adri Barr Crocetti. She purchased Breaking Bread in L’Aquila and loved my meatball recipe. Check out Adri’s blog.

Adri writes her lovely commentary about this tasty dish!:
http://thefrontburner.us/main/2010/09/29/breaking-bread-in-laquila/

What do you think? Would love to hear from you!

Pasta alla Chitarra con Polpettine di Paolo/(Pasta alla Chitarra with Paul’s Meatballs)

Paul’s meatballs were famous-not only for their flavor, but also for their size: he liked them small! Though, he was a fabulous cook, once he let me in the kitchen (and taught me how to make his favorites), he didn’t come back in. As queen of the kitchen, I began making his favorites, like this one. We would sometimes serve these meatballs on top of pasta alla chitarra, Abruzzo’s famous pasta. This is made with a pasta guitar (it looks like a harp) to produce squarish-shaped spaghetti. You can also use spaghetti or your favorite pasta. Growing up, my mother would serve it with our favorite rigatoni or penne pasta.

a presto,

Maria

Grano/Villa Charities Event, November 1st

Grano Event, November 1st