The American Premieres Today!

Hi Everybody,

I saw the preview of The American a couple of days ago. The movie is filmed in Abruzzo and of course I was couldn’t wait to see the places it was filmed. It brought back a lot of memories when the Jack, the main character played by George Clooney makes his temporary home in Castel del Monte. I remember visiting a lot of the small villages nessled in Abruzzo’s Gran Sasso mountain, the medieval hill town. It’s opposite Rocca Calascio, a place that I was accused by my late husband for eating his prescutto sandwich while he took a nap when we stopped for a romatic picnic – overseeing the sky, clouds and stars.

The scenery throughout the movie left me thinking about my memories over the last few days. Bittersweet but how lucky I was to explore the nooks and crannies of this beautiful region.

One of the scenes where Jack and his girlfriend met for dinner, as they ordered a bottle of Montepulchano, the regions wine – I also have a section about the wines of Abruzzo in my book! As a foodie, the first thing that I thought of was – what did they order from the menu?? Did they order pasta alla Chitarra for primi, the regions prize pasta! Or perhaps, the grilled lamb chops that I have the focusfeature.com site? I’m sure food was the last thing they were thinking (if you know what I mean)!nes and chemistry between Jack and Clara were

The village procession reminded me of the one I attended in the town of , at the summer festival (feraugsto) a few years ago.

Breaking Bread in L’Aquila Breaks Bread with George Clooney’s The American

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 30, 2010

Breaking Bread in L’Aquila Breaks Bread with George Clooney’s The American!

Maria Filice, food stylist and author of Breaking Bread in L’Aquila, contributes three regional recipes to the website of Focus Features’ new film The American, in advance of the September 1 release of the George Clooney thriller.

With the film set in the Abruzzo region of Italy, Focus Features asked Ms. Filice to provide three recipes that exemplify the cuisine that Clooney’s character might have enjoyed. “I was thrilled to be contacted by Focus Features and asked to contribute to the movie in some way—especially when the earthquake-ravaged region deserves so much attention. Abruzzo is unusually rustic and beautiful, with the sophistication and Baroque elegance of L’Aquila at its center.”

Filice’s book Breaking Bread in L’Aquila is the perfect companion to the Clooney film. Its regional recipes are both classic and contemporary. The Canadian-American author was inspired to write about this untouched region during her years of extensive travel through Abruzzo’s communities, where she experienced first hand its delicious food, lively culture, and beautiful music.

To view Filice’s recipes, please visit the Focus Features website: http://focusfeatures.com/article/the_cuisine_of_abruzzo?pageref=4.

The cookbook was published on April 6, 2010, on the first anniversary of the earthquake that devastated the Abruzzo region. Releasing the book on the earthquake’s anniversary was a message to the people of the region that “we have not forgotten.” Additionally, the author is donating the book’s net proceeds to the restoration efforts and the assistance still desperately needed in L’Aquila.

First-time author Filice considers herself an honorary “L’Aquilana.” Her book has received abundant praise from print and online reviewers, including the Library Journal, i-Italy, and Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts. She writes a lively and entertaining blog from her kitchen at foodandfate.blogspot.com.

For more information, please contact David Nudo, Marketing Director, at davnudo@gmail.com.

Maria Filice, Breaking Bread in L’Aquila
ISBN: 978-0-914386-43-8
Price: $29.95

Buy directly from the publisher at telospress.com/foodandfate, or from Baker & Taylor, Follet, Coutts, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Midwest, or YBP.

The American Abruzzo Recipes

Ciao Everybody,

Focus Features-the company that produced and is now distributing The American starring George Clooney asked me to contribute an article on the cuisine of Abruzzo!

You can read my article and those of other fellow culinary experts by clicking the link below:
http://focusfeatures.com/article/the_cuisine_of_abruzzo?pageref=4.

Feel free to share the link with your friends, foodies, acquaintances, on Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, Google, etc. Thank you!

warm wishes,

maria

Roast Chicken With Champagne Grapes

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Everything but the kitchen sink in this recipe! I was clearing out the refrigerator and found a bunch of champagne grapes that my friend Christina gave me a few weeks ago. She gave them to me since she was going out of town and she knew I would use them. Yes, the next day, I sauteed some scallops and made a tasty sauce of champagne grapes, shallots, sliced almonds (sauteed the three with a little butter for two minutes), tossed over the scallops and added fresh flat Italian parsley (where was my camera)!

Interns in my office, pouring rain outside, I decided to roast a 1-1/2 lb. chicken. In the roasting pan, I added 2 red onions (quartered), 1 sliced orange, 3-4 hot peppers, 2 garlic bulbs, 6-8 red baby potatoes and a bunch of champagne grapes. I added salt, pepper, 1 cup of water and baked for :45 @ 400F

Back to the office……checked the chicken at :30 and added 2tbsp. brown mustard paste over the chicken. Covered the chicken with the fruit and veggies for additional :15 minutes.

I love feeding my interns! This is something Tyler Florence would appreciate (one of my favorites)!

maria!

Radio Interview with Terry David Mulligan: The Tasting Room

It was a thrill when Terry David Mulligan contacted me to interview me about my book “Breaking Bread in L’Aquila” for his radio show The Tasting Room. The Tasting Room is heard on various radio stations, including CKFR AM 1150 in Kelowna, British Columbia and CFUN AM 1410 in Vancouver.

It was so much fun breaking bread with Terry! Terry’s easy going and relaxed style made me feel right at home in my kitchen. Terry is referred to the “Dick Clark of Canada”, the youngest living Canadian teenager!

I hope you enjoy! Click here to listen to the interview.

maria!