By Maria Filice • October 21, 2010 I’m not an ovenologist but ….How many times have you thought to yourself, “I swear that I followed exactly what the recipe called for. Why didn’t the cake rise? How could I have burned the biscotti?” (I’ll get to the biscotti in a minute.) You were sure that you followed the recipe. You bought exactly what the recipe required, with no deviation whatsoever. But when you took a step back to figure out what the heck happened, did it ever occur to you that it might be your oven?
What I mean is, all ovens are different. Some models are gas or electric, and they’re made by different manufacturers. Are all cars alike? It’s gets easier when you know your oven.
Biscotti making is now a pleasure….I have two ovens, one gas, one electric and each time that I made batches, had to regulate my 350F to difference ranges to avoid my fudgesicle disasters.
a presto, biscotti calling my name!
Don’t forget….The net proceeds of this book will be donated to the restoration efforts of the earthquake of L’Aquila. Great gift giving for the Holidays.
maria !
By Maria Filice • October 19, 2010 Hi Everybody,
I just returned from my delicious trip from Italy filled with great food, great wine and incredible friends! Now’s that’s Breaking Bread with Maria to the max./ (massimo)!
Receiving an email from Cookstr. that I am now a featured chef on the Cookstr. site is an honor. It’s a great site that they provide great recipes from the best chefs and cookbook authors. Take a look at:
http://www.cookstr.com/chefs
As I sort through luggage and laundry, I hope to put on a nice pot of chicken/ brodo to help me get rid of this cold! I’ll report back later with the soup…..
a presto,
maria
By Maria Filice • October 17, 2010 I’m never disappointed when I’m in Abruzzo or Calabria for my favorite lamb prepared on the grill. I have two recipes from my book Breaking Bread in L’Aquila for grilled lamb chops and roast leg of lamb. It’s the perfect dish as we soon enter the Holiday Season (I know….time flies)!
Did you ever wonder how to make the sear marks on your tasty meats, fish, or poultry? It’s very important that the grill or pan surface exceeds 300°F (150°C), which means setting the knob at medium-high. Even more critical is that the meat surface is DRY, or else the searing will not happen! And do NOT flip the chops before three minutes. That’s the time when the grill marks begin making their mark (no pun intended). Don’t forget to pat dry the chops on paper towels before you placed them on your favorite iron grill and drizzled them with extra virgin olive oil, rosemary pleats, and fresh lemon.
Don’t forget….The net proceeds of this book will be donated to the restoration efforts of the earthquake of L’Aquila. Great gift giving for the Holidays.
a presto,
maria
By Maria Filice • October 15, 2010 A great way to drink your favorite liqueur or dessert wine is dunking biscotti. In Forence, we dunked biscotti in a sweet dessert wine. For breakfast, we dunked in our espresso….Whatever you decide, these biscotti are absolutely delicious!
A few suggested pantry variations 1) lemon and trail mix (nuts, raisins), 2) cranberry and almond and 3) cranberry and walnut. I have a photo on 3-5-2010 of the biscotti and also featured in my book “Breaking Bread in L’Aquila”.
Makes about 3 dozen
1/2 cup vegetable, canola oil, or unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup of the addition of your choice, like coarsely chopped nuts (pecans, pistachios, or walnuts), cranberries, or chocolate chips (it can also be a combination!)
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the oil (or cream the butter) and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the vanilla, and the eggs one at a time and stir until well blended.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring constantly. Add your nuts or any other addition. Continue mixing until well blended (don’t over mix). The dough will be slightly sticky, so you should flour your hands to work with it.
Divide the dough into either 2 logs (12 x 2) or 4 logs (6 x 2), depending on the size of your baking sheet. Make sure you place them several inches (at least 3 inches) apart because they will expand.
Bake for 35 minutes or until the logs are light brown. Let cool for 10 minutes.
Then turn the heat down to 275ºF. Cut the logs, using a sharp, serrated knife, into diagonal slices, about 3/4-inch long. You can place them on their sides (or stand them up-right on the baking sheet) to bake them for an additional 10 minutes. (This is why they are called twice-baked!) Cool before serving.
Tip: when you are cutting the biscotti logs before baking for the additional 10 minutes, you end up with little bits and pieces of the biscotti. If you are not planning to eat them right away, I would freeze them.
You can cut them in smaller pieces and serve with ice cream or dip the ends in coffee liquor and add a dolup of Mascarpone cheese and sprinke cocoa. A few examples but I’m sure you have other creative ideas too.
Don’t forget….The net proceeds of this book will be donated to the restoration efforts of the earthquake of L’Aquila.
a presto,
maria
By Maria Filice • October 12, 2010 Hi Everybody,
Passion Opens Up Opportunity will be my talk at the Women Ties Luncheon for Women Entreprenuers on October 28th in Syracuse. I hope to see you xoxo
For Immediate Release: For More Information:
October 12, 2010 Tracy Higginbotham: 315-471-1987
WOMEN TIES HOSTS SPECIAL OCTOBER LUNCHEON
FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK: Women TIES (Women Together Inspiring Entrepreneurial
Success), a Central New York business dedicated to helping women entrepreneurs
expand their local, state and regional marketplace, will host a special strategic
networking and educational luncheon for women entrepreneurs.
On October 28, 2010 from Noon to 2 p.m. at the Limestone Grill at the Craftsman Inn, Mission B Room, Genesee Street, Fayetteville, the Women TIES Greater Syracuse
Luncheon: “Passion Opens Up Opportunities” will feature Maria Filice, publisher of
Telos Press, as well as publisher, author and food stylist for Food and Fate Publishing, a company she took over after her husband’s passing. Filice’s entrepreneurial story began as a heart-driven mission and her success since then driven by intellect,assertiveness and hard work. Recently her book Breaking Bread in L’Auqila received national attention when three of its recipes were featured on the website for the FocusFeature film, The American, which was set in Abruzzo starring George Clooney.
Filice will inspire women with her story and share the importance of how
building a brand, gaining diverse media attention, and utilizing social media has
catapulted her into the limelight helping to grow her company.
MORE
Filice will be signing and selling her book at the beginning and end of the
program. The net proceeds of this book will be donated to the restoration efforts of the earthquake of L’Aquila, where many of the recipes originate. The event will also have promotional materials tables so women entrepreneurs can showcase featured holiday sales items or services to increase revenue during the holidays.
The cost of the event is $29 and includes lunch, program, promotion and strategic networking to help women forge stronger economic ties with other women.
For more information or to make reservations, visit www.womenties.com or call 315-
471-1987.
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