By Maria Filice • April 19, 2011 Strike a biscotti pose….Here’s a festive version of my amaretti, biscotti and pizzele. What do you think? The recipes are in my book Breaking Bread in L’Aquila.
Step aside, amaretti showing off with pastel almond confetti (sugar coated almonds). Sulmona (in the province of L’Aquila) is the city that these famous hard candies are produced. I added the confetti when I removed the amaretti from the oven.
I shaped the pizzelle with festive Easter designs: butterflies, eggs and baby lambs. When you remove the hot pizzelle from the press, stamp the cookies right away before they get hard. A great way to be creative during the Holiday! I drizzled powder sugar and sugar crystals.
White chocolate dip for the biscotti and sprinkles of mint green sugar crystals! I made the biscotti bite size minis!
You can see me on CHCH TV 11 on Friday, April 22nd @ 8:20am. for my segment “What’s cooking in your Easter Basket”.
a presto,
Maria
By Maria Filice • April 7, 2011 I wanted to thank everybody for supporting me during the first year of my book launch of Breaking Bread in L’Aquila. It was a very exciting evening at Rizzoli to see great friends and meet new friends!
It was an honor to have two chefs from Philadelphia come to the event: Joe Cicala and restaurnt owner Le Virtu, Francis Cratil Cretarola and Cathy Lee. Check it out www.levirtu.com, they prepare authentic foods from Abruzzo! Stay tuned for a joint book event!
I served my tasty amaretti cookies – fresh out of the oven! The recipe is in my book Breaking Bread in L’Aquila. Psssst…..there’s no flour in these cookies – great treat for those friends/family members who are gluten sensitive!
Amaretti Cookies
Ingredients:
3 cups almonds, plus an additional 36
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoons almond extract
2 cups of confectioner’s sugar spread on 12 inches of wax paper (for rolling)
Vegetable spray for the baking sheet (though Mom sprinkles the baking sheet with flour)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Using a food processor on pulse, chop the 3 cups of almonds until they are finely ground.
Beat the eggs, sugar, and almond extract. Add the ground nuts and gently fold them together until you have a moist mixture that you can form into balls.
Lightly grease three baking sheets. Using a teaspoon (or your hand), scoop up the batter, form balls, and roll them in the confectioner’s sugar. Place them at least an inch apart on the greased baking sheet. Prior to baking, press one almond into each ball.
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cookies are golden in color and firm to the touch.
Let them cool before removing them from the pan.
These cookies are perfect for freezing (if they make it to the freezer)!
a presto,
maria x
By Maria Filice • April 1, 2011 Aid for Japan and Italy, By FLORENCE FABRICANT, The New York Times, Published: March 29, 2011
The recent earthquake in Japan may dominate the news, but many people have not forgotten the earthquake that hit L’Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy in 2009. Part of the price of a cookbook about the food of Abruzzo — “Breaking Bread in L’Aquila” by Maria Filice (Telos Press, 2010) — is being donated to restoration efforts in the devastated area. There will be a book signing, with food and wine, on April 6 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Rizzoli bookstore, 31 West 57th Street. Signed copies are also available by calling (800) 522-6657.
By Maria Filice • March 14, 2011 
Hi Everybody,
On Wednesday, April 6, 2011, Rizzoli Bookstore in NYC will be hosting a book event for Breaking Bread in L’Aquila. We hope to see you there!
This marks the Second Anniversary of the Earthquake devastation of L’Aquila – help support us!
“Her cookbook is full of elegant and rich traditional dishes from the L’Aquila region. . . . This wonderful book. . . will appeal to foodies and cooks looking for effortless Italian cooking.”
—Library Journal, February 15, 2010
“For the cook with the sophisticated side, and an affinity for family-style Italian meals, Breaking Bread in L’Aquila is the perfect book.”
—Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts, July 19, 2010
“The new George Clooney thriller currently in theaters, The American, is set in Italy’s Abruzzo region. With the movie, cookbook author and food stylist Maria Filice has found herself uniquely poised to talk about Abruzzo’s food.”
—Publishers Weekly, September 13, 2010
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 • February 5, 2011 
One of my favorite greens is Spinich. Not only is it healthy (Vitamin A, C, Calcium, Iron), it is very simple to prepare! I prepare spinich the same way I prepare other greens like rapini(broccoli rabe).
Bring a large pot of water to boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt. Blanche the spinich by dipping into the boiling water for approx. 5 minutes. Drain the spinich in a colander.
In a medium pan, medium heat, add a tablespoon (or two) of olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic (sliced), a pinch of red chili flakes (optional), sautee for a minute. Add the spinch and sautee for two minutes. Ready to serve. Quick and easy!
Add a drizzle of olive oil,salt and black pepper (to taste). The perfect side with your favorite meats or fish. I also like to squeeze a little fresh lemon to spinich too!
If you have leftovers, it’s perfect with eggs – be creative!
a presto,
maria !
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