I recently had the chance to speak with award winning cookbook author and Celebrity Chef – Maria Liberati on my weekly radio show La Bella Vita ! We discussed her newest cookbook;”The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Da Vinci Style.” www.marialiberati.com We had a great time talking about cooking italian food in the Da Vinci style! A true genius Da Vinci – who bascially invented just about everything, brillian artist, sculptor, writer, scientist and surprisingly a COOK! Maria follows Da Vinci’s travels and shares these vintage italian recipes!
We also chatted about harvest which is taking place right now in Italy and what harvest dishes the italian are serving up right now. Harvest is truly magical time in Italy as truffles the most expensive food in the world is being hunted by specially trained dogs. Locals are picking the last of their vegetable gardens and vineyards are busy harvesting the grapes for wine making! You can hear the interview via podcast http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/la-bella-vita-10-20-2011/id443165445?i=102107609
Here is a little more information about Maria Liberati –
As a former international supermodel, Maria Liberati never dreamed that she would go from being a fashion diva to a domestic diva. Ironically, while jet setting off to modeling assignments around the world, Maria became closer to the simplicity of life and food in the country setting of her family’s vineyard in the mountains of central Italy. She began to experience the real tastes of food that she knew from her childhood.
An Award Winning cookbook author and Celebrity Chef -her passion with food began at the early age of 4, when she would accompany ‘nonno’ (grandfather) on his early morning Saturday trips to the Italian Market in Philadelphia to pick out all the fresh ingredients for the Sunday family meal.
Years later, Maria was spotted by international artist Sergio Terzi (known as Nerone) and was asked to sit for a portrait at his studio in the Emilio-Romagna region of Italy. While sitting for this portrait, the months lingered on and Maria found herself spending more and more time at Nerone’s family farm nearby. During her time there, she studied the art of making the famed Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese. When the painting was finished, it was exhibited all throughout the world including the Metropolitan Museum of Art where the painting and the artist were honored at a special ceremony for the contributions of Italians to the World.
Today, Maria is considered one of the foremost experts on Italian Cuisine and culture,has been called the Italian ’Martha Stewart’ (Celebrity Society magazine 06/06) and is a frequent guest on radio, TV and national media features. She is frequently called upon to be spokesperson for many food and kitchen related companies to bring across their message of artisan, fresh local products to her audience. She also serves as food consultant for new products. Maria is frequently found cooking center stage at many consumer and trade show events as guest Celebrity Chef and designs corporate teambuiliding programs for Fortune 500 companies. As a professional speaker, Maria is asked to speak at many events on her success. The rest, as they say, is history. She divides her time between her office and residence in the USA and Italy where she writes her books and hosts specialty culianryadn wine programs at some of Italy’s most magnificent castles and vineyards.
Maria’s philosophy is to create recipes that simply transform the freshest ingredients without changing their essential flavors…”that is an art and cooking is an art..a basic art”. For more tips on cooking, foods, style and decorating, visit Maria’s blog where food meets art, travel and life!
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