Renowned chef/award-winning journalist, creator of the Gourmand World Award-winning book and product series and the brand “L’Arte Basica della Cucina Italiana” by Maria Liberati.
- Do you prefer tea or coffee? Tea.
- Who do you prefer to cook for? / Who do you prefer to eat with? My longtime boyfriend. My fiancé, but also a large group of family and friends.
- What are your favorite dishes or culinary themes to teach? Risotto, pizza, sauces. Risotto, healthy ways to prepare traditional recipes.
“Food is part of my life, my culture, my family, I communicate through food.”
- Do you have any culinary/food superstitions? If you look at a pot, the water never boils!
- If you could tattoo a food, what would it be and why? A blood orange. I think they’re one of the most beautiful and delicious foods to eat, not to mention how healthy they are for you! Pizza, my favorite food, my drug.
- What’s a dish, drink , or food theme you’d really like to teach or master?
- What does food mean to you? How has it changed/shaped your life? Food is my life; it has connected me to family and memories, and it has also helped me learn more about my culture and others through the history and traditions associated with food. Food is part of my life, my culture, my family; I communicate through food.
- Tell us about a time that connected you with a stranger. My audience and readers connect with me all the time at book signings and live appearances. Many of my readers notice one of my recipes and tell me about their memories of that recipe or dish! It’s truly special how people connect with me through my recipes and food memories. Readers of my books connect with me through many of my recipes and food memories.
- If you don’t live where you grew up, how have your food traditions changed/evolved with you? I live in both Italy and the United States; food is deeply rooted in my culture and has helped me understand my Italian culture and my roots. Exploring recipes and writing about food has been a truly cathartic experience for me and has helped me keep my culture and the traditions my grandparents started alive! I live in many places and my food culture always follows me, but I love trying to combine my traditions with the foods of the place I live.
- Who was the first person who introduced you to cooking/eating well? Who influenced you the most on how/what to cook? My mother was the first person who cooked with me when I was very young, and then my grandparents, aunts, and cousins—we cooked together for big Sunday dinners. However, as an adult, my boyfriend has been a huge influence on my cooking and on broadening my experience with food and wine, even more so than my culinary education. My mother, my grandparents, and my boyfriend.
- What’s your go-to cooking tip? Did someone pass it down to you? Did you learn this lesson the hard way? Keep things simple and always use the best ingredients you can find. My first cooking teachers—my mom, my grandmothers, my aunt, and my boyfriend—always had this philosophy. Keep things simple, don’t try to complicate a dish.
” Apricot Clafoutis ” by Maria
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