ChickSpeak

Chocolate fashion shows anybody?  Did you know that major culinary artists have started putting chocolate on models and actually had them walk the catwalks?  That’s right, food can be glamour too.  Nobody knows it better than Chef Maria Liberati.  From fashion diva to a domestic goddess, Maria Liberati brings a perspective to cooking that makes food glamorous on and off the runway! 

The beauty herself started a career as an international supermodel.  In fact she was spotted by the international artist, Sergio Terzi (Nerone), and was asked to sit for a portrait.  Little did she know this portrait would be exhibited all throughout the world.  You can see it in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

As she was surrounded by food, (while at her family’s vineyard in the mountains of Italy, Nerone’s family farm which produced Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese, or making Saturday morning trips to Italian Markets in Philly with her grandfather), Maria’s passion for cooking grew and grew.

Find out more from Maria-her passion for food, how to prepare it the Italian way and enjoy it pleasurably; read her words of wisdom on pursuing your life’s dreams; and oooo- la-la, learn how she would impress on a first date!  Maria Liberati makes food fashionable and you can too.  

CS: In what ways did modeling prepare you to become a successful chef and writer?  How did you make the transition?

ML: There are many things I learned from my successful modeling career that I apply to my career now. Of course- the experience of being in front of the camera and in front of the public, on TV, etc- all of that experience I apply now when I have photos taken or interviews or do TV appearances.  There is also a certain fashion aspect to food. The beauty of the colors of food, the presentation of the food, the choosing of a few high quality ingredients to put together a meal-just as you put together an outfit- these are all related to fashion.I also have a degree in foreign language education (B.S. in Education) from Temple University that really came in handy when modeling. The languages I studied were French, Italian and Spanish. So when traveling and working in Europe this was really helpful. And really helps now when I am in Europe and talking to or working with other people in the culinary industry in Europe. There are just some concepts that can’t be translated exactly in English and it is really helpful to know these other languages.

The world is so small today, and my philosophy has always been one that we need to consider ourselves not only a citizen of where we live but also in some ways a citizen of the world. Learn what is going on in allof the world not just in your own backyard and you will be able to take on a broader perspective in everything you do. Everything that occurs in the world affects everyone else that lives in the world-no matter where you live.  My degree in Education and teaching makes it easy for me to explain how to cook in person and in writing. I have a better understanding of how to explain things in order to teach someone how to cook a recipe or a cooking technique.

CS: What would you say is the biggest difference between the way Americans enjoy their food compared to the Italians?  

ML: In Italy, (and to Italians), food has so much more meaning and is such a big part of life. Food is related to everything-art, fashion, family life, romance and more. The day really revolves around food and (especially your main, afternoon meal) When I am here (in Italy) even though I am at my office most of the day or out doing events or meetings-the rest of my day revolves around the afternoon meal. From shopping for the ingredients, to the preparation to the presentation of the meal-whatever time is left over in my day is used up for all of this. It may mean that I have to get up very early to go to the different stores- from cheese store to produce store, to oven where they bake fresh bread, etc. Then of course sitting down to eat a meal is an event in itself. You are sharing wonderful food with family and friends-it is such a wonderful way to interact with others-whether it is 2 people or 22 people.

However, in the US food just doesn’t play the same role as it does in Italy or Italian households. We tend to eat our meals as quickly as possible so that we can get back to work or watching TV. We don’t really take the time to enjoy our meals and to use mealtime as a way to interact with family and friends. We don’t have foods that have a long history and are produced in an artistic process. 

CS: On a rainy day, when you feel like doing nothing else but curling up with a good book or watching a movie, what would you make for yourself in the kitchen?

ML: On a lazy day -as you describe- since I usually try to favor eating seasonal foods (they are healthier for you and fresher)- my choice of food would be dependent upon the season. If it is in the summertime, I usually prefer to eat light and in summer my fridge is always filled with fresh fruits- I will usually make a bowl of a type of fresh fruit salad called  ‘macedonia’ and top it with yogurt for a light lunch or mid morning snack.  Or another favorite summer or spring choice is a ‘frullato’ which is an Italian version of a milk shake and is really healthy for you and easy to make since its’ ingredients are really fruit, milk or yogurt and a little sugar with some crushed ice.

In the colder months I like to make something warm to drink- a coffee drink (there are so many you can make) with cocoa and milk or even cinnamon. But always be sure to use spring water and a really good coffee to get the best results.

CS: Who is the most inspirational woman in your life?  In what ways has she inspired you?

ML: There are many women that have inspired me in my life-some famous and some not so famous. From women like Oprah Winfrey to Suze Ormond-all great role models for females.  Self made women who made have successful companies through their own self-determination, and hard work and had to overcome many obstacles but who also give back.

But there are also other women that have been just as inspiring, albeit not famous, who have inspired me in many ways as well.   My grandmothers and great aunts who all came to the USA on their own from Italy when they were 14-16 yrs of age. These were women that came to a far land with nothing more than a few cents in their pocket, a small amount of formal education and maybe a small suitcase with a dream that they followed-to have a better life for themselves. And they achieved it. I just imagine what it must have been like to travel that far in the early 1900’s- being a female alone, not knowing a word of the language anything about the country.  These too are self- made women in a sense.  They achieved what their dream was.  Whenever I have a tough challenge to face I try to remember their stories and derive my strength from them. If they could do what they did under those circumstances then I have no right to say that some minor setback is a difficult challenge and ‘throw in the towel.   

CS: Out of your cookbooks, which recipe would you recommend our audience (college-aged women) cook on a first date?  How come? 

ML: Of course on a first date you always want to cook something that is not extremely complicated but special. By the way this is also one that keeps your budget in mind.  For an appetizer a simple bruschetta (there are many right on my website and in my book) is simple and elegant.  Then pasta with a simple tomato ‘sugo’ or sauce.  

First you must always choose a good brand of pasta. I don’t recommend using fresh pasta if you are cooking on a fist date. Fresh pasta is delicate and can be overcooked easier than dry pasta. There are many good brands out there of dry pasta. Be sure to choose one that is made up of 100% semolina flour, of course I prefer an Italian brand, since Italians are fussy about their pasta.  Pasta made in Italy always has the correct cooking time right on the box. If you follow the directions on the box (since each shape of pasta requires a different cooking time) you are guaranteed to have a great pasta meal. If you are making my tomato ‘sugo’ or sauce-use preferably fresh plum tomatoes that are red and ripe or tomatoes ripened on the vine, always red and ripe. If you must use canned-look for plum tomatoes and be sure that there is no sugar added to the canned tomatoes.  This meal only uses a small amount of ingredients-so if you want to really ‘wow’ someone with this meal the trick is you need to use the best ingredients. And if you use the best ingredients you will only need a small amount of everything. So for instance- use only extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil- but you will only need about 2-3 tblsps-so you can purchase a small bottle. 

Of course to make this meal perfect you need to top the pasta with real Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Although it can be expensive- if you use the real thing you will only need a small amount since the flavor is so yummy and intense in small quantities. To top 2 portions of pasta-2 tablespoons freshly grated is more than enough-so you need only buy about ¼ of a pound. For optimum results buy it whole and grate if on top of each dish. You will get the full flavor. If you grate it before, the flavor will still be ever present but not as intense. End the meal with a beautiful plate of fresh fruits that are in season and a great espresso.  By the way, for the pasta dish you should have a red wine to accompany. One of my favorite wines is Montepulciano D’Abruzzo.

CS: After a big, long, delicious meal, how do you wind down the evening?  I.e. do you drink a cup of coffee, glass of wine, take a walk, order dessert, etc.?

ML: I picked up this habit of drinking a cup of a Chinese tea- oolong tea in Italy. There is a town called Pescara-which is known for its beach resort and spas. So, there everyone there tends to be into health and fitness related things.  I did a healthy cooking program at one of their resorts. I met one of the nutritionists on staff who told me about this oolong tea. It is a green tea and the Chinese drink it with their meals because it helps to absorb fats and metabolize them. However it does have a lot of antioxidant properties as well. So that is my after dinner habit that I learned about in Italy. But also if possible, I do like to take a half hour to hour walk after dinner as well. 

CS: The culinary arts seems to be a cutthroat industry with a lot of competition, a la Top Chef and Iron Chef.  What advice do you have for the aspiring chefs to keep their heads held high, even when the going gets tough?

ML: The 4 pieces of advice that I have learned along the way and still try to remember today when the going gets tough is: *Always believe in yourself-if you don’t no one else will.
*Take criticism with a grain of salt.  Be aware of what others are saying- but remember you can’t please everyone all the time. You have to be true to yourself.
*Don’t be a carbon copy of someone else-develop your own style.
*You are a special person as each individual is. Don’t ever let anyone take that away from you.

CS: What is one of your most favorite childhood memories?  How come?

ML: One of my favorite childhood memories is that of big family Sunday or Holiday dinners at my grandparent’s house. It usually meant preparing a lot of special dishes together all day or maybe from the night before. This meant cousins, aunts, uncles, mom, dad, grandmothers, grandfathers, next-door neighbors all together. We would be in the kitchen-from the youngest to the oldest -mixing, tasting, organizing, baking, frying. At the same time we would be sharing stories with my grandparents of how this recipe was cooked when they were younger in Italy or who originated that recipe in the family. So many of those dishes we cooked relate to so many special memories now. I could not think of ending a meal without a fresh fruit macedonia (A fresh fruit salad) because whenever we had dinner at my grandmother’s she would always have a large bowl of this to finish off dinner.

CS: You mentioned that you were going to Italy to work on your new cookbook.  How will this cookbook differ from your previous cookbook?  What is the inspiration behind the new cookbook?

ML: There are actually 2 books I am working on now. The one that I am spending most of my time on while I am here in Italy is a special one because a famous architect/artist in Italy and Europe has asked to create some works of art or illustrations for a limited edition of the book-Mariano Moroni.  We will be doing exhibits of this book with his artwork at galleries throughout the US and Europe. Since, as I mentioned, food here has so much to do with art and memories-he will be creating special works of art to portray that. It is really an exciting project for me. I spent most of the summer finishing up the manuscript and will be spending the next 6 weeks here with meetings here to finish the concept.  The book’s theme is again recipes and stories about special memories. But this book will be related to Holidays and Special Occasions and will be devoted to recipes that originate from Italy and menus that are used for special occasions. It is a really interesting project combining art and food.But one thing is certain, the recipes will all be healthy and in the style of my trademark of cooking (The Basic Art of  Italian Cooking tm) so they are  recipes that use only fresh, natural ingredients-no processed foods and are recipes that will be simple, yet elegant. So simple enough for the non-professional cook yet elegant enough for an advanced cook to want to prepare.

CS: Knowing what you know now about pursuing a dream and working with what you love, what advice can you give to young women who may be deciding between two ‘dream jobs?’ 

ML: Here is something I learned from studying the ancient Romans and people in Italy still tend to use this philosophy: “Have a passion for what you do” The ancient Romans- who knew that passion was a quality you need to carry out whatever job you did- had a tradition. When someone passed away, at their funeral they wouldn’t really ask what they did, but they would ask if this was a person that had a passion for what they did. If they did have passion for what they did, no matter what career it was- they considered that person to have been a successful person. So, the message in all this is that if you have to decide between 2 dream jobs- ask yourself which one do I have a passion for? And that is the one to select. At my company I have developed an internship program for students in careers of writing, publicity, marketing, web design, business.  Unfortunately I find that many students today don’t have that passion for what they do. We do the internships as a way of finding new talent- but out of every 5-8 students we may find one that has that spark that special passion for what they do. I am passionate about what I do and love to work around others that have the same excitement about what they do.

Passion means that you can spend hours upon hours doing what you do- perfecting it, working it.  If you think of Leonardo DaVinci-who would just sit for hours and study a project and work on it until it was absolutely perfected to be the best it could be-that is passion.