The Philadelphia Museum of Art Presents an Evening with Maria Liberati

Philadelphia, PA, March 28, 2007 --(PR.com)-- The Museum Restaurant at the Philadelphia Museum of Art will host a special dinner with Celebrity Chef Maria Liberati on Friday, April 13th at 6:00 p.m. Executive Chef J.C. Nuñez has created a three-course menu featuring recipes from Liberati’s book, The Basic Art of Italian Cooking. The cost is $62.50 per person, including tax and gratuity. The book will be available for purchase at the dinner. For reservations, call 215-235-7469. For more information visit http://www.marialiberati.com or  www.philamuseum.org/dining.

“We are delighted to welcome Maria to The Museum Restaurant,” said Executive Chef J.C. Nuñez. “As a professional chef, I always try to encourage others who have decided to enter the field. To be successful, the most important thing to have is a passion for good food…and Maria seems to have that in abundance!”

A former international supermodel, Maria  spent many years modeling in Europe and  New York.  She then completed her culinary studies in Italy.  It was during her time in Italy, at her family’s home in a small mountain town, that her love of preparing good food reawakened. “When I was four years old, my grandfather would take me with him to the Italian market  in Philadelphia, where he would buy the ingredients for the family’s Sunday supper. I loved those market trips, and I always enjoyed the meals prepared by my mother and grandmother.  And that’s what my book is about; good simple Italian food, made with the freshest ingredients, the stories included  about my life in Italy are to enhance the readers'  experience.  She has been featuredin many  national and international magazines and also has her own trademark line of food products Maria Liberati's The Basic Art of Italian Cooking (tm)

Maria will be greeting guests and sharing her tales of time spent in Italy, and the inspirations for her book. She Divides her time between her residences in  NY, Philadelphia and Italy. The dinner will start with a traditional lentil soup, followed by Tuscan-style beef braciole,  Tuscan roasted potatoes and spinach Florentine. Dessert is the classic chocolate almond tart.

This book features the her time posing for a portrait for famed Italian artist Sergio Terzi. Her next book "The Basic Art of Italian Cooking, Spaghetti at Midnight" will feature illustrations from Italian architect/artist- Mariano Moroni. "Art and food-are two of my favorite passions that were meant to be together." 

###