PHILADLEPHIA, PA -- The Museum Restaurant at the Philadelphia Museum of Art will host a special dinner with Celebrity Chef- Maria Liberati -a Philly native and Temple University graduate- on Friday, April 13th at 6:00 p.m. Executive Chef J.C. Nuñez has created a four-course menu featuring recipes from Liberati’s bestselling 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. Portions of the proceeds of the book go to Gilda's Club. For reservations, call 215-235-7469. For more information visit http://www.marilaiberati.com and 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 Liberati spent many years in Italy and before returning home she completed her culinary studies there in Italy. It was during her time in Italy, at her grandfather's vineyard 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 that’s what my book is about; good simple Italian food, made with the freshest ingredients,a style of minimalist cooking."
Maria has been featured in many national and international magazines, TV and radio shows. Her TV show is currently in pre-production.
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 and her home in Italy. The dinner will start with a traditional lentil soup, followed by Tuscan-style beef braciole, roasted potatoes and creamed spinach. Dessert is the classic chocolate almond tart.
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