Italian Thanksgiving Traditions ~ ~ and a Guest Post

"over the river and through the woods, 

to grandmother's house we go"

(a view of the road to my acreage)

the fireplace mantel all decorated for autumn and Thanksgiving

the dining room centerpiece for autumn and Thanksgiving,

minus the place settings

Most Americans would be surprised to know that Italians also have a celebration in honor of giving thanksgiving as do Italian-Americans in the U.S.    The traditional 'La Festa del Ringraziamento' is well known as the 'festival of giving thanks' and similar to many other year-round holidays in Italy that have a religious foundation when Italians honor their patron saints. 

a festival in Praiano, Italy (for the Feast of St. Luke) during my trip in October

Truthfully, any time that Italians can get together to celebrate family, food and tradition is always a time of celebration and thanksgiving.  Italians love their new home country of 'America' and have happily included Thanksgiving in their favorite ways of getting together with family and expressing gratitude for this country.   Although we have the traditional turkey on the table, we always enhance the menu with Italian dishes from our heritage:  Antipasti, a first course (i Primi) of tortellini in brodo soup, Italian stuffing/dressing, mashed potatoes heavily flavored with garlic and herbs, and Italian sweets to finish the meal.  Many Italians, similar to Americans, enjoy their turkeys stuffed with dressing, but my family prefers to bake the stuffing on the side for a more crisp texture.

This week I have the opportunity for introducing another guest poster here on 'la bella vita':  Bridget Sandorford is a freelance writer and researcher for Culinaryschools.org, and is currently a researching culinary arts pastry chef.  Bridget asked me if she could write a post regarding Italian cuisine and I was delighted to oblige!  Below you will find her perfectly timed thoughts regarding how Italians have embraced the American holiday of Thanksgiving in their own unique and delicious way:


Thanksgiving is a quintessentially American holiday!

This holiday celebrates the harvest that the Pilgrims enjoyed with the Native Americans in the New World -- something that is unique to American history.  However, Italians have a tradition that celebrates the harvest, dating back to ancient times in which the gods of the harvest were honored. Remnants of that tradition persist, and some expatriates living in Italy have adapted current Thanksgiving traditions.

Between the two, many Italians celebrate this time of year with a feast as Americans do for Thanksgiving.  Of course, these celebrations are a bit different than the feasts we enjoy on a traditional American Thanksgiving.

Here's what you might expect to see for an Italian "Thanksgiving":

Antipasti ~ ~ Appetizers

While raw veggies and dip make the rounds at an American Thanksgiving, Italians love to enjoy sausage, cheeses, stuffed mushrooms, and assorted olives. Traditional antipasti dishes are on display, including stuffed peppers and artichokes, shrimp, and roasted vegetables in olive oil. Any traditional Italian appetizers can be served.

This year's antipasto platter(s) included:  Imported Italian Gorgonzola and Fontina cheeses, roasted red peppers in olive oil and red pepper flakes, Genoa salami chunks, sliced Prosciutto, and Soprosatta.

marinated fresh mozzarella is always enjoyed!

Garlic-stuffed green olives, pearl onions, pepperoncini, black olives, baby carrots, marinated beets, and baby pickles.

marinated olives are always expected on an antipasto platter

because my children have a bit of Swedish blood from their paternal lineage, 

we always include a huge bowl of extra yummy herring in onions!

artichokes, marinated beans, and prosciutto are mandatory in addition to the cheeses, olives, and red peppers!

figs are still in season, so Gorgonzola stuffed figs wrapped in prosciutto

are stars on an antipasto platter

fresh Italian bread brushed with garlic-butter and herbs 

are a MUST for antipasti to be placed on in order to enjoy 'small bites'

earlier in the day prior to the big dinner.

i Primi ~ ~ First Course

Traditionally, Italians include a soup before the main entree.  It would simply not be Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter without this northern Italian specialty:  Homemade Tortellini in homemade brodo (Tortellini in Broth).  This year my mother and I made 1000 of these little navel-shaped stuffed pastas.  That's nothing compared to our usual 3000 when we have all of the family over for a holiday dinner!

one test of how well the tortellini turn out is if to see if any of the little bundles break during and after cooking.  This year, literally none of our little tortellini broke!  The dough that my mother made was absolutely perfect in texture!

My mother and I always try to twist the tortellini as small as possible, as is the tradition in my family in Italy.  What you see sold in the markets is far too large for Italians, and would be known as 'tortelloni' instead.  With the small spoon as a reference above, you can see how tiny tortellini can be when twisted on your pinkie finger!

tortellini floating in the brodo let you know that they are just about finished cooking

but you must taste to know if they are 'al dente' or not; never overcook pasta!

Secondi ~ ~  Entrees

Some Italians may opt for the traditional turkey, infusing it with Italian seasons such as oregano and rosemary. Turkey sausage may be served as an Italian variation on this classic dish. A pomegranate sauce provides a nice twist on the classic cranberry.

Traditional Italian pasta dishes also take center stage, including ravioli and other stuffed pastas. Pumpkin stuffed ravioli or pastas with winter squash and lentils are perfect choices for a Thanksgiving (or harvest) feast.


Contorni ~ ~ Side Dishes

Of course, a hearty salad with greens, fresh vegetables, and oils makes for a hearty and healthy side. Sprinkle on peppers and Parmesan cheese to taste.

sometimes we prepare garlic mashed potatoes for our gravy lovers in the family,

but more often we'll prepare garlic and rosemary roasted potatoes.

these disappear faster than mashed potatoes every time!

Our traditional Italian-seasoned Prosciutto and Pepperoni Stuffing / Dressing

 infused with garlic, rosemary, Italian sausage, onions, 

and a variety of Italian cheeses.

This is probably the next favorite recipe for Thanksgiving, after the tortellini!

another side dish for any holiday consists of fresh, sauteed vegetables, enhanced with roasted red peppers, garlic, and drizzled with olive oil and balsamico vinegar (never, ever cream of mushroom soup)

i Dolci ~ ~ Sweets

There's no dessert that seems out of place at Thanksgiving. Try classic cannoli or tiramisu as the perfect after-dinner treat. Classic Italian pastries and tarts are delicious after any meal.   If you miss your pumpkin pie, try a pumpkin-flavored cannoli or even a pumpkin-flavored custard or ice.

Beverages

There are delicious Italian wines that you can pair with any meal and any course. Select your favorites for both the main meal and your dessert. Try a dry Pinot Grigio with the main course and a hearty port wine for dessert.

While Thanksgiving may be an American holiday, Italians and others who love Italian food have found ways to adapt the tradition to their own culture. The resulting feast is a great way to celebrate the harvest or just good times with family and friends.

most Italians enjoy either a light after dinner wine or 

liqueur such as Amaretto Di Saronno or Limoncello

I hope that you have had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday in both America and Italy . . . and anywhere around the globe!




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The Traditional Food of Emilia ~ Romagna, Italy! A Taste of Emilia-Romagna!

(photo credit: 'tourism emilia-romagna)

We are in Emilia-Romagna in Northern Italy today, affectionately known as the legendary "bread basket" of Italy!   With its capital of Bologna, this region is considered by many to be the gastronomical and culinary heart of Italy . . . and that reputation resonates throughout very demanding Italian food circles.  This region has bestowed its traditional culinary gifts and delicacies to make Italian food what we all know and love.  If you desire to taste Italy's best food, you must direct yourself to Emilia-Romagna for its robust, distinctive, and superior cuisine!  Many of the remarkable and unique dishes that have originated and have been mastered here are now served throughout Italy and for that matter!

I am truly on a journey to discover my heritage from this region.  It is with great enthusiasm that I write about this land where my family is from and where my relatives still reside today.  I have a better understanding of my family's passion for delicious cooking, their incredible art for good taste, and why our traditional recipes have been handed down throughout the generations.

So just where am I in Italy?  To give you an idea, Bologna and Modena are about an hour north of Florence and about two hours southwest of Venice.  A diverse geography encompasses a wide variety of influences on the region's cuisine.  This highly productive region just bursts with an array of famous foods!  The landscape leads to many directions which contain plains, gentle rolling hills, and countryside with the extremely rich and fertile Po River valley yielding exceptional wheat, incomparable butter and cream, cheese, veal and pork from animals that graze this verdant land.  Interestingly, more wheat is grown here to make a soft wheat flour, making it the motherland for the highest quality homemade pasta that is unparalleled throughout Italy.  The rugged mountain ranges of the Appennines and hillsides offer the cooler temperatures for hundreds of cured meats, and along the coastline of the Adriatic seafood is frequently served, being one of the top fish producing areas in Italy.  Interior wetlands are famed for feathered game, fresh water fish, and rice.

Throughout my days of discovering this or any region of Italy, I've been joyfully involved with tasting the traditional foods and recipes.  The cuisine of Emilia-Romagna is simple, yet full of strong and refined flavors with pasta, sauces, cheeses and pork products that are world famous and still made in the traditional fashion.

If you are thinking of pizza, you need to realize that pizza is from the Southern half of Italy, whereas Emilia-Romagna boasts as being the source for many of the vital, staple ingredients that Italian cuisine is noteworthy of:  Prosciutto di Parma, Aceto Balsamico (Balsamic Vinegar), Parmigiano-Regiano (Parmesan cheese), and an enormous variety of fresh, hand-made, stuffed pastas.


  

(photo credit:  tourismo emilia-romagna)

prosciutto and fig pizza

click for the recipe

(photo credit:  Rosalind Corieri Paige)

THE FOOD of Emilia-Romagna

Prosciutto di Parma 

Emilia-Romagna is home to the town of Parma, which is the birthplace of Prosciutto di Parma, Italy's most famous pork product.  Considered to be the 'king' of Parma food, Prosciutto is a mainstay for Italian cuisine.  There are more pigs in Parma than people, making pork the cornerstone of Emilia-Romagna's cuisine where prosciutto has reigned supreme for years.  The region's rich tradition of cured meats are produced and perfectly aged in the colder climates of the hills, mountainsides, and caves near Modena.

And it's not just Prosciutto that hales from the hogs in this region!  More cured pork bounty includes other favorites of my family:  Coppa (one of my faces!), Pancetta, Salame, Culatello, and Zamponi are also specialities.  The time-honored Mortadella di Bologna is produced here as well making the people of this region proud of their pork products.

An Italian 'cucina' wound simply not be authentic without the presence of cured, preserved meats.  My refrigerator is never without Prosciutto, Genoa Salami, Coppa, and Pancetta.  When my kids come home to visit, it is literally the first thing they want when them come home -- a home-made, crunchy, grilled panino with any or all of these meats (that Americans call 'deli meats').  Having savory slices of these cured meats easily at hand is integral to my Italian cooking.

What would holidays and entertaining be without a beautiful platter with an assortment of Italian cured meats, cheese, olives, and more?  It wouldn't be the same in my home if any of these were missing!

(prosciutto with figs and cheese

photo credit:  unknown)

Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena (Balsamic Vinegar of Modena)

Modena is also well known in culinary circles as the origin of another Emilia-Romagna culinary masterpiece:  the coveted Balsamic vinegar of Modena, which has been produced since Roman times under strict quality standards of highly government-regulated methods in which it is aged up to 50 years in wooden barrels.   Exquisite Balsamic vinegar is an artisan gourmet vinegar that possesses a rich, intense, and sweet/sour flavor and fragrance.

I just love using this dense, aged brown vinegar when I cook and appreciate how it gives that secret magic touch to Italian food.  Although quite expensive, the incomparable liquid condiment enhances so many recipes, both sweet and savory, with its complexity.  Not only do I and other food lovers use balsamic in pasta, but it's also fantastic served with cheese, vegetables and even (one of my favorites) with strawberries for dessert!

Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar and Mascarpone Cheese Crostini
Fragoline al Balsamico (Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar)

click for the recipe

(photo credit:  Rosalind Corieri Paige)

Parmigiano-Reggiano

Emilia-Romagna is the birthplace of the highly prized Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan) cheese.  In fact, this legendary cheese is exclusively produced in this region of Italy by law.  Although there are many imitations, there is no rival to this renowned cheese that has found inclusion in endless recipes around the globe.  The provinces of Parma, Reggio, and Emilia have had legal title to production for hundreds of years.

Stuffed Pasta

Pasta dishes that were created first in Emilia-Romagna include the renowned Lasagna, Tortellini and Tortelloni, Ravioli, Cappelleti, Cannelloni, and all of the well-recognized deliciously-stuffed pastas.  Here the natives favor tomato-based sauces and is the home of Sugo all Bolognese (Tomato with Ground Meat Sauce), also known as 'ragu', which my family never called it . . . it was always 'pasta sauce' to us.

My family's tradition of making tortellini by hand for Christmas Eve, Easter, (and Thanksgiving in the States) can be trace all the way back to the region of Emilia-Romagna where the tradition began.

Tortellini in Brodo (Tortellini in Chicken Broth)

click here for the recipe

(photo credit:  Rosalind Corieri Paige)

Tortellini in Brodo

These delicious stuffed pasta pouches have been one of my family's cherished Italian foods throughout the years and across the Atlantic from our roots in Emilia-Romagna!  It is so interesting to me to see how the world has embrace tortellini as one of its favorite stuffed pastas!   This little pasta is shaped like a person's 'navel'.  Every holiday we prepare the stuffing of various meats and cheeses, along with the Northern Italian 'brodo' or chicken broth.  It is not traditionally served in cream, Tortellini all Panna, but I love it with cream despite breaking tradition!

Making tortellini is a work of love and art combined, and quite labor and time-intensive.  This is why we reserve this specialty to holidays only, thus keeping them even more special and something to look forward to at every holiday gathering!

Tortelloni

Tortelloni is simply a larger-sized tortellini, also stuffed.  In my family, we strive to only make tortellini as small as the size of our smallest fingers tips oh which we 'twist' the pasta into shape.  What you find in the stores in the States is far too large for my family's preference.  It is a very difficult skill to produce the tiniest tortellini.  With that said, we consider what you find in the stores, more of a tortelloni because they are so much larger than what my family makes at home.

Cappelletti

In Italian, cappelleti translates into 'little hats' which they resemble.  This famous stuffed pasta is also from Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region.  There is not a lot of difference between cappelleti and tortellini, in fact, some people use the two names for the same pasta, with only the stuffing that may differ.

Lasagna Bolognese

click for the recipe

(photo credit:  Rosalind Corieri Paige)

Lasagne Bolognese 

Another specialty pasta dish from Bologna, Emilia-Romagna is Lasagna, a delicious, special, yet very time-consuming labor of love.  If made from scratch, including the bolognese sauce, as is the custom of my family, it requires quite a bit of time.  We always make large, I mean huge, pots of sauce which we freeze to use later saving a good deal of time when Lasagna is requested from my hungry family!   Our son prepared our family Lasagna for dinner on the evening when he proposed to his wife.  Now that's romantic!

Stuffed Ravioli 

Another perfectly stuffed pasta originating from Emilia-Romagna is Ravioli, either square or round, with an array of filling ingredients is yet another favorite dish created from Emilia-Romagna hands!  These are much larger and heartier as a result of the colder climate of Northern Italy.  My family uses swiss chard instead of spinach for the filling and it is absolutely mouth-watering!

Huge pots of Bolognese Sauce made continually year-round

(photo credit:  Rosalind Corieri Paige)

Sugo Alla Bolognese (Bolognese Sauce, Tomato with Meat Sauce)

This famous meat-based Italian sauce is another culinary contribution from Bologna in Emilia-Romagna.   This is a thick, hearty, delicious and prized dish that has many interpretations and variations.   Tagliatelle is the customary pasta served with bolognese, but other pasta shapes can be used such as my family favorites of rigatoni, penne, and ravioli.  My family's cherished recipe is prepared in huge pots that we freeze and continue to replenish throughout the year.  This sauce is also given to my kids in several plastic containers (because they freeze so well) whenever I visit them or after their visits to us!  I just cannot imagine our Italian home without this exquisite sauce that pairs perfectly with any pasta.

Macaroni (Spaghetti) Pie

click for the recipe

(photo credit:  Rosalind Corieri Paige)

Pasticcio di Maccheroni (Macaroni Pie)

When celebrating "Carnival" before Lent, the natives of Emilia-Romagna traditionally prepare this expensive dish which requires a great deal of experience.  In the States, we would associate this dish more closely to our favorite 'Spaghetti Pie' that we love so much and where a plethora of diverse recipes exist.

Chestnuts

From the mountain forests of Emilia-Romagna an abundance of chestnuts is available to use in flour, soups, and breads.  Ciacci is a favorite traditional chestnut-based delicacy for dessert.  For my grandfather's family that lived in extreme poverty in the mountains, chestnuts were a vital necessity for survival, which sadly led to a distaste for chestnuts on his part.  Today, around the world, roasted chestnuts and other chestnut desserts are winter treats, especially around Christmas.

Zuppa Inglese

This popular dessert which originated in Emilia-Romagna is similar to an English Trifle in which soft, sweet ladyfinger biscuits are soaked in liqueur and topped with layers of 'pasticciera', an egg-based custard.  The aristocrats of the region who frequented England requested that their chefs create an Italian version of this English classic.

Torta Barozzi 

Originally known as a 'black cake' from Modena, this extremely guarded secret ricipe is a register trademarked and patented cake that many Italian cooks attempt to imitate at home.  This torta is an intense chocolate cake made with almonds, coffee, cocoa, and peanuts.

Finally, Modena enjoys a reputation for wonderful fruits, in particular peaches, cherries, and pears.

Vino (wine)

Familiar grape vintages native to this region include the popular wines of Lambrusco, Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Trebbiano, and Albana.  These wines are a source of great pride of the people who realize how perfectly they compliment the foods of the region.

Famous Italian Sports Cars and People

Even though I am not a car fanatic, I know beauty in design when I see it.  The people of Italy are passionate about fast, beautiful cars and incredible artistic design.  The most famous of these autos are the coveted Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maserati . . .  all manufactured right here in Emilia-Romagna!    Unlike myself, my husband is a car enthusiast and so he will be getting a thrill to be able to admire these cars that Emilia-Romagna can claim fame for.  Ducati motorcycles share the same production location as well.

And if that's not enough to boast about originating from Emilia-Romagna, there are also numerous famous artistic names who were born here!  Luciano Pavarotti (opera tenor), Fellini (cinema), Verdi (author), Pascoli (poet), and Toscannini (music conductor)!

Emilia-Romagna is a wonderful place for me to call home in Italy with its famous foods, super cars, and great people!  It is truly a blessing to be here! 


Please know that this is not a full and complete representation or list of all of the specialty foods that originate from Emilia-Romagna.  If you believe that there is something that I may not have included, please let me know in your comment and I will be more than happy to edit this post upon my return to the States!

Ciao!
..

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The Traditional Foods of Venice, Italy!

(the photo above is a free downloadable image from "Islands")

Ciao from Venice!

It has been said that whether or not someone is a romantic at heart or not, Venice promises to take one's breath away. Venice must be experienced with all of one's senses wide open!

With it's breath-taking ancient architecture, winding canals, and endless mysterious passageways, Venice is one of the most alluring cities in the world.  Here I intend to relax with an espresso in Piazza San Marco, partake in a moonlit gondola ride and sip a Bellini at Harry's Bar.  And maybe just wander off the beaten paths to engage in history and beauty.

At this moment, I am in splendid, magical, enchanting Venice, the city of dreams, with my parents and I'm really not anywhere near a computer to post on my blog . . . every post has been pre-scheduled for the days that we're in each location of the trip.  But I promise to post my photos of the best sights and food that we enjoyed when I return to the States.

Venice, one of the 'bucket list' cities of the world, and one of the most endangered due to its foundation of low mud-banked islands amid the lagoon waters of the Adriatic Sea.  With its continual charming allure, physically it is very fragile with continual decay, erosion and water damage causing world-wide attention to prevent.  Venice is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.  

To arrive in Venice, one must enter by water . . . in a boat through a series of canals.  The quintessential image of boat transportation in Venice is the 'gondola', once essential to navigate through the narrow and shallow canals, today they are a preferred mode in which to take a romantic trip around Venice.

While in Italy we want to see some of the great sights, but also just sit in the cafe's in some of the squares sipping on an espresso or glass of vino while watching the people of the country go about their daily routines.  In the evening we are hoping to take part in the traditional Italian 'passeggiata', or 'evening stroll'.  The purpose of this among Italians is 'to see and to be seen', to gather around and gossip about the latest going-ons.

For this portion of our trip, we will obviously visit the 'must sees' of Venice:  The Piazza San Marco, the heart of Venice with its Basilica San Marco, the Campanile, looking out at the 'Canalazzo', the Grand Canal,  and if time permits, I'd love to go to Murano to pick up a small glass momento!  I'm not sure if we'll take a gondola ride due to the lack of time.

But let's not forget THE FOOD of Venice!

Italian cuisine with its simple ingredients, enticing aromas, and fabulous flavors is one of the most delicious food on the planet. And it is here in Venice, where I'll begin my gastronomic tour of Italian food.

Venice, like every region of Italy, is known for its traditional food specialities.  A visit to Venice offers an opportunity to discover fascinating gastronomic traditions.  Obviously due to Venice's location on the sea, there is a large abundance of fish dishes, simply seasoned with olive oil, vinegar, garlic, parsley, and herbs.  Although the lagoon is famous for the quality and variety of its fish, the inland river waters' fresh fish are also cherished in recipes.   

Traditionally, fish was marinated and/or salted in order to preserve it for long periods of time before eating. Being a fish lover, I know that I will be in heaven with the high quality of seafood harvested from the sea.  The most famous fish entree is Baccala' Mantecata, which is made with cod from the colder northern seas and in shipping to Italy is preserved by salting it profusely, and within four days the excess salt is removed and then the fish is dried in the open air.  Finally the cod is soaked for some time in water. 

(photo credit to ItalianFoodNet; link for the recipe)

Baccala' Mantecata

Venice's most notable dish is softened, dried, salted Baltic codfish that is prepared in olive oil, garlic, parsley and creamed in a blender.  This is what I'd like to enjoy in Venice.  However, because we're in Venice on Monday, and I understand that it will be difficult, if not impossible to have fresh fish on Mondays because most fishermen do not work on Sunday nights.  I'll just have to see, right?  Bacala is usually served with polenta as a side dish and when mixed together, this is a delicate and delicious fish appetizer or first course served in both restaurants and Venetian homes.

(photo credit to Todd Coleman for Saveur, link for the recipe)

Sarde in Saor (Marinated Sardines)

This dish of Venice is a typical example of its traditions.  Translated, the name means 'sardines immersed in flavor'. This is an antipasto of sardines or anchovies with onions in a sweet and sour sauce, with 'pinoli' (pine nuts) and raisins.

Polenta

A staple in Northern Italy, polenta enjoys its greatest popularity among Venetians!   Originally known as part of 'cucina povera' (food of the poor), polenta is interestingly now considered to be a gourmet, upscale food!   Ah, that creamy, golden pool of ground semolina cornmeal that results from 30 to 45 minutes of constant stirring with a 'mescala', wooden stirring stick!  Venetians prefer polenta over pasta (although they do have pasta dishes).

My family still prepares polenta in the traditional way of pouring it onto a wooden board to cool off and then cut it with a string while hot.  If the polenta hardens, we always cut it with a knife.  Using milk or cream instead of water makes polenta even more rich and decadent!  We embrace the social tradition of making polenta and stirring it constantly each and every Christmas eve, both in the creamy version and fried with Fontina cheese melted on top!  YUM!

(photo credit to Leo Gong and Karen Shinto, link for the recipe)

Risi i Bisi (Rice and Fresh Peas) 

One of the most famous and ancient regional specialties of Venice and Risi i Bisi is offered in most Venetian restaurants and homes.  This is simple and tasty dish that is a unique combination of a soup and thick risotto which is made of fresh peas and risotto (rice) and cooked with chunks of pancetta (thick Italian bacon).  

Rice is a mainstay on Venetian menus and arrived on the scene from Arabia as a result of the strong maritime merchant position of Venice.  Rice dominates Venetian cuisine, but is served differently than in other regions of Italy.  Never eaten alone, rice is always cooked and served with other ingredients, such as fish and shellfish, sausage, beans, and more.    

(photo credit, Rosalind Corieri Paige, link to the recipe)

Risotto 

Once considered only food of the poor risotto is very popular in Northern Italy, with Venice being no exception.  The unique way to prepare risotto in Venice is with seafood, such as using black squid ink (Risotto Nero) and as in the States, using numerous combinations of ingredients including vegetables, artichokes, mushrooms, asparagus, peas and/or tomatoes.

Growing up, my mother prepared risotto for our family at least twice a week and it was always one of our favorite meals!  Mix it with Bolognese sauce and it's an incredible, filling meal in itself!  

Bigoli

This is the Venetians' contribution to the pasta of Italy.  It is similar to spaghetti pasta noodles, except slightly thicker with a small hole in the middle.  Bigoli is also slightly darker than regular pasta because it is made of whole wheat flour.

(photo credit to Annabelle Breakey and Randy Mon)

Gnocchi 

Although now prepared all over Italy, the delicious gnocchi is a culinary tradition dating all the way back to the 16th century and connected to the festivities of Carnival.   Exactly prepared from the recipe handed down from my family in Northern Italy gnocchi is made of potatoes, flour and eggs and then served with either melted butter, cheese, and sage, or other creative sauces.  If you have never had gnocchi in 'quattro formaggio' (four cheeses) you have not tasted Italian culinary bliss!

In Italian meals, gnocchi makes a delicious 'i primi' (first dish), but I love it as a side dish!  I adore gnocchi made with spinach served with a light butter and sage or marinara sauce . . . but I have to admit, the super-cheesy the sauce the better!

Tiramisù 

Oh, this is the famous, quintessential 'pick-me-up' dessert made of sponge cake soaked in rich coffee, Marsala wine, cocoa, amidst layers of sweet mascarpone cheese!   Records show that Tuscany and Veneto have fought over the origin of this recipe, however many sources confirm that it hails from Venice. 

(photo credited to "Pasta D'Arte")

Carpaccio

A famous treat created at Harry's Bar in Venice, and known here in the States, consists of raw/ultra-rare beef from the filet cut, sliced wafer-thin, coated with peppercorns or capers and served with Parmesan cheese and radicchio.  Often a sauce is served prepared with mayonnaise, mustard, cream, and tomato.  Many variations of the dish have evolved from the original recipe as well.

(photo credited to "Traveling Mamas" blog)

The "Bellini" and Prosecco!  Prosecco, a light, champagne-like sparkling wine is known as an 'appertivo', and is the base for the infamous Bellini mixed with white peach juice, from which morphed the 'Mimosa' with fresh orange juice and the 'Tiziano' made with fresh red grapefruit juice.  The Bellini was introduced at the famous Harry's Bar and enjoyed by Hemingway.

Trust me, I WILL end up here during our time in Venice!  I've just got to try one of these authentic, famous Bellini!

T

(photo credited to Ed from "The Bork Blog")

Cichetti

Similar to Spanish tapas, these are small portions of food that are served in Venetian bars.  Traditionally, Venetians eat cichetti ("have some fun") with a small glass of wine (ombre) either before lunch or dinner or often in place of those meals.  Eating cichetti is mostly a social activity where the locals hang out in crowded bars and eat cichetti standing up at the bar where the cichetti are spread out for one to choose from.  

Asiago Cheese

Asiago is one of Italy's finest sharp cheese specialties that comes from Veneto's famous cow's milk cheese.  Asiago is now one of the most popular imported Italian cheeses in the States today and one of my personal favorites.  I must try this cheese as fresh as I can find it in Venice! 

Wine

The best wines from the Veneto region include the fragrant reds, Valpolicella, Bardolino, and the more strong, white Soave.

Grappa 

Grappa is the strong alcohol that comes from distilled grape skin, pulp, seeds, and stem remnants from the winegrape pressings. Grappa has been the peasant's and farmers' drink of choice when it was customary to enjoy a very strong drink after a day of hard physical labor.  Grappa is Italy's national spirit, a liqueur today.

(photo credit to "A Food Odyssey" blog by Kathy)

Fritelle alla Veneziane

Considered to be the national dessert of the Veneto province, Fritelle are small, fried, sweet doughnuts made of flour, eggs, sugar, lemon, and Marsala.  They can  also be made with a variety of extra ingredients including 'frutta' (fruit), cream, powdered sugar, or zabaglione.  Venetians have exceptional expertise with pastries and 'i dolci' (sweets).  Fritelle have been the traditional sweet of Carnival dating all the way back to the Renaissance! 

It's a good thing that I'll be doing a LOT of walking to hopefully balance the food tasting!

This is certainly not a complete list of the specialty foods of Venice and Veneto, so if you feel that there is some dish that I have not included, please let me know in your comment and I will quickly edit this post upon my return to the States on the 21st of October.


Mangia!

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Cheese ~ Stuffed Fried Zucchini Blossoms with Fresh Tomato Sauce & Basil Pesto

Oh zucchini!  "A joy in July or a joke in September!"  

Truth is, what would summer be without zucchini and tomatoes fresh from the garden?  Zucchini simply capture the green colors and flavors of summer.  When fried alone, or stuffed and fried, they are marvelous as appetizers or for a mid-morning treat!  A platter of fried or baked stuffed zucchini/squash blossoms is an everyday delight on Italian tables.

And with zucchini comes those beautiful buttery, yellow, golden blossoms that attract bees humming in bliss while stuffing themselves with pollen that blesses them from the interiors of each blossom!

To prepare garden-fresh zucchini/squash blossoms in a delicate veil of crispy batter is comparable to nothing on earth.

Fresh-picked squash blossoms from my garden this morning, ready to prepare in the kitchen!

squash/zucchini/pumpkin blossoms are pretty enough for a delicate bouquet (they won't last longer than a few hours though!)

just a shots (above and below) of how profusely they are growing in just one portion of my garden…. you have to look very closely, because often they grown hidden underneath very large green leaves 

and yes, the plants have outgrown the garden and are well into our backyard now!

Zucchini/squash plants are similar to tomatoes . . . they have blossoms first!  

Let's just call it vegetable garden 'flower power'!  

The difference is that these lovely yellow blossoms are BIG!  Big enough to cut, open, lay flat, stuff, and FRY!  Zucchini blossoms, squash blossoms, pumpkin blossoms . . . whatever you choose to grow and/or call them, are the little beauty delicacies that for years Italians have known that they are completely edible, delicious, and very hard to come by.  Why?  They bloom only in the morning hours of your garden, and they wilt within hours.  The window of time to harvest any squash blossom, to stuff them, and to fry them is very, very small.   

Thus the reason why you'll be hard-pressed to ever find fried zucchini/squash blossoms on menus in the U.S.  Few people know of these outside of the culinary and Italian world.  

Nothing poisonous, OK?  Actually, I don't think there's even a major taste to these blossoms.  They are just the "envelope" or "pouch" in which to stuff and fry.  What you end up tasting is the fried element of the dish as well as the stuffing.  So please don't fear . . . try this . . . it's fun, and so yummy!

  

zucchini/squash blossoms play a little game of 'find me' every morning under the huge plant leaves

 just another shot of a platter of blossoms below showing you how they will CLOSE up within a few hours of harvest.  you have very little time to prepare them to eat.  sure, you can still dunk these in the batter, but they will be round instead of flat . . . the flavor alone will not be changed.

please click on the link below for this delicious recipe!

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A Beautifully Simple Beet Salad

Beets just seem to make salads more beautiful!  Personally, I'm just crazy about beets!  They are just so good for us and so sweet and yummy!  (And if you're trying to reduce your weight, you know how beets naturally assist your body in doing so!)  After a drought of beets in the market, I finally found some beets that suited my standards.

Realizing that they aren't cheap in price, I then headed straight for the local farm co-op to purchase my beet seeds for planting our fall garden now that our tomatoes are all harvested and cleaned out of the beds this week.

Beets can be roasted or boiled and personally, I just haven't been able to taste a huge difference in taste between the two cooking methods, so being a creature of habit and not wanting to make my A/C work harder to cool down an oven-heated kitchen, I just plopped them into a pot of boiling water for this salad.  It's really your choice on how you want to cook your beets.

Usually all I do to prepare beets is to revert to tradition and Italian simplicity . . . and that is to do as little as possible to them:   just chop up some onion, cut up the cooked beets into slices or chunks, and then toss them into a simple Italian vinaigrette.  However, if that's too dull for you, and you prefer a bucket-load of ingredients in your beet salad, there is a plethora of recipes 'out there' in cookbooks and on the Web to select from.  I'll be sharing 4 more recipes soon for you to select from and be your own judge.

I have even explored more elaborate and 'loaded' beet salad recipes and posted them on this blog.  Truth is, they were no more delicious than this recipe.  You can find that recipe at the following link:   Beets With Avocados and Manchego Cheese.

So for this simple, yet classic spring and summertime beet salad recipe, I went beyond my own family cookbooks and referred to fresh cooking guru author and owner of Chez Panisse, Alice Waters and her 2007 "The Art of SImple Food:  Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution".

This woman validates my philosophy for cooking:   simplicity is best!

In her new cookbook, Ms. Waters includes one and ONLY one recipe for a beet salad and it is as follows:


Marinated Beet Salad
adapted from "The Art of Simple Food"

1 pound beets (red, Chioggia, golden, or white)
Freshly cracked sea salt
1 tsp. vinegar (red wine, sherry, or white wine)
Freshly cracked sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
1  -  2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 of a sweet Vidalia onion, chopped into chunks (my family's addition)
Good Seasons Italian herbs packet prepared according to directions (my family's addition)
a teaspoon or two of sugar (my family's addition in the event that the beets may not be sweet enough . . . taste, taste, taste)

Wash beets thoroughly.
Place them in a baking dish with a little water to a depth of 1/8".
Sprinkle with salt.
Cover tightly and roast the beets in a 350 degree oven until they can easily be pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on their size.
Remove from oven.
OR:
Boil for the same amount of time as above in a tall pot of boiling water.
Drain when a fork can easily be inserted.
Cut off both ends and remove the skins.
Cut the peeled beets into 1/4" slices or 1/2" cube/chunks.
Add vinegar and olive oil (or in my family's case we use Good Seasons Italian dressing herbs prepared according to the package directions).
At this point, my family recipe adds the chopped onions too.
Salt and pepper to taste.
If beets are not sweet enough, add about a teaspoon of sugar until your preference is satisfied.
Let the beets stand to marinate and absorb the ingredients.
To plate, place the beets on a layer of your favorite variety of fresh lettuce such as arugula and romaine.

AND THAT'S IT!

This is truly the art of simple food, which is what Italian cooking is known for.

The only thing that my family ever added to the recipe above is chopped onions, some Italian herbs, and a little bit of sugar if needed.
It's a preference thing.


Mangia!

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