Taste Venice
A Few Classic Recipes,Art Overload and Small Plates
Venice has so much to offer. While back doing research this trip, we mostly checked out the places we have loved in the past.
I think I went over the top with listing places I love in Venice.If you are coming and have bought the guide to Venice, send me a message and I can make a list of a top 10 or something, depending on how much time you have there.
My first visuals of Venice were when I was as an art major in college. My first year at a private Catholic university in California had just opened up for it’s first female students.
My first semester, was an intense art history class that was way over my head. When it was time to take the finals, they had changed the dates, but back then, only posted the news on campus. I lived off campus and when I arrived to take my test…. and had missed it.
The school was running on a 4-1-4 program. I wouldn’t be able to speak to my professor until after the January program.
During that time, my professor died and I found myself in class with his widow, breaking into tears every time she showed us a slide from Venice, going on about the light of Venice inspiring the artists.
It was all overwhelming, but once I arrived in Venice, I understood how it was so emotional for her.
It all makes sense now.
This trip we never went into a museum, but concentrated on the art in churches.
We have a saying, you have seen a city if you have seen the 7 churches, so in the guide I start with what there is to see in a “sestiere”. A Church, museum or shop and then were I would stop to eat.
“Il Giro delle Sette Chiese”
This is one of the churches we studied:
Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute
The light which inspires artists and those that love art.
Whenever I travel with my groups, I always love to be out at sunset and then do a city by night tour. The bright light during the day can flatten the beauty of the city and all that white marble, the light bounces off and is almost blinding.
This trip,in the winter light, was lovely. At night, add in the beauty of the Christmas lights.
Art and food are intertwined. A famous dish, Carpaccio, was created in Venice by restaurant owner Giuseppe Cipriani for a dinner in 1950 inspired by the colors used by the Venetian Artist, Carpaccio. The paper-thin slices of raw red meat with the golden sauce drizzled on top.
“There is something so different in, Venice from any other place in, the world, that you leave at, once all accustomed habits and, everyday sights to enter an enchanted garden.” Mary Shelley
We love places serving traditional small plates with the option of sitting and dining. Some of the cicchetti bars are mostly stand up. You order your drink, the Spritz is popular here. The original Select is my prefered Spritz as it’s not too bitter or medicinal tasting. You can also simply order wine as well or a prosecco.
This month I am sharing some of my favorite cicchetti recipes. I was thinking of many of the fish dishes if you wanted to do add some Venetian recipes to the Dinner of the 7 Fishes, but I like to have marinated things in the fridge for a simple light dinner.
Sarde in Saor- a marinated fish with pickled onions- like an Escabeche
Polpo in Insalata- the cold octopus salad with a light marinade
Polpette di Tonno- Tuna “meatballs” made with canned tuna
Zaleti biscotti- a classic cornmeal cookie sold to dip in wine
The printable PDF’s with the recipes are after the paywall for the paid membership.
Next month I will start my culinary memoir and we will go through How to become a Tuscan chef.. a recipe at a time.
There are so many basics you can easily master and build on. I am sharing how I learned and my the people that helped me along the way, sharing their recipes and wisdom.