Life in Italy, Real Estate in Italy, Move to Italy
American ricotta cheese tends to be very wet,” Francesco complains. “I like to add some goat cheese to give it more body, but you can do whatever you want.” This is ravioli at its simplest, dressed up for dinner in nutty brown butter and sage, a finishing touch that ennobles […]
A delicious pasta, meat and cheese combination with a homemade dressing. It serves a crowd and is great for a picnic. An alternative vegan pasta salad, Italian style! Antipasto Pasta Salad 1 ounce seashell pasta 1/4 ounce Genoa salami 1/4 ounce pepperoni sausage 2 ounces Asiago cheese 3 ounces black […]
“In Venice they don’t bother to peel the peppers or wash the mushrooms,” Francesco remarks as he starts to discuss this savory peperonata, a vegetable melange that can double as a sauce for pasta, an accompaniment for fish, or a topping for polenta. But oddly enough, at the same time, […]
It’s nice to serve fried calamari on a sheet of parchment paper. The paper not only adds an inviting note of informality but also helps absorb any excess oil from the crisp fried rings of squid. And for Francesco, it adds a Proustain touch. “When I was a kid and […]
This recipe consists essentially of Francesco’s lush, simple stewed zucchini (zucchini in umido) tossed with fresh futtuccine and garnished with crisp slices of fried zucchini and shavings of Parmesan cheese. Fettuccine with Stewed Zucchini 1 cup zucchine in umido 1 slender zucchini (courgette), sliced paper thin 1 cup (250 ml) […]
“In Venice we have big soups, simple soups,” Francesco says. “This is a good example.” But he adds that when it’s served at Remi, it is sometimes garnished with creme fraiche and caviar, for a lavish touch befitting the Venetian taste for luxury. At one time there were sturgeon in […]
In Venice risotto is a religion that must be practiced daily, with careful attention paid to ritual. “Venetians insist that you need at least 10 years of experience to make a good risotto, and then be prepared to attend to it for 18 minutes,” Francesco says. “You can’t make a […]
Waverly Root, author of The Food of Italy, wonders whether this simple yet sumptuous creation is a soup or a vegetable dish. Called risi e bisi in Venetian dialect, it’s more about peas than about rice, and is traditionally served on April 25, St. Mark’s Day, when the first peas […]
This is one of the recipes that Francesco remembers his mother preparing for him when he was a child and that he now makes for his little son, Jacopo. It’s simply risotto with milk. But add some butter and Parmesan cheese and it becomes sophisticated enough for adult meals. Spread […]
The basic preparation for this dish is the same as for other rice dishes, so you might want to invent some of your own. Mushroom Rice Rice Mushrooms Onions Parsley In a deep pan, place a bit of butter or olive oil and onion cut up in small pieces. Cook over […]