“This is my invention.” Francesco says he was inspired one day when he heard a chef talking about an olive dressing. The addition of walnuts helps mellow the intensity of the olives. A more typically Venetian rendition would require green olives, but Kalamata olives with their lovely mellow flavor, are […]

It takes a good nonstick skillet – hardly a traditional Venetian utensil – to make a crisp, delicate shell of parmesan cheese. The shell can be filled with arugula salad, grilled or sautéed mushrooms, or even risotto. “It’s sometimes crazy the things chefs think up, but that’s what makes our […]

“Green sauces are used more in the region around Modena than in Venice, but I like the way they can contrast a rich terrine. This sauce is also good with simply boiled or grilled seafood.” Francesco’s green sauce is deliciously piquant, an excellent contrast for steamed vegetables or sausages. Green […]

In describing Renaissance dinners in Venice, visitors marveled at the table settings – glassware and forks, items unheard of in other cities – and the luxury of the repasts. Among the dishes preceding the meat were boutarghe (mullet roe), alici (whitebait), capperi (capers), olive (olives), and caviale (caviar), along with […]

“I learned this recipe from my friends at Ristorante Celeste in Treviso,” Francesco says. “It’s so beautiful.” Marinating the radicchio removes some of the bitterness from the vegetable and also intensifies the color. In Treviso they serve it with salami, but Francesco prefers it with prosciutto or octopus. Marinated Radicchio […]