Life in Italy, Real Estate in Italy, Move to Italy
Recipes
What is a simple, almost every day task in Italy can be a major production in other countries. But once successfully made, fresh pasta dough can become a habit. The recipe can be cut in half. “It’s important to try to make the dough on a humid day so it […]
It is essential to peel and mash the potatoes while they are very hot because you want them to be light and floury, not gluey,” Francesco points out. He prefers Idaho potatoes for these lovely cloud-like gnocchi because they have a very dry texture. To retain the starch he does […]
Fresh basil, just blended with other natural ingredients. Genovese Pesto pasta sauce Fresh basil leafs Garlic 1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil Salt Pepper Pine nuts Parmesan Cheese Pecorino Cheese A Pesto recipe so easy it will take you (almost) more time to open a can … Unlike many Italian-American […]
An easy recipe for the pesto alla genovese. The garlic is optional. The cheese used is different according to taste (the pecorino gives a more pungent taste than parmigiano). Pesto alla genovese 50 gr basil leaves 1 tablespoon grated pecorino cheese 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese 50 gr pine […]
Fennel, with its tantalizing anise flavor, is the basis for this smooth, elegant vegetable puree. So intrigued was Henry Wotten, England’s ambassador to Venice in the 17th century, that he sent seeds to King Jame’s gardener, with the instructions on how they should be planted and the vegetable prepared. This […]
Cooking fish in a parchment wrap is essentially a method of steaming. Francesco urges that the whole fish, not just fillets or steaks, be use. “You need the bones and it has to be thick so you can get all the succulence and flavor,” he says. The touch of citrus […]
“When you cook slices of eggplant that are mostly skin,” Francesco explains, “they come out looking like sauteed mushrooms, which is why this dish is called eggplant mushrooms.” Melanzane al funghetto 1 large eggplant (aubergine) 1/4 cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic Salt to taste Hot […]
Although this is a dish one can find in Venice today, it is essentially a recipe from the south, around Naples. “Things move around more now than they did when I was growing up,” Francesco says. “And with the wonderful clams we have in Venice, there’s no reason we shouldn’t […]
Before Francesco handles artichokes, he rubs lemons all over his hands. “This is the way I learned to keep the artichokes from darkening,” he says. It is actually more effective than merely rubbing the artichokes with lemon after they have been cut. In this recipe the artichokes are baked until […]
Francesco calls these sour potatoes – in Venetian, patate all’agro. Something is lost in translation. In the Veneto the notion of a “sour” flavor has none of the negative connotations that it does in English. In fact, it implies a taste that is lively, appealing, and appetite-whetting. These “sour potatoes,” […]