Narrations, anecdotes, talks about food, and short stories of a lesser known Italy by SeveDB
Actually the first two have absolutely nothing in common! Gonzaga, Chagall, and Rigoletto The exhibition by Chagall (From September 5, 2018 to February 3, 2019, at Palazzo Della Ragione), provided a good excuse to travel to Mantova. We were blessed with a crisp—if cold—day with no fog! Mantova is a tricky city to visit because […]
After All About Pasta I thought it was a good thing to look up the other famous “Made in Italy”, his majesty the Olive Oil. Extra virgin olive oil is the most common seasoning on Italian tables. Italy is one of the biggest producers of olive oil; a market worth about 2 billion euros, thanks […]
Scallops or Capesante The word “scallop” applies to the meat of the bivalves, the adductor muscle, that is sold as seafood. In Italy are known as Capesante (Holy Shells), or Conchiglia di San Giacomo (St. James Shell). The “Gonad” which is that round coral-orange semicircle next to the adductor muscle, is white for male and […]
There was a popular restaurant in Washington, DC that served an appetizer called “Grilled Squid Over Creamy Polenta.” I used to love it, unfortunately the restaurant eventually closed. But I had eaten there often enough to know that dish quite well and I thought it wasn’t too difficult to make at home. So I did, […]
“Made in Italy” No, not really. Pasta the symbol of the food and wine tradition of Italy, is not truly “Made in Italy,” not all of it at least. In 2018 the pasta market underwent many changes; from new laws, to public opinion protestations, to agreements between the major players in the sector. Last February, […]
Well yes, the artichoke can be intimidating, and it requires a little dextrity in both preparing it and eating. But the rewards are great. I was always a little perplexed that in the East Coast artichokes were so little known, while in California, if you travel from Monterey down south there are fields and fields […]
Oh, yes we have them, and many too. If you go you will find yourself in a familiar environment. They are all planned on American blueprints. Ikea is the best, you can spot it from far away and once you get to the parking lot, you won’t need directions, everything is tel-quel as in the […]
Well, after my “Rise and Shine in Orange” this had to come! I confess I was a bit dubious about it when I first considered the idea of a risotto with such an ingredient. But then why not? I had seen other audacious pairings in the past, it was worth giving it a try. And […]
What in winter makes me get up with [a little more] enthusiasm is the morning freshly squeezed juice. Besides the very well-known Navel oranges, in Italy we have the oranges from Sicily that are excellent. Besides oranges, tangerines (here called Mandarines) and kumquats, we also have the fantastic, sweet-scented Bergamot. Bergamot A freshly squeezed Bergamot […]
It’s fresh news these days that there will be a new entry tax (a ticket practically) to gain entry in Venice. A so-called “landing fee“, essentially an entry ticket between 2.5€ and 5€ already enabled for some smaller Italian islands such as the Aeolian Islands and Elba for those Tourists–with any carrier–arriving in Venice for […]
