arshospitaliscooking-blog

[arshospitaliscooking-blog]

Frìtoƚe col Zabajón...Frìtoƚe with Zabaione cream

Frìtoƚe col Zabajón…Frìtoƚe with Zabaione cream

Frìtoƚe are traditional Venetian (from Veneto, the region) pastries served only during Carnival. They are kind of round, yeast-risen fried pastries, with or without fillings. Frìtole alla Veneziana con Zabaione (more…)

[arshospitaliscooking-blog]

Unexpected guests for dinner....

Unexpected guests for dinner….

Since a few months, I have been doing mystery shopping in hotels, resorts and of course in their restaurants, therefore there is plenty of extremely well prepared food to taste……. but unfortunately sometimes this is really not the case. However I am not here to discuss these cases, but to tell you what I do when my wife invites someone for dinner and she doesn’t tell me. Guys, no hassle,…

[arshospitaliscooking-blog]

Tiramesù

Many of you are probably not aware that this delicious dessert known worldwide as Tiramisù didn’t exist until the ’70 of the last century. You wonder how could this be possible because you imagine that this popular dessert was part of the Italian culinary traditions since Adam&Eve? You got it all Wrong!!! Of course among traditional pastry, Tiramesù also has similarities with many other layered…

[arshospitaliscooking-blog]

It might seems rather unusual, but yes Venetian and of course Italian eat entrails. It was poor people food and they are still eaten in many Italian regions.

Anyway when it gets cold outside, it is time to cook some earthy broths. A duck broth is rather fat, perfect for the hard working people in the cold but not for the nowadays eater. You will have to degrease it before you use it, just place your pot with a lid out in the cold and when it gets solid, you just skim it off.

This recipe was one of my grandmother’s favourites, a typical winter dish, although I personally don’t like cooked duck meat but prefer the roasted and lacquered kind.

Risoto coe ciche de àrna

Risi còe ciche de àrna (in Venetian language)

Ingredients:(for 4 pax) 50 g coarsely chopped duck liver 100 g coarsely chopped duck hearts 100 g coarsely chopped duck gizzards 150 g chopped onions 200 ml sunflower oil 1/4 glass of white vermouth 2 pcs of clove 1 laurel leaf 2 sage leaves 2/3 shreds of Korintje Cinnamon a pinch of fresh ground nutmeg 1,5 l hot duck broth 250 g Vialone Nano rice 50 g butter 60 g grated Grana Padano cheese fresh ground black pepper and salt to taste

Preparation

Place the onion in a thick base large pot with the oil covering the base and fry over low flame stirring from time to time until the onion is glassy.

Raise the flame and add the duck entrails stir-frying the whole thing until it gets a little brown. Season with the clove, laurel, sage, cinnamon and the nutmeg. Pour the white vermouth and cook until it is evaporated.

When the vermouth is fully evaporated add a ladle of hot duck broth. Season to taste with salt / pepper and let it simmer over a low flame whilst you keep adding broth for at least ¾ of an hour until the entrails are tender.

Add the rice and toast it for a couple of minutes until transparent. Then add the broth, a little at a time, stir and cook the risotto over low heat for approx. 21 minutes or until it is done cooking to your own taste.

When done, remove the pot from the heat, adjust the salt and stir in the butter and grated Grana Padano. Whisk until creamy and serve immediately.

Bón apetìto

raw duck hearts

raw duck liver

raw duck gizzards

Magnàr Veneto... It might seems rather unusual, but yes Venetian and of course Italian eat entrails. It was poor people food and they are still eaten in many Italian regions.

[arshospitaliscooking-blog]

Duck meat sauce & Bigoli

Duck meat sauce & Bigoli

It is about time to go back in time and rediscover the dishes when I was a child! I had the fortune of having a very talented Grandma who was able to teach me the basics of her frugal kitchen. To honour her I decided to write down all the recipes that I remember, in Venetian language, and post them in a for this purpose created blog. I started of course with cooking the broth, but this recipe…

[arshospitaliscooking-blog]

It has been a while since I wrote on my own blog, it has been a busy time. Nevertheless two weeks ago I had the chance to participate to a reunion with my former hotel school mates in Italy.

It was 1977 and we were fresh out of hotel school and everyone was ready to start its professional life. In the next 40 year life hasn’t been easy for everyone, but it was nice to see the girls and the boys after so many years and listen to their stories.

It was a pleasure to see them and to see that, beside getting older, the characters haven’t changed a bit since we were at school. A couple of them were Hoteliers, family business, but the most of them have pursued their careers in other industries, all of them were or have been married, had children and some were already grand parents.

However the highlight of this reunion was our dinner at a small country restaurant in the village of Giarre, near Abano Terme in the Province of Padova. The place is called “La Villetta” and is managed by Roberto (the Chef) and his family. Authentic “Venetian Cuisine”, no fuss just simple dishes with a seasonal approach.

As a starter we had Funghi Porcini e Finferli con Polenta Bianca, Sopressa nostrana e Speck. Then followed by Risotto ai funghi Porcini and/or Bigoli al sugo d’Anatra or Tagliatelle ai funghi Porcini. As main course followed either Baccalà alla Vicentina, Tagliata di Manzo al Rosmarino or Fegato alla Veneziana. As dessert either a Sfogliatina con crema alla vaniglia Bourbon or Tiramisù. The Ladies wished to dine with Prosecco only and it was indeed a bucolic feast for everyone.

Guys it was great to see you and look forward to the next reunion!!

  A reunion with the school mates… It has been a while since I wrote on my own blog, it has been a busy time.

[arshospitaliscooking-blog]

My uncle Luciano, may he rest in peace, used to run this place in the ’80s, a simple trattoria with frugal fare and local wines …. at that time such place were still th norm …. places where with little money you could buy yourself a simple meal….. now they are gone…. the Trattorias that you find nowadays are all into this kind of creativity mainstream, where each recipes has to be re-interpreted just for the sake of it ……..

Some are not so  …..  I did visit this place during my last visit because I had heard that the cuisine was frugal and good ….. Dai Tosi Magna e Tasi …….. the name says it all – Dai Tosi Eat and be Silent –  it is run by a bunch of young guys, that’s why it is called Dai Tosi……

at the Entrance

The place….. nothing fancy….. no menu list….. a blackboard at the entrance …. that’s all ……  the very unconventional waiter will tell you what they’ve got anyway ……  antipasti ….. pasta …. risotto….. secondi …. dolci….. you take your pick …… the local wines served in a carafe…. no bottles…… you don’t even have a table cloth but a paper table cloth underneath your plate and paper napkins to go with it …..

The food is just as it ought to be ….. freshly made, tasty and plenty…. we had Bigoli with a Carbonara sauce, a beef Tagliata that was so tender to be cut only with your fork…. of course Polenta and grilled vegetables as side dish……

No posh persons there, but plenty of joyful and sometimes loud people in this eatery …. it was packed ……. we enjoyed our meal very much and will certainly return ……… going back for a couple of hours in the past…..

Enjoy it!!

        A trattoria to remember…. My uncle Luciano, may he rest in peace, used to run this place in the '80s, a simple trattoria with frugal fare and local wines ....

[arshospitaliscooking-blog]

I run on Facebook a group about Abano and its history, nothing viral I should say but it is a pleasure to see there are still plenty of people out there who loves this little SPA destination.

Anyway I got contacted there by a  young woman, who asked me if I had any vintage pictures of the Piazza Sacro Cuore in Abano, because she just took over a bar over there and she wanted to have some for her Facebook-Page. Now in Italy a bar is not the same as you might find elsewhere around the world …… a bar is a place where you get your coffee, cappuccino, pastries … the whole lot…… and of course where you can enjoy your “Aperitivo” with friends … who has never heard of a Campari soda, an Aperol Spritz or for the Aficionados a nice Negroni or Americano….

Their kind of American Breakfast

  Of course I was able to help her out and she invited me for a coffee at her place when i would be in Italy again. I was there at the end of September and must say I went there incognito …. as I do when on assignment for a mystery auditing  … This venue, called the GiBar, has been there for the last 40 years, a place known to everybody, but she did a really nice refurbishing, creating a charming place for any type of clients.

So I presented myself to this young lady and after some talking I did found out that Erica was the daughter of as school friend of mine… what a surprise….. and she told me that together with her companion they opened this with a new concept called “Gastronomic Bar”…

Her companion used to work for a 3 star Michelin Restaurant as a Patissier and Chef Entremetier and after 7 years there, he wanted to open his own place …. she was working at the same place in the bar…. the perfect couple …..but what is a Gastronomic Bar….. well besides the coffees, lattes, pastries, aperitivi etc., they serve every day a kind of “Table d’hôte”, which means each day a freshly cooked dish prepared in their open kitchen…..

A couple of days later I visited the Gi Bar once again with my daughter and had a taste of the delicious home made pastries with a rather fantastic coffee ….. their menu goes from Italian style breakfast ( a cappuccino and a pastry), to their interpretation of an American Breakfast….. savoury Tramezzini …… tantalizing desserts and home made cakes …… the daily dishes created by Francesco are a fantastic concoction of flavours ……..

Should you be visiting Abano in the next future put a stop at this place….. this is an absolute “must try”…..

Enjoy it !!

A Gastronomic Bar I run on Facebook a group about Abano and its history, nothing viral I should say but it is a pleasure to see there are still plenty of people out there who loves this little SPA destination.

[arshospitaliscooking-blog]

Once again the Wanderlust took over and my daughter and I went for a quick trip to Italy to visit Grannie….. of course the frugal gourmet deep inside my daughter sprang into action and it was street food hunting ….

Well, in Padova street food has been present on the street since the 13th century, especially in 2 squares adjoining to the Palazzo della Ragione, Piazza delle Erbe (Vegetables Square) e Piazza della Frutta (Fruits Square), on the ground floor of the Palazzo, there have always been besides many butcher shops a lot of eating places/shop where you could buy yourself a healthy drink and of course a hearty meal.

So after a considerable time spent shopping, obviously clothes for my daughter and wet shaving gear for me, we turned in at our favorite “Aperitivo” place, the Nazionale Bar for our usual share of mouthwatering Tramezzini, Panino con Soppressa and one of the tastiest drinks ever….. “Chinotto” …. this particular citrus beverage is produced by Lurisia and as they write  – drunk on its own it is an excellent thirst-quencher particularly suitable as an aperitif to accompany savoury appetizers or with a full meal of rich tasting dishes – by the way all Slow Food !

Done that, we just went around the corner in the Sotto Salone and bumped into the opening of a new shop .. Tartare 18 … the name says it, it is all about Tartare …. chopped fresh on demand and with 5 different condiments on the menu. You must try that!!

Tartare 18

Tartare Selection

Fresh chopped Tartare

Tartare Padova

Especially in the atmosphere of the Sotto Salone which is just “pantagruelic” …. a Maelstrom of the senses with all the goodies available there….

Enoteca il Tira Bouchon Sotto il Salone

Fiorentine Macelleria Canton Francesco Sotto il Salone

Macelleria Canton Francesco

Pastifico Artusi Sotto il Salone

More culinary experiences from us in Padova and surroundings are coming soon !!

    Strolling in Padova….. Once again the Wanderlust took over and my daughter and I went for a quick trip to Italy to visit Grannie.....

[arshospitaliscooking-blog]

Luscious Lime Tiramisu What a wonderful and refreshing Tiramisù..... for sure I will try this recipe.... even the inventor of the Tiramisù, Chef/Patissier Roberto Linguanotto ( would be proud of this tangy dessert...

[arshospitaliscooking-blog]

Stewed Eels - Bisato en Tocio... what a feast!

Stewed Eels – Bisato en Tocio… what a feast!

When I was a kid Friday was quite often a fish day, surely many of you think because the Catholic Church treats Good Friday as a fast day, but I am not so sure about that because at that time if meat was available it was eaten on Sundays only, therefore the Catholic fasting was for us all week long. Anyway on Fridays we had this rather eccentric “fishmonger” ( Pessàro in Venetian language), who…

[arshospitaliscooking-blog]

Bigoi in Salsa

One of the most frugal dishes that you may encounter in Veneto. This was my father’s favourite for a long time, again it was a very cheap dish and almost every family had a “Bigolaro” in house, therefore Bigoli could be prepared at any time. Bigoli (more…)

[arshospitaliscooking-blog]

Risotin col formajo

Having my roots in Veneto, I grew up more with rice than with pasta…. which often makes people think, that I am not Italian at all… but this is not the case…. besides fresh egg-pasta as Tagliatelle, Tagliolini and Bigoli on festive days, we ate a lot of rice because is was cheap, mostly in soups or risotto. Meath and vegetables broth was almost always available and my Grandmother and Mother used…