Food, friends, life | CONVIVIANDO.COM

Black Venus Rice with Octopus, Lavender and Sage

by Conviviando

ser·en·dip·i·ty/ˌserənˈdipitē/ Noun: The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way: (Wikipedia) You know when you set out to do something then end up with a vastly different outcome? Well, my intention was to produce two distinct dishes, both featuring octopus. But inspiration struck and something new was created I had [...]

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Venetian style calf liver with onions

This recipe makes for a hearty meal, with a side of freshly made polenta and maybe some fried sage edible garnish. Calf liver, 1 lbs White or Yellow Onions (the sweeter the better), 2 or 3 medium ones flour, enough for dusting 4 tbsp Extravirgin olive oil and 1 tbsp butter 2 scant tablespoons white [...]

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Mushrooms and Polenta, a Fall classic

Mushrooms, polenta and cheese are a Fall classic across Northern Italy at this time of year. Around here, the dish is usually a hot, creamy polenta base topped with slow- braised mushrooms and shavings of Asiago cheese, or an even more decadent Asiago fondue.. Mmm..I don’t usually bother making my own at home because I [...]

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Baccala mantecato AKA Venetian cod mousse

It has always been a major crux of my mother in law that I did not share in the enthusiasm for one of the local specialties: Baccala’ alla vicentina, or dry cod stewed in milk. It takes 3 days of dedicated work to prepare it, and as much as I love her, I could not bring myself [...]

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Sweet and sour eggplants with cinnamon.

This is one of those dishes you stumble upon that are too good to keep to yourself. My eggplant repertoire had been stuck on Mediterranean or Far East flavors for the longest time. I thought I had this veggie pretty much figured out in terms of preparations but Oh! how wrong I was.. At my [...]

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Nocino biscotti

So what’s good with nocino? Nocino biscotti of course! Dunk them in a glass of aromatic nocino for a perfect ending to a meal. The term “biscotti” literally means “twice baked”, which is what you do in order to attain that perfect nutty-crunchy goodness of this classic Italian treat. And they’re quick and easy to [...]

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Nocino recipe, according to the ancient tradition of the order of the Nocino of Modena.

UPDATE! I found out where you can get green walnuts from if you live in California or surrounding areas: http://www.walnuts.us But hurry, they only sell these through June. For the alcohol part, either use vodka or grappa if you can’t find good grain alcohol. I’m posting this ahead of time, so that any soul that [...]

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Acacia flowers frittata

If you’re done making acacia fritters, you may want to try a savory treat featuring these fragrant blooms. Acacia flowers frittata: Whisk 3 eggs in a bowl, adjust salt and add some freshly grated parmesan or any other -not too sharp- aged cheese of your choice and mix briefly. Shake the acacia flower bunches while [...]

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Elder flowers syrup

I love the months of May and June in my little pocket of Italy. The fields are ready to be mowed for the first maggese [the first hay cut], seas of wheat are slowly turning golden, with poppies lolling their pretty heads atop their impossibly wiry stalks. On the human activities side, sagras [country festivals] [...]

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Acacia and elder flowers fritters.

The acacia tree is so abundant in the wild around here that the air in May smells like acacia and elder. They grow vigorously along trafficked roads, streams as they do in the fields and low woods that surround the area. A friend of ours is also a beekeeper, and our family is always stocked [...]