Baccalà Mantecato Recipe

baccalà mantecato is one of the signature dishes of Venetian cuisine and a staple of those wonderful hidden-away Venetian bacari, or wine bars.

The name of the dish comes from the verb mantecare, which is a culinary term meaning to 'beat' or 'whip' or simply to 'stir vigorously' so as to create a creamy consistency. It is the same word used to describe the final stage of making a risotto, when you stir the rice vigorously to incorporate grated cheese and butter, to creating that luscious creamy consistency that we all know and love. The technique serves the same purpose here, but in a wholly different context.

Baccalà Mantecato 

250gr salt cod, rehydrated. I think this involves a lot of soaking and changing of water over several days – we bought ours already soaked. A pinch of salt – the salt cod once soaked isn’t super salty 1 fat clove of garlic A handful of parsley 2 tbsp milk A squeeze of lemon juice

Oil, for emulsifying (we used vegetable as that’s what we had to hand; groundnut would also work but don’t, whatever you do, use extra virgin olive oil as it will overwhelm the cod)

Simmer the cod in water for 5 minutes, then leave to cool. While warm, break into pieces as small as possible.

In a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic and parsley into a paste. Add the cod and mix vigorously. Roll back your sleeves and get pounding and smooshing as someone else dribbles the oil in, until you get a thick, smooth paste. It needs quite a bit of oil. Add just a squeeze of lemon juice, then loosen with the milk – add on tbsp at a time until it is incorporated – if you feel it’s necessary. Serve with toasted bread.

Vini Sfusi...Wines by the pump!

Where can I buy wine in Venice? It’s easy. You enter the store advertising Vini Sfusi with your bottles ( not always necessary!), peruse the selection, noting the alcohol and the types of grapes used, and then, if possible, taste what you think you might want to buy. After than you just hand your bottles over and the rest is done by the shopkeeper. Prices in Venice range from 1.20 to 2.50 Euros per liter.Here are a few of the shops which specialize in "vino sfuso", most of which I think are still active:

Nave de Oro: Cannaregio 1370, rio terà San Leonardo (041 719 695) recognizable by a barrel out front, usually with a model ship atop, also a good selection of reasonably priced wines selected by near by producers. They also have the following shops:

• Nave de Oro: Castello 5786B, calle del Mondo Nuovo (041 523 3056);
• Nave de Oro: Dorsoduro 3664, near campo Santa Margherita (041 522 2693)
• Nave de Oro: via Lepanto 24D, Lido (041 276 0055)
• Nave de Oro, Cannaregio 4657, rio Terrà dei SS. Apostoli, near the Giorgione Theatre

Enoteca in Fondamenta Ormesini on the corner of Calle del Forner Very nice place and good choice of wines all very nice. They have most of the time Raboso, Raboso frizzante and Prosecco Frizzante. In season they stock Fragolino

Vini Sfusi S Polo 59 Small shop under the arcades in front of the church of S Giacometto. Smallchoice of Vini Sfusi but great quality!

La Cantina  S Polo 970 (041 523 5042) My Local!!  A short walk from Rialto and Rialto Market in a side alley. Wide choice of Vini sfusi very good quality. They also sell some specialty foods oils, jams, biscuits

Al Canton del Vino: Castello 3156, Salizada San Francesco, Very good choice and lot of wines by the pump!

Enoteca Vino e...vini: Castello 3566 , Salizada del Pignater (041 521 0184, enoteca@vinoevini.it)

Fondamenta di Cannaregio (near the Guglie bridge)

Rio Terà di Cristo and Calle di Cristo (entrance on two opposite sides) also has a wide selection of bottled wines and speciality foods

P.S. the Nave de Oro is not really a "chain" as much as a sort of expansion which started out many years ago as two brothers with two shops, then a third, then one of the first ones got sold, then a cousin got into it, and then one of the brothers moved across town... ... ...

The Dragon and The Snake

I never would have found this thing if I hadn't seen it in a book first...and a colleague in helping me with good directions!! It's very tucked away and even with directions, I had a hard time finding it.

"This work has an interesting symbology. The figure brings together in a single symbol two aspects of the Cosmos: the dragon is yang, active principle and divine power; while the serpent is yin, the principle of reproduction and primordial water. The intertwined double spiral represents two directions of one movement: balance and imbalance, birth and death, the initiation of death and the rebirth of new being. The rings thus mark the mid-line between yang and yin, an alternative twofold expansion and the point of balance between two opposing cosmic forces."

Newly appointed Patriarch arrives in Venice

The Patriarch of Venice (Latin: Patriarcha Venetiarum, Italian: Patriarca di Venezia) is the ordinary bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice. The bishop is one of the few Patriarchs in the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church (currently five Latin sees, including the Diocese of Rome itself, are accorded the title of Patriarchate, together with Lisbon, the East Indies and Jerusalem). Currently, the only advantage of this purely formal title is the bishop's place of honour in papal processions.

The Arrival of Francesco Moraglia Patriarch of Venice (Few more images are here)

The diocese of Venice was created in 774 as suffragan of the Patriarchate of Grado. It was only in 1457^[1] that, in consideration of the political influence of the city, its bishops were accorded the title of patriarch by the Pope.

By tradition, the Patriarch of Venice is created a cardinal at the consistory following his appointment, although the Pope is not bound by law to do so. A large number of the prelates holding this office have been elected Pope. Three of these were in the 20th century alone: Pope Pius X (1903), Pope John XXIII (1958) and Pope John Paul I (1978).

Venice Museums 2012 program

Presentation today by Walter Hartsarich President of Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia of the 2012 program.There are many scheduled events but the highlights should be two exhibitions at Museo Correr the first about  Klint and the second about Francesco Guardi.....

Others include «Primavera a Palazzo Fortuny: avere una bella cera» (Museo Fortuny, 10 marzo-28 giugno), «Sartorio e Venezia» (Ca’ Pesaro, primavera 2012), «San Michele in isola. Cenacolo di umanisti o ‘caput ordinis’ dei Camaldolesi?» (maggio-agosto 2012), «Moda e cinema 1840-1940» (Museo di Palazzo Mocenigo, settembre-dicembre 2012), «Uecker e Castellani» (Ca’ Pesaro, autunno 2012) e «Fortuny e Wagner» (Museo Fortuny, novembre 2012-marzo 2013).

In the photograph Mr Walter Hartsarich during a portrait session ahead of today press Conference

Frozen Venice Lagoon....today

Italy as most of Europe is under a spell of very cold weather, it is more than 20 years since the Venice Lagoon last froze, so today I took some pictures for my agency...you can see them here if you are interested.I wrote before about the 1929 frozen lagoon and is here

Venice Vaporetto Map

I have been asked few times the best place to find a Waterbus - Vaporetto map, I have blogged before here about the vaporetti, prices and new numbers but here is a map, if you click you will get an PDF Hi Res map and info taken from ACTV! Or you can buy a printable Tourist Version from our friend Nan of Living Venice here

SEASONAL LINES Seasonal lines are largely dedicated to tourists and are activated on particular occasions, such as during the Venice Carnival or in the spring and summer to facilitate the mobility of large numbers of visitors. These seasonal lines provide rapid, direct backup to the city centre lines down the Canal Grande and Giudecca Canal. Line 5 on the other hand directly links the island of Murano with Piazza San Marco and the city centre of Venice, taking an external route.

CITY CENTER LINES These are the lines which crisscross the "heart" of the city, exploiting the two largest inner canals, the Canal Grande, probably the world's most famous canal, and ....the Giudecca Canal, large and deep enough to allow even the arrival of cruise ships. The city centre lines connect a number of access points such as Tronchetto, Piazzale Roma and the railway station with the Venice of shops, monuments and museums, passing through the San Marco Basin as far as Lido di Venezia, famous for the beauty of its beaches and its nature reserves.

CIRCULAR LINES These lines with a roughly circular route connect the perimeter of the city touching points of great cultural and commercial interest throughout the area. With the circular lines, you can easily reach the islands of Lido and Murano (famous for its glass products), passing through or starting from the railway station, Piazzale Roma and near Piazza San Marco. With the circular, you can also get off and reach Venice City Hospital after a short walk along a route free from architectural barriers.

LAGOON LINES These lines connect Venice with the most important islands in the lagoon, both in the north lagoon (Mazzorbo, Burano, Torcello, Sant’Erasmo) and the south lagoon. The lagoon lines also link transport nodes on the mainland and in Venice province with the city centre. You can in fact reach Venice directly from Punta Sabbioni, Treporti and Chioggia. The lagoon lines also include the ferry-boat line no. 17 connecting Lido di Venezia and the Tronchetto terminal and the bus line no. 11 linking Lido di Venezia with the island of Pellestrina. The San Lazzaro - Lido Casinò section of line no. 20 is seasonal, to verify availability contact the Hellovenezia Call Center (+39)-041-2424.

TERMINAL LINES The terminal lines are a group of rapid lines with few stops which rapidly connect Venice with the mainland terminals managed by companies in the ACTV group. They consist largely of the Alilaguna group of lines and the line 16.

Vaporino

When you walk in the winter fog, there seems to be no division between water and embankment, life and death, love and hate. You feel that you can walk through walls, through sky, through time.

My Venice is the Venice of winter, the Venice of Cannaregio, the Venice of fog. Walking down the Fte Nove  in la nebbia, wearing rubber boots against the high water, it is hard to tell where terra firma leaves off and sky and water begin. The city seems to hang in the air like a mirage. Sounds bounce off the waters and deceive you with their closeness or farness. Figures appear and disappear around corners. The past beckons. It is quite possible to believe that it can take you and never give you back.

Related articles

• The peaceful pleasures of Venice in winter (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

Venice Frittelle - Venezia Fritole

frittele of St Giuseppe, pastry typical of mar...

Image via

Wikipedia

Frittelle...Fritoe, or fritters, are the most famous dolci or sweets of  Venice during the Carnival Season.

Frittelle begin showing up in pastry shops, Cafes and  bakeries, mid Januaryand  during the weeks leading up to il Carnevale di Venezia. When Carnival is over, frittelle disappear from the store windows almost as quickly as tourists in masks.

Frittelle come in a variety of styles, both filled and unfilled, the available choices usually include:

Frittelle veneziane. No filling, but with raisins and pine nuts mixed into the fairly heavy dough. After frying, the frittelle are rolled in granulated sugar.

Frittelle con crema chantilly. Filled with a light vanilla-flavored pastry cream and rolled in granulated sugar.

Frittelle con cioccolata. Filled with a mild chocolate-flavored pastry cream and rolled in granulated sugar.

Frittelle con zabaione. Filled with a Marsala-flavored pastry cream and rolled in granulated sugar.

The most famous and renowned places were to get the Frittelle and my vote

• Pasticceria Tonolo: Contrada San pantalon in Dorsoduro 10/10
• Pasticceria Didovitch: Campo Santa Marina     8/10
• Pasticceria Bonifacio Calle degli Albanesi San Marco 9/10
• Panifico Fornareto Calle del Forner Cannaregio  8/10
• Coffe Pasticceria Pitteri Strada Nuova Cannaregio  9/10 but poor Cappuccino!
• Dal Mas  Cannaregio Rio Terà Lista de Spagna, 150  8/10
• Rosa Salva  (6/10)

The worst Frittelle (IMHO Majer (San Giacomo dell'Orio) : just one word Terrible!!!

This year prices are around 1.10 and 1.30 Euro each  but I have seen also a few outrageous 1.80

Venice Photo Tour

During your Photo Tour of Venice your professional photographic guide will point out details invisible to the untrained eye and reveal the best vantage-points on your chosen route. Learn to tell a story through images, take great shots of iconic monuments and capture atmospheric images off the beaten track.

Venice Photo Walk

So bring your walking shoes and be prepared to discover the mysteries of the city. Bring your camera and learn how to have more fun with your camera.

• Discover parts of Venice less traveled by tourists. • Hear interesting tales and stories • Take better photos • Turn your photos into exciting stories. • Have fun !

Let a Creative Italian Photographer walk you through the city of Venice in an unforgettable Photo Walk capturing real candid moments of your stay in beautiful pictures. Enjoy a relaxed vacation and bring home remarkable pictures of your visit.

Touring Venice can be a very exciting experience, but it can also be quite an adventure if you are unsure of which places to visit and how. Language barrier may also represent a curious obstacle but it can also be frustrating. We offer innovative and unforgettable Photographic Toursto welcome you in the most fascinating and romanitc place in the world. Experience Venice through the eyes of a native Italian Professional Photographer. He will guide you in an exclusive tour through the most interesting Venice landmarks and monuments.

All city excursions are exclusively custom-made to fit your needs. You can explore the sites whichever way you like and at your own pace.

Walking around Venice together with a professional photographer is an enlighten experience. He will show you all the tricks of the game but it is also a fun and new way to visit a city like Venice. You will be able to visit, see, experience and tour places, situations, people that would be otherwise difficult to come across. The Photo Tours will take you through off-the-beaten tracks to the most important monuments and landmarks. You will avoid the tourist pedestrian highways and will take more secluded, intimate and truly Italian passageways. Let it be romantic, creative, fun and friendly, the astounding imagery will do the rest. We will show you the right places to eat, where true Italian dwell and the hidden beauties of the wonderful city.

• Tripadvisor Venice Photo Walk with Marco Secchi rated "excellent" by travelers
• Venice Photo Tours website

A way of life

Acqua Alta or the high tide in Venice is a way of life and people live with it....but few things  still surprise me!

Here a grocer from St Erasmo sells his vegetables in Murano during the high tide.

Photo Galleries  1 and 2

Related articles

• The peaceful pleasures of Venice in winter (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Mamma Mia! Venice Is Under Water! (perezhilton.com)

The Glass Alchemist

Elena a glass artist in Murano blows glass next to a glass furnace on December 18, 2010 in Venice, Italy. There are only few female glass artists is Italy and they face continuous challenges in a traditionally male dominated field.

There are not many people (and things!) that I admire and that I could watch for hours while they work, without losing concentration after few seconds. I have seen them all...and often better.  Elena is an exception, seeing her at work with glass is unreal....

Elena Rosso Website