Book Information: Venezia
Venezia
Food and Dreams
by Tessa Kiros
Price: $34.99
ISBN-13: 978-0-7407-8516-0
ISBN-10: 0-7407-8516-8
Format: Hardcover
Size: 8 x 9 in.
Page Count: 288
Venezia: Food & Dreams Reviews
“Why is Venezia, Food and Dreams by Tessa Kiros my catch of the day? … You feel like a guest in a timeless, slightly unreal city.” ––Serge the Concierge http://www.sergetheconcierge.com
“Venezia is a book you can get lost in…. Whether you want to savor the city’s mysteries or its flavors, you’ll find satisfaction in these pages.” ––Fine Cooking
“Venezia breaks all of the current downsizing rules by offering an opulent journey into the heart of Venice…. Kiros’ poetic musings break up the book and make it as readable as Emily Dickinson.” ––Wine News
“The book itself is gorgeous - gilt edged with a velvet place marker and stunningly beautiful cover. For the author, Tessa Kiros, this book is more than just a cookbook. It became a personal journal, a travel guide, and a memoir about her love for Venice, Italy, and its special place in her heart - and palate. Cooks are treated to 105 amazing recipes and 120 color photographs focusing on the fascinating city and its famous fare.” ––Cooking Nook http://www.cookingnook.com/venezia.html
Venezia: Food and Dreams
To Eat and To Dream… Venice Awaits
Venice is a city of charming people, winding canals, and floating markets, whose rich culinary history wafts from the tables of its sidewalk cafés and candlelit restaurants. In her evocative and beautiful cookbook, Venezia: Food & Dreams (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $34.99), Tessa Kiros takes her readers through these magical passageways, and with her they plumb the city’s nooks and crannies, discovering a myriad of Venetian staples and specialties to whet the appetite.
Venezia is not your standard cookbook. The stunning photographs are as dynamic as the recipes, ranging from vibrant, bejeweled Carnival masks to dramatic black and white views of Venetian streets. The pages are also sprinkled with Tessa’s travel insights and poetic observations:
“Venice in its labyrinth and enigma; everywhere visible from the windows and mirrors on the top floor of Harry’s Bar…the backdrop of the terrace looked like they had been told to recite and play and then the director had forgotten to call stop. Bridges; keyholes peeping into ancient courtyards full of secrets.”
During her travels, Tessa charms the locals into divulging their culinary secrets, sharing with the reader the hidden specialties of this romantic yet mysterious city. She divides these dishes by course—Antipasti, Zuppa/Pasta/Gnocchi, Risotto, Secondi, Contori, and Dolci—with additional sections on Essential Recipes and Cicchetti (delicious small bites unique to Venice). Recipes range from the exotic such as Spaghetti al Nero de Seppie (Spaghetti with Squid Ink) to more traditional selections such as Grigliata Mista de Pesce (Mixed Grilled Fish).
Tessa’s recipes are unique enough to intrigue experienced chefs yet easy enough for beginners to follow, creating a guide for tasty dishes that will impress any dinner guest. With a turn of the page, everyone can share in Tessa’s sheer love of anything beautiful, anything flavorful, and everything Venetian.
Risotto di asparagi e scampi
From Venezia: Food & Dreams/Andrews McMeel Publishing
Asparagus & scampi risotto
This is also good & delicate with just scampi or just asparagus. Some people don’t serve Parmesan with seafood, but I put a bit in here.
12 to 16 scampi (red-claw, langoustines, or large shrimps)
Brodo:
1 large carrot
1/2 onion
1 bay leaf
a few peppercorns
13 ounces (about 19) asparagus spears
1/2 onion, finely chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon cognac
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
To make the brodo, peel & clean the scampi, & cut each one in half down the middle. Set the meat aside for the moment, but rinse the heads & shells, & put them in a pot with 6 cups of water, the carrot, onion, bay leaf, peppercorns, & some salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. Strain, & keep the broth hot.
Discard the woody ends from the asparagus & cut off the tips. Put the tips aside & chop the stems. Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saucepan & sauté the onion until well softened. Add the chopped asparagus & sauté briefly.
Add the rice, turning it through so that it is well coated with oil. Add the white wine & let it bubble up until much of it has evaporated. Add 2 cups of broth, stir well, & simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until almost of it has been absorbed. Add another 2 cups of broth, stir, & cook for another 5 to 10 minutes. (Add another 1/2 cup of broth if you want a creamier risotto.)
When the risotto is almost ready, heat the remaining oil in a small skillet, add the scampi & asparagus tips, & cook over high heat for 2 minutes, turning the scampi over when they have a pale golden crust underneath. Add the cognac, stand back & ignite the skillet. Add a little salt & toss it all together, then take off the heat.
Stir the butter & Parmesan into the risotto, then tip the scampi & asparagus tips into the risotto. Add salt if needed, quickly toss it all through & serve immediately with ground black pepper.
Serves 4
Focaccia Veneziana
From Venezia: Food & Dreams/Andrews McMeel Publishing
Venetian focaccia
This has little in common with the bread called focaccia, but is more a brioche-pandoro thing. I tasted one from the pasticceria Puppa in Cannareggio & was completely sold on it, so I found a recipe in my sister-in-law’s old book a tola co i nostri veci by Mariu Salvatori de Zuliani (thank goodness, I had Luisa to translate the Venetian dialect instructions to me).
3/4 ounce fresh yeast, or
1 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup sugar
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted & cooled
3 egg yolks
2 3/4 cups cake flour
finely grated zest of
1 small lemon
Topping:
1/3 cup sugar
2 good tablespoons
large-granule sugar
Dissolve the yeast in the milk & whip with a whisk. Add the sugar, butter, egg yolks, flour, & a pinch of salt, mixing at the end with your hands or a strong whisk, to form a soft dough. Cover with plastic wrap, then a dishcloth & leave for 12 hours in warm place until well risen. Uncover & mix it all again with your hands (even though it is very soft), kneading in the lemon zest. Lightly butter a 9-cup cake pan (or line with a paper mold).
Plop the dough into the cake pan as evenly as possible—it will seem as if there is a lot of room left, but it will rise, so cover the top again with plastic wrap & then a dishcloth, & leave in a warm place again for a couple of hours. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Remove the plastic wrap & bake the dough for about 40 minutes, until golden on top, covering with foil for the last 15 minutes if you think it is browning too much. A skewer poked into the center should come out clean.
Meanwhile, make the sugar syrup. Put the sugar in a small saucepan with 3 tablespoons of water, stir to dissolve the sugar, then let it simmer without stirring for 5 to 8 minutes, until thickened a bit. Cool for a minute & then brush over the cooled focaccia. Sprinkle the sugar granules over the top so they stick.
Makes 1 big cake…
About Tessa Kiros
Born to a Finnish mother and a Greek-Cypriot father, Tessa Kiros grew up learning about the world’s diverse cultures and traditions. She has worked in restaurants in Sydney, Athens, and Mexico, and at London’s famous Groucho Club. Tessa is the author of Venezia: Food and Dreams, Apples for Jam: A Colorful Cookbook and Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes, both from Andrews McMeel Publishing. She lives in Tuscany with her husband and two daughters.
