Buon compleanno! Venetia con mamma.

The past 9 days have been a rip roaring fabulous time of hedonistic gluttony. With ARC in town for my recent birthday I learned a few things:

1. Like Virginia, Venice may be for lovers. It’s also for people with shopping addictions.
2. Someone in his/her sixties using the phrase “you’ve got junk in your trunk” and “you’ve got a boot-ay!” just doesn’t seem right.
3. I love sardines. Who knew?
4. There might actually be a thing as too much dessert.
5. No, turning 30 doesn’t feel “different” or “weird”. Neither does turning 30 and 1 day, 30 and 2 days. I’m fairly certain I feel exactly the same as I did at 29. Sometimes I actually think I’m about 12 or maybe 22, but let’s not dig into that.
6. Eating a tub of hummus before dinner might actually spoil it (ok, this one I already knew, but we couldn't help it).

ARC’s arrival started out on a fairly healthy note with a really fabulous rice salad that I adapted from The Sunday Telegraph. Chicken, Sour Cherry, and Wild Rice Salad with green beans, basil, and a pomegranate-balsamic dressing was both beautiful (I kept thinking I should make this as a side dish around Christmukah because of the green and red) and tasty (the sour cherries and dressing balanced nicely with the al dente green beans and simple chicken breast). Oooh yes, another thing I learned this week:

Don’t leave a leftover salad with a garlicky dressing sitting in your fridge while you are away for a few days. It’s really going to smell, and not in a “yum, who’s cooking garlic bread?” kind of way.

ARC’s first weekend found us in Venice. 48 hours of walking, coffee, shopping, vino, shopping, snack time, shopping, gelato/more vino, more walking/shopping, pastry, sardines, vino, bellinis, vino, vino. Dinner. (Not in any particular order of course).

All in all it was a lovely weekend and whilst we started on a sour note with lunch at an atrocious tourist spot, there could only be room for improvement. Based on a few good reviews, one from the NYT, ARC had scored us a reservation at Fiaschetteria Toscana. On the menu:

Starter: Fried brown shrimps with polenta
Starter: Black tagliolini with lobster sauce
Main: Grilled local sea gilt-head bream
Main: Grilled local sea grey king prawns
Side: Fried zucchini flowers
Dessert: Fig tart

To Drink:

2 glasses Rose Ferrari – Gorg!
Bottle of local Soave
Espresso

Due to a small blip in the evening ARC wasn’t able to participate in the 2 starters. It was a tough situation to handle, but I took one for the team and proceeded to tuck in.

When the shrimps and polenta were served I was surprised by the colour of the polenta (white contrary to the cornmeal pale yellow I'm used to) and the itsy bitsiness of the shrimps. While the polenta was probably the least attractive part of the meal with its lack of flavour, the thin crispy coating of the brown shrimp made up for both the polenta and the size of the shrimp. However, it must be noted that the shrimps had been fried with the shell/heads on. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to picking one or two shrimp eyeballs off. Only 1 or 2, I promise. I ate the rest with gusto and panache!

The black tagliolini was pretty much the ultimate pasta dish ever. Light and ethereal it was dressed with just a bit of olive oil, garlic, herbs and lobster. The pasta was obviously home-made and made me realise that buying the generic supermarket brand every 4 out of 5 times just isn't going to cut it. More to the point, next on my list of culinary projects will be to perhaps make some homemade pasta.

Both mains were grilled in a little olive oil with herbs and lemon. The fish was so fresh I thought I might have to slap it back down on my plate. I think we often get so used to eating food that’s 80-90% “fresh” that when finally prompted with the opportunity to eat the Godfather of Fresh – we realise just how sublime it can be. I absolutely fell in love with the taste of the fish. I typically get annoyed at the little bones that have been inadvertently left in when being filleted. However, in this case – all was easily forgiven.

The most surprising aspect of dinner was the fig tart ARC and I shared for dessert. Expecting something similar to a tarte tatin with big pieces of freshly baked fig, we were completely blown away by what did arrive. Homemade pastry crust was layered with fresh pastry cream and fig puree. It was absolutely heavenly. Bellissimo!

Storytelling

There have been cringe-worthy (and hysterical in their irony) tales from the last week. Not really centred around gorgeous culinary creations (unless you count cookie crisp cereal and cheese bread at 3:30 am) or even fabulous grown-up cocktails – no, this time the stories are woven together with a mojito or two, tequila shots (which I thought I’d retired after that NYE on Babcock Street) a few (6) beers, oh – and half a bottle of wine for good measure. Living in a city of gold-medal binge drinkers, I would have preferred to pick up a fake British accent like Madonna or an interest in cricket, but alas…when in Rome…

As a result of my ridiculous weekend I thought it best to submit myself to something calming, straight-forward, and consistent (the complete opposite of what I’ve been experiencing) and decided that a lovely risotto would fit the bill. Once you get the knack of making risotto you realise that even when you change what you put in it – it should typically turn out the same as long as you add the right amount of wine/stock. Sometimes it can be a bit of work having to stir it frequently, but it’s an uncomplicated task, and always worth it in the end.

As a side note, I’d like to invest money in a mobile phone with a built in breathalyser. When the owner’s blood alcohol reaches a certain level, the mobile goes into lock-down mode. No calls and texts are allowed, unless it really is a dire emergency. Not sure how this last bit would work, but even if it couldn’t filter the legitimate emergencies – I’d risk it for this guaranteed lock-down.

Ok, so probably not the most typical risotto out there, but even calming and uncomplicated needs a teensy bit of drama, no?

Butternut Squash Risotto with Garlic and Panko crusted Prawns*

Based on the following recipe from epicurious.com: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/240105

Ingredients:
- 1 butternut squash (I bought a bag at Waitrose already cut up…I was going for uncomplicated remember?)

- 20 uncooked large prawns (about 1 1/4 pounds), peeled, deveined

- 3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

- 3 large garlic cloves, peeled, smashed, plus 2 large garlic cloves, chopped (again, I used minced “lazy” garlic already smashed and chopped)

- 1 cup panko crumbs

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

- 5 cups low-salt chicken broth

- 1 1/2 cups chopped onion

- 4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme, divided

- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice or medium-grain white rice

- 1/2 cup dry white wine- Vegetable oil (for frying)

- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.

- Roast squash for approximately 45 minutes with a bit of olive oil, cool and mash together with a fork to make a puree (or use a food processor, which I still don’t have)

- Place prawns, 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, and some garlic in large resealable plastic bag; turn to coat. Chill for an hour or two

- Stir panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl. Add shrimp; toss. Arrange in single layer on large plate.

- Bring broth to simmer in heavy small saucepan; reduce heat to low and keep hot.

- Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat.

- Add onion and cook until beginning to brown, stirring often, about 5 minutes.

- Add garlic and 2 teaspoons thyme; stir 1 minute.

- Add rice and stir 1 minute.

- Add wine; stir until almost absorbed, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium.

- Add 1 cup hot broth and cook until almost all liquid is absorbed, stirring often. Continue adding hot broth 1 cup at a time and stirring frequently until rice is almost tender, about 20 minutes.

- Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in a heavy large skillet

- Sautee prawns until golden brown and cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes per side.

- Rewarm squash puree in microwave and add to risotto and stir until rice is tender but still firm, about 2 minutes.

- Stir in Parmesan cheese and remaining 2 teaspoons thyme. Season with salt and pepper

*Prawns = Shrimp

Easy as Pie

“Easy as Pie” is a saying I’ve always attributed to meaning easy peasy or a cinch. Ironically, making a great pie isn’t really that easy. Unless of course your idea of good pastry crust is made from the frozen crap that’s found in your supermarket's local freezer section. If so, then yes, “easy as pie” makes complete sense. However, I think the phrase is referring to how easy it is to eat…now that’s something I can effortlessly understand.

The truth is - making a pastry crust that’s not too dry and getting the fruit so that both tart and sweet harmonize together, is both an art and science. Even more daunting than trying to be a culinary chemist however, was that I was making my mother’s pie recipe. I’ve made many a pie in my day and they’ve typically turned out quite well (key lime and coconut being the best). However, the only time I’d ever made my mother’s pie recipe when I was in close proximity to the recipe owner. It just never dawned on me to make her pie away from her kitchen. The psychologist in me could probably psycho-analyse this for a good while yet - but let's cut to the chase...

When referring to a pie here in the UK, typical thoughts centre on savory dishes. To my fellow Yanks – just imagine every time you ordered pie you were served Chicken Pot Pie, or something similar. On a few different occasions when I mentioned to some British friends that I was making a pie, the conversations all unfolded in the same exact manner:

Dana: "I’m making a pie."

British friends: "What kind of pie?"

Dana: "Strawberry rhubarb."

British friends: "Oh, you mean you are making a crumble?"

Dana: "No, I’m making a pie."

British friends: (With look of confusion on their faces) "I don’t get it."

Dana: Ever see the movie American Pie? Watch reruns of Bev Hills 90210 when they went to the Peach Pit? That kind of pie.

My pie baking, balcony doors open, and late summer breeze combined together to create the most wonderful smell which wafted beyond the borders of my flat. As it baked, I sat on my balcony doing a bit of work when I surprisingly heard a “Hey, you. You with the laptop! I’ve no idea what you are cooking but it smells amazing!”

Wow - I was surprised by that, and I seriously had no idea how it was going to turn out but it really did smell great. I was like the PIE-d Piper of Buckler Court luring my neighbors in with my baking scent. So much so that I think I've discovered a new money making scheme and hit for the women's fragrance industry. Eau de strawberry rhubarb pie - "one sniff and you'll have them eating out of your hands."

Interesting thought....

It could work. Really it could.

I'll keep you posted.

Pie Crust:
- 1 cup vegetable shortening (some people smuggle luxury goods in their luggage, Dana smuggles Crisco vegetable shortening from the States)
- 1/3 cup boiling water
- 2 cups (about) flour
- 1 tbsp orange juice
- pinch of salt

1. Whisk shortening and boiling water together until it has the consistency of loose whipped cream (may need a bit more water)
2. Add flour and orange juice until mixed thoroughly
3. Chill dough for a few hours and then role between two pieces of parchment paper

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie:
4-6 stalks of rhubarb cut up
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tbsp orange peel
Tapioca to thicken (I couldn't find tapioca in the markets here so used 1/4 cup of corn flour instead and it worked fine)
2 pints strawberries, washed and cut in half.

1. Cook rhubarb with everything but strawberries for about 15 minutes or until rhubarb is tender and has thickened
2. Mix with strawberries
3. Role out half of dough and place fruit inside
4. Cover with remaining dough and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar (you can do the fandangled lattice top like in the photo, but you could just ongepotchket it together and slap it on top in one piece)

5. Bake for 45 minutes at 175 C or 350 F.