Dinner In Venice
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Winter is almost here and nothing says comfort like a rustic Italian dinner.
Pasta e Fagioli (Bean Soup)
(serves 4-6)
Ingredients
1 quart hot water
2 or 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, slightly crushed
1 celery stick, chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
1 cup of dried beans
1 small ripe tomato, seeded, peeled and diced (or you can use canned peeled tomatoes, drained)
Salt and pepper to taste
1½ tablespoon freshly chopped parsley or rosemary
2 cups fresh egg pasta, or you can use dried egg pasta (broken down pappardelle), or regular dried pasta.
Directions
1. Soak the beans overnight in a bowl of cold water.
2. Dice the carrot, thinly slice the celery, and chop the onion finely.
3. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and sauté for 2 or 3 minutes.
4. Add the tomato, beans, and salt, and cook for another 2 minutes.
5. Cover with hot water, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for one hour or until the beans are cooked.
6. Add the pasta and allow to simmer until the pasta is also cooked (for fresh pasta, usually 3 to 5 minutes; for dried pasta, follow the instructions on the package).
7. Sprinkle with black pepper, adjust the salt, drizzle with a little more olive oil, decorate with the parsley and serve hot.
Potato Salmon Terrine
Ingredients
3 medium/large potatoes
1 fillet of salmon (about 2 lb), baked or steamed
2 scallions or a medium onion
½ cup Chardonnay
1 lemon
3-4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh chives and parsley, to taste
Directions
1. Boil the potatoes until soft, drain, peel and mash with a fork or potato masher.
2. Add the salt, pepper, wine and about 2 tbsps of the oil.
3. In the meantime boil the salmon for 15 minutes with the peeled and sliced scallions (you can also cook it in the microwave in 5 minutes).
4. Then drain it and chop the whole mixture in a food processor along with the juice of ½ a lemon, salt, pepper, and about ½ tbsp of chopped chives.
5. Combine with the mashed potatoes and pour into a loaf pan (9 x 5 x 3″), previously lined with plastic wrap.
6. Press the puree into the pan with your hands or a wooden spoon, cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours before serving.
7. Unmold and serve decorated with more chives, and (if you like) some mayo.
* If you are in a rush, replace the fresh salmon and scallions with canned salmon and a touch of onion powder, but the result is less delicate.
Chicken Stew (Ezekiel’s Chicken)
Ingredients
1 chicken, cut into serving pieces
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, slightly pressed or minced
1/3 cup green or/and black olives, pitted
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons mix of freshly chopped herbs (sage, rosemary, plus basil, mint or parsley)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 or 3 peeled tomatoes
1/3 cup dry wine, red or white
Directions
1. Rinse the chicken and pat dry.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot, add the chicken and sauté until golden.
3. Add the salt, pepper, olives, garlic, and herbs, and the chopped (and drained) tomatoes.
4. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring, add the wine, then lower the flame and cook covered until tender (about 30 minutes), stirring occasionally, and adding a little water if it tends to dry out.
5. Uncover, and if the sauce is too liquidy turn up the heat to thicken it.
6. You can serve it with a side of polenta, potatoes or rice as a main course.
Chocolate Hazelnut Whole Grain Cake
Ingredients
3 medium/large eggs
2/3 cup brown sugar
4 oz parve dark, bittersweet chocolate
¼ cup olive oil or vegetable oil
½ tsp vanilla extract or 1 tbsp DiSaronno liqueur
1/8 cup almond or soy milk, or more if needed
1 cup hazelnut meal (or almond meal)
4/5 cup whole grain flour (oatmeal or spelt or other; for a GF version, try buckwheat flour)
1 package baking powder
1 pinch salt
Confectioner’s sugar to decorate
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Beat the eggs with the sugar for a couple of minutes or until light and frothy.
Melt the chocolate and combine with the oil, parve milk and the extract or liqueur.
Add the beaten eggs and mix well.
Sift together the flour, the hazelnut meal, the salt and the baking powder, and slowly add to the mix.
Spray a 9″ baking pan with baking spray (or line it with parchment).
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until ready.
Allow cooling completely before unfolding, and serve sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar.
Photos courtesy of DinnerInVenice.com
tell a friendAbout the Author: Alessandra Rovati is a food writer and lecturer raised in Venice, Italy, and living in New York City. Her popular website, Dinner in Venice (launched in 2011), was the first blog to focus specifically on kosher Italian food; with each recipe, she offers a glimpse into the ancient and rich culinary history of Italian Jews. Alessandra’s articles and recipes have been published in several magazines and websites, including the New York Times and The Huffington Post. She has lectured extensively and has been a featured guest on radio programs and on Fox News.
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This would be a very symbolic meal to have. The word "ghetto" originated in Venice. It was used to designate where cannons were casted, then its meaning was changed to designate were a specific group of people lived, in some cases not voluntarily. Such as the Jews of the 16th century C.E., were forced by decree to live in this specific part of Venice. This meal can take us back to it.
This would be a very symbolic meal to have. The word “ghetto” originated in Venice. It was used to designate where cannons were casted, then its meaning was changed to designate were a specific group of people lived, in some cases not voluntarily. Such as the Jews of the 16th century C.E., were forced by decree to live in this specific part of Venice. This meal can take us back to it.