foliage ride and hot chocolate picnic. November, Sunday 1st

 when it doesn't get all foggy, wet and grey, autumn can spoil you with days like this one. 

when it rains

as a kid, i had this book, called che cosa fare quando piove, by richard scarry. the original title, in english, is best rainy day book ever. you've probably already heard of it, or at least i hope so, cause it's such a great childrens book. if you have not, it is a collection of ideas on what to do on rainy days.

i cannot emulate mister scarry, but here it has been raining for days, so i had some time to make my personal list about that. i hope you like it, and want to share some of what you like to do when it rains {stay in bed all day: not accepted!}.

indoor picnic i am still a kid, i know. i should go back to richard scarry. but it's so fun! you know i love picnics, and i have to wait months (months!) before i get an outdoor one. go outside for a walk i'm aware this is not the "when the sun is shining" post, keep reading.  the only problem we have, while walking in the rain, is that we don't want to get wet {because we're going to do things like work}. but, if we expect that, and we're okay with it because we are keeping in mind the hot shower we'll take back home, it will be lovely. bring an umbrella, some colorful rain boots, make sure you're warm enough. enjoy the drops on the trees, the sound(s) and the reflections, jump on a puddle. if you're lucky, you can catch the best moment: when the rain stops and the sun comes out. isn't that light amazing? it's raining outside, so we're camping inside do you know that photo by tim walker? since i saw it for the first time, i have been fascinated. coziness plus camping! i had to try it, and that was the perfect opportunity. try something new it could be a recipe you've never tried yet. or the start of a new tradition.  marco and i made some canederli for dinner, a typical trentino dish, made of old bread, flour, eggs and salami.  plus, the idea of starting a bookclub with some girl friends is growing!   ice skating date a field trip to the closest (indoor) ice rink. this is the one point of the list i have not done yet.  visit a museum/exhibition we chose an amazing illustration exhibition, called Illustri, held in Vicenza. it featured eleven talented italian illustrators: shout, emiliano ponzi, olimpia zagnoli, bomboland, ale giorgini, mauro gatti, riccardo guasco, francesco poroli, umberto mischi, jacopo rosati, rubens cantuni. we loved it and a piece of it, a fine print by riccardo guasco, is now at home with us, a reminder of that heavy rain day.

le déjeuner sur l'herbe. April, Saturday 13th

blue sky and shining, warm sun. this is how spring should be! i've been waiting weeks for this, but it has finally come.

to enjoy the wonderful morning, we packed a towel and some apricot jam made by grandma, and  stopped by the bakery to get some fresh bread, then we drove toward Susegana.
there, we went to Borgoluce's farm shop, for some buffalo yogurt and panna cotta. 
Borgoluce is located inside the beautiful Collalto estate, that includes two castles. the first one is the castello di San Salvatore, and the other one is Collalto Castle, in ruins. between these two, there is a dirt road called strada di Collalto, that winds through the hill across woods and vineyards. a perfect countryside road, beautiful for a walk or a ride. (there were bicycles and horses, too)
green, yellow, and blue all around. 

we decided to stop in a vineyard, although i'd have loved to find and set under a cherry tree in bloom to have a sort of hanami  {the japanese tradition of sitting under blooming trees -especially cherry- to contemplate them or have a picnic}. but there were flowers anyway. the bright yellow dandelions.

despite the quick preparation, we were very pleased with our breakfast picnic. it was delicious: handmade jam, freshly baked bread, yogurt and panna cotta made in that very estate, with buffalo milk.

i took two readings i had carefully saved for a moment like this. my kinfolk spring issue, and a literaly magazine called nuovi argomenti.
our dear friend ginevra, blogger, anectodes queen and talented writer, published a short story inside this nuovi argomenti issue, and we are sooooo proud! her written words are always a flawless mixture of laugh and melancholic irony.


besides the stunning pictures, i particularly love two essays on this kinfolk issue. the *spring traditions* described by danica van de velde and illustrated by sarah burwash {among others: early morning breakfast dates, impromptu bicycle rides, afternoon tea, picnics in the park...} encounter the concept of perfect spring i have on my mind. 

then, i was impressed by a fictional story of austin sailsbury, who describes a journey in italy with inspiring, warm words. 
here, in this blog, i'm trying to talk about the place i live in, or the places i visit, and i write in english cause i don't want to exclude anyone for this conversation. but sometimes i don't know how to calibrate my descriptions of things which are so peculiarly italian, not knowing how much foreigners know about them. so, essays like the sailsbury's one really help me write better. 
i want to mention the words that he uses to describe the italian concept of agriturismo:

"an agriturismo, in very general terms, is a working farm that takes in travelers as guests. no two are the same. each has its own charming idiosyncrasies: rustic architecture, livestock roaming freely about, and always the smell of something fresh being baked. mix in the uncertinty that your hosts will speak english, treacherous mountain roads to get there, and the relative lack of other tourists in sight, and an agriturismo becomes about as real of an italian experience as a traveler could hope for"

i could not said it better myself. 

happy sunday, happy spring, happy readings.

campfire. March, Saturday 17th

the air is still chilly, but we're back outdoors.
we went to a place not far from where we had the fall picnic. i used to come here a lot with the Scouts years ago, cause it's a good spot for campfires.

we had a little picnic, and cooked on the firewood. i've missed the smell of the crackling fire's smoke! i've missed breaking the dry wood with the knees, and making the tip to green sticks. 
in the Scouts we called this direct-heating method trapper cooking, which i think is in the name of north americans explorers, but i'm not sure.

sausages give their best, but potatoes, onions and eggs, too are delicious cooked this way!
special thanks to the firewood for keeping us warm while we ate and played cards. 

{olympus om10 + fuji superia 200}

101 Street Food: Tacos Radici e Fasioi

a few weeks ago i was kindly asked to enter a contest about street food and wine, organized by Quota 101, an awesome farm in Veneto. if you go to their home page you can easily see that i share one of my great passion with them: i'm talking about picnics. (oh, you're right: wine, too!) so, i simply had to say yes. the recipe i have to share for the contest must be written in italian, so i'm sorry but the words below will be written in my beloved mother tongue.

un paio di giorni fa ho scritto una piccola introduzione al tema street food, una riflessione che mi ha portato a scegliere le mia ricetta, in modo che avesse delle storie dietro, che non fosse solo inchiostro su un pezzo di carta. veloce, tipica, e street. cioè semplice da preparare, fatta con ingredienti tipici, che parlino di un luogo, delle sue facce e dei suoi sapori, e street perchè devi poterla mangiare dappertutto, in ogni occasione.. anche una cena improvvisata con le amiche o una sosta dopo una corsa in lambretta.
a me è piaciuto raccontarli così, questa ricetta e questo vino, il Malterreno.

radici e fasioi è uno dei piatti che più raccontano il luogo da cui provengo, parla di lunghi inverni, di cucina povera ma gustosa, di famiglie numerose, di dialetto veneto. usare ingredienti di stagione mi sembrava il minimo, e cosa può esserci di più stagionale che il fiore d'inverno, il radicchio rosso di Treviso?
le tortillas sono un grande classico dello street food, rimpinzate all'inverosimile e mangiate con le mani, piegate in tanti modi diversi: io le ho preparate con la farina di mais Biancoperla, un altro orgoglio del territorio. la salsa era di zucca e pancetta, leggermente piccante, in cui intingere il taco.
il Malterreno di Quota 101 è un bianco veneto IGT, per cui è andato felicemente a sposarsi con degli ingredienti della sua terra.

angelina e bobi (le avete già conosciute all'osteria senz'oste) sono venute da me per una seratina tra gossip e bicchieri di vino, cucinando insieme.
ecco la ricetta completa (le dosi sono approssimativamente per 3 persone):
tortillas
280 gr farina di mais biancorperla, 300 ml acqua, 2 pizzichi di sale, 1 cucchiaio olio d'oliva. sciogliere il sale nell'acqua tiepida. aggiungere l'acqua e l'olio alla farina. impastare bene, lasciar riposare per 15-20 min. tagliare due fogli di carta da forno (25x25), fare una pallina di impasto e schiacciarla tra i due con la mano, stendere col mattarello. scaldare una padella antiaderente (tipo crepiera). appoggiare i fogli sopra e toglierli uno alla volta. cuocere 2-3 min per ogni lato.
ripieno
radicchio rosso di treviso tardivo (700-800 gr), fagioli borlotti. cuocere il radicchio tagliato a pezzetti nel soffritto. salare e pepare. aggiungere i fagioli precedentemente cotti in una casseruola coperti da 3-4 dita d'acqua. 
salsa
soffriggere la cipolla, aggiungere la pancetta (6 fette di pancetta arrotolata, a pezzetti), sfumando con il Malterreno. aggiungere la zucca a tocchetti (mezza di quelle piccine), sale, pepe e peperoncino, cuocere aggiungendo brodo finchè la zucca si spappola bene. frullare tutto con il frullatore a immersione! 
n.b. i tacos vanno farciti e piegati quando le tortillas sono ancora calde.

abbiamo cucinato, mangiato e brindato con il Malterreno, che con il nome racconta la bellezza imperfetta delle colline in cui crescono le sue uve (tai/tocai e garganega). in una delle prime gite primaverili che faremo in lambretta speriamo di riuscire a spingerci fino a vederli, questi colli! è un vino morbido e delicatamente fruttato, bilanciava armoniosamente l'amarognolo del radicchio, e il piccantino della salsa lo esaltava. (ad ogni modo mi sono divertita più a creare situazioni ed esperienze dietro a questo abbinamento di ricetta + vino, che a lambiccarmi su proprietà organolettiche e schede tecniche.. dubito che i signori di Quota 101 me ne vorranno, dato che stando al loro manifesto, anche loro preferiscono far parlare storie e suggestioni ♥)

dopo giorni di pioggia e neve, il sole di domenica ha permesso una scampagnata dicembrina in sella alla lambretta, sulle collline della pedemontana. solo le ore appena prima e appena dopo pranzo sono abbastanza calde da permettere un bel giro, e i tacos appena fatti si sono mantenuti tiepidi. in questo caso, ho messo la salsa di zucca e pancetta direttamente dentro la tortilla. 

quando facciamo dei lambretta picnic solitamente io e marco non ci portiamo del vino (chi guida non deve bere!), ma una sua versione street e invernale che adoriamo è sicuramente il vin brulè. 

provate a scaldare il Malterreno con un cucchiaino di zucchero, dei pezzetti di mela e pera, un chiodo di garofano e una puntina di cannella! (e poi prendete la bici, i picnic sono fantastici anche così)

fall picnic. October, Saturday 13th

time to spend some outdoor hours, to enjoy chilly air and warm colors. time to read a book wrapped in a warm blanket, using a reddish leaf as bookmark. time to cook using the delicious gift of Autumn, pack everything up and take a path in the woods.

deciding what to put in my picnic basket, i was inspired by the Under the Tree project, that made some tempting fall-themed menus {you can find them here, but italian only!}. so, i tried two of their recipes: mushrooms & mozzarella panzerotti, and carrots purée with speck.

then, my autumnal trump card: pumpkin cupcakes with maple cream cheese frosting. i haven't cooked it for months, they tasted so good.

the trail we choose is near home, known as Sentiero del Patriarca. i used to come here very often in the past, with the Scouts. at the very beginning of the path there is an abandoned house, i remember we called it Casa Bianca {white house} when we were kids but actually it's not white at all. anyway, it still has a beautiful painted sundial.

Burano and Mazzorbo. August, Saturday 25th

The one which is maybe our favourite city in the world is the one we cannot reach by Lambretta. Ciao, Venezia.

We both studied at the Venice University so the city means a lot to us. The main island, the "fish", is a wonderful and unique place that everyone should see in his life. But, the magic continues in the lagoon. To explore the little islands, take the vaporetto 12 from the imbarcadero in Fondamenta Nuove, the journey takes 40 minutes (7€ one way).

Burano is colorful as a parrot, simple as a fisherman. Embroidered by the sea, trimmed in lace.

Once you get off the vaporetto, you have a small park on the right side, a nice place to have a pic nic if you brought your lunch, like we did (considering the vaporetto tickets price, is a good way to save some money). I prepared some sandwiches with salame, rocket/sundried tomatoes/grana cheese, gorgonzola cheese/fig/honey (had the last one idea from this recipe).

Walking between the park and the sea, you'll arrive to a wooden bridge, which connects Burano to her quiet sister, Mazzorbo island.
In the early days of Venetian life, there were farmers, too. Somehow they managed to farm this salty, microscopic and stingy land.
In Mazzorbo we can still admire the results of such stubborness: the restaurant & hostel Venissa is located inside a vigna murata (walled vineyard), recently restored.