Our Italian Restaurant(s): Venice, Part One

Let's be real. The best part about Italy was the food. It seemed like we started the day with a big spread at our hotel (where there was always hot cappuccino, and gluten-free options for me), and then we spent the rest of the day figuring out what our next culinary indulgence would be. In between, we checked out some famous - and amazing - historical sites, museums, and churches, but it was really all about the food. In this series, I'll share the amazing meals we had, just in case you're planning a trip to Italy anytime soon ;)

If you're planning on going to Venice, plan on getting lost! There are some real gems of restaurants, and some are easier to find than others. 

On our first day in Venice, lost and after having a seafood lunch (pasta, sea bass, tomato, scallion, and wilted arugula) that made us both a little queasy, Mike and I were not in the mood for more pizza and pasta. We were looking for "Bar Risto" which was incredibly difficult to find - and not in the plaza where it was supposed to be. Grr. We finally settled on a restaurant called Pane Vine e San Daniele, a name that made me nervous since pane means "bread," but it turned out to be a good choice.

The restaurant had gluten-free crackers, which turned out to be tasty, and we munched on them while we split a divine plate of cheese - mozzarella, burrata, smoked ricotta, and another soft, creamy cheese. We also split a plate of the house ham, which was a type of prosciutto.  It came out with a pickled onion and pickled shallot - both of which were delicious.

While our meal was not exactly a "normal" dinner, it was a combination of some of my favorite foods - cured meat, cheese, and red wine. Happy with our choice to stray from the ordinary, Mike and I meandered back to our hotel.

Next week: Another mediocre lunch, but a discovery about how to order something other than gluten-free pizza and pasta!

Cheese, Please

I've been dying to make cheese for a while now. Not just lemon juice ricotta (which is still pretty awesome), but cultured cheese too. Around Christmastime, I bought a kit with cheese cultures and a ton of recipes. Last week I decided to try it out.

It starts with warming up some milk, adding calcium chloride, and cultures. Ok so far.

Then you let it sit for a while. After that, you add some rennet, and let it sit again. It sets up, almost like a loose jello. Then you slice it, heat it gently, and it starts to look like this:

Wild, right? Then you scoop it all into a cheesecloth-lined sieve. Once most of the liquid whey has drained out, you hang it. Not as simple as it might sound. I didn't have anything to hang it from, so I rigged up this contraption with a pot and some chopsticks:

Then you press the cheese for about 24 hours, turning it a couple of times. Who said you could only use weights in the gym? (Don't worry, it's clean, and not touching the cheese)

Finally, after about a day and a half, I got to unwrap the cheese. It looks like this:

A little lumpy and misshapen, for sure. Now it sits for 3-5 days in the open air, before I wax it and let it cure for two whole months. I'm feeling totally impatient, but also super-excited that soon I'll have my very own made-at-home cheese!

Couscous with Spinach and Feta

This recipe is such an old favorite, I can't believe I haven't' shared it with you before. The ingredient list is a little lengthy, but every ingredient is worth it, and it really doesn't take that long to prepare, unless you're cooking the meat while you make dinner. I usually use some leftover meat - just about anything will do. The original recipe called for chicken, but I love it with leftover lamb, beef, or even venison.

Couscous with Spinach and Feta

Ingredients:

• 8-12 ounces beef, chicken, or lamb, cooked
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup gluten-free couscous (I use this. If you're not gluten-free, regular or Israeli couscous would be good too)
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Zest of one lemon, plus the juice
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 6-8 ounces baby spinach
• 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

In a medium pot, saute the shallot in the olive oil until it begins to soften. Toss in the garlic, half the lemon zest, and red pepper flakes, and saute until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the couscous and toast for about one minute. Add 1 cup water (or the amount recommended on the package), and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to the lowest setting, cover, and let sit about 15 minutes, or until the couscous is cooked.

When the couscous is cooked, stir in the spinach, a handful at a time, until it is all wilted. Remove the pan from heat, and stir in the meat and half the feta cheese.

Divide between two plates. Top with the remaining feta cheese and drizzle with the remaining lemon zest and lemon juice.

Makes two generous or three modest portions. Can easily be doubled (or tripled) to serve more people. Keeps well one or two days in the fridge.

Kale & Herb Ricotta Cheese

Kale & Herb Ricotta Cheese...it sounds so pretentious, doesn't it? Well, hold up a minute, because this is amazing. And there's really not that much to it. Plus, you can use it on anything...

Spread on toasted gluten-free English muffins...

As ravioli filling...

Or just eaten out of the jar whenever the urge for a snack hits you. (Not that I would do that...)

You can definitely use store-bought ricotta here, but I used this recipe to make my own because I felt like playing around in the kitchen. Either way. Just be sure you try it out!

Kale and Herb Ricotta Cheese

This little recipe was inspired by some gluten-free chard and ricotta cannelloni I had while in Italy. I usually don't care much for chard, but ordered it anyway to be an adventurous eater. Anyways, the chard was chopped up into such tiny pieces I didn't mind it at all - in fact, I enjoyed it! You could certainly use a chard leaf or other dark green here. Let your imagination run wild!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 leaf lacinto kale (aka "Dino" kale), finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch onion powder
• Pinch garlic powder

Put the kale into a medium skillet and place over medium heat, just until it starts to wilt and then sizzle. Remove from heat and stir in the parsley, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder. Let it cool, then stir into the ricotta. 

Use on pizza, toast, as pasta filling, or as a sneaky snack. Keeps in the fridge for about a week - not that it'll last that long!

Home-Made Ricotta Cheese

So...I never thought I'd be making my own cheese, but I couldn't find any organic ricotta cheese at the grocery store and decided to give it a shot.  It was so easy, I'll definitely be doing it again. And again, and again...

All you need is milk, lemon juice, and salt. Whole milk and cream work best - the lower fat milks just won't work for this. The measurements don't seem to matter too much. I used about a quart of whole milk, a cup of cream, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Pour the milk and cream into a saucepan, and slowly heat to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. It'll get sort of foamy as it gets to that temperature. Remove from heat.

Last(ish) Caprese

When I made this caprese, I was sure it would be the last of the season. It's the last of the season with tomatoes from my garden, to be sure, although I did find some tomatoes at the farmer's market.

Like so many gardeners do, I say goodbye to tomato season with mixed feelings. I'm glad that the time to be overwhelmed with tomatoes waiting to be canned, frozen, or eaten is drawing to a close. I have plenty of tomatoes canned or tucked into the freezer to get me through the winter, but I sure will miss fresh tomatoes since I absolutely refuse to buy tomatoes from the grocery store in the winter.

Okra Fritter and Goat Cheese Salad

 Remember my Jail Kale Stew? It was made with kale grown as a part of a program for inmates at the local jail. On a later trip to the farmer's market, I picked up some okra at the jail's produce stand. Okra's not something that's easy to find out here, so I jumped at the chance to get some. And of course, it has to be fried.

I made these fritters (using gluten-free flour, of course), and they came out wonderfully. I may or may not have eaten a couple right out of the pan. But just to be sort-of healthy and offset the deep-fried okra, I made a salad with extra goat cheese for good measure. Eaten out on the porch, it was just the right combination of hot and cool, greasy and leafy. Yum!

A.S.S. Sandwich (Avocado, Salami, Spinach)

I don't eat sandwiches that often anymore. Not many lunch meats agree with my stomach. Plus, there's something sad about sandwiches you bring to work - the lettuce wilts, the cheese melts into the sandwich, and you can only have so many toppings. Plus, there's nothing worse than stale or soggy bread.

But occasionally I like to have a real sandwich with all the fixings. Mayo all around. Cooked onions on one side, cheese and salami on the other. Sprinkle on some chili powder, salt and pepper. Toast. 

Add some sliced avocado, then some spinach.

Put it all together, and then hang on tight to slice it in half.

 Enjoy in the sunshine.

Wine and Cheese

My ultimate dinner. Mostly it's about the wine and cheese. The fruit, because you need something fresh, and the bread and sausage for something with good chew to it. The bread is this baguette, smeared with roasted garlic butter and toasted. Perfect any time, but especially wonderful eaten on the porch, basking in the day's last rays of sunshine.