Usually it is the worst of our culture we export. Rap music, gangsta clothes and skateboards come immediately to mind. Sad to say, the punk language, attitude and fashion of our youth have spread throughout the world.
My recent visit to Venice, Italy, taught me that for once the US ha
s exported something good. I’m talking about trick or treating and Halloween. I was surprised to learn that our ghouls and ghosts custom is becoming very popular throughout Europe. This year the evening of October 31st, with its nearly full moon, was occasioned by bands of costumed tweens and teens making mischief on nearly all the streets I wandered. Little ones, accompanied by adults, plied the same thoroughfares in costumes. I might as well have been home! Venice, the city of masks, proved to be the perfect place to spend Halloween.
When I’d been in Italy long enough to forget what day it was, we had a rare free afternoon, a reprieve from tedious meetings, to enjoy the wonders of this most beautiful of cities. Armed with 2 maps, my companion and I decided that the Peggy Guggenheim Museum was our destination. To get there we had to walk from one end of the city to the other, crossing the Grand Canal – twice, backtracking and winding through uncharted narrow streets to reach our goal. In short, it was a grand adventure.
First, we made quick stops at the Vivaldi Musical Instrument Museum and the Leonardo da Vinci Machine Museum simply because they were there. Then, as dusk settled in, we renewed our search for the Guggenheim. More and more I noticed kids in costume and face paint and masks. That’s when I realized that it was Halloween. I made a mental note to stop at one of the many mask shops to pick one up for the dinner at the palace we also had to find. It was to become a masked ball!
ThePeggy Guggenheim Museum is fabulous! The famous horse and rider sculpture facing the Grand Canal is as salacious as promised, with all the available images of it taken from the rear to hide the rider’s . . . er . . . shall we say . . . excitement. I understand that the offending portion of the sculpture is removable to accommodate the arrival of school field trips. Apparently, even Italian children are shielded from some of the more intimate of nature’s miracles.
When the museum closed, we proceeded to wind our way through back alleys as if they were a maze, retreating from dead ends to forge on, exploring the nooks and crannies of the small neighborhoods that make up this beautiful city. That is, until we came to a piazza with alleys exiting it that weren’t on our maps! Stymied for the moment, we decided to take a chance on Via Tobacco, which led us to an even smaller “T” intersection with a sign for the Palace we sought. Following the arrow around a few corners landed us in a courtyard with no other indication of direction. We were definitely lost!
Before we panicked, our host for the evening, the Director of Italian Tourism, entered the courtyard from another direction. We’d found the location of the masked ball!
It was too easy! We’d arrived an hour early so nothing was set up yet. He directed us to a local Venetian bar with instructions to try the new wine, and we began another adventure.
Recipe for a Festival
Risotto for a crowd – (basically 6 cups of stock and some wine for every 2 cups of rice) OR about 5 lbs of rice, 1½ +/- gallons of chicken stock, some white wine, several onions, head of garlic, 1 lb cheese, oil, salt & pepper.
Standard Risotto cooking methods apply, but on a grander scale. Heat oil in large stock pot, chop and sauté onions and garlic, add rice and stir together for a few minutes. Gradually add liquid (heated, if possible) slowly, in many small batches, stirring constantly until each is absorbed, then adding more. If the rice is still too dry when all the broth is absorbed, start adding white wine to finish. Then stir in cheese (any kind) and add pepper & salt to taste.
Risotto is a Veneto specialty. We were served it every meal.
They made the risotto on the pavement behind the bar we were in, with a table set up next to the canal to serve it. It was an impromptu and alfresco “street festival” celebrating the arrival of the new wine AND the new holiday – Halloween! It was delicious! It was also a totally local neighborhood event where everyone spoke Italian, and a few of the old timers spoke the Venetian dialect. We were welcomed into the friendly crowd and had a great party. The wine was a new Malbeck, smooth, fruity and full-bodied, much better than the .80 cents a glass price would indicate! The Risotto was a donation of 2.4 Euros total for 3 plates. What a toothsome and tasty bargain we had for under 5 Euros! ($7.50) It was an adventure you can have only if you are open to new experiences, and happen to be in the right place at the right time. We were!
But, as the church bells tolled 8PM we had to take our leave of the fun street party and make our way back to the Palazzo for the Masked Ball. This was truly a fancy event! We had appetizers in the ground floor ballroom, and a full fancy dinner in the upstairs ballroom while costumed musicians played.
The Palazzo was typical of Venetian buildings – rather plain on the outside and opulent on the inside. Venetians don’t flaunt their wealth to the world, but – once inside – the frescos on the ceilings and walls, marble floors and gorgeous decorations all were of the finest quality. Venetians really know how to celebrate Halloween.
The Vicenzia region is to Venice what the State of New York is to the City of New York, the second home and vacation area that produces all the goods and services that keep the city running. From ski resorts in the Italian Alps to world class Palladio architecture, from excellent vineyards in the midlands to organic farms on the lowlands, this region is a tourist destination in its own right.
Mantegna Hotel in Padova - a TALL tower of nice rooms with great views and a sweet staff - look for it on the way into town.
To see how travel arrangements should be made go to the:
Italian Tourism Council
The Italian Government Tourist Board
Director North America: Riccardo Strano
630 Fifth Avenue - Suite 1565
New York, New York 10111
Tel: (212) 245-5618
Fax:(212) 586-9249
Richard Frisbie, FOOD Correspondent:
RICHARD FRISBIE is published twice a month to Gather Essentials: Food. It is a food junkie's take on growing, raising, preparing and - above all else - eating food. Together we?ll explore the trends, addictions, equipment and regional specialties that make up the sometimes mundane and sometimes sublime cooking and dining experience. You can keep up with my other postings and Gather activity by joining my Gather network -- I look forward to hearing from you.
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BIO - Richard Frisbie writes culinary travel articles, is a columnist for his local newspapers, and is a regular contributor to the many Hudson Valley, Catskill Mountain and other regional New York publications. Online, he writes frequent articles for EDGE Publications, GoNomad and Travel Lady, as well as Gather.
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Comments: 10
I had mine when the Spanish Tourism office invited me to their Year of Gastronomy Tour after reading a column on Paella I wrote for our local newspaper. Since then I've accepted similar invitations to travel all over the world.
This trip I was a guest of the Italian Travel Promotion Council and the Tourism Board.
These meetings were for Tourism Promotion in the Veneto region. They were held in the finest palaces and catered with fantastic food and wine.
I'm the Food Correspondent here on Gather. On EDGE I'm a correspondent and resident wine guy. In addition, I write for several other websites AND - for for my New York interests - I write for print media (both newspapers and magazines.) I am paid for these articles.
I live with a suitcase (or two) open and partially packed. I can be ready to travel in 24 hrs or less. I receive more invitations for dinners, hotel stays, weekend to weeklong trips (and longer) than I can accept. My bookshop is open everyday when I am not traveling. I try to live life to the fullest this time around. Next time . . . shrug . . . who knows?
I'm glad you liked the article.
Ciao Bella!
I sped read through this quickly but of course, will go back and absorb all the details as I am loving some of these pictures as well as these cooking with wine recipes and all the ambience and et cetera that your wonderful posts always provide...I know that adventure was a fun one and now let me go back and read this again slowly! It's like a fine wine - meant to savor. Salud
I have been thinking of trying a malbeck - but would rather be drinking there with you. Salud