 ...Given Venice’s romantic associations, it is somewhat ironic that the city hasn’t exactly had a history of blossoming true love. The annals of Venice cite domestic disputes of the conjugal kind all over the place – husbands decapitating their cheating wives; fathers killing their daughters for marrying the wrong guy; ghosts cutting off the ring fingers of their very much alive lovers... (more...)
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"Americans are very familiar with Italy, but it's of course a stereotypical image. One of loud noisy people piling around a bowl of spaghetti and red Sauce, Tony Soprano mafia types, listening to Opera, kissing two cheeks and lots of talking with our hands."   Man-Made Island & Fish Market in Treviso  A Treviso canal More people would know about--and visit--Treviso if it wasn't for everyone wanting to go to see it's bigger sister, Venice. Treviso lies about 25 miles north-east of Venice with it's own watery world of canals and moats that surround the towns medieval walls and meander throughout, giving it a very different experience than Venice. There are no gondolas here, mainly because the canals here have fast moving water fed from the mountains just to the north. Many think of Treviso as being worthy of just a day trip, but it would serve well for a longer stay as a hub to explore the Veneto and its wonderful towns and cities like Padua, Vicenza, Verona and Mantova. The town has its own treasures and curiosities that any traveler will enjoy, and with waterways at every turn, it gives one a feeling more akin to Amsterdam than Venice. The amazing thing about the town is that it was terribly bombed during World War II but wonderfully restored. I experienced towns like this in France years ago, where the locals loved their history so much that they put back the towns exactly as they stood before, stone by stone. Now that's love.  Treviso at night  Piazza dei Signori This is a walking or cycling town, with a maze of streets and covered porticoes to walk, shop and dine under--perfect even on rainy days. Walking around the town you'll find fragments of frescoes which used to be on every home but now are preserved as one of the towns treasures of the past. The old defensive walls, portals and moat circle the historic center along with its canals and fiumes, with the River Sile running just to the south of the town center. The canals are wonderful places to walk or cycle, lined with paths, grassy areas, weeping willows, mill wheels and stylish houses. This is a well-off town that doesn't rely on tourism, so you won't find the touristy fare here--no souvenir shops. It has wealth from its famed businesses, like clothing retailer Benetton, Lotto Sport Italia, appliance maker De'Longhi, and bicycle maker Pinarello--among others. But this doesn't mean there is nothing worthy of a traveler to see here... there's a wealth of beauty, restaurants, shops, churches, towers and art. The town's center is certainly the Piazza dei Signori, with its covered arcades. There is something cozy and very Old World about sitting in an outdoor cafe having your espresso or a lunch with a friend under the vaulted protection of an arcade--a great option on a rainy day (in case you are an off season voyager). The Palazzo dei Trecento is Treviso's town hall also sits on the Piazza. Treviso is a great place to just take walks and be surprised by the sudden appearance of yet another canal around the next corner or by the contrast of some world class modern architecture mixed wonderfully into the old matrix of the place. There are many chic bars, cafés, and restaurants to try out the local cuisine and wines. And don't forget, Treviso is the birthplace of that sparkling dream of a wine called Prosecco. Have a glass with some little pastries for me! So, as a hub to explore the Veneto, as a weekend getaway (away from cruise ship throngs) or as an alternative base for making late day sojourns into Venice (when most of the tourists have gone), consider Treviso. With it's own airport and train station, it's easy to get to and enjoy... --Jerry Finzi If you enjoyed this post, please, please, please, tell your friends about us. Ciao! Like a nice glass of wine, a good cigar can be smelled and tasted. A high quality cigar is a special delight, and Italy is an esteemed cigar production powerhouse. Famous for Florentine steak, sculpture, and architecture, Tuscany also features the popular Tuscan cigars... (more...)   "While we Italians have a reputation for being welcoming, we really expect you to adapt to our lifestyle when you are visiting. If you start complaining about the Italian lifestyle and claim things were better back home, don't expect sympathy. Only Italians are allowed to point out what's wrong with our own country!"
 SS Italia carried my father in the winter of 1917 but was torpedoed and sunk by May of the same year 46 miles off the heel of Italy. It was one of the coldest winters in history, temps were in the low teens when they arrived. "Many of us Italians are perplexed by the American tendency to claim Italian heritage, often having to trace back many generations to do so. We are Italians. We never left. You are Italian-Americans at best. It's not the same thing."  My grandfather, Sergio Finzi & family on the SS Italia's manifest, sailing from Naples, arriving New York on January 18, 1917. My Dad is Saverio. They arrived with only $40 and hope...  I love this pizza in winter. The addition of potato gives it a heartier appeal. If you really wanted to go overboard, the toppings can include paper thin sliced potatoes and sliced garlic. Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons active dry yeast 1-1/4 cups warm water (115ºF) 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 tablespoon salt 1-1/2 tablespoons garlic powder 1 medium potato (about 1/3 pound) 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil First peel the potato then cut into cubes. Boil the potatoes in water until a fork goes through easily (about 20-30 minutes) Drain for 5-10 minutes in a colander. Meanwhile, in a small bowl dissolve the yeast in 1-1/4 cups of warm water and set aside to rise until there is about 1" foam on top. In a large bowl stir together the 2 1/2 cups flour, the garlic powder and the salt. Using a potato ricer, rice the potatoes directly into the bowl with the flour mixture. Make a well in the flour and potato and pour in the olive oil and the yeast/water mixture. Using a wooden spoon, gradually incorporate the ingredients together into a dough ball. The dough shouldn't be sticky. If it is, dust with a bit more flour. If it's too dry, try spraying with water from a spray bottle, then reform. Place your ball of dough onto a floured work surface and knead by hand at least 5 minutes. The dough should be a bit elastic with a smooth texture. It should not be sticky. Dust with a bit of flour as needed. Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour. Meanwhile, oil a half sheet pan with olive oil and preheat the oven to 425 F. After the dough has risen, gently punch it down, then roll it out with a rolling pin or using your hands flatten and enlarge it to roughly the size of your pan. Place it carefully into the pan and use your fingers to bring it out to the edges. You can form a raised edge if you wish. You can let the dough rise a second time or make your pizza right away. Either way, before topping your pizza, poke a series of holes in the center of the dough to prevent bubbles from forming. You can use a tool called a docker for this. Top the pizza with sauce and toppings of your choice and bake for 15-20 minutes. After 15 minutes, check the bottom of the crust to ensure browning using a small spatula to lift and edge to take a peek. If it's browned enough, and your toppings are cooked, your pizza is ready. If the bottom needs more time, bake for an additional 2-5 minutes. If your toppings need a bit of extra browning or melting, turn your oven to broil for a minute or two. When done, slice the pizza with a pizza wheel cutter and use a kitchen shears to cut the edges of the crust free. You can replace the potato with 1-1/2 cups of a good quality instant potato, and you might think about adding some sliced and lightly sautéed garlic cloves (about 4-5) in place of the garlic powder. You might also use paper thin slices of potatoes (gourmet fingerlings would ne great) on top of the pizza as well. Enjoy! --Jerry Finzi If you enjoyed this recipe, please tell your friends to stop by Grand Voyage Italy and don't forget to click the LIKE button... grazie!  "It's not just what Americans eat that bothers us Italians – we are also bewildered by when you eat it. Expect looks of incredulity if you insist on eating at an American-friendly time of 5 or 6pm. In Italy, the evening meal doesn't start until a few hours later... 8pm is early for us. On the bright side, you might find you get a usually-crowded restaurant to yourself--if you find one open, that is."
 I've been more active on Facebook since I started writing this blog... the reason is twofold. First, it is a way I can share our Grand Voyage Italy posts with more people. Secondly, there is a wealth of information on FB pages dedicated to various aspects of Italian life: cooking, travel tips, learning Italian, Italian style and fashions, Italian business news from Italy--you name it. Here are a few of my favorites for exploring Facebook to learn about Italy rather than just using it as a gossip board...
Living in Italy-Travel Experiences https://www.facebook.com/groups/144889008929897/ This FB page is for expats living in Italy. It's a great place to get the real deal on getting by in Italy--shopping, traveling, language, trains, renting cars, suggestions on places to visit or eat. It's a great bunch of people to make friends with. One caution though... be respectful of the fact that many of the people posting are from families on U.S. Government or Military deployment. They are not on vacation--they really do live in Italy, sometimes not by choice. So, as long as you are respectful of this fact, join in on the conversations and ask for advice. ITALIAN RECIPE'S https://www.facebook.com/groups/492589317487758/ This is one of my favorites for incredibly authentic Italian recipes. There are even lots of Italian nationals posting to this page with their Nonna's recipes... what a wealth of heritage here. What can be better than cooking and enjoying the real Italy before you even take a trip there... or to keep eating such authentic recipes even after you've returned home? You know you're Italian when... https://www.facebook.com/groups/1473514092894389/1624349427810854/ This is small but fun group that shares memories of growing up in Italy, recipes, destinations, photos of their hometowns, historic photos and jokes. It seems to be made up mostly of Italians who are living in the U.S. but like to share things about Italy. Lots of fun. Italy Magazine https://www.facebook.com/ItalyMagazine?fref=ts This magazine has a fairly good page with lots of links to articles on various aspects of planning trips to Italy. Lingua Italia https://www.facebook.com/groups/linguaitalia/ Italian For Beginners! Study materials and resources to help you learn Italian. To find the "Beginner Lessons" click the "FILES" section. Very helpful batch of people there. The Godfather https://www.facebook.com/groups/235081736680856/ A page for for Godfather fans... or should I say fanatics. Lots of fun learning the meanings behind some of the smallest details of the Godfather trilogy. My Italy https://www.facebook.com/ItalyMe/timeline This is a popular FB page that links to a young family's blog. Subjects cover all aspects of Italian life, travel, wines and cuisine. Pizza Making https://www.facebook.com/PizzaMaking/timeline Making pizza... that's what this page is about. There are many types of stories, links to recipes and more. Want to know about the history of pizza? Check this page out. L'Italo-Americano Newspaper https://www.facebook.com/lists/914973645191720 The page for America's oldest Italian-American newspaper, a mix of stories from Italy and the Italian American community... history, news, art, recipes and just plain fun stuff. Italian Recipe Box on Yummly https://www.facebook.com/Italian.Recipes.are.Yummly?fref=ts Not exactly authentic Italian recipes, but there are a lot of recipes here. For Italian recipes with a heavy American slant (expecially for busy Moms). Life in Italy https://www.facebook.com/lifeinitaly?fref=nf Life in Italy is exactly that... Italy and Italian Culture. Italian News, Fashion, food and Italian Culture. Italian Language and Lifestyle. Italia.it https://www.facebook.com/italia.it?ref=timeline_chaining This is the "official" Italian travel page on FB, but what I like about it is that every post in in both English and Italian. Spend a little time reading about places to visit and hone your Italian language skills at the same time! Learn Italian with Lucrezia https://www.facebook.com/LearnItalianwithLucrezia/timeline Lucrezia is a sparkly, well spoken Italian young lady who has a very comprehensive FB pag and blog with many videos on all sorts of subjects used in language lessons. It's sometimes difficult to find beginner lessons, but keep scrolling and you'll find a lesson worth doing. By the way, even though she's only 23 years old, Lucrezia speaks English, Spanish and French besides her native Italian. Italy Food https://www.facebook.com/ItalyFoodPage?fref=ts Another great Italian food and recipe page. Links to all sorts of recipes. Very popular. --Jerry Finzi If you enjoyed this post, please LIKE it and tell your friends about us. Grazie. "Pizza is a lot like sex. When it's good, it's really good. When it's bad, it's still pretty good..."  I you want to learn about Italy, food, life and humor, then Two Greedy Italians is for you. It is a BBC television series that was broadcast on BBC Two in the UK. The series follows charming chefs Gennaro Contaldo and Antonio Carluccio as they travel back to their homeland for the first time in 15 years... to see how their Italian society and food has evolved over the years. There is also an accompanying cook book called Two Greedy Italians: Carluccio and Contaldo's Return to Italy that you can find on Amazon. A second series entitled Two Greedy Italians: Still Hungry was also produced. These two old chefs have it all.... experience with food, life and great charisma. --Jerry Finzi If you like this post, please SHARE and LIKE it... grazie! |
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