The Great Radicchio Experiment of 2013

Early last week while at the market, Mike and I found ourselves discussing how much radicchio is eaten in this city. It's available everywhere, in every season, in four different varieties.  For as much radicchio as abounds here, we also noted that we don't eat it very much. And when we do eat it, it's in a salad. Bottom line- we aren't really fond of radicchio. It has a bitter taste that we are not particularly fond of.

So there we were in the market surrounded by radicchio and all sorts of people buying radicchio, but not us. I wondered what they knew that we didn't. I decided that we should give radicchio another go, perhaps we could discover ways to cook it that would be more interesting and palatable to us. I got in line and bought up radicchio.  I bought the type that is native to Treviso, but not the finger looking variety. There is also a much rounder head of radicchio that looks very much like a red cabbabe that is native to Chioggio, also close to Venice.

 Radicchio from Treviso, the Precoce variety

This one, also from Treviso, is the Tardivo variety

We ate radicchio every day this past week. I'm not kidding. Every day. First we tried a tagliolini with sausage, carmelized onions and radicchio.  Not too bad. 

Next came a lasagna with radicchio, nothing but layers of bechamel and cooked radicchio. This was just ok. We ate leftovers for 2 days.

Another lasagna came next, this time with a ragu of duck and radicchio, and more bechamel.  Better than the first lasagna. We ate this and its leftovers for 2 more days. 

I had a third lasagna to try, a slight variation on the theme using ricotta and marscapone instead of the bechamel layers. I'm sorry to say that by Friday, we could eat no more radicchio. The last lasagna attempt is going to be put off for awhile. 

The results of the experiment, you wonder?  It is unanimous. At our house, we are not radicchio lovers. We're happy we gave it a shot. The recipes we tried were interesting and forced us to step out of our radicchio comfort zone, and yes, I know, we didn't give radicicchio risotto a try. Sad to say, ..... radicchio won't be making it onto the list of vegetables we can't get enough of.  

We're not quite done with our kitchen experimenting though. Next up is the Great Finocchio (Fennel) experiment of 2013. 

It's Venice, it's winter,and it's time to go to the market.

In Venice for a winter holiday and can't decide what to wear to go to Rialto market?  Here's just a handful of the fur choices seen yesterday.

 Mostardo, an Italian fruit and mustard condiment, typically served with boiled meats,  consists of fruits preserved in a syrup mixed with either powdered mustard seed or mustard essence. The one shown above  is in the window of one of my favorite shops,  Drogheria Moscari, a wonderful old grocery  located on Calle degli Spezieri in the San Polo district, very close to the Rialto bridge.

This Babbo Natale wasn't wearning any fur, but how could I resist?


 Our Italian word of the day is pelliccia- fur coat.  

Ciligie!!!!

Ciligie! Dark Cherries!! It's cherry season here in Venice, and this year they have been absolutely delicious. We can't stop eating them, I've been making a trip to the market every day for another kilo of ciligie! Eating them is sheer bliss. I am not looking forward to the day I go to the market and discover the cherry season has ended. So, in the meantime, I plan to enjoy every bite!

365 days of Venice - The Rialto Market

On my list of top 10 things to see in Venice is the Rialto market. Get up early in the morning and walk to the market to see the most incredible display of produce and fish you will ever see. This is one of the best markets you'll find in Italy.


The first time I went to the Rialto Market we were in Venice for 12 days, staying in a hotel. We couldnt buy anything other than some fruit to eat that day, but I couldnt help but wish to shop there for food I could cook for myself. How could you not want to cook when you are surrounded by the abundance of unbelieveable produce you see here??

The next year I got my wish. I stayed for 3 weeks in an apartment in Castello and was able to walk to the Rialto most mornings to shop. I'd try to learn the Italian names for the things I wanted to buy, then I could ask for what I needed and try to have a conversation wtih the produce vendors. One morning when I needed some sage, I stumbled over the name. The woman in the stall came around to the outside and gave me a little Italian lesson. She took the time to point to each herb and teach me the name, then gave me the sage and basil that I needed for free, with a smile and a wave of her hand. This is one of my best memories of our visits to Venice.

One thing you must remember, not only at the Rialto market but in all markets in Italy--- don't touch the produce!!! You must ask the vendor for what you want, and they will select the best items for you.