Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Trattoria Madonna Venice Italy

 





Trattoria alla Madonna

VENICE


Mr. Fulvio Rado opened Trattoria alla Madonna in Venice in 1954 and for the last 35 years it has been managed by his son Lucio. There are nine dining rooms at alla Madonna and one of the features of this Venice trattoria is the wealth of Italian contemporary artwork which decorate its walls.

The antipasti counter and seafood chiller are at the front of the restaurant and as we waited for our table, we were entertained watching the waiters in their black and white uniforms busily assembling antipasto plates and seafood dishes ordered by diners. The clientele was a mix of locals and tourists. It may have been my imagination but the tourists were ushered to the left section of the restaurant and we found ourselves sitting next to an American couple, a Malaysian guy and a French couple. In front of us was a table occupied by a Japanese group.





The Buffet Table



Seafood Specialties

Trattoria alla Madonna specializes in seafood which suited us just fine, but if you prefer meat, they do have meat dishes on their menu, such as Fegato alla Veneziana (liver), Scaloppine di Vitello (veal scaloppine) and Costato di Vitello (grilled veal chops).  Although I was tempted by the Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia (squid-ink spaghetti), we ordered the Antipasto Misto di Pesce, followed by  Risotto ai Frutti di Mare (seafood risotto) and the Fritto Misto (mixed seafood). The French couple next to us, who were medical professors from Dijon, have been coming to the Trattoria alla Madonna for over 20 years. Madame Carli insisted that I have a taste of her Granseola Condita, the trattoria’s specialty crab-meat antipasto. It was very tasty and certainly a dish that I would have on our next visit.

Trattoria alla Madonna serves traditional Venetian dishes at reasonable prices.  Whilst we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner there, I would not go so far as to say that the food was excellent – I’ve had nicer Risotto ai Frutti di Mare elsewhere. The trattoria’s menu is quite large so it requires more than one visit to get an appreciation of the restaurant’s offerings. We liked the lively atmosphere of the trattoria and would certainly dine there again.

How to Get to Alla Madonna

From the foot of the Rialto Bridge, at the San Polo end of the bridge, turn left and follow the Riva del Vin along the Grand Canal. Look out for Sottoportego della Madonna, the second passageway on your right, which then becomes Calle della Madonna. Trattoria alla Madonna, with a big yellow sign across the street, is on your left.

By Vaporetto : Take the # 1 Vaporetto and get off at the Rialto Market. The restaurant is right there, just ask someone for directions on how to make the two minute walk.

Note: Trattoria alla Madonna is closed on Wednesdays. It is also closed for holidays all of January and for two weeks in August.

Address:

Trattoria alla Madonna
Calle della Madonna
San Polo, Venice






The FEAST of The 7 FISH

ITALIAN CHRISTMAS

SEAFOOD RECIPES

365 DAYS a YEAR












POSITANO The AMALFI COAST

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Saturday, July 31, 2021

Lunch at Da Aldolfo Positano Italy

 






About Da ALDOLFO



It was back in 1966 that Adolfo “Pinkerton” Bella, from Positano, with his American wife Lucille, created the restaurant of the same name located on the Laurito beach in Positano. Adolfo and Lucille had met, fell in love and married in Positano. They already had three children - Sergio, Melania and Daniele - when they began what was then called "an adventure". But who is Adolfo Bella? To learn about this extraordinary character, you have to go back in time when Adolfo was taken prisoner and interned on the island of Crete during the Second World War. During his imprisonment he had the opportunity to know the atrocities of war experienced every day on his skin, but he also knew the wild beauty of the island's nature that was imprinted forever in his mind. After the liberation, the harsh experiences of the war led him to enlist in the partisan ranks with the nom de guerre Jimmy. The headquarters of these partisans was the village of Val di Taro near Parma and there were many sabotage actions that Adolfo, as partisan commander, organized with great courage and contempt for danger. One for all is the sabotage of the bridge over the Taro which marked a moment of great difficulty for the enemy army. After the war, Adolfo returned to his Positano and began to earn a living renting bicycles and then lambrettas and then small cars to the first tourists who began to return to Positano. During the summer Adolfo supplemented his work by being a water ski instructor and used the first Riva motorboats as a means of transport that were seen whizzing through the waters of Positano. And it was during one of these excursions that Adolfo saw the small and wild beach of Laurito: in his mind came the memory of his Greek island where despite being a prisoner he had had the opportunity to discover simplicity of life and adoration for the sea. The decision was immediate: here and only here he would build a small welcoming place for those who wanted to refresh themselves in the silence and beauty of nature. Today, after 40 years, the beach of Laurito, with its restaurant, have become, despite their "wild simplicity", a national and international meeting place that has attracted stars and divas, politicians and magnates, artists and ordinary people. which all return to the beach of the “da Adolfo” restaurant in Laurito. It is as if they had made an "ideal date" to find themselves in this dream corner. What dictated this success? It is easy to explain.

If in your mind and in your heart you are looking for a reference of pristine beauty to spend your days of freedom at sea and in the sea caressed by a breeze that discreetly spreads on your skin, if you want to be flooded by the sun, if you want to taste food with an ancient flavor prepared in a skilful way, if you aspire to keep away the intrusive sounds of radios, I-Pods and mobile phones, if you want to immerse yourself and swim in a cave where the mineral waters of a spring invade it before diving into the sea, the beach di Laurito fully satisfies all these desires of yours. Here is the explanation of the continued success of this paradise. Today, as 40 years ago, you can reach Laurito beach by sea, on a Sorrento gozzo which in less than 15 minutes picks you up from the large pier of Positano and lands you on the beach that has been defined as “the last paradise”. The short journey along the coast, towards Amalfi, plunges you into those “deep and liquid silences like the green eyes of a green cat” which are “the appetizer of the spirit” that will make you enjoy the time you spend on the Laurito beach. This short transfer is a free and exclusive service made for the customers of the “da Adolfo” restaurant. Today, as always, Adolfo, from the height of his venerable age, oversees the life of Laurito while the reins of the management have passed to his son Sergio who, in full respect of traditions, has made intelligent improvements to the structure of the restaurant without upset the initial appearance of the place. The culinary traditions that have determined the success of the restaurant da Adolfo a Laurito are fully respected. (Just mention, one for all, the slices of mozzarella, spread on wild lemon leaves collected from the trees that grow on the rocky cliffs behind the beach and cooked on a charcoal grill to justify a trip to this "last paradise" ). The days spent on the beach of Laurito have a background soundtrack created by the undertow that softly murmurs on the stones and which naturally mixes with the calls of the cormorants that quickly dive into the waters. Their dives help fishermen to identify the schools of fish that cross the sea of ​​Positano offshore. If you want to live in these atmospheres and respect these traditions, find yourself on the pier of Positano and jump into Adolfo's gozzo. You will easily recognize it because the mast of this goiter is surmounted by a large wooden fish painted red.








Da Aldolfo

The MENU






ALDOLFO



INFO

RESTAURANT / BAR / WHALE
RESTAURANT / BAR / BEACH ESTABLISHMENT


- 5 minutes from Positano by boat
- 5 minutes from Positano by boat

-
Leaves from the pier from 10 am to 1 pm (look for the red fish) and comes back from 4 pm onwards ... - The boat leaves the pier from 10 am (look the red fish ) and returns from 4 pm on…

- The boat service is free and reserved only for restaurant customers.
- The boat service is free of charge and reserved for restaurant clients only.


Other beach services include: Bathrooms, Change room, Shower


HOUSE SPECIALTIES 


- Mozzarella grilled on lemon leaves
- Grilled mozzarella on the lemon leaf

- Mussel soup
- Mussel soup

- Fresh grilled fish
- Fresh grilled fish

- Chicken Adolfo
- Adolfo's chicken

- Tart
- Fresh fruit crust pie

- Local Wine
- Local wine






POSITANO The AMALFI COAST

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ITALY







Wednesday, July 28, 2021

AL PACINO

 



AL PACINO





SUNDAY SAUCE alla PACINO

MAKE CLEMENZA'S GODFATHER SUNDAY SAUCE

alla PACINO





Ever want to make Clemenza's Godfather Sunday Sauce Italian Gravy ? The one that Corleone Capo Pete Clemenza show Michael Corleone (AL Pacino ) 
how to make for 20 guys someday. Well now you can. The recipe is in the Best Selling Italian Cookbook Sunday Sauce by New York Italian, Sicilian-American author Daniel Bellino "Z"  ...

This best selling Italian Cookbook that is a special favorite of Italian-Americans has lots of great recipe, like: Spaghetti & Meatballs, Italian Wedding Soup, 
Sunday Gravy all' Prigione from Goodfellas, and family recipes from 
the Sinatra Family, Joe DiMaggio's mom's Gravy, and more.

Sunday Sauce was the # 1 Best Selling Italian Cookbook on Amazon Kindle for more than 2 years, and remains a Best Selling Italian Cookbook to this day. 

Sunday Sauce is available in Paperback and Amazon Kindle.

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Richard Castellano and Al Pacino

The GODFATHER

Based on Mario Puzo's novel The GODFATHER

Directed by FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA

Starring : Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, James Caan,

John Cazale, Robert Duvall


 





Monday, July 26, 2021

Enoteca Italiana Italian Wine Siena

 




ENOTECA ITALIANA

SIENA

ITALY









Inside the ENOTECA ITALIANA, SIENA

Inside The FORTEZZA MEDICEA

Where you can taste the Best Wines from all over Italy, all in one spot.






Sunday, July 18, 2021

Bucatini Amatriciana Recipe

 




BUCATINI AMATRICIANA


Pasta all' Amatriciana (or matriciana) is a typical dish of Roman trattorias and taverns but originally from the town of Amatrice. The basic ingredients are basically three: pecorino, guanciale and tomato sauce. The most traditional pasta forms that the Amatriciana Sauce, are : Bucatini, Spaghetti, or Rigatoni. This pasta dish along with Spaghetti Carbonara, and Cacio Pepe are the 3 famous pasta dishes of the Roman Culinary Repertoire. Of these three famous Roman Pasta Dishes, Pasta all'Amatriciana is the easiest to perfect and the only one of the three in which you can make the sauce before serving the pasta, as well as being able to make a large portion of sauce, refrigerating it, and being able to use it for several days, whereas Carbonara and Cacio Pepe have to be eaten immediately, and can not be made ahead of time. These are the advantages that Past all'Amatriciana has over Pasta Carbonara and Cacio Pepe.

Basta !





PASTA AMATRICIANA


INGREDIENTS :

1 pound Bucatini, Spaghetti, or Rigatoni pasta 
120g / 4½ oz guanciale (cured pork jowl)
6-7 San Marzano tomatoes
100g / 3½ oz grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
½ glass dry white wine
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Black pepper

PREPARATION : 

Fill a large pot with water, add salt and bring it to the boil.
In the meantime, heat the extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan. Chop the guanciale into thick strips, add it to the an and cook until crispy. Add the white wine, cook for a minute to reduce, then remove the guanciale from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add six or seven San Marzano tomatoes to the pan with the remaining oil and fat from the guanciale. Use a wooden spoon to flatten the tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes.
Cook the rigatoni in the pot of boiling water until al dente, add the crispy guanciale back into the pan of tomatoes then drain the pasta and add it to the sauce.
Toss everything together well then divide into portions and serve with a sprinkle of grated pecorino and a crack of freshly ground black pepper.





SUNDAY SAUCE

WHEN ITALIAN-AMERICANS COOK

And ITALIANS TOO !

RECIPES SUNDAY SAUCE - MEATBALLS - AMALTRICICAN

ITALIAN SOUPS - PASTA - LASAGNA

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