Dinner in Padova

I was invited to have dinner with friends in Padova. He cooked pasta with olive in tomato sauce. Normally I do not like salty olives, but enjoyed olives in the tomato sauce. It gave the dish extra bites. A simple dish but very tasty! Of course, after the first pasta dish, we had salads, cheese, salami and chocolate. It was my first time to try the spicy salami: very very very spicy! But very tasty!

The diner take hours to finish and we enjoyed meal with wines and laugher – that is a real family dinner! I love Italian food culture, especially the hours-long dinner, just like in China.

Italian Radicchio

“Radicchio is a leaf chicory (Cichorium intybus, Asteraceae), sometimes known as Italian chicory. It is grown as a leaf vegetable which usually has white-veined red leaves. It has a bitter and spicy taste, which mellows when it is grilled or roasted.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radicchio

I had it all the time in salad and do not really like the bitter taste. It was interesting to see the Italian radicchio in Venice Market. They look like a flower rather than the round melon ones we have in Canada. They also have medicinal properties: a blood purifier and an aid for insomniacs.

“In the same way that the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese-makers of Parma, Italy, have sought to protect the name "Parmesan" to signify only cheeses made in their region under the supervision of a regulating body, so too have the radicchio farmers of the Veneto sought to protect the names of some radicchio varieties, including Tardivo(see pic).”

“…the modern radicchio with its rich wine-red white-ribbed leaves was developed in the 1860s by Francesco Van Den Borre, a Belgian agronomist who applied the techniques used to whiten Belgian endive to the plants grown around Treviso…”

http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0094.htm

That site also has some cool links to radicchio recipes.

Take the receipt!

I always like to bring some snacks on train so I will not be hungry. My favorite kinds are those butter-enriched biscuits (filling and tasty). I found some in a small bakery near Turin train station. I also saw thin bread that had a weird shape. I am not sure what it suppose look like? A person?
To my surprise, after my purchase, the vendor insists that I take the receipt with me. She told me without the receipt police can give me trouble. This was the first time hearing about it! They say it is the way to make sure stores pay tax. But why do I have to carry it outside the store? I normally hate to carry unless extra papers in the purse. Later a friend told me that even after one coffee, I should take the receipt as well.

Memory Lost

It is rare to see English in non-tourist areas in Italy. The ones I saw did not really make senses like the one in picture: Memory Lost! I hope not those cows.

Sunflower????

I saw them in the market. The sign says: sunflower. But they do not look like sunflower to me. Or Italian sunflower is different?
Very interested to know what is it and how you eat it?

Market in Turin

Every market is different for me and I always enjoy visiting them while traveling. My friend told me that they deliver fishes from Sicily to Turin by airplane; therefore, you can get freshest fish in Turin. The fish market is fully of people at weekend. It was quite an amazing place to visit.
Out of the fish market, there are other parts sell fruits, vegetables, flowers, etc. The market is huge and it seems ever end. I was so delighted when I saw they are selling cherry blossoms. It was the beginning of March. It was still very chill but the cherry blossoms represent spring for me. While spring in Toronto does not come till May, I felt really lucky to see them in March.

Fried Duck – specialty in Turin???

Unfortunately with all tasty deserts, I did not have a chance to have an equally amazing food. It was Sunday and most places are closed in the district we were. After walking around in circles, we finally found a restaurant for lunch. It was 2pm and it was packed with people. So I thought the food should be good.

I asked my Italian friend: what is the traditional dish on this menu?
He suggested me: fried duck.

I have never heard fried duck is Italian specialty. But oh well, I have to try it once. The half of fried duck came with roasted potato. The duck is the driest meat I have ever had. I really regret of ordering the dish. That cannot be their specialty or Italian like dry meat?

My friend ordered Ravioli, which is pretty good. Now I know, for restaurant, I have to go with right people. Rushing into a restaurant just because it was open, that will be a biggest mistake!