Thank you, that's so nice of you. I'm much better now, thank goodness! I can send you the recipe, just drop me your email address on Instagram! @my_venetian_apartment.
Dearest Sinù, I'm so glad to hear that you are feeling so much better now. Your Christmas menu sounds scrumptious, yes please on the white lasagna with radicchio - yum - and I'm thrilled that you also like Venchi chocolate, their dark chocolate is my favorite of all, and I don't care how much it gets criticized for being sold on such a large scale. Your book recommendations, as always, sound so good, though the movie Green Sea will be first on my list - how intriguing to lose one's memory but not one's ability to cook. Do take care of yourself cara e spero di rivederci presto, xo
So glad to read another marvelous edition of your newsletter, Sinù, and to learn that you’re recovering well from your back injury. Friendship, wine with friends and beautiful curated meals are the best medicine!
That Christmas meal sounds amazing! I’d also love the recipe for the lasagna--and for the artichoke dish as well--if you care to share them. Actually it all sounds delicious! Looking forward to your next newsletter! Take good care of yourself.
Hurray, Sinù! Really looking forward to trying those. You're obviously a wonderful cook (and human being)! I'm glad if anything I've said has helped in any way. Sometimes I feel like we're all in a battle for our sanity, and our only salvation is each other--and whatever creative endeavor feeds our spirits and our bodies too! I hope you take good care of yourself.💝
You're so right, that's why we're not giving up this space and community even though life is busy and sometimes... painful. I'm so grateful we connected over Substack <3
Stewed artichokes and potatoes - a recipe from my FIL's home cooking repertoire. Feeds 3/4 as a side dish, or 2 as a veggie main with some steamed rice, or polenta.
INGREDIENTS
6 artichokes (we use the "purple / violetto " variety)
2-3 potatoes
Vegetable stock or hot water
Evo oil
Garlic
Salt & pepper
METHOD
Clean and quarter the artichokes. Cut the potatoes into chunks as big as the quartered artichokes. Lightly fry the garlic in a large pan and then add the artichokes and the potatoes. Cook for a little while then add the water/stock and cook for 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with a large handful of finely chopped parsley and serve.
NOTES
My FIL's recipe omits a few things: 1) quartered artichokes include a part of the stem as well as some of the softer inner leaves. For this recipe we don't use only the "heart" of the artichokes. 2) We don't know how much garlic he uses... he can be cryptic lol. So play around, I'd say start with 2 cloves. 3) The finished dish is not liquidy, the vegetables are soft but not mashed and they hold their shape.
I am so sorry to hear about your health issues, but that you have been recovering nicely and mostly pain free for a couple weeks now is such a wonderful thing to read And right before digging into the beautiful photos and food of your holiday, what could be better. 2022 was pretty awful for my health as well and I am still struggling, but I hope I will join your path towards mending soon. Take very good care of yourself, do all the things you enjoy and have been missing after that year! Sending you a gentle hug and all my support X
Hey Ana, thanks so much for reaching out. Your words really mean a lot to me, especially in light of your own health struggles. I hope you're feeling better soon! Just remember to prioritize yourself, every step forward, no matter how small, is a win.
Sending you a big virtual hug and all my support. Take care and stay strong!
Sinu, I’m sorry to hear about your injury but very glad you’re pain-free, finally. You’re newsletter really cheered me. The white lasagna sounds superb!! (Are you willing to part with the recipe?)
Hi Christy, thank you so much for your kind words and support ❤️ The white lasagna is definitely one of my favorites, and I'm more than happy to share the recipe. I've received several requests for it, so I'm trying to figure out the best way to share it with everyone. Would you prefer to receive it via email, Instagram story, or Twitter post? Let me know!
Hi Sinu, I'm not sure... I guess I thought you could publish it on your beautiful blog. But if you're averse to that idea, an email would be super! I'm at mackerelskymedia@gmail.com
Here is the recipe I use for a wonderful green lasagne that always gets rave reviews:
Wow, thank you for the recipe Christy, absolutely love the sound of it!
Ok then, I'll email it to you or I'll post it here in the comments, I should be able to find a bit of time in the coming days, so stay tuned and ready my friend 👩🍳
I am happy to hear you are feeling better. I didn’t know about all that was going on. I know how you feel though. I’ve been out of things lately. I’m not going to quit on the newsletter, I don’t want to let my friends down, but it’s been more difficult the last few weeks. Please keep getting better. You health, and your family are the most important thing you can have in life. Let’s keep in contact.
Thank you so much for your message and your support. I appreciate your concern and understanding. It has been a tough few months, but I'm feeling much better now and focusing on my health and wellbeing.
I'm so sorry about the challenges you're going through, but I'm confident that you'll get through it my friend. Your dedication to not quitting the newsletter is admirable, and I'm sure your friends appreciate it as much as I do.
Health and family are indeed the most important things in life, and I'm grateful to have a supportive community. I hope we can continue to stay in touch and support each other in the future.
Hi Jolene! Thank you so much for your kind words and support ❤️ I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed reading the newsletter. It's great to be back and feeling better, and I appreciate your well wishes for the year ahead. I hope you have a wonderful year ahead too, filled with many more delightful food experiences!
Sinù, I'm happy to know you are feeling better. I have chronic back issues as well and I know what a toll it takes, both physically and emotionally. Hoping 2023 is a better year! The lasagne looks fantastic. Cheers, Domenica
Hi Domenica, thank you for your kind comment. Chronic pain is tough, I hope you have an adequate support network to help you manage it ❤️ Wishing you all the happiness and good health for 2023!!
Hi Jillian! Thank you for your comment and well wishes. I am feeling much better now and I'm looking forward to the day when we can finally meet in person in Venice. Spring sounds like a great time to plan for. Fingers crossed!
Sounds delicious! Even though, intellectually, I know I wouldn't care for the seafood dishes, the way you describe everything makes me feel I'm missing out.
Thanks for the comment! I'm glad you enjoyed reading about my menu, even though seafood might not be your thing. And I appreciate the well wishes for my recovery, thank you ❤️
Hi Claire, thank you for your kind words. I'm so grateful to be on the road to recovery and excited to start enjoying life again. Your encouragement means a lot to me. Thank you!
I'm sorry to hear about your back injury... I hope you are well by now!
Your Christmas menu is so great! I would love to have the recipe for your lasagna (the gorgonzola version)...
Thank you, that's so nice of you. I'm much better now, thank goodness! I can send you the recipe, just drop me your email address on Instagram! @my_venetian_apartment.
Happy to know!
This is really nice of you, thank you!
Dearest Sinù, I'm so glad to hear that you are feeling so much better now. Your Christmas menu sounds scrumptious, yes please on the white lasagna with radicchio - yum - and I'm thrilled that you also like Venchi chocolate, their dark chocolate is my favorite of all, and I don't care how much it gets criticized for being sold on such a large scale. Your book recommendations, as always, sound so good, though the movie Green Sea will be first on my list - how intriguing to lose one's memory but not one's ability to cook. Do take care of yourself cara e spero di rivederci presto, xo
It was, as ever, lovely to spend time with you. Xx
...I'm still thinking of that glorious cheese you brought me (yum). Some of it went into the radicchio lasagna, it was brilliant.
So glad to read another marvelous edition of your newsletter, Sinù, and to learn that you’re recovering well from your back injury. Friendship, wine with friends and beautiful curated meals are the best medicine!
That Christmas meal sounds amazing! I’d also love the recipe for the lasagna--and for the artichoke dish as well--if you care to share them. Actually it all sounds delicious! Looking forward to your next newsletter! Take good care of yourself.
It's wonderful to hear from you, Ruth. Your words of encouragement and support mean the world to me, especially during this time of recovery.
I'd be more than happy to share the recipes for the lasagna and stewed artichokes... so keep your eyes peeled, they're coming :)
Hurray, Sinù! Really looking forward to trying those. You're obviously a wonderful cook (and human being)! I'm glad if anything I've said has helped in any way. Sometimes I feel like we're all in a battle for our sanity, and our only salvation is each other--and whatever creative endeavor feeds our spirits and our bodies too! I hope you take good care of yourself.💝
You're so right, that's why we're not giving up this space and community even though life is busy and sometimes... painful. I'm so grateful we connected over Substack <3
Me too, Sinù!
Stewed artichokes and potatoes - a recipe from my FIL's home cooking repertoire. Feeds 3/4 as a side dish, or 2 as a veggie main with some steamed rice, or polenta.
INGREDIENTS
6 artichokes (we use the "purple / violetto " variety)
2-3 potatoes
Vegetable stock or hot water
Evo oil
Garlic
Salt & pepper
METHOD
Clean and quarter the artichokes. Cut the potatoes into chunks as big as the quartered artichokes. Lightly fry the garlic in a large pan and then add the artichokes and the potatoes. Cook for a little while then add the water/stock and cook for 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with a large handful of finely chopped parsley and serve.
NOTES
My FIL's recipe omits a few things: 1) quartered artichokes include a part of the stem as well as some of the softer inner leaves. For this recipe we don't use only the "heart" of the artichokes. 2) We don't know how much garlic he uses... he can be cryptic lol. So play around, I'd say start with 2 cloves. 3) The finished dish is not liquidy, the vegetables are soft but not mashed and they hold their shape.
💝
I am so sorry to hear about your health issues, but that you have been recovering nicely and mostly pain free for a couple weeks now is such a wonderful thing to read And right before digging into the beautiful photos and food of your holiday, what could be better. 2022 was pretty awful for my health as well and I am still struggling, but I hope I will join your path towards mending soon. Take very good care of yourself, do all the things you enjoy and have been missing after that year! Sending you a gentle hug and all my support X
Hey Ana, thanks so much for reaching out. Your words really mean a lot to me, especially in light of your own health struggles. I hope you're feeling better soon! Just remember to prioritize yourself, every step forward, no matter how small, is a win.
Sending you a big virtual hug and all my support. Take care and stay strong!
Oh yeah! This is great foodie encouragement and most importantly, you are back with healing and health.
Thanks for the support and encouragement Sally, I appreciate 🙏 Looking forward to sharing more in the future :)
Take all the time you need.
Thank you Kate for understanding, it means a lot 🙏
Sinu, I’m sorry to hear about your injury but very glad you’re pain-free, finally. You’re newsletter really cheered me. The white lasagna sounds superb!! (Are you willing to part with the recipe?)
Hi Christy, thank you so much for your kind words and support ❤️ The white lasagna is definitely one of my favorites, and I'm more than happy to share the recipe. I've received several requests for it, so I'm trying to figure out the best way to share it with everyone. Would you prefer to receive it via email, Instagram story, or Twitter post? Let me know!
Broccoli Rabe Lasagna
By David Tanis
Time 1 hour 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Yield: 6 servings
For the Béchamel Sauce
4 tablespoons butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half, heated, plus a
little more if necessary
Salt and pepper
Pinch of cayenne
Grated nutmeg, to taste
For the Lasagna
1 pound dry lasagna noodles
Salt and pepper
2 bunches broccoli rabe, about 2 pounds
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ricotta cheese
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
4 tablespoons butter
4 ounces grated Parmesan, about 2 cups, or a combination of Parmesan and pecorino
PREPARATION
Step 1
Make the béchamel: Melt butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in
flour and cook for a minute over medium heat without browning.
Gradually whisk in half-and-half, ½ cup at a time, to obtain a
smooth, lightly thickened sauce. Turn heat to low. Add ½ teaspoon
salt, some ground black pepper, the cayenne and nutmeg. Cook,
whisking, for 4 to 5 minutes, then place saucepan in a hot-water
bath to keep sauce warm. Thin if necessary with a little more halfand-half.
Step 2
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil. Add lasagna
noodles and cook for 5 minutes. Lift noodles from water with a
spider and rinse well in a bowl of cold water. Drain and lay
noodles flat on a kitchen towel.
Step 3
Using the same cooking water, blanch the greens for 1 minute,
until just wilted. Rinse greens with cool water, squeeze dry and
chop them roughly. Put 1 cup of chopped greens, the minced garlic
and ½ cup olive oil in a food processor or blender and purée to
make a pesto. Season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to
a small bowl.
Step 4
Mix the ricotta and lemon zest in a small bowl and season with
salt and pepper to taste. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Organize to
have all ingredients within easy reach for assembling lasagna.
Use 2 tablespoons butter to grease an 8-by-10-inch baking dish.
Step 5
Assemble the lasagna: Put a layer of cooked noodles on the
bottom of the baking dish. Spoon a quarter of the béchamel over
noodles, then dot with a third of the ricotta. Complete layer with
chopped greens, a drizzle of pesto and some grated cheese.
Continue layering, finishing with a layer of pasta. Spread the last
of the béchamel on top and sprinkle with Parmesan. (There
should be 4 layers of pasta and 3 layers of filling.)
Step 6
Dot with remaining butter and bake, covered with foil, for 20
minutes. Uncover and bake for 20 minutes more, until nicely
browned and bubbling. Let lasagna rest 10 minutes before
serving.
Hi Sinu, I'm not sure... I guess I thought you could publish it on your beautiful blog. But if you're averse to that idea, an email would be super! I'm at mackerelskymedia@gmail.com
Here is the recipe I use for a wonderful green lasagne that always gets rave reviews:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017294-broccoli-rabe-lasagna
And here it is copied and pasted:
I just emailed you the recipe :) Happy Sunday!
Aww, you’re the best, Sinu! I’ll let you know how it goes!
Wow, thank you for the recipe Christy, absolutely love the sound of it!
Ok then, I'll email it to you or I'll post it here in the comments, I should be able to find a bit of time in the coming days, so stay tuned and ready my friend 👩🍳
How could I be bored with your fun & generous family. “I’ll be back” as Arnie said. Such a memorable couple of months
Glad to hear this :) Be back soon, please!
(perhaps in a month or two we could do that skype call where you teach me how to make lemon curd with the microwave??)
Of course, let’s not leave it too long though.
Mid March (sorry Feb is a bit of a mess), let's schedule a Sunday call 🍋🍋🍋🍋
Sounds like a plan
I am happy to hear you are feeling better. I didn’t know about all that was going on. I know how you feel though. I’ve been out of things lately. I’m not going to quit on the newsletter, I don’t want to let my friends down, but it’s been more difficult the last few weeks. Please keep getting better. You health, and your family are the most important thing you can have in life. Let’s keep in contact.
Hi Mark,
Thank you so much for your message and your support. I appreciate your concern and understanding. It has been a tough few months, but I'm feeling much better now and focusing on my health and wellbeing.
I'm so sorry about the challenges you're going through, but I'm confident that you'll get through it my friend. Your dedication to not quitting the newsletter is admirable, and I'm sure your friends appreciate it as much as I do.
Health and family are indeed the most important things in life, and I'm grateful to have a supportive community. I hope we can continue to stay in touch and support each other in the future.
Take care and stay strong.
Sinù xx
So glad to hear you are on the mend. Sinù! Your lasagne and holiday celebration is wonderful. Glad to ‘see’ you and wishing terrific year ahead!
Hi Jolene! Thank you so much for your kind words and support ❤️ I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed reading the newsletter. It's great to be back and feeling better, and I appreciate your well wishes for the year ahead. I hope you have a wonderful year ahead too, filled with many more delightful food experiences!
❤️
Sinù, I'm happy to know you are feeling better. I have chronic back issues as well and I know what a toll it takes, both physically and emotionally. Hoping 2023 is a better year! The lasagne looks fantastic. Cheers, Domenica
Hi Domenica, thank you for your kind comment. Chronic pain is tough, I hope you have an adequate support network to help you manage it ❤️ Wishing you all the happiness and good health for 2023!!
I am so glad to hear you are feeling better! I am planning on seeing you in real life when we are finally settled in Venice. (Spring? 🤞)
Hi Jillian! Thank you for your comment and well wishes. I am feeling much better now and I'm looking forward to the day when we can finally meet in person in Venice. Spring sounds like a great time to plan for. Fingers crossed!
So glad to hear you’re feeling better, and what a lovely Christmas menu!
Hi Giulia, thank you so much for your kind words. I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the Christmas menu. Wishing you a happy and healthy 2023 ❤️
Sounds delicious! Even though, intellectually, I know I wouldn't care for the seafood dishes, the way you describe everything makes me feel I'm missing out.
Glad to hear you're feeling better!
Thanks for the comment! I'm glad you enjoyed reading about my menu, even though seafood might not be your thing. And I appreciate the well wishes for my recovery, thank you ❤️
Glad you're starting to feel better Sinù. Great that you're choosing to reclaim all the joy that you've missed out on.
Hi Claire, thank you for your kind words. I'm so grateful to be on the road to recovery and excited to start enjoying life again. Your encouragement means a lot to me. Thank you!