OK, we've just had a couple of bowls each of this and it's wonderful. I made it with frozen broad beans, as those were the only frozen fresh beans I could get my hands on, but now I want to try it with various tinned and dried beans (of which I have a wide selection.) I used a bit of ham stock in the water (I boiled a ham last week), and drizzled with a little truffle oil to finish. Definitely one we'll make again and again.
Oh I'm so glad you liked it, Freya. I think you truly nailed the spirit of the recipe. This is pure homecooking food, it demands to be adapted to the mood and the pantry of those who make it! The addition of truffle oil sounds intruiguing and I'm giving it a go next time. Thank you so much for making the recipe and letting me know, I'm beyond happy.
PS: I'd love to hear more about your experiments with different types of beans.
Hi Sinu, love your post, the heart from which you are writing and your photography. Okay, I am in love with the photography. The way you use light to capture the subject and the emotion is really powerful. Can you share one or two of your secrets to success?
Hi Anne, thank you so much for your kind words, it means a lot! Do you like photography? I used to devote way more time to taking pictures in the past but now there's just not enough time to do it all. Something I try to remind myself is to 1) take as many shots as I can and 2) try different framings for the same subject (panorama, close up, detail, portrait etc). More often than not I forget though lol! Again thank you for your message, wishing you a Happy Easter.
Hello Sophie, now I'm curious to know more about your life in northeastern Italy. They say we're not as warm as the southerners but hopefully you enjoyed it here. Thank you so much for reading and subscribing, have a wonderful weekend 🙏
Happy New Year, Jolene! It's such a pleasure to share bits and pieces of my life with you all, thank you so much for reading. I hope you're enjoying a good start to 2024!
I love Venice. I was able to find dried Fagioli beans in California but not in Australia yet, however there are tinned, which are neither fresh nor dried. Any suggestions to adjust for this?
Hi Leanne, thanks so much for reading and subscribing! I use tinned beans all the time, but somehow I like this recipe with fresh/fronzen beans best. HOWEVER, this should not stop you from using canned beans, if that's all you've got. Homecooking is essentially making the best of what we have at hand, isn't it? My suggestion is to choose the best quality canned beans you can find, possibly the "borlotti" type, and adjust the recipe to your taste. I will try and make it with tinned beans myself next time and report back :)
PS: in Italy we have also beans preserved in glass jars. I think they are cooked in the same way as tinned ones, but taste better because of no tin. I lived in Melbourne about 10 years ago and I don't remember Aldi stocking beans in glass jars but perhaps things have changed by now.
I found the tinned beans situation in Australia fascinating when I visited in June. Really surprised the varieties we always see in the shops in the UK are not the ones favoured in Sydney stores. The Tesco near me has black beans, butter beans and chickpeas - that is all. Anything else I’m getting dried from a specialist shop. Having said that we do have a posh greengrocer where I might be able to pick up fresh borlotti.
Butter beans might work, but not the other types. Someone asked about red kidney beans which are a big no no because they're too sweet for this soup. If you gor for the dried borlotti you'll have to soak them overnight (sorry I know you know this already) and adjust the cooking time as well as the water needed (dried Borlotti are absorb more water). I'm sure that a pressure cooker would come in handy.
I wonder how much the fresh borlotti are at the fancy greengrocer!
I agree with you and those who find the idea of an entrance fee to be distasteful at best. Irresponsible tourism *IS* a problem, and the depopulation of the central sestiere *IS* depressing, but it's a mistake to conflate the two. As you, know there are many complex reasons why families chose to relocate to Mestre and other Terra Ferma communities.
Even if all day-trippers vanished forever, that would not restore the glory days of the Republic.
On a more positive note, your Christmas feast sounds absolutely DELICIOUS !!!😋
I think the option pops up now whenever you write a comment? Below the field of the actual comment there's usually a box yoi check (or not) to send as a note...
Can’t wait for my next trip to Europe !Believe it or not , I love the chill and cold !!Seems we are always broiling here in Western Australia (mind you , all of Europe could fit comfortably into this state - it’s 1/3 of the continent and people forget it’s HUGE …😂
Australia is really mindboggling-huge. I was there only for 9 months and always stayed in Melbourne (I was working). I'd love to go back one day and say hi to my aussie friends, especially my coworkers.
Sinu , even in the heat of West Australian Summer , I found myself thinking longingly of colder months and imagining the delicious flavours of the soup you describe..I’ll definitely be making this !Your Christmas menu sounded perfect - comforting, tasty and maximizing the local produce ….Ill definitely need to enjoy a Northern Hemisphere Christmas very soon !
I love the insider information you provide here and can’t wait to visit Venice again !
Hi Nedra, thank you so much for your comment, it means the world to me. I remember spending Christmas in Australia in 2013 and it was crazy hot... not the right temperature for soup, that's for sure! But I hope you can save this recipe for later on, when the weather gets more appropriately chilly. Sending you big hugs from the Northern Emisphere :)
I had no idea you were writing about soup too, Sinù! Pasta e Fasioi sounds delicious and I will definitely be making it! Unfortunately I don’t think I can get fresh or frozen borlotti beans, only the dried ones, but I still think it would be great anyway. Your Christmas dinner also sounds delightful, but the news about Venice is troubling. We’d love to return to visit, but I worry about the glut of tourists adding to the city’s woes.
Hi Ruth, thanks so much for your comment. When I saw your post with the lentil soup recipe I laughed out loud as it seemed so serendipitous. We're definitely on the same culinary wavelength :D I can't wait to make it, by the way. If and when you decide to pop into Venice this year, I would really love to meet up!
It seems at least 5 others newsletters I've come across, probably more, centered on soup this week. Perhaps it's not surprising, given the weather and the focus on health in a new year. I would definitely like to meet if we do make it to Venice. At the moment, all plans are up in the air, but Italy is at the top of the list.
the more the merrier! I saw a couple of interesting recipes I look forward to making. I'm a soup aficionado, no matter the time of the year. I hope you'll be able to sort out your plans, soon. In the meantime I send you a big hug ;)
Thank you for the recipe which I will be trying. I am trying to learn more about cooking authentic Italian food (we can get most ingredients in the UK if we look hard enough) and seeing recipes from a local is I think the best way to learn. Thank you.
Speaking as a tourist that has visited Venice half a dozen times over the years it saddens me that so many of the people that live(d) there have left. The growth of AirBnB and similar has put the rents up too much for locals to afford. The other thing is that so many people visit just for the day (or a few hours) and do not put much money into the local economy. I am not sure that the fees for visiting will have much effect though. I don’t think that there is a simple answer but one thing that must be done is to stop the cruise ships visiting just for a few hours. I think the authorities need to encourage visitors to spend more with local businesses (proper restaurants and not pizza slices!) when they are there and try and help locals move back to the city somehow. As I say I don’t think there are any easy answers. The situation certainly makes me consider very carefully whether I should come and visit again, although I love the place so much and we do try to support as many local businesses as possible when we visit.
Hi Andrew, thank you so much for commenting and liking the post. I'm excited to hear you're learning to cook italian! Anyone in particular you're reading or following?
I think you hit the nail on the head there, overtourism in Venice is an extremely complex phenomenon. A whole new set of policies are needed to, on the one hand, ensure that Venetians stop leaving (I believe that the real estate market should be regulated more aggressively) and, on the other, to shape the tourist experience around culture and connection. Cruise ships should not even get close to Venice and the lagoon. This is completely feasible but it takes political willingness and commitment to achieve.
I follow a few people via Social Media, including yourself, Guilia Scarpaleggia, Rachael Roddy. I also try and pick up Italian cookbooks when I can, my favourite at the moment being from Alle Testiere in Venice.
Ciao Sinu. I am totally with you in not turning Venice into a tourist theme park. It's is bad enough for the local Venetians. The money the tourists pay should go back into the communities. The mayor needs to look at this and deal with it asap. Yes I know i would be a tourist but the idea of going with all THE tourists .. no thanks. I would much rather just go where the locals go anyway.
I'm all for that. .. great that you went to your side if the family for Christmas. Absolutely love your menu. And the soup. Delizioso .. thank you for sharing this with us. What a delightful way to spend the Christmas season hugs Anne from Instagram .
Hello my dear Annie! So happy to read your comment and thank you so much for popping in here from Instagram!
We had a lovely time on Christmas day, I thought why not sharing a few snippets with you all. I'm glad you enjoyed the post.
The situation in Venice is worrisome and, as you said, the mayor should do better. We'll continue to keep an eye on him, don't worry. Many young Venetians are rising to the occasion and new initiatives are being born, which gives me hope!
OK, we've just had a couple of bowls each of this and it's wonderful. I made it with frozen broad beans, as those were the only frozen fresh beans I could get my hands on, but now I want to try it with various tinned and dried beans (of which I have a wide selection.) I used a bit of ham stock in the water (I boiled a ham last week), and drizzled with a little truffle oil to finish. Definitely one we'll make again and again.
Oh I'm so glad you liked it, Freya. I think you truly nailed the spirit of the recipe. This is pure homecooking food, it demands to be adapted to the mood and the pantry of those who make it! The addition of truffle oil sounds intruiguing and I'm giving it a go next time. Thank you so much for making the recipe and letting me know, I'm beyond happy.
PS: I'd love to hear more about your experiments with different types of beans.
Seems like a good comfort meal.
It really is ❤️
Hi Sinu, love your post, the heart from which you are writing and your photography. Okay, I am in love with the photography. The way you use light to capture the subject and the emotion is really powerful. Can you share one or two of your secrets to success?
Hi Anne, thank you so much for your kind words, it means a lot! Do you like photography? I used to devote way more time to taking pictures in the past but now there's just not enough time to do it all. Something I try to remind myself is to 1) take as many shots as I can and 2) try different framings for the same subject (panorama, close up, detail, portrait etc). More often than not I forget though lol! Again thank you for your message, wishing you a Happy Easter.
Sinù xx
Such an interesting and delightful piece. Loved it!
I'm so glad you liked it, Marg. Thank you!
Oh, what a sumptuous post! The photographs! I cannot wait to try this recipe.
I used to live in Duino for a couple of years, not far from Venezia. I miss this part of the world so much. So happy to connect with you here.
Hello Sophie, now I'm curious to know more about your life in northeastern Italy. They say we're not as warm as the southerners but hopefully you enjoyed it here. Thank you so much for reading and subscribing, have a wonderful weekend 🙏
Happy New Year, Sinù ! Beautiful post and I love the photo of the restaurant where you had Christmas lunch! So much delicious food in your post!
Happy New Year to you both!
Happy New Year, Jolene! It's such a pleasure to share bits and pieces of my life with you all, thank you so much for reading. I hope you're enjoying a good start to 2024!
I love Venice. I was able to find dried Fagioli beans in California but not in Australia yet, however there are tinned, which are neither fresh nor dried. Any suggestions to adjust for this?
Hi Leanne, thanks so much for reading and subscribing! I use tinned beans all the time, but somehow I like this recipe with fresh/fronzen beans best. HOWEVER, this should not stop you from using canned beans, if that's all you've got. Homecooking is essentially making the best of what we have at hand, isn't it? My suggestion is to choose the best quality canned beans you can find, possibly the "borlotti" type, and adjust the recipe to your taste. I will try and make it with tinned beans myself next time and report back :)
PS: in Italy we have also beans preserved in glass jars. I think they are cooked in the same way as tinned ones, but taste better because of no tin. I lived in Melbourne about 10 years ago and I don't remember Aldi stocking beans in glass jars but perhaps things have changed by now.
There is definitely borlotti beans in my Woolies. Tinned, not in glass jars. I haven’t actually looked for dried beans. That’s the next step!
I found the tinned beans situation in Australia fascinating when I visited in June. Really surprised the varieties we always see in the shops in the UK are not the ones favoured in Sydney stores. The Tesco near me has black beans, butter beans and chickpeas - that is all. Anything else I’m getting dried from a specialist shop. Having said that we do have a posh greengrocer where I might be able to pick up fresh borlotti.
Butter beans might work, but not the other types. Someone asked about red kidney beans which are a big no no because they're too sweet for this soup. If you gor for the dried borlotti you'll have to soak them overnight (sorry I know you know this already) and adjust the cooking time as well as the water needed (dried Borlotti are absorb more water). I'm sure that a pressure cooker would come in handy.
I wonder how much the fresh borlotti are at the fancy greengrocer!
Keep me posted!
Happy New Year, Sinù!
I agree with you and those who find the idea of an entrance fee to be distasteful at best. Irresponsible tourism *IS* a problem, and the depopulation of the central sestiere *IS* depressing, but it's a mistake to conflate the two. As you, know there are many complex reasons why families chose to relocate to Mestre and other Terra Ferma communities.
Even if all day-trippers vanished forever, that would not restore the glory days of the Republic.
On a more positive note, your Christmas feast sounds absolutely DELICIOUS !!!😋
ok, how did you leave a comment and automatically posted it as a note/restack? that was so cool
I think the option pops up now whenever you write a comment? Below the field of the actual comment there's usually a box yoi check (or not) to send as a note...
I checked the web version and the app, too. Nope, no checkbox for me! They're testing features with a sample of users, I guess? Anyhow!
Can’t wait for my next trip to Europe !Believe it or not , I love the chill and cold !!Seems we are always broiling here in Western Australia (mind you , all of Europe could fit comfortably into this state - it’s 1/3 of the continent and people forget it’s HUGE …😂
Australia is really mindboggling-huge. I was there only for 9 months and always stayed in Melbourne (I was working). I'd love to go back one day and say hi to my aussie friends, especially my coworkers.
I’m making your soup for lunch today Sinù.... it’s chilly here in Vancouver today and that will be the perfect hug in a bowl.
Wonderful! The perfect weather for a hot bowl of soup. Thank you so much for trying it out and I hope you'll like it ❤️
It was delicious. I added a little Parmesan rind to the broth while it simmered. So good!
That's brilliant, and such a nice way to use up all the cheesy goodness in the rind, bravo. Honestly, I'm so so happy you tried it and liked it!
mmmm delicious, thank you for this recipe and for sharing your Christmas meal with us - am delighted with your new Slow Venice column 😍
Hello Michelle, thank YOU for reading my dear. I'm so glad you're enjoying the newsletter ☺️ xx
I am into beans and your blog vamped it up. Love the recipe and ideas. Thank you.
That's great to hear, Sally! Thanks for reading, and Happy New Year 🙏
Sinu , even in the heat of West Australian Summer , I found myself thinking longingly of colder months and imagining the delicious flavours of the soup you describe..I’ll definitely be making this !Your Christmas menu sounded perfect - comforting, tasty and maximizing the local produce ….Ill definitely need to enjoy a Northern Hemisphere Christmas very soon !
I love the insider information you provide here and can’t wait to visit Venice again !
Hi Nedra, thank you so much for your comment, it means the world to me. I remember spending Christmas in Australia in 2013 and it was crazy hot... not the right temperature for soup, that's for sure! But I hope you can save this recipe for later on, when the weather gets more appropriately chilly. Sending you big hugs from the Northern Emisphere :)
I had no idea you were writing about soup too, Sinù! Pasta e Fasioi sounds delicious and I will definitely be making it! Unfortunately I don’t think I can get fresh or frozen borlotti beans, only the dried ones, but I still think it would be great anyway. Your Christmas dinner also sounds delightful, but the news about Venice is troubling. We’d love to return to visit, but I worry about the glut of tourists adding to the city’s woes.
Thanks for another terrific post, Sinù!
Hi Ruth, thanks so much for your comment. When I saw your post with the lentil soup recipe I laughed out loud as it seemed so serendipitous. We're definitely on the same culinary wavelength :D I can't wait to make it, by the way. If and when you decide to pop into Venice this year, I would really love to meet up!
It seems at least 5 others newsletters I've come across, probably more, centered on soup this week. Perhaps it's not surprising, given the weather and the focus on health in a new year. I would definitely like to meet if we do make it to Venice. At the moment, all plans are up in the air, but Italy is at the top of the list.
the more the merrier! I saw a couple of interesting recipes I look forward to making. I'm a soup aficionado, no matter the time of the year. I hope you'll be able to sort out your plans, soon. In the meantime I send you a big hug ;)
Thank you for the recipe which I will be trying. I am trying to learn more about cooking authentic Italian food (we can get most ingredients in the UK if we look hard enough) and seeing recipes from a local is I think the best way to learn. Thank you.
Speaking as a tourist that has visited Venice half a dozen times over the years it saddens me that so many of the people that live(d) there have left. The growth of AirBnB and similar has put the rents up too much for locals to afford. The other thing is that so many people visit just for the day (or a few hours) and do not put much money into the local economy. I am not sure that the fees for visiting will have much effect though. I don’t think that there is a simple answer but one thing that must be done is to stop the cruise ships visiting just for a few hours. I think the authorities need to encourage visitors to spend more with local businesses (proper restaurants and not pizza slices!) when they are there and try and help locals move back to the city somehow. As I say I don’t think there are any easy answers. The situation certainly makes me consider very carefully whether I should come and visit again, although I love the place so much and we do try to support as many local businesses as possible when we visit.
Hi Andrew, thank you so much for commenting and liking the post. I'm excited to hear you're learning to cook italian! Anyone in particular you're reading or following?
I think you hit the nail on the head there, overtourism in Venice is an extremely complex phenomenon. A whole new set of policies are needed to, on the one hand, ensure that Venetians stop leaving (I believe that the real estate market should be regulated more aggressively) and, on the other, to shape the tourist experience around culture and connection. Cruise ships should not even get close to Venice and the lagoon. This is completely feasible but it takes political willingness and commitment to achieve.
I follow a few people via Social Media, including yourself, Guilia Scarpaleggia, Rachael Roddy. I also try and pick up Italian cookbooks when I can, my favourite at the moment being from Alle Testiere in Venice.
Ciao Sinu. I am totally with you in not turning Venice into a tourist theme park. It's is bad enough for the local Venetians. The money the tourists pay should go back into the communities. The mayor needs to look at this and deal with it asap. Yes I know i would be a tourist but the idea of going with all THE tourists .. no thanks. I would much rather just go where the locals go anyway.
I'm all for that. .. great that you went to your side if the family for Christmas. Absolutely love your menu. And the soup. Delizioso .. thank you for sharing this with us. What a delightful way to spend the Christmas season hugs Anne from Instagram .
Hello my dear Annie! So happy to read your comment and thank you so much for popping in here from Instagram!
We had a lovely time on Christmas day, I thought why not sharing a few snippets with you all. I'm glad you enjoyed the post.
The situation in Venice is worrisome and, as you said, the mayor should do better. We'll continue to keep an eye on him, don't worry. Many young Venetians are rising to the occasion and new initiatives are being born, which gives me hope!