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Transformation to Remove a Warning

Way back in 2016…you remember 2016 don’t you?…I took you to the island of Burano. You can tap here to recall this very colorful island which sits in the Venetian lagoon. Whilst exploring this unique place, I came across yet another door. I know, I know…that’s what I tend to do when I’m in any part of Venice…or Italy in general, for that matter.

This particular door wasn’t all that photogenic, but I made a snapshot anyway. I thought that I might be able to spruce it up a bit. There was a bit of faded graffiti to the right of the door. And on the door was a dire warning of some sort. But, as you know, that just doesn’t stop me.

The Snapshot

Here is the snapshot…

The Warning Placard

Regarding that warning on this door…what is that, anyway? Let’s take a look. You can click on the image to get a closer look.

We can see that lightening bolt, which normally means ‘electricity’.

And one of the warnings seems to say, “Don’t touch this”. While the other warning lets us know that we shouldn’t throw a bucket of water on a fire here, should we encounter that.

Below that graphic we can see that this is the Mandracchio area of Burano. A mandracchio is a small inlet where one would tie up a couple of boats, which fits well with this island/town of Burano. And the logo at top left suggests that the Enel energy company put this label there. And this ‘cabin’ has been here since January of 1989.

I’ll be darned, this isn’t a door to a residence or business, but its an electrical closet of some sort.

I can hear you now, “Don’t worry about any of that, Steve…go ahead and do your transformation thingie!”. Ok, ok, I’m on it.

The Transformation

The first item is the removal that warning placard. And hey, did you see that kids have been playing a bit of soccer here, as we can see from the soccer ball imprint on the door. Careful kids! And, while I’m at it, I may as well straighten and crop a bit.

The placard is now gone, as is the soccer ball imprint.

Let’s now give the image a bit of color…it’s much too blah.

We’re getting close, but I’m wanting to see a bit more of that Venetian patina. I forgot all about that bit of graffiti to the right of the door…sorry about that. It has to go.

The Final Image

OK, here it is…the final image.

Disclaimer!

Uh oh, the carabinieri are here! I swear that I didn’t remove that placard. Well, maybe I did. But, I’ll put it back, ok? Done!

Endings

Not a lot of charm in this doorway, but what would one expect from an electrical closet, right?

I’ll keep wandering the calle of Burano to see what I can see. I know that there are a few women around who still make handmade lace, so I’ll see if I can find some.

There they are. Well, it appears that one is making lace, one is checking out a catalog, and one is thinking about what she will make for her dinner’s secondi course tonight. Come back next week to find out.

That’s it for today’s transformation. Come back next week to see what sort of possibilities abound with the secondi course at the Italian mealtime. Until then…

Ciao for Now,

Steve

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The Results Are In: Part 20

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“My goodness gracious, me sakes alive!”

That’s what my dear mother would say when something happened that surprised her in a pleasant way. And, that’s what I uttered when I opened the latest issue of Black & White Magazine. This is the premier publication for black and white photography. You’ve seen recognition related to this publication in some of the past articles beginning with the words, “The Results Are In:”. However, the honor of today’s award is greater than just having a photo recognized amongst all of the others in a particular issue. Read on to see why.

2021 BLACK & WHITE SINGLE IMAGE CONTEST

This is the contest for which I a submitted photos. Six months from now, you would see awardees for the “portfolio” contest, where several photos with similar theme are grouped into a portfolio of more than just one image. I’ve garnered recognition for portfolio submissions, also…like here, where you see a portfolio of 5 images in New Orleans.

The awardees for the 2021 Single Image Contest were recognized in the January, 2022, issue of Black & White Magazine…the cover of which you see here. Note the words at the top of the cover, “SPECIAL ISSUE 2021 CONTEST WINNERS”.

But alas, my winning photo was not in the issue with the rest of the awardees.

It turns out that it was set aside for special recognition in the now published April 2022 issue (I know, strange how these magazine issues work, isn’t it? It's the first day of March, yet the April issue is out).

So, why was my winning photo held back for publication in the April 2022 issue?

2021 SPOTLIGHT AWARD

When my latest issue of Black & White Magazine came, Ellen was the first to open it and was surprised to see this photo on page 35…a mug shot of me.

[I’ve published this photo twice before within my articles. 5 points if you can identify an article with this photo…that would be 10 points if you get both!!! Well, to be honest, which is a trait for which I strive, the previous versions showed a glass of wine that I was enjoying in my hand…that is not to say that I was enjoying the fact that it was in my hand, but that I had the glass of wine to enjoy, and it happened to be in my hand. I think you get the drift.]

And, there was the write-up, which you can see here, that I had submitted explaining my winning photo.

“Many photographers are aware of the beautiful Upper Antelope Canyon on the Navajo reservation of Arizona, with beautiful light rays streaming through. But there are other slot canyons in the same Antelope Canyon wash. ‘Never’ was captured in the seldom accessed Rattlesnake Canyon. On my fifth Antelope Canyon trip, the formation of ‘Never’ immediately captured my attention. Though the two walls of sandstone were obviously fused together as one for millennia, that joining is NEVER to be repeated – that’s just the quality of geologic time in a seldom-flowing river’s progress.”

That’s when I had my own utterance of those memorable words of old, “My goodness gracious, me sakes alive!”

THE WINNING PHOTO

OK, that’s enough buildup. Right? Here’s the photo that was recognized as the 2022 Single Image Winner in the Landscape/Nature category.

The Whole of Page 35

You don’t need to rush out and purchase the April 2022 copy of Black & White Magazine to see the page of honor…here it is. If it tends to not fit your whole screen, click on the image to get a ‘fill-screen’ version.

I’m sorry that you had to endure a non-Italy photo, but that’s just the way it is.

I have a hope for you, and here is that hope: I hope that if you are in the northern-Arizona area of Antelope Canyon (just outside of Page, AZ), you will arrange a visit to Upper Antelope Canyon. Tours are readily available. And, there is much, much less crowding than in the past, as the Navajo have installed a one-way system by creating an up-and-over-return system that takes you back to your guide’s vehicle. In the past, there we groups coming and going at the same time, and congestion was the rule of the day. And, I would suggest skipping the Lower Antelope Canyon…just not as adventure worthy.

I’ve used more than one tour outfit, and I highly suggest Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours.

If you happen to be on a tour in the Antelope Canyon area, perhaps I’ll see you in the less-visited Rattlesnake Canyon, or Mountain Sheep Canyon, or even Owl Canyon. We can say ‘hello’ and compare photos. Until that happens, I say…

Ciao for now,

Steve

p.s. Oh hey, if you want to see the other photos I submitted for this particular contest, here are the other five, which did not receive recognition. From left-to-right and top-to-bottom they are: boulders lodged within Mountain Sheep Canyon - a side canyon in the Antelope Creek wash; hot-air balloon from our own hot-air balloon drifting over the vineyards of Napa Valley; ‘slurred’ bicyclist in New Orleans; abandoned drive-in theatre in central Nevada; and, the underside of a highway interchange in New Orleans. Click the first image and then arrow through the photos.

Eating in Italy - Primi

In the two previous articles about ‘Eating in Italy’, we’ve learned about the apertivo and the antipasto. Today, we delve into the official first course, or the primi (it seems that primo means ‘first’, and its plural primi means ‘first courses’).

In the US, we go from from appetizer (antipasto), to a salad perhaps, to our entrée. In Italy, the entrée is divided into two parts: the primi, and the secondi. So, we are definitely ready to dig into the heart of the Italian meal.

“...to the right, you see primi which we have personally eaten, sung praises about, and pledged our undying love.”

While primi may include zuppa and minestre (soups), today it is primarily pasta…though a risotto is often found in the primi category. You will see actual menu items below with each of these categories represented.

And, to the right, you see primi which we have personally eaten, sung praises about, and pledged our undying love. Some of the primi are simple…some are elegant…but all are (or at least ‘were’) scrumptious!

I know you’ve heard of pasta, and, a few months ago I took a deep dive into pasta in the article titled, “Pasta, Pasta, Pasta”. As the primi is so pasta-centric, you may want to go back to refresh your memory on this subject.

Pre-Made, or House-Made?

Pasta secca (dried pasta) can be found on many Italian menus in the primi course. This is because not all osteria, trattoria or ristorante have the pasta machines with the dies necessary to extrude hollow shapes like bucatini, maccheroni or penne pastas. So, these may very well be purchased in a dry form by the establishment.

However, if we are going to dine on tagliatelle, tortellini, ravioli, pappardelle, cannelloni, gnocchi, or lasagne, it may as well, and probably will be, house-made fresh as pasta fresca…and they may proudly proclaim that a pasta is house made. And then for variation, there’s pasta made with egg, or just the yoke. And pasta made with just water and no egg. And the flour might be semolina, refined flour, or some specialty flour that is ground very fine. Yadda, yadda, yadda. The list of possibilities is not endless, but it’s a long list.

But, here’s the thing…don’t worry about any of that…you are going to be ordering something scrumptious off the menu’s primi section that will be fabulous. It’s not like you’re going to be crafting the pasta yourself. And, like with meats, it’s not necessary to understand how that meat got from farm to plate…we just don’t need that much information, do we? So, just eat it, ok. Take you time. Savor it. Ahhh. You’re in Italy…things are slower and tastier there.

 

I love this Jim Gaffigan routine…

  • Straight Man: “Do you know what they’ve done to that chicken?!”

  • Jim Gaffigan: “No, but it’s delicious”.

Right from the Menu!

It seems to me that the best way to describe what primi might exist on an Italian menu is to go to actual menus, whether it be an osteria, trattoria, or ristorante within Italy.

Below, you will see a long list of right-off-the-menu primi from places that we’ve eaten, and have written about in previous articles.

If you spend a bit of time perusing these menu items: 1) you will work up an appetite; 2) you will see items that just don’t land on the menu of an Italian restaurant outside Italy; and 3) you will see words that are not in our vocabulary. And for some, you will see from whence they hail, like the very first pasta listed.

Pasta e Ravioli

  • Egg pasta of the Piedmontese tradition, strictly homemade together with meat sauce or with butter and sage.

  • Homemade Tajarin long pasta in white meats ragu sauce / or with mountain butter and 40 months aged Parmigiano Reggiano

  • Homemade ravioli pasta with mountain butter and 36 months aged Parmigiano Reggiano / or in roasts gravy sauce

  • Bossolasco's Spaghetti alla chitarra, clams and Piedmont hazelnut flavored with lemon

  • Strictly homemade egg pasta with one of the oldest cereals in the world, perfectly married with our ragù

  • Small agnolotti typical of the Langhe — closed directly by our "plin" (pinch).

  • Spaghetti "Busara" with scampi

  • See bass ravioli and small ratatouille

  • Homemade noodles with basil and cherry tomatoes prawns and pine nuts

  • Spaghetti with Italian clams

  • Homemade “tagliolini” with duck ragout and orange zest

  • Spaghetti with garlic, extra Virgin olive oil, chili and red prawns

  • Ravioli filled with herbs and Parmesan fondue, mushrooms stock

  • Tagliatelle Bolognese

  • Tagliarelle Amatriciana

  • Green tagliarelle with pesto sauce

  • Pappardelle with ragù

  • Pappardelle kamut with saffron and bacon

  • Veal cannelloni Cheese and spinaci ravioli

  • Pappardelle pasta with oysters, Iranian saffron and smoked ham

  • Homemade Ravioli with Morlacco Cheese with broccoli cream sauce and sea scallops 

  • Brown bigoli pasta with sardines and onions sauce

  • Lasagnette with Pierina's traditional ragu sauce

  • Tortelli pasta with a seasonal filling

  • Mezzi paccheri of Gragnano (short pasta) made with genovese of grandma Gemma

  • Home-made scialatielli pasta with clams, leeks and baked tomatoes

  • Ravioli filled with goat cheese, and with “datterino” tomatoes and basil

  • Gnocchi served together with one of the most renowned and famous Piedmontese aromatic cheeses.

  • Paccheri (short pasta) stuffed with burrata cheese and black truffle with “scungilli” sauce (the word “scungilli” is the Neapolitan dialect word for conch) [see photo below]

Zucca (Soup)

  • Seasonal vegetable soup, served hot with croutons.

  • Cream of spelt and beans soup served with salt cod timbale

Risotto

  • Risotto with saffron, white onions stock, red chicory [radicchio] and bottarga

  • Scampi and finferli mushrooms risotto

  • Cipriani risotto

  • Risotto with fennel and shrimp tartar with lime parfume 

  • Rice with red prawns cooked and raw with “sfusato amalfitano lemon”

As you can see, in the real world of Italian dining, the primi is heavy on pastas, and lighter on soups and risotto.

And, when you don’t understand a word or two in a primi description, ask your server, they will be happy to explain.

 

Photo from the Da Gemma website

The last item in the Pasta category is “Paccheri (short pasta) stuffed with burrata cheese and black truffle with “scungilli” sauce (the word “scungilli” is the Neapolitan dialect word for conch)” - these words are taken right from the menu.

This is an item on the Da Gemma menu, which I wrote about last June. And yes, it is a ‘gem’ of a trattoria. You can relive the article HERE.

I just wanted you to see a delectable primi, that’s all.

See Them Make Their Own!

I’m sure that you will fall in love with these pasta-grannies (and there are a few pasta-grampies thrown in, also).

I know that this does not relate to dining out in Italy, but these women (and a couple of men) really know how to make a primi.

At last count, there are over 365 YouTube videos of very charming grandmothers throughout Italy who have kept alive the tradition of making pasta at home. And, it’s not just one type of pasta, but many. And there are pasta shapes and sizes of which you have never heard, I’m sure. Possibly folks in the next town haven’t even heard of them!

Check out a few of these short videos, I’m thinking that you’ll be glad you did. You will see their pasta boards, their long, long rolling pins, their shaping techniques, and their pleasure in tasting their creations.

Just click on the image, and enjoy. And, there is no language barrier, as you will have subtitles to explain their process.

In Memoriam

102 years young, Concetta

I’m sad to say that the oldest Pasta Grannie, 102 year old signora Concetta, died on 27 January, 2022.

Her life and pasta will be missed by many in her small village, but her spirit and pasta-making expertise will live on, as she has passed it on to several generations. Yes, even to you.

She was preceded in death 10 days earlier, by her lifelong friend, 102 year old Biagio.

To live so long, and to have life-long friends with you on her journey…God has truly blessed this woman…and those around her.

Please take a moment to see this beautiful woman making her pasta by clicking on her photo. [unmute the video if necessary]

Addio Concetta e Biagio.

I hope you have enjoyed your primi course today. In my next installment of Eating in Italy, we’ll dive into the secondi. And, it you missed the introductory article on the meal courses while dining in Italy, you can check it out here.

My sincere desire is that you and I will one day be sitting in a small Italian trattoria enjoying our primi along with a glass of wonderful Italian wine. But, until then, I say…

Ciao for now,

Steve

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For a closer look at these primi, click the first image

Transforming to a Foggy Night

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Who doesn’t enjoy a romantic gondola ride? Probably no one, right. We always work in a gondola ride whilst we are in Venice, and you can read more about these adventures in the previous article titled appropriately, Your Romantic Gondola Ride.

But today is not about riding in a gondola, but a gondola-ride-captured snapshot and its transform it into a more fine-art photo. The transformed photo was published in the 2014 Black & White Magazine as an award winner. Here’s how I did it…and it will be short and sweet.

Click on an image to see it full-screen

First Sighting

We had just turned a bend in the Rio di San Moise canal when something up ahead caught my eye, that being the small calle up ahead that terminated right into our canal. You see it there on the left.

The Snapshot

As we approached the right turn of our route, I took this photo. I had a vision.

Funny thing about this photo. Do you see it? The blue and white sign says ‘Senso Unico’, or one-way street (or canal in this case). But we are turning right, against the sign. We’ve turned right every time we’ve taken a gondola ride. Go figure.

The Crop

Here I’ve cropped the photo to a 1:1, or square, format.

Black & White Conversion

As I was submitting this photo to a magazine that publishes in black and white, I converted the image to…you guessed…black and white.

Let There Be Dark!

I don’t want it to be day time. I want night time. So, I made it darker. I think it’s much more moody this way.

The Final Image

I like the night-time look, but let’s give it just a bit more drama by making it not just night, but a night with a bit of fog. That’s what I did to get this final photo.

As promised, short and sweet.

A Dangerous Calle

I’ve mentioned acqua alta (high water) in the past. This is an occurrence primarily in the late fall when tides and winds push up water from the Adriatic Sea and Venetians get their feet wet as they go about their day…and their calves, and sometimes their knees and thighs.

There are several places in the labyrinth of Venice where a calle will suddenly stop at a canal, like this one. If one were to be trudging through water and turn to this short calle, and if one were not familiar with this particular situation, a swim might be in one’s future, as you would not realize that the water in front of you is a canal, rather than another flooded calle.

I see the stone post in the photo. I’m guessing that this is a clue as to the fate of this calle, though I don’t remember seeing them at other dead-end calle. At any rate, if caught in the acqua alta situation, be mindful of your route.

I hope you enjoyed today’s transformation from blah, to ahh. Until next time, I say…


Ciao or now,

Steve

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Eating in Italy - Antipasto

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Two weeks ago, you learned perhaps more-than-you-would-ever-want-to-know about the types of dining options it Italy, the Italian menu, and the first course of a typical Italian meal, the apertivo. Today, I will delve into what can be the most creative of the menu sectors, the antipasto.

I count bread as an antipasto…and Italy unarguably has the best bread in the world

For years (well, until two weeks ago) I thought the word antipasto (the plural is antipasti) was suggesting something anti, or against, pasta. Boy, was I wrong. Antipasto actually translates to “before the pasta”. So, it’s before, and not against. I’m greatly relieved that there is not conflict among the offerings on the Italian menu…things are so much more peaceful than that in Italy.

Let’s think of an antipasto as an appetizer, hors d'oeuvre, or starter. And, let’s think of a charcuterie board that you might put together in your home. So, instead of shrimp cocktail and maybe something that’s been fried on an American appetizer menu, let’s taste things like carpaccio, salami/salumi, peperoncini, peperone, olives, mushrooms, anchovies, artichoke hearts, a bruschetta of toasted bread and a yummy tomato salsa, prosciutto, figs, and such. And be sure to put your favorite Italian cheeses in the mix, like burrata, mozzarella and a salty parmigiana.

Yes, this is our actual antipasti board at Castrum Wine Bar & Bistrò in Castelrotto, north of Verona

Where in Italy do you imagine yourself right now? Think on it…I’ll give you a moment.

OK then, there is probably a regional-specific variation in the antipasto where you are voyeuristically located. Are you somewhere along the coast? The Amalfi coast is a great place to occupy your mind for a few moments, or any other coastal location will do in a pinch. What you might find there is some sort of saltwater fish, like branzino (sea bass). Branzino is the most important fish of the Mediterranean, and you may find just a bit of it amongst the antipasti in front of you.

If you are lucky enough to be thinking about the lake district, perhaps you are staying on the shores of Lake Como, or Lake Gardo, or Lake Maggiore, or lake something else. Here you might find a bit of freshwater fish with the other items of your antipasti mélange.

Maybe you are in the southern regions of Italy and that meat on your plate is a soppressata or nduja [more on these particular Italian meats here]. But did you think of northern Italy? There you will most definitely find prosciutto on your plate [learn all about prosciutto in a previous article here]. Here are a couple of photos of prosciutto con melone (melon).

What do real Italian antipasti look like? All of the photos are from our real-life experiences.

Just below you see a contrast in apertivi. To the left is a massive, but inexpensive (€12), amount of Italian meats, along with a spinaci (spinach) covered omelets (yes, little spinach omelets) that we enjoyed at Osteria dell’Unione in Treiso. Next, we see prosciutto with a bit of caprese (tomato, mozzarella, and basil) as our antipasti in Tirano. Then, at Osteria degli Amici in Stresa, a simple caprese antipasto, decorated with an aceto balsamico (balsamic vinegar) drizzle around the edge of he plate. On the right, you see a more delicate presentation from Enoteca della Valpolicella, in Fumane.

Not all antipasti are rustic, as you can see by looking at these two salads we were served at Pisi, in Venice…right on the Grand Canal.

And then, there’s the antipasto that we prepared ourselves in a wonderful cooking class in Piemonte.

Antipaso from our cooking class at Per Tutti I Gusti

See the antipasto below that we enjoyed to start our lunch? It is a simple bowl of tomato puree with a bit of burrata and basil, finished with a drizzle of olive oil. Kinda like a liquid caprese, right? Simple…yes? Tasty? Oh my goodness, it is the reason we returned for dinner the next evening. Enoteca della Valpolicella is a gem of a dining experience! It was so good that it has its own article here!

This Enoteca della Valpolicella liquid caprese was heavenly!

I have yet to write about the fabulous Italian cheeses…but I’ll get there soon. But, just as you will find variations in meats and fish based on locality, you will find that there are regionally significant cheeses that could very well (and should) be on your antipasto plate.

This ends the discussion of the antipasto course. But, now it’s time to confess to a blunder on my part!

Mi Dispiace! Another Word on the Apertivo

Ellen toasting to Csaba’s birthday by enjoying a wine apertivo with Dennis, Patty, and friends at Osteria Maria Luisa

I’m sorry! And, I am so embarrassed to say that in the previous article on the Apertivo, I failed to mention just regular ole wine as an apertivo.

Today, I’m here to rectify that huge mistake. I’ve added wine to the apertivi discussion in that article. You can make sure I did by clicking HERE.

That’s it for today’s reveal of the antipasto. Stay in touch for the next Eating in Italy article on the primi! Until then, I say…

Ciao for now,

Steve

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