Pedace

I was dreaming of Venice last fall, but my trip to Italy fell through. Now, I'm socked into a Seattle winter, the roads covered with uncharacteristic snow. Luckily, I've got Dream of Venice in Black and White and my memories for company. In 77 photographs from 10 countries, this new book strips the legendary floating city down to its bones, present... ing it to us in black and white, in fog and ice and rain. Started in 400 A.D. by citizens seeking safety from the perilous mainland, Venice is made up of 117 tiny islands, connected by winding canals and rickety bridges. Trust me, you have not seen it all. Do not believe anybody who tells you Venice is ruined and over-discovered. Leave San Marco and keep walking until you get lost in the narrow streets where few visitors ever venture. You will find peace, that rare thing. Dream of Venice captures Venice's tangled history and fascination, thanks to commentary by Tiziano Scarpa. A novelist, poet, playwright and journalist, he wrote the popular Venice Is A Fish: a Sensual Guide. Editor Joann Locktov founded Bella Figura Publications, an imprint dedicated to Venice-inspired works. Do you have a lost family Christmas recipe you're longing to taste again? I finally perfected my mom's "Scarcello Christmas Pitta," a rich Southern Italian pastry coiled like a snake and filled with walnuts and raisins, flavored with whiskey, red pepper flakes and a trace of orange rind. It can also be served at Easter. My grandmother brought this recipe with her from Pedace, Italy, in Calabria. It's a speciality of the Sila , a beautiful forest in the hills above Pedace that I've visited several times with my Italian relatives. There it's called Pitta 'mpigliata. Pitta is from the Arabic and 'mpigliata from the Hebrew word for "crushed." My Jewish husband loves this dish, which reminds him of his mother's apple strudel. Scholars trace it back to 1700 in San Giovanni in Fiore, practically next door to Pedace. Mom and I made this raisin/nut delicacy during our last Christmas together, three ...Read More