The next three weeks are going to be very quiet around here. Saturday morning I'm leaving for Atlanta to spend time with my mom, brothers and their families. It will be so quiet around here that a tumbleweed or two will be seen blowing across the blog until around July 18.
Wishing everyone fun days ahead and buon viaggio to the ST members who are traveling this summer!
Sunday June 28 will be a very special day for my family; it marks my mom’s 90th birthday. We will be visiting her in the morning. My brother, Rafi, will play the piano and we will serenade her, singing many of her favorite songs. In the evening we will be attending a Mass given in her honor at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in downtown Atlanta. Following Mass, the entire clan will have a celebratory dinner at an Italian restaurant. No one in our family has reached the venerable age of 90, so this is a big occasion for us.
I wanted to post a photo of my mom when she was a tiny baby but her baby pictures are at my brother’s house. Last year, on Mother's Day, I posted one of my favorite photos of her. This one was taken on the day my brother Miguel got married in 1972. I also like this photo; my mom looks so elegant and sophisticated and she's at the home I grew up, surrounded by some of her favorite antique furniture that she loved and enjoyed having.
¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Mami!
Today we have another reason to celebrate: it's my son's 30th birthday. Here's Pablo at four months old on his first visit to Paris.
Bon Anniversaire, Pablo!
Annie recently posted some beautiful photographs of garden wall Madonnas that she had seen in her many trips to Venice. Her entry reminded me of one of these Madonnas that I saw last October in a quiet campo, named Corte del Volto Santo, located in Cannaregio just off Rio Terrà della Maddalena.
The area around this picturesque corte is known as the Antico Borgo dei Lucchesi (Old Lucchesi District). The unstable political situation in Lucca during the 14th century sent a large number of Lucchesi to many cities in the peninsula, including Venice. This old Lucchesi district is where the artisans and entrepreneurs from Lucca lived and worked their silk craft.
The corte was named after a revered wooden effigy known as Volto Santo (Holy Face) depicting the crucified Christ and contained in the Cathedral of San Martino in Lucca. Medieval tradition attributes the carving of this remarkable image to Nicodemus. The well-head in the corte in Venice is decorated with a carving of the Volto Santo.
A beautiful wall in the corte.
The only business I recall seeing in the corte was the Hotel Eden. In the background, there's the Madonna with Child, high on a ledge and protected from the elements by a metal canopy or umbrella.
This week's salad was chosen by Cindy Ruth of Baked Alaska. I enjoyed this delicious and easy recipe as a light lunch. I followed the recipe as written and the only item I omitted were the croutons. Love the smokey flavor of the grilled romaine combined with the tangy and lemony dressing.
Thanks for a great recipe, Cindy!
GRILLED ROMAINE SALAD Serves 4
2 heads romaine lettuce
Extra-virgin olive oil
Citrus Caesar Vinaigrette, recipe below
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Chopped tomatoes
Homemade croutons, if desired
Preheat grill to med-high.
Rinse and pat dry the lettuce. Cut the 2 heads in half lengthwise. Brush surface wtih olive oil and grill about 4 to 5 minutes total, turning occasionally. Place each wedge on a salad plate and drizzle with Citrus Caesar Vinaigrette. With a vegetable peeler, shave some pieces from a wedge of Reggiano-Parmigiano over each salad. Top with chopped tomatoes and homemade croutons and serve.
CITRUS CAESAR VINAIGRETTE
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons anchovy paste
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Place all ingredients in a pint jar with a lid. Secure the lid, then shake to blend. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Creamy risotto, delicately flavored with fish broth
from Riva Rosa, on the island of Burano
where I saw a review of the restaurant, written by three ST members, posted at the entrance
and sat in the patio to enjoy a delicious lunch.
