Cinnamon and Salt: Ciccheti in Venice: Small Bites From The Lagoon City

Cinnamon and Salt is a fabulous guide to Venetian food. It’s not only full of recipes, it’s also full of history and culture. And as an early bridge between East and West, Venice has more than her fair share of important and exciting culinary and artistic riches. For example, I was fascinated to learn that Venetians were the first in Europe to import and commercialize the trade in sugar. And while seafood plays an essential part in Venetian cuisine, other staples such as rice and polenta make an appearance in this book. I was delighted to find a polenta recipe that is easy to create at home.

I was also drawn to the section about tramezzini. Small sandwiches that are often served in bars as a quick bite. My favorite has to be tramezzini di asparagi e uova. What could be better than an egg, some asparagus, and a little mayonnaise between slices of bread? My favorite section in this book has to be the desserts. I’m a big fan of panettone, so I was pleased to have some local recipes that featured other types of fruit cakes and variations on this theme. This is a beautiful and well-presented book that I’m sure food lovers will enjoy.