The Venice Carnival - a world to discover.

Carnival's here, and Venice is getting ready to celebrate one of the most important event scheduled to take place in February. This annual festival that dates back to the "Serenissima Repubblica", welcomes approximately 3 million visitors every year, and is known all over the world for the elaborate masks and costumes worn throughout this period.

The "flight of the angel" marks the official opening of the Carnival. On this day, the girl winning the Marie Contest (a beauty contest), descends from atop the bell tower of Saint Mark's Basilica attached to a wire to the square below, where large crowds are gathered waiting for the festival to begin. 

But Carnival's not only about dressing up with funny costumes or attending the colorful parades  held in the city, nor a festival just for kids. In fact, during this time, there are many parties and balls taking place in very exclusive locations where adults too can enjoy. 

Most of the parties are private and the prices to participate usually range from a minimum of €200,00 to €700 or more, either you decide to buy a normal ticket or a VIP ticket - including exquisite Gala dinner served along with fine Italian wines and after-dinner party, including DJ, alcoholic bar ect.

But there's much more than parties and costumes, or at least in my opinion. Being a foodie - if we want to use the American word - I can't forget to mention some of the typical sweets we usually prepare and eat in these days, with particular reference to what we call "Galani" or "Fritoe".

If, by any chance, you're in Venice during this time of the year, you've got to taste them. "Galani", whose name varies depending on the Italian region they are made (e.g. Crostoli, Chiacchere, Frappe, Bugie), are a traditional sweet crisp pastry made out of dough that has been rolled through the dough rollers of a pasta maker, deep-fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar. They are simply delicious.

If you love cooking, I advise you giving it a try: it could be funny and you may be lucky enough to get the dough right the first time. Furthermore, on the internet you can easily find lots of recipes with lots of variations even though, by and large, they all use the same basic ingredients. Here is the link to one of the recipes, from a very interesting online magazine. Check it out!

Along with "Galani", another must are "Fritoe", in dialect (Frittelle in Italian), which are called by different names too, and that you may possibly know as Italian Carnival Doughnuts. Here again, you can find tons of recipes on the net, but they are all quite similar, so just pick the version you like the most. Frittelle are similar to bomboloni: they are round, yeast-risen fried pastries, and are served in a number of different forms, including Fritelle Veneziane, which are unfilled and have raisins stirred into the dough. Personally, I do prefer the filled ones (with several varieties that may include pastry cream, zabaione, and occasionally less common fillings such as Nutella or unconventional flavors), but here again you'll be spoilt for choice. 

Hope you have a good time (cr)eating such super-tasty recipes.

Buon Carnevale,

Stefano.