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A Table in Venice: Recipes from My Home: A Cookbook
Learn how to cook traditional Italian dishes as well as reinvented favorites, and bring Venice to life in your kitchen with these 100 Northern Italian recipes. Traveling by gondola, enjoying creamy risi e bisi for lunch, splashing through streets that flood when the tide is high—this is everyday life for Skye McAlpine. She has lived in Venice for most of her life, moving there from London when she was six years old, and she’s learned from years of sharing meals with family and neighbors how to cook the Venetian way. Try your hand at Bigoli with Creamy Walnut Sauce, Scallops on the Shell with Pistachio Gratin, Grilled Radicchio with Pomegranate, and Chocolate and Amaretto Custard.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published March 20, 2018
35 people are currently reading
224 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 19, 2018
I highly recommend this gorgeous cookbook, unless you suffer from acute lifestyle envy. Reading about Skye’s morning breakfasts in Venetian coffee shops, her daily visits to buy gorgeous vegetables in Il Mercato, and her casual attitude towards catering for 20 or so people at a time is on another plane of reality for most people. As my daughter and I grazed our way through the baking section - always my favourite in any cookbook - she said to me, “Mama, this is your ideal life.”
My edition, from Bloomsbury Publishing, is full of delightful details: from the marbled endpapers, to the delicious peachy-pink (Venetian pink) used as the background colour for the recipes. It is full of golden grace notes, including many photographs from this most atmospheric of cities. I sincerely hope to cook from it as well, but at the very least it is superlative eye candy.
My edition, from Bloomsbury Publishing, is full of delightful details: from the marbled endpapers, to the delicious peachy-pink (Venetian pink) used as the background colour for the recipes. It is full of golden grace notes, including many photographs from this most atmospheric of cities. I sincerely hope to cook from it as well, but at the very least it is superlative eye candy.
April 19, 2023
This is one of those transportive cookbooks that makes you feel like you've caught a stolen moment in a faraway place. It's part perusing grandma's recipe card stash and part: behold—my quietly fabulous life! The images are wonderful, and all the interior shots give the impression that Venetian houses dark spaces lit only during daylight hours like a Dutch master's still life. Very interesting to learn about the food traditions and tasteful delights of a wondrous place I've never heard of as having a definite regional cuisine, and curious to learn there isn't much effort put forth by locals to inform tourists of these foodways. Perhaps this is due to the pervasive use of raisins? For me, it's the raisins I'm here for. And the peaches poached in amaretto syrup, the lemon riostto, and the oven-roasted stuffed sardines. If nothing else, this quiet banger'll soothe your broke-ass armchair wanderlust.
April 30, 2018
One of the reasons why I love cookbooks so much is because of the immense amount of vicarious-living they offer. While I have been to Venice, Italy before it is Skye McAlpine's gracious tour of her beloved home through some really delicious recipes that I could feel some of what she feels for Venice and experience a bit of its magic too. Part memoir, part cookbook what A Table in Venice offers is her take on Venetian cuisine as well as providing many traditional recipes. McAlpine has been delivering accounts of her daily life in Venice via her blog, From My Dining Table, for over the past three years. She moved to Venice as a child when her parents decided to move there for a year from England and then never left. Like her blog, her book is full of gorgeous photos of the city as well as beautifully styled pictures using antique glass, transferware and cutlery, Venetian lace table clothes, marble, and beautifully weathered wood tabletops. All of the images evoke such a feeling of relaxed elegance.
It was on a sunny Friday spring afternoon that I decided to give her recipe for Zucchini Pizzettes a try. She explains that these mini pizzas made on buttery puff pastry are a "thing" in Venice. They were delicious and an unexpected take on the traditionally doughy version. These pizette also seemed like the perfect thing to serve on this quite "Pizza Friday" at home. The puff pastry, a star in this recipe, takes a recurring role in several other recipes throughout the book. The Peach and Saffron Pastries that I made and the Poppyseed Puffs were absolutely delicious and are recipes I'll make again. With the use of package prepared puff pastry these recipes are quick to make/bake and yield professional-looking dishes. Speaking of which, the Poppyseed Puffs were exactly as advertised: uno tira l'altro/one calls for another! Once I set them on the table they were gone in no time and I think I'll take her advice and add some olives and cheese the next time to really make it a perfect Happy Hour snack!
A Table in Venice is divided into 6 chapters -- Il Cafe/Sweet Breakfast Recipes, Il Mercato/Vegetable Recipes from the Rialto Market, A Tavola/ Classic Lunch Recipes, Lo Spritz/ Recipes for a Venetian Aperitivo, La Laguna/ Fish and Game From the Venetian Lagoon, and La Pasticceria/Desserts and Sweet Treats. McAlpine also helpfully elaborates on essential ingredients in her pantry section. I found the ingredients easy to source at my local grocery store and I'm finding that the recipes in this book also lend themselves well to farmer's market shopping. While enjoying many of her vegetarian appropriate recipes (being as my family and I are vegetarians), I think the book offers many recipes that support an omnivorous diet -- I know both my mom and sister would adore this book!
One of the most memorable recipes that I made from the book is her Chocolate Birthday Cake -- a flourless paragon of a chocolate cake this recipe is one that her mother has made for all of her birthdays and one that McAlpine, herself, makes for her son's and husband's birthdays. So imagine my husband's delight to receive this cake in celebration of his birthday a few weeks ago (he's one of those "if it's not chocolate it's not dessert"-types). This two-layer fudge-y chocolate cake covered in a rich Mascarpone Icing is one that's going to become the cake that everyone requests -- however with 600 g of both chocolate and butter as well as a dozen eggs this is one treat that will be saved for those special occasions (it is here where I emphasize how incredibly rich, sweet, and magical this cake really is).
All of the recipes I've tried so far have been really delicious and very easy to make. Even with my first attempt at making risotto (a dish I had never attempted before because I thought it might be too difficult to make or easy to ruin) I was extremely pleased with the results. The book is full of a combination of easy weeknight cooking and recipes to save for enjoying on the weekend when you have more time to spend on a recipe (think -- handmade pasta and gnocchi). I also really enjoyed making her gnocchi and found that her method of using baked potato instead of using boiled lead to a much more light and airy gnocchi.
A Table in Venice offers a delicious look at this iconic floating city through some enticing, easy to make recipes.
Please note that this review is an excerpt of a longer review posted to www.shipshapeeatworthy.wordpress.com
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Appetite by Random House / Penguin Random House for providing me with a free, review copy of this book. I did not receive monetary compensation for my post, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
It was on a sunny Friday spring afternoon that I decided to give her recipe for Zucchini Pizzettes a try. She explains that these mini pizzas made on buttery puff pastry are a "thing" in Venice. They were delicious and an unexpected take on the traditionally doughy version. These pizette also seemed like the perfect thing to serve on this quite "Pizza Friday" at home. The puff pastry, a star in this recipe, takes a recurring role in several other recipes throughout the book. The Peach and Saffron Pastries that I made and the Poppyseed Puffs were absolutely delicious and are recipes I'll make again. With the use of package prepared puff pastry these recipes are quick to make/bake and yield professional-looking dishes. Speaking of which, the Poppyseed Puffs were exactly as advertised: uno tira l'altro/one calls for another! Once I set them on the table they were gone in no time and I think I'll take her advice and add some olives and cheese the next time to really make it a perfect Happy Hour snack!
A Table in Venice is divided into 6 chapters -- Il Cafe/Sweet Breakfast Recipes, Il Mercato/Vegetable Recipes from the Rialto Market, A Tavola/ Classic Lunch Recipes, Lo Spritz/ Recipes for a Venetian Aperitivo, La Laguna/ Fish and Game From the Venetian Lagoon, and La Pasticceria/Desserts and Sweet Treats. McAlpine also helpfully elaborates on essential ingredients in her pantry section. I found the ingredients easy to source at my local grocery store and I'm finding that the recipes in this book also lend themselves well to farmer's market shopping. While enjoying many of her vegetarian appropriate recipes (being as my family and I are vegetarians), I think the book offers many recipes that support an omnivorous diet -- I know both my mom and sister would adore this book!
One of the most memorable recipes that I made from the book is her Chocolate Birthday Cake -- a flourless paragon of a chocolate cake this recipe is one that her mother has made for all of her birthdays and one that McAlpine, herself, makes for her son's and husband's birthdays. So imagine my husband's delight to receive this cake in celebration of his birthday a few weeks ago (he's one of those "if it's not chocolate it's not dessert"-types). This two-layer fudge-y chocolate cake covered in a rich Mascarpone Icing is one that's going to become the cake that everyone requests -- however with 600 g of both chocolate and butter as well as a dozen eggs this is one treat that will be saved for those special occasions (it is here where I emphasize how incredibly rich, sweet, and magical this cake really is).
All of the recipes I've tried so far have been really delicious and very easy to make. Even with my first attempt at making risotto (a dish I had never attempted before because I thought it might be too difficult to make or easy to ruin) I was extremely pleased with the results. The book is full of a combination of easy weeknight cooking and recipes to save for enjoying on the weekend when you have more time to spend on a recipe (think -- handmade pasta and gnocchi). I also really enjoyed making her gnocchi and found that her method of using baked potato instead of using boiled lead to a much more light and airy gnocchi.
A Table in Venice offers a delicious look at this iconic floating city through some enticing, easy to make recipes.
Please note that this review is an excerpt of a longer review posted to www.shipshapeeatworthy.wordpress.com
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Appetite by Random House / Penguin Random House for providing me with a free, review copy of this book. I did not receive monetary compensation for my post, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
June 20, 2021
After a trip to Italy (3 years ago!), I put some books on my Wishlist. Just getting around to looking at some of them, which I checked out at our local library. I love the pictures in this cookbook which includes landscapes and city pictures as well as food. I also like the authors journaling about each recipe. That is what is really special about this book. I probably won't make many of the recipes, but a couple that seemed doable were pasta with creamy walnut sauce and lemon risotto. Her chocolate cake at the end looks interesting - 3 1/2 cups dark chocolate, 2 2/3 butter, 1/2 lemon, 12 large eggs!, 3 cups of sugar. Glad I checked this out at the library instead of buying.
December 14, 2020
Wish I could travel right now but the armload of cookbooks I have checked out from the library is allowing me to vicarious travel. This one is making me want to be back in Venice.
The recipes I’ve highlighted to try are: roasted celery with cherry tomatoes and pancetta pg 80, zucchini, pecorino and fresh mint frittata pg 184, shrimp broth pg 215, shrimp and chips 😋 pg 219 and peaches poached in Amaretto sauce pg 246. They are all fairly simple recipes with readily available ingredients, although unless I use the local peaches I froze this summer, I’ll have to wait a bit.
The recipes I’ve highlighted to try are: roasted celery with cherry tomatoes and pancetta pg 80, zucchini, pecorino and fresh mint frittata pg 184, shrimp broth pg 215, shrimp and chips 😋 pg 219 and peaches poached in Amaretto sauce pg 246. They are all fairly simple recipes with readily available ingredients, although unless I use the local peaches I froze this summer, I’ll have to wait a bit.
December 1, 2025
Some of the best photos I have ever seen. It has a true Italian aesthetic
The prose and storytelling around each recipe have room for improvement. I mean the photos are award worthy, if the prose was nailed down, it could be a notable book
The prose and storytelling around each recipe have room for improvement. I mean the photos are award worthy, if the prose was nailed down, it could be a notable book
April 20, 2018
What a totally gorgeous book. I have just ordered three more copies to give as presents. Simple but delicious recipes and photos that make you feel like booking a flight to Venice.
June 16, 2018
A wonderful selection of photos of Venice, paired with recipes for dishes you can look for in its restaurants.
February 10, 2019
A beautiful cookbook that is also a love story to the most intriguing city in the world. I love to read cookbooks and this was my favorite of the year.
February 17, 2020
there are a lot of good recipes here
June 21, 2021
I just love the theme the recepies, the photos... arg!!alll I wish she will publish more
October 12, 2018
I love reading cookbooks to "meet" the chefs, read their stories and to find new recipes for my family and friends.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews