A post will come in the near future about one of my favorite dishes, which I finally made today as I visit a priest friend in Venezia. Sarde in Saor!!!

But, in the meanwhile, I’ll talk about resourcefulness. I made a cabbage salad (shredded cabbage, salt and pepper layers as you chop, 3:1 ratio apple cider vinegar to olive oil). And I made the Sarde in Saor (broiled sardines in a Venetian onion dish reduced in vinegar (usual white wine vinegar, but I used apple cider vinegar) with white wine soaked raisins and pine nuts)….then you layer the sardines and Saor and let it marinate for 4 hours. Need I say more.

BUT I had fresh cabbage left over and I snagged a few of the sardines and Saor for a quick lunch in waiting.

I pan fried the cabbage to wilt it. Salt and pepper. Fry for 5 minutes, then add the wine (1/2 cup, mine was saved from soaking the raisins). I added some of the soaked raisins, let some of the wine evaporate, then I covered the pot to let the cabbage wilt for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally (and tasting occasionally, to add salt if needed). Once the cabbage was al dente, I added 3 pours around the pot of apple cider vinegar, and left the heat on just to warm the vinegar. I turned off the heat, covered the pot and let it sit for 5 minutes.

I made a bed of the cabbage (which oddly in Venice is called Cappucci, whereas in Rome it is called Cavoli (in Venice this is cauliflower, in Rome cauliflower is cavolfiore). Technique: point at food and say: Lo voglio….per favore. [joke]. On the bed of cabbage, I put a sardine and a half for each of us and a generous spoonful of saor which I set aside.

Let’s just say, I’m proud of this resourcefulness and boy, it tasted good!

And a look at a Venetian church: Santa Maria della Salute!