The Bailliage of Wasatch Mountain virtually celebrated its first year anniversary with an engaging on-line risotto-making event tutored by Marco Stevanoni, owner of Veneto Ristorante Italiano. [Ed. In the language of the native Ute people, Wasatch means “mountain pass” or “low pass over the high range”.]

Members picked up their personal ‘To-Go Kits’ with all the necessary ingredients required to prepare the risotto al radicchio e taleggio (English: risotto with radicchio and Taleggio cheese), a “Veneto” prepared appetizer and dessert, plus two special bottles - a cocktail and a wine. The kit also included an apron and a chef’s hat!

We then returned home and completed our kitchen cooking set ups ready for our Zoom event.

Marco Stevanoni, owner of Veneto Ristorante Italiano, joined us from his home kitchen. As always he provided interesting and entertaining instructions through which we learned his secrets and heard his stories.

As we were guided through the fine art of risotto making in our own kitchens, we partook of the “Veneto” house-made antipasto of tre bocconcini de polenta fritta (English: three fried polenta bites: wild mushroom, peperonata, gorgonzola cheese). This was paired with a No21 Negroni cocktail which Marco and his partner have endeavoured for many years to bring to market.

Marco’s simplistic cooking method only took us 17 minutes to complete our main dish. We then sat down to enjoy the fruits of our labour, conversation and the wine pairing Marco and Vice-Échanson R Scott Maxfield had chosen: Scarbolo Merlot 2017 from the Friuli-Venezia-Giulia region.

We finished with a “Veneto” house-made dessert of crostata all Nutella (English: Nutella tart) with a candle included to celebrate the Bailliage’s first-year anniversary.

It was a delightful and creative evening while still gathering safely and supporting Marco and Amy Stevanoni … and Veneto Ristorante Italiano!

Gena Politano
Vice-Conseiller Gastronomique