Food writer and cookery school teacher, Liz Franklin, was inspired by a trip to Venice to write her book, Cicchetti, about the snack-size portions of food served in bacari (wine bars) alongside a glass of ombre (literally meaning ‘shadow’) – the local vino, so-called from the days when wine merchants used to store their barrels in the shadows of San Marco’s bell tower to keep them cool.
Italians may not consider snacking on cicchetti anything particularly extraordinary – it’s usually considered aperitivo, a pre-dinner nibble with wine and a catch-up with friends – but the dishes also lend themselves well to festive parties and special occasions, when you want to serve easy-to-make, yet impressive, celebration food, together with refreshing, Venetian-inspired cocktails (see recipes on page 112).