 |
Lake Como Map Showing Cities to Visit in the Lake Como Area James Martin, Europe for Visitors |
Peter and I went to this small town in October 2008. Cernobbio is located on the shores of Lake Como, approximately 1 hour outside of Milan. Many of you may only have heard of Lake Como because George Clooney has a lakeside villa in the town of Laglio. I'm sure that there are many celebrities in the area, but Lake Como (Lago di Como) is the real star.
Back to the risotto. Due to this year's winter weather and all the snow we have had, while shopping for food the other day, I had a craving for something warm and filling. I remembered a fantastic risotto that Peter and I had in the restaurant of our hotel Albergo Miralago. How can you go wrong with rice, sausage, and red wine all in one dish? I've included the recipe that I used below, but it's a pale comparrison to what we had in Italy.You can get to Cernobbiio from Milan by car, which I don't recommend, or take a train to Como and then take a boat the two stops to the Cernobbio dock. We did both. We flew to Milan and had the hotel pick us up (what luxury being met at the airport). But we also took the boat daily during our one week stay.
When you arrive by boat, this is the view of the hotel with the mountains behind. Our corner room was on the right top level of the hotel. Here are just a few views from that vantage point. The town looks empty, but that was because our visit, the last week in October, was at the end of the season.
 |
| The dock is at the end of this park area. |
Once you get onto the street, Cernobbio is very picturesque. There is a mixture of residences, restaurants, small shops and of course churches.
 |
| Another view of Albergo Miralago |
Cernobbio is famous for a 16th-century waterfront villa which was turned into the 5***** star Villa d'Este Hotel. Although the hotel's gardens are off limits to the public, Peter and I managed to gain access on a misty afternoon while pretending to be hotel guests. I was abel to get some pictures with my camera phone, but these were lost when I did my last cell-phone upgrade. Let that be a warning to you all...back up your phones!
 |
| You can JUST see Villa d'Este under the tree bough. |
Of course you don't go to Lago di Como to stay in a hotel. You go to be on the water and to visit the many towns dotted along it's coastline. Now if you had a car you could drive to each town, find parking etc. or skip all of that a simply board the frequent ferrys for local visits or when time is not an issue, or take a hydrofoil for longer distances in less time.
For this visit to Cernobbio, let me introduce you to the two closest towns to Cernobbio; Belvio and Moltrasio.
 |
| Approaching Belvio |
 |
| Moltrasio |
 |
| This is a monument to Bellini who lived and composed in the town Moltrasio |
For the next blog, I'll take you further along the coast of Lago di Como to Bellagio and Varenna.
As promised, here is the recipe for the risotto. Today I discovered that I have 50 cookbooks, of which 40 have to be for French and Italian cooking. My favorite Italian cookbook author is Marcella Hazan. Her multiple books are so instructive about Italian cooking techniques. I learned the basics of risotto from her. (I saw her once in a restaurant where I was eating and nearly choked on my food due to the surprise.)
Of course if anyone has another recipe for this dish, I would be very happy to try it.
Risotto con Salsiccia (Sausages)*
Serves 4
about 61/4 cups Meat Stock
3 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
9 ounces Italian sausages, skinned and crumbled
2 cups risotto rice
3/4 cup red wine
4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Bring the stock to a boil. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in another pan, add the onion and crumbled sausages and cook over low heat, stirring occassionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook, stirring, until the grains are coated in butter. Pour in the wine and cook until it has evaporated. Add a ladelful of the hot stock andcook, stirring, until it has been absorbed. Continue adding the stock, a ladelful at a time, and stirring until each addition has been absorbed. This will take 18-20 minutes. When the rice is tender, remove the pan from the heat, stir in the Parmesan and remaining butter, transfer to a warm serving dish and serve.
*Recipe from The Silver Spoon, Phaidon Press; first published in Italian by Editoriale Domus as Il cucchiaio d'argento in 1950.
