Italy's movable feast

An Australian cod fish and tiger prawn combination, served with roasted pepper and thyme and mint compote.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Since then, Portaluppi's foodie tour of Italy show has made several stops: in the pastoral island of Sardinia for Mediterranean fish; in Lombardy, for which he cooked a delicate veal ossobucco from his native Milan; Trentino and Alto Adige, a chance to display wonderful desserts which originated in ancient Rome, and traditional pastries stuffed with speck and porcini mushrooms.

The current destination is Venice, the medieval seaport that once anchored the Maritime Silk Road and boasts a variety of landscapes as well as culinary contributions from civilizations of the past, including a vigorous food and wine festival tradition. The region is famous for excellent prosecco from Treviso, and Amarone and Bardolino from Verona.

For Venice, Portaluppi's regional menu starter is shrimp with onion, nuts and dried grapes, cod fish mousse with roasted polenta and red pepper compote. Next comes a beautiful red-radish risotto made creamy with Asiago cheese, cooked just past the al dente stage to perhaps be more harmonious with Chinese tastes. The main course is beef steak Venice style, with spinach and Amarone wine sauce, and the finale is tiramisu, artfully served in a glass with fresh fruits and thin chocolate crisps.