The 70th Venice Film Festival

Luxury, stars, and honor capture the city host to the world’s oldest film festival.  Set for starting on August 28, 2013 at Palazzo del Cinema is the 70^th Venice Film Festival.  Painstakingly beautiful, this is Venice when it sizzles. 

Palazzo del Cinema

 

The famous Venetian film festival takes place on The Lido, the main land barrier between Venice and the open sea, the most gorgeous beach annually full of Hollywood’s finest.  Venice is taken over not only by Hollywood, but global film industry elite as well.  There is historically on of the most prestigious awards in film to be given to top award, The Golden Lion ( Leone d’Oro).  This year there are 21, often limit pushing, films competing. 

Venice 70 –Future Reloaded will encapsulate highlights from films over the festival lifespan to be directed by Alberto Barbera.  Beyond the films, anticipated moments, and the stunning location the Venetian film festival largely promotes the newest digital technologies and progression in all parts in the art of film making.  Venice is a culture the world wide film industry can relate to of beauty, appreciation of time, and set apart from the rest. 

 

Traveling to beautiful Italy is one of the most decadent trips of a lifetime.  Going to Venice during the annual film festival, undoubtedly has made top billing on many bucket lists.  The Lido at this peak moment every year is incandescent, it is unimaginable anywhere else could shine as bright. 

The Gelato Sandwich

A bevy of delightful images of frozen desserts splashed across the internet last week in celebration of National Ice Cream Sandwich Day on August 2, 2013.  Frozen desserts and the stream of National Days allotted in their honor represent summer treats well.  The sources for inspiration are mouthwatering creative combinations.  After a particularly long period of pontificating the very best way to stand out among the slew of combinations the answer became simple, creating a basic gelato sandwich proved enough to contend.   

The Gelato Sandwich:
 Chocolate wafer cookies, vanilla gelato. Simple summer treasure.

On a previous post the idea occurred to make a gelato sandwich with pizzelle, delicious and a bit fancy.  For numerous variations gelato can be smashed in between to enjoy sandwich style (donuts, waffles) check out this buzzfeed. This video supplies you with the proper techniques on how-to create the gelato sandwich! 

The Blood Orange Peach Soda Float

Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis.

Same buzz, same theory here.  Able to stem a bit from the basic being as the frozen beverage arena has many advanced conceptions. Please don't take this the wrong way, black sesame gelato shakes are likely amazing, but this fresh sorbetto soda float will cater nicely to summer taste buds. 

The Blood Orange Peach Soda Float

2 cups water

1 cup sugar

3 fresh peaches, peeled and pitted

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, from 1-2 large lemons

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 cup sparkling water

Ice

Blood Orange sorbetto

Basil for garnish

In a small saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar has dissolved, 2-3 minutes.  Set aside to cool 20 minutes.

In a blender, combine the cooled syrup, peaches, lemon juice, and lemon zest.  Blend until smooth.  Add the sparkling water and pour into an ice filled pitcher.  To serve pour into individual glasses and top with a scoop of blood orange sorbetto and fresh basil for garnish.

Do you know what today is? Yes, another frozen treat: National Root Beer Float Day! Root beer & Sea Salt Caramel Gelato for our float!

 What memory does a root beer float bring to you?