Category: Food travel
Limoncello – Recipe
How to make Limoncello
Here a quick guide on how to make the real Limoncello, the amazing Italian lemon liqueur. We learned this recipe after a trip in the South of Italy, in fact this liqueur is mainly produced around the Amalfi Coast and the Sorrento Peninsula. In this warm and sunny area, these fruits grow with an attractive yellow skin, very fragrant and with a particularly juicy and acidic flesh. You can buy them in each corner or market of the Neapolitan region.
“Nonna Maria”, Emanuele’s Grandma, helped us with the research of all the ingredients and taught us the simple secrets to follow to give you the best fragrancy as possible.
Limoncello is a masterpiece for Italians after dinner, a shot in good company around a family table or with friends help to digest as well to give a twist to your conversation. The most important thing to obtain the best homemade Limoncello is using raw lemons, the peel must be untreated so make sure to buy these in organic markets to have the most flavored zest.
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Methods
– Divide pulp from lemon peel using a sharp knife, leave the juicy body apart and place the white and yellow skin in the pure grain alcohol. Do not waste pulp but reinvent it for many other recipes using juice, such as a lemon cheesecake or if you are in a rush squeeze it adding sugar and water for a refreshing lemonade, kids will love it.
– Let lemon rind macerate into spirit for 8/10 days in a glass jar and hide it in a dark kitchen cabinet, just stir the moisture once a day trying to resist the temptation of opening your jar.
Be aware that if the container is not hermetically sealed the alcohol could evaporate and the Limoncello will result less strong and tasty. Each passing day you could notice that lemon peel will be lighter, almost white, instead the spirit dye yellow absorbing the natural pigments from the fruit.
– When maceration is completed release the jar and be ready for the second part of our recipe. Get ready for risk, this process could be a little alcoholic and if you sniff too much you could get high because of the evaporation of alcohol. Bring to boil water in a pot and let sugar dissolve, then switch off the fire and pour the lemon peel from the jar in the pot in order to loose all the remaining flavor and color.
– Once water is cold remove the peel, add the flavored spirit and mix, remember be careful not to sneeze too much and bring kids out of the kitchen. You will obtain almost 2 liters and a half of Limoncello, now it is time to bottle up! We know the temptation to try it immediately will be extreme but unfortunately you have to wait 30 days before drinking in order to have the best taste as possible.
If you ever made an homemade flavored spirit don’t forget to share with us in comments!
We are always ready to try new recipes!
Black Truffle Risotto – Recipe
Black Truffle Risotto
Discovering truffles is extremely complicated not just because its a seasonal treasure but because are hidden into soil. The truffle hunter needs a dog with a fine sense of smell to recognize the aroma of this special mushroom also known as “black gold” of foods for its rarity.
The spores of truffles are spread by boars and other wild animals, glutton for this smelly treasure.
We had the occasion to buy some black truffles at the 32nd National Fair of Truffles in Sant’Agata Feltria (Rn), Italy. We bought these on a local temporary market from Sant’Agata Feltria Tartufi.
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Methods
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In a large pan brown a chopped red onion with butter and extra virgin olive oil. Toast rice for a few minutes and add a glass of white wine to deglaze rice. When all the wine is evaporated start adding hot vegetable broth you are letting boil apart in another pot. Add broth anytime the rice start being dried, you will notice it will release starch and the risotto becomes creamy. Carnaroli rice requires from 16 to 20 mins to be ready.
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Two minutes before the rice is cooked, melt butter in a small pot on low heat and add the majority of flaked truffles. Make sure you removed all the soil from the truffles – see the guide below on how properly clean truffles. To reduce these in flakes use the appropriate tool or if you do not have it, just help yourself with a potato peeler or a sharp knife.
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To stir rice (in Italian, we use a proper word to explain how to complete rice cooking: “mantecare”, which means “cook until creamy”) add the cream of butter flavored with truffles and sprinkle with a lot of Parmesan cheese. Shake the pot to have the traditional wave and mix all the ingredients. Maintain the risotto firm to taste as well when you switch off the fire the rice will continue to cook.
How to care and clean truffles
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Truffles are also really delicate. As soon as we buy them we must put in a glass jar with blotting paper and change it every 2/3 days to properly maintain the taste and avoid mold, do not preserve for more then a week. Before eating we must remove all the soil helped by a soft brush, to simplify the process soak the truffle in a bowl with water but remember it is like a sponge so we must dry it immediately with a bit of paper or a cloth and brush it again until clean.
The essence of a local market – Portobello Road Market
The essence of a local market is to be a place to meet and socialise, a place where human relationships are nearly most of the goods on display.
Local market is full of colours, shapes, sounds, flavours and fragrances that capture the visitor almost addicted from exposure of the products. Local market is a meeting place between agricultural world and the city life, where you can feel the contamination of flavours, history and traditions.
Identity of the place, traditions and food memories are mixed with the culture, giving us a unique and unexpected experience all the times.
Gloria Viganò product designer 