A new turistic attraction ?
Do you know how to make home made limoncello ?
There are many stories and legends about origin of limoncello, and there are three towns who are fighting to prove it’s origine : Sorrento, Amalfi and Capri.
However the first to register name Limoncello was Massimo Canale in 1988, in Capri.
One of the story of the origin of limoncello belongs actually to his family.
In the beginning of 1900, madam Maria Antonia Ferace was cultivating garden full of lemons and oranges. The grandson, after war, opened, in the area close by, small bar where he served lemon liquor made by the recipe of his grandmother and in 1988 son Massimo Canale registered the name of this liquor.
But also there are stories from other town.For example, on the cost, in Sorrento,it is said that important families from Sorento were always offering to their guests to taste limoncello, made by ancient recipe. In Amalfi they are claiming that it’s origin goes to ancient times, someone is saying that fishermen and paesants were drinking it during the cold mornings to help them warm up. Others are saying that it comes from monastery where it used to be very popular refreshments of the priests between prayers.
The truth we might never find out. More important is that we can buy a bottle of limoncello almost in all big shops all around the world.
But also make our own:)
To prepare this refreshing and delicious liquor you will need as the main ingredient obviously lemon, which as Italian would say should be from Sorrento, meaning having an elliptic shape, medium size, having skin full of essential oil, wrinkled and yellow-citrine colour. If you can not get it imported from Sorrento, I suggest to choose good quality ones.
And here is the recipe :
Ingredients:
– 10 medium sized ,
– 1 l of good quality alcool 90°
– 800 gr of sugar
– 1300 ml of water
So, we first carefully peel lemons, avoiding all white parts. In glass jar we place all skin and 1 l of alcool. We close and leave for 15 days to rest. On the 16th day we boil water with sugar for couple of minutes, so that all sugar is melted and leave to coll down for the whole day.
This syrup mix well together with alcool. Take another bowl and poor whole liquor through gauze or filtered paper, squeezing well lemon skin.
Poor into the bottles, close well and leave it for some time in dry dark place.
As you see, it is very easy to make home made limoncello.
Once done it should be stored for some time, but after some short time you can enjoy aroma of this yellow liquor, mainly as an aperitivo or digestive but also in many sweets or fruit salad. There is also a variation of it, named Limoncello alla crema, where we add fresh cream and milk.
Pizza dough recipe from Pizzaiolo from Naples
Here is the recipe from our friend Giuseppe, pizzaiolo from Napoli, who was very happy to share secrets of his job with us
* It is a big quantity, so or make a big Italian style party or do a bit of maths and chose quantity which will satisfy your appetite
once done should look like this
Ingredients:
10 kilos of flour ( type 00 white) it is the one that should be used, because it is soft and made from the best part of wheat
50 gr of yeast
Water nor too warm, nor too cold, better coolish one *
2- 3 dl of oil ( mix of olive n normal one)*
Salt ( it should be salty, taste it, because while its growing the salt will evaporate)*
Mix everything and leave for approx 5 minutes to breath, then make small balls ( (each size of one pizza) n leave it in a pot, which should be covered with a wet piece of cloth for an hour for “growing”.
Leave it in a fridge to stop growing and for the storage.
P.S. All ingredients that our friend pizzaiolo is putting are approximative, so a bit of practice will be needed
As for tomato, the best is to take a big can of San Marziano tomato (3 or 5 kilos) where are bigger pieces of tomato and it’s not that liquid, then cut it by yourself or mix it in a blender and add salt and oil.
And one more advise from Giuseppe “ NEVER buy the ‘ready tomato sauce ”
Did u ever hear the story of Amaretto?
Amaretto, one of the most famous Italian liqueur, hides much more then bitter-sweet flavour!
Everything starts in 1527, in Saronna, small town in Lombardia when Saronno church commissioned artist Bernardino Luini, one of Leonardo da Vinci’s pupils, to paint their sanctuary with frescoes. As the church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Luini needed to depict the Madonna, but was in need of a model. He found his inspiration in a young widowed innkeeper, who became his model and (in most versions) lover. Out of gratitude and affection, the woman wished to give him a gift. Her simple means did not permit much, so she steeped apricot kernels in brandy and presented the resulting concoction to a touched Luini. Read more about amaretto, and fine interesting recipes on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaretto
Eros Ramazzotti and big world Noi tour 2013! We will be there! :)
Eros Ramazzotti and big Noi world tour 2013 http://www.ramazzotti.com/en/category/news/
It’s a Carnival time!
The Carnival of Venice (Italian: Carnevale di Venezia) is an annual festival, held in Venice, Italy. The Carnival ends with Lent, forty days before Easter on Shrove Tuesday (Fat Tuesday or Martedì Grasso), the day before Ash Wednesday.
It is said that the Carnival of Venice was started from a victory of the “Repubblica della Serenissima“, Venice’s previous name, against the Patriarch of Aquileia, Ulrico in the year 1162. In the honor of this victory, the people started to dance and make reunions in San Marco Square. Apparently, this festival started on that period and became official in the Renaissance. The festival declined during the 18th century.
After a long absence, the Carnival returned to operate in 1979. The Italian government decided to bring back the history and culture of Venice, and sought to use the traditional Carnival as the centerpiece of their efforts. Today, approximately 3 million visitors come to Venice every year for Carnivals. One of the most important events is the contest for the best mask, placed at the last weekend of the Carnival. A jury of international costume and fashion designers votes for “La Maschera più bella”.
If in Italy during Carnival time, more info on http://www.carnevale.venezia.it/
The Met in Rialto and many Italian composers! Read more on
Leonardo Da Vinci, an exhibition in Limassol
Leonardo Da Vinci, painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer. A genius and machines – after Florence, Venice, Naples, Warsaw, Madrid, Hong Kong, Vienna, Australia, New Zealand, North America, South America and Berlin, in Cyprus.Read more on: http://www.cyprusevents.net/events/leonardo-davinci-machines-limassol-2013
Cat Toldo,from Pistoia (Tuscany) is bringing every day a gift to the grave of its owner!
Courtesy of http://corrierefiorentino.corriere.it
A year after death of his owner cat Toldo is still visiting grave and bringing small gifts ( leaves, plastic cups, branches, handkerchief. ..) read more on http://corrierefiorentino.corriere.it/firenze/notizie/cronaca/2012/28-dicembre-2012/gatto-visita-tomba-padrone-ogni-giorno-un-piccolo-dono-2113334883026.shtml
If in Italy on New Year’s Eve …
Capodanno 2013 in Italia http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy-featured/capodanno/lucky-13-italian-new-years-eve-celebrations