Drinking Italy

I am currently not in Italy. In fact, I have not been in Italy since June of 2006. That is depressing.

And with a daughter in college and a tattered roof that needs replacing (thanks to Hurricanes Katrina and Gustav), I don’t anticipate a return trip in the near future. Very depressing indeed.

But in keeping with my “flashback” theory of food (see “Donut Memories”), I can be instantly transported to an outdoor café in Florence (Firenze, if you want to be picky) with a sip of one of my favorite summer drinks, a Campari and soda with a twist of lime.

Campari, along with Cinzano and Cynar, is a type of bitters. People tell me that drinking bitters is an acquired taste, but it’s definitely one I’ve acquired. With its bright herbal and orange flavors and its jewel-like pinkish red color, Campari is a delight to the nose, the taste buds, and the eyes.

Another drink equally refreshing in the summer, and equally evocative of Italy, is limoncello which, to me, is like a glass of sunlight.

Purists would maintain that Campari is an aperitif (apertivo in Italian) and limoncello is a digestif (digestivo), but I find Campari, with soda or even straight up, to be a very non-cloying end to a meal, and one with much less of the headache-producing qualities of, say, Strega. (I’ll save my Strega “adventures” for another post).

A shot of limoncello on ice, in soda, or in Prosecco, is a great way to begin a warm-weather meal. And it is surprisingly easy to make.

Limoncello

This version results in a lemony liqueur that is somewhat sweeter and, to my taste, less alcoholic than store-bought limoncello. Also, some limoncellos tend to be cloudy, whereas this is wonderfully clear. I’ve substituted orange peel to make a fantastic orangecello which my husband prefers to limoncello. I plan to try lime peel in the future and will post my results!

Source: very old magazine clipping

Ingredients:

Peel (yellow part only) of 2 pounds of lemons
4 c. 100-proof vodka
3 c. sugar
3 c. water

Process:

Pour the vodka into a large glass or plastic container. Add the peel, cover and steep for one week at room temperature. Stir the sugar and water in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves; cool. Add the sugar syrup to the vodka mixture and stir. Strain the liquid into bottles and chill the limoncello for one month. Serve chilled.

I’m not sure if the “one month” in the instructions means how long it should be chilled before the limoncello is ready or if that is how long it lasts once brewed. I’ve drunk it right after adding the simple syrup and kept it in the refrigerator for much more than a month—it’s all good!

Serving suggestions:

In addition to the soda or Prosecco suggestions above, limoncello can also be used in a variety of mixed drinks and desserts such as drizzled over pieces of melon garnished with fresh mint leaves.

Ciao!