I knew the alcohol industry was highly regulated when I got into it a couple of years ago with the introduction of Ventura Limoncello. However, each of our 50 states (plus territories) is like dealing with 50 countries. I don’t know how to keep all the regulations straight. Some states we have to register in, apply to, pay fees to (of course), get our labels re-approved to (even though the Federal Government approved them, some states may not), have agents in and who else knows what.

I feel fortunate that some of the distributors in other states I have been talking to have been willing to guide me through this interesting journey. With samples and discussions with brokers/distributors in AZ, CT, IL, NJ, NY, NV, TX and WA it is necessary to learn as much as possible. I still don’t know which will be the first state (outside CA) we end up in first. I’m working on FIFO model for the direction.

I have submitted our application for “exporting” to Nevada, I have the paperwork to submit for Texas and the instructions for submitting to Arizona. I don’t know what the East Coast states require yet. Illinois appears not to require applications, just a form that designates who the distributor is. (Please, someone let me know if that is not the case). We are excited at the prospects of growing beyond our own borders.

Obviously we want to expand to help grow our business. The other main reason is the press. I know I’ve written this before: We are in a catch 22 with the national press. National writers and publications are interested in writing about Ventura Limoncello, but are reluctant to because our product(s) are not available outside Southern California. Distributors and retailers in other states say that we are not yet well-known outside Southern California. What a conundrum. We’ll figure it out sooner or later.

I want to wish all the readers of this blog a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year in 2010. Please consider Ventura Limoncello in your holiday plans as it is “The Perfect Finish to a Perfect Meal”. Salute.

I am on a lemon-bender. These fragrant yellow orbs are hobbling into grocery stores everywhere for the season.
I couldn’t be happier.

It’s no secret I love citrusy things. Biggest problem is usually that I can’t decide which of it is my most favourite.
Besides having to rip through half a dozen lemons for this treat, It’s super easy and it’ll leave your kitchen (not to mention your hands) smelling AMAZING.

Perfect in a snazzy bottle for gift giving and enjoying during the Holidays.

Adapted from Ilva at Lucillian, (love her blog!)I figured she, living in Tuscany, would get it perfectly right. Not being much of a liquors sipper myself, I have to admit the idea is a simple as it is tasty.

LIMONCELLO

7 Lemons, preferably organic, peeled
750ml Grain Alcohol (I used Vodka)
1 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 Cups Water

Scrub each lemon until the oils begin to release.
Using a vegetable peeler, remove the skin in strips, leaving the bitter, white pith.
Submerge the zest in the alcohol an leave covered, for about a week in the fridge.
Strain the zest, leaving the lemony scently, yellow tinted alcohol, while you prepare the sugar syrup.
In a saucepan, heat the water then, pour over the sugar to dissolve.
Heat it over a medium heat until it just simmers.
Add about half to the waiting alcohol and taste to your liking, adding more of the sugar syrup as necessary.
Replace into a sealable bottle and store.
Best kept chilled in the refrigerator for quick and delicious use.

Ventura Limoncello Originale Wins Platinum Medal

We are very pleased to announce that our Ventura Limoncello Originale was awarded the Platinum Medal in the fruit liqueurs division of the inaugural SIP Awards World Spirit Competition held in Los Angeles on November 14th. The announcement came earlier this week (12/1/09). This follows our Gold Medal at the 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and reviews in Just Wine Points (95) and The Tasting Panel (92). 

As I have previously written, I have not understood judging in these competitions. The SIP Awards, which is new this year, has taken a different tack on their judging panel: a consumer judging panel of 100, striped away layers of elaborate marketing, brand recognition, price point disparity, and most critically, the bias of established judges.  In a blind tasting, the judges graded each brand strictly  on Aroma, Taste, and Finish. The SIP Awards granted honors at four levels; Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum medals. This explains their direction pretty well. We thank the judging panel that has scored us so well. 

We look forward to continued reviews of Ventura Limoncello as we continue to expand our availability.

[Leggi qui le puntate precedenti]

Ora, stando agli atti del processo gli è che il bubbone metifico – quello che lor poeti definirebbero invece sacro fuoco, o volontà di potenza, perché troppo si vergognano a chiamarlo col suo termine più proprio: ovvero un ego smisurato – insomma, quella cosa lì, crebbe a dismisura dopo una prima tappa sperimentale nella città partenopea, dove gli entusiasmi ribollirono a tal punto da convincere una signorina lì di passaggio a indirizzarli verso un luogo il cui nome ben si adattava alla veritiera natura dei cinque declamatori. Questo luogo si chiamava – e presuppongo si chiami tutt’oggi, poiché non compare nel registro degl’indagati – il Perditempo: un posto dove vennero accolti come cantori di un nuovo mondo, in modo così inaspettato che rimasero basiti davanti a chi porgeva loro in dono calici traboccanti di bevande senza che neanche vi fosse stata esplicita richiesta (quando invece, solitamente, erano costretti a far la questua per ottenere almeno un cicchetto omaggiato per sciaquare l’ugola dopo tanto profluvio di parole). Uno di loro poi, quello che si vantava dei suoi natali etruschi – che però era finito guardacaso a Roma per fornicar con le parole – finì talmente ciucco da concludere la serata con una barzelletta toscana; ché ci vorrebbero delle foto solo per vedere le facce tutte da ridere dei discendenti di Pulcinella, da immaginarsi con le orecchie protese e le mascelle spalancate nel tentativo di carpire qualche ci aspirata e inghiottita insieme ai sorsi di limoncello di Sorrento che il sommo vate trincava tra una frase e l’altra.

È di quei giorni lì la prima voce di una possibile alleanza extracapitolina, in cui sembrò confluire una misteriosa brigata partenopea, composta di scrittori dialettali e non, che spingevano per goder dei fasti di un nuovo 7 settembre*, per poi ritirarsi anch’essi, da veri intellettuali, senza ricompense e in qualche sperduto loco**.

Ad onor del vero quest’unione non s’ebbe poi a fare, e rimane una delle zone oscure di tutta questa stramba processione che vide le parole uscir dai loro ranghi come insubordinati non ligi agli ordini. Il dilemma non è affatto di poco conto, ché la risposta potrebbe confermare i legittimi dubbi sulla reale unità d’intenti tra i nostrani spadaccini di penna, soprattutto alla luce dei documenti recentemente resi noti dalla commissione di vigilanza web, dai quali emergono polemiche e risse verbali all’ordine del giorno tra questi tutori della cultura, che in quanto a ferir di lingua non sembravano da meno dei tanto vituperati giornalisti.

Insomma, stando ai prodromi si potrebbe oggi asserire che il piano partì già bello che zoppo, nonostante i facili entusiasmi che accompagnarono i cinque briganti durante il viaggio di ritorno in seconda classe, soprattutto quelli del poeta imbrattatore di mura, che fantasticava il buon ritiro in quel di Ausonia, ma solo dopo aver compiuto il suo dovere civico verso l’irriconoscente patria, che si burlava ancora una volta del coraggio dei proprio figli.

Il dado era tratto e i cinque si apprestavano a render giustizia non soltanto a coloro che già si organizzavano per l’espatrio, ma anche a chi, accerchiato dalla cultura dell’aggressione verbale, si accingeva mestamente ad alzar bandiera bianca: essi vollero dare esempio di strenua resistenza dinanzi a chi voleva accorciare la lingua italiana ai suoi minimi termini, per riportarla invece ai fasti, alla ricchezza e alla musicalità a lei più congeniali, proprio come ai tempi del Gadda e del Landolfi.

Simone Ghelli

* Il riferimento è alla conquista della capitale del Regno delle due Sicilie, dove Garibaldi fece il suo ingresso il 7 settembre del 1860, per poi sconfiggere le truppe del re Francesco II che si erano ritirate a nord del Volturno.

** Dopo aver accompagnato il re Vittorio Emanuele II a Napoli, l’8 novembre del 1860 Garibaldi si ritirò sull’isola di Caprera, rifiutandosi di accettare qualsivoglia ricompensa per i suoi servigi.

In order to keep making lemonade out of lemons, one does need a few recipes. Recipes are like words of wisdom that can stimulate or give calm. Sometimes you want a zinger and sometimes you want something smoother. So here’s THE CREAM OF THE LEMON CROP. Usually the curds get in the way (and make a whey). I’ll never forget the day when I went to a Dallas chain restaurant to have pie and hot tea…it was 1960, I was 15 and really didn’t know anything about tea but it sounded sophisticated. The waitress offered: cream? or lemon? I said: Both, please. She said nothing. (She probably had never had hot tea either. In Texas, tea was not a specialty like sweet tea in the deep south has always been). Receiving the tea, I added both lemon and cream and a sudden overwhelming disappointment came over me as I saw the chunks and lumps forming and floating in my formerly clear, pleasant-looking brew. My tea was replaced and I decided on cream only this time. I tried it and found it good. Well, here is a recipe for a southern Italian variety of Limoncello that makes no curds but the perfect blend of both natural lemon flavor and creamy milk. Enjoy!

Crema di Limoncello: 8-10 lemons (peels only) 1 liter of alcohol; 1-2 tsp. of vanilla; 2 liters of whole milk and 2 lbs. of sugar. Procedure: Peel the lemons and add to the alcohol, let stand at room temperature for 4-5 days. Strain off the lemon peels and save the alcohol. Gradually heat the whole milk just so that the sugar dissolves. Let sit until it is back to room temperature and blend in the flavored alcohol with the milk and sugar mixture. Put into pretty bottles and place in your freezer with small glasses at freezer temp. Now you’re ready to serve a lemon smoothie. It brings with it the Mediterranean sunshine…Happy Thanksgiving!

Sally Fougerousse

Dear Friends of JoCoCo: A lemon tree is forever green and always creating something. It is a symbol for marriage, especially in Tuscany. I live in a part of Italy where the lemon groves (clementines, mandarins and grapefruits, included; agrumi) are prevalent. You can start here and then go further south to the Amalfi coast where the “symbols of marriage” get even larger. Trying to interpret the Italian love of nature and their perspective on it: the flower is the beauty of a plant; then there is the fruit of the lemon tree which is a little bitter but adds zest to life and cooking. Cooking adds a lot to life: art and pleasure in creating a meal and the care of family health-wise as well as bringing everyone together for the meal. My goodness, family meals should be daily for these reasons and more…add a lemon zinger after the meal!

Here’s a recipe for LIMONCELLO, a great after dinner drink: 10 lemons (only the rind or peel) add this to one liter of pure alcohol and let sit at room temperature for 4-5 days. 2lbs. of sugar mixed with one liter of water should be heated ONLY to the point of dissolving the sugar (not boiled). Filter out the lemon rind from alcohol and mix with the sugar water. Put in bottles and place in the freezer with small glasses ready to serve cold, cold, cold.

This drink is especially good in the summer; but Limoncello is always good for the digestion in small quantities any time of year. Next time I’ll give you a recipe for Crema di Limoncello. Every household in my neighborhood has its own handed-down recipe for Limoncello. There aren’t a lot of variations, but each person has an opinion about the various amounts of rind and sugar, etc. I just ask each family individually and therefore it never comes to fisticuffs.

Sally Fougerousse

The Amalfi Coast, famed for its beautiful coastline with towns and villages perched on jagged cliffs, attracts tourists from all over. Stretching 50km south of the Sorrentine Peninsula, the towns along the coast are linked by a narrow road with sharp twists and turns. With limited options to travel by bus or boat during the off peak season, the four of us made a booking for a private excursion with a driver from www.sorrentocars.com to take us for a day’s experience of the Amalfi Coast, stopping at three towns along the way: Positano, Amalfi and Ravello.

from Sorrento to Positano: (left) natural formation of a facial profile looking out to sea; (right) historical watchtower built for the lookout for pirates

Positano

Positano, known as the ‘gem of the coast’ and my personal favourite out of the three towns, is truly a picturesque town with multicoloured houses stacked on top of each other against the cliff. It is a lovely walk down the narrow streets decorated with boutiques, to Spiaggia Grande, the main beach and port of Positano.

the view of Positano as we approach the town

miniature Positano

sights along our stroll towards the beach: shaded alleys & stairways, floral patterned fashion boutiques, sign posts, &… cats

view from Spiaggia Grande of the town built against the hillside

boat excursions to Capri and around

boats of Positano

waves-a-breaking on shore

Amalfi

Amalfi, the next town we stop at is characterized by its historical Duomo at the heart of the town.

view of Amalfi and its harbour

Duomo di Amalfi (Cathedral of Amalfi)

Sant’Andrea (Saint Andrew’s) Fountain at Piazza Duomo

(left) streets of Amalfi town; (right) Porta della Marina, the old gateway to the sea

limoncello & everything that’s lemon

statue of Flavio Gioja, the inventor of the compass according to myth but modern findings disputes that he ever existed

Ravello

Ravello, the quietest of the 3 towns, sits high in the hills and has been the ‘town of inspiration’ to many artists. Here we visit Villa Rufolo, a famous villa with its attractive gardens, named after the original owners of the Rufolo family in the 13^th century. Today, the gardens is the venue for classical concerts including the Ravello Festival every summer, in honour of Wagner, whose inspiration for his music came from these gardens.

flowers decorating the walls and stairway

overlooking the blue waters of the Tyrhennian Sea

the gardens of Villa Rufolo

where sea and sky merge

Torre Maggiore in the oldest part of the complex

You may be surprised to learn what it takes in the United States to prepare for the launch of a new alcoholic beverage. Which is what we are working on (as well as making fresh Ventura Limoncello of course.

First, you need actually make some of your new product so you can have it analyzed at the lab. You want to know what your expected % of Alc, % glucose/fructose and other key attributes are. Then you must submit your formula to the Alcohol and Tobacco Trade Tax Bureau (known as the TTB, formerly known at the ATF, but that is another story). You might ask yourself why the TTB needs to know your formula? Well, it is really to ensure that if you are using certain ingredients (like coloring, for example), that they know to have this included on your label. Which is the next step after formula approval. Label approval is the final TTB step before you can actually release your product.

It is important to have label approval before actually printing your labels. I have heard several stories (not our story of course) of label printing prior to approval, only to find out that it is not approved. What is very interesting is that while there is a Federal Government agency for label approval (the TTB), there are still states that must ALSO approve your label before you can sell the product in that state.

Our new flavor will be a Strawberry Cream Liqueur. If you didn’t know, in addition to the lemon crop, the strawberry crop in Ventura County, CA is fantastic. Fresh strawberries are available generally in February through the end of May. The annual California Strawberry Festival, held in May in Oxnard, CA culminates the growing season.

Strawberry Cream Liqueur (we haven’t determined a final “Italian” name for the new flavor yet, any suggestions?) will be made only during strawberry season, to keep it “fresh”. The test batches are nothing short of amazing. It will be great as a liqueur, or over gelato (ice cream), pound cake or cheesecake. Stay tuned.

We wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and consider Ventura Limoncello Originale or Ventura Limoncello Crema as “The Perfect Finish to a Perfect Meal”. Salute!

The Sorrento Peninsula lies south of Naples and is an area known for its spectacular natural beauty. Sorrento’s ideal location with steep cliffs hanging over the Bay of Naples and overlooking to Mt. Vesuvius has made it a popular tourist destination in Italy.

Sorrento by the blue waters of Naples Bay

Sorrento was perfect as a base for us to explore the surroundings of Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii. Upon arriving at Naples airport, we took the Circumvesuviana train from Naples to Sorrento, slightly over an hour’s ride. The Naples train station can be quite confusing as there are different platforms, ticket sellling counters for several types of trains running from Naples so we had to follow the signs carefully for Circumvesuviana ticket counters. We arrived at Palazzo Abagnale Guest House where we stayed for 2 nights before returning to Naples for a night. Weather in November in this region can be rather unpredictable; out of the 4 days we were there, it rained for part of the afternoon on 3 out of the 4 days. Also, November being the off-season, several restaurants in Sorrento were closed and we resorted to finding food around Piazza Tasso area.

Itinerary Overview:

Day 1 – Sorrento

Day 2 – Amalfi Coast

Day 3 – Pompeii

Day 4 – Naples

Piazza Tasso in the centre of Sorrento

This region of Southern Italy is renowned for the abundance of lemons grown and used for food, drink and fragrant products e.g. chocolates, liquer, soap, perfume. These make brilliant souvenirs with several souvenir shops allowing free tasting of lemon coated chocolates and sweets.

limoncello (lemon liquer) filled in bottles of all shapes

With just a few weeks to Christmas I’ve been panicking. I just didn’t know how I was going to be able to afford to buy presents for everyone. I’ve had to trim the number of people I buy for hugely, which is rather embarrassing (sorry, I can’t afford to buy you anything, please don’t buy anything for me either) but completely necessary. I was still worried though the people I did still have to buy for. I was thinking about making things for people, but I didn’t know what or how to go about it.

This week though my prayers have been answered!! Liz at Violet Posy says

‘Thrifty Christmas was an idea I had back in September after a chat with other blogging Mums on Twitter.  We were swapping ideas of cheap thrifty Christmas presents to make for family and friends.  This year money is tight for most people and we wanted to be able to make nice, simple heartfelt gifts.  After about 20 minutes we realised that it might not be a bad idea to pool all the ideas we’d had sweets, flavoured vodkas, chutneys, candles etc and Thrift Christmas was born.’

Thank god it was! I’ve got the recipe for fudge, for homemade chocolates, limoncello & flavoured oils. I can’t wait to start making lotsof lovely treats for just a few pennies.

Pop along to http://violetposy.co.uk/2009/11/08/thrifty-christmas/ for a look. It’s not just food/drink products there’s also some fabulous ideas for Christmas decorations, handbags, children’s costumes etc. I bet there’s at least 2/3 things there you’ll fall in love with & will be excited about making!

Have a wonderful, thrifty Christmas!!

Dirección: Barrio La California, detrás del cine Magaly, 25 mts al Este.

Según wikipedia limoncello es un licor típico de Italia que se obtiene por la extracción de algún tipo de limón o cítrico.

Así que el primer restaurante del blog es de comida italiana!

Al principio no estaba muy emocionada con la idea de ir porque los anuncios que había visto sobre el restaurante no me llamaban la atención pero al final decidí probar.

Llegamos al restaurante y no había nadie!, pensé que tal vez era por la hora (llegamos a las 3:30pm), pero muy amablemente nos recibió el salonero. El restaurante tiene piso de madera, unas cortinas muuuuy elegantes para mi gusto, las mesas con 2 tenedores, 2 cubiertos, copas y servilleta perfectamente ordenado.  La música era en italiano.

Y bueno, a lo que vinimos:  COMIDA!!

Entrada: Sopa de cebolla

Jeje, bueeeeno la sopa de cebolla es un plato típico de Francia pero queríamos ver como hacían con el pancito que se supone debe ir arriba de la sopa.

La sopa venía en una porción que perfectamente se puede compartir pero sorpresaaaa!!! el  pedacito de pan estaba nadando en la sopa y rápidamente se ensuavizó todo quedando una masa con queso.

Decidimos darle un 2 de 5 a la sopa porque se supone que el pan queda sobre el líquido, uno lo quiebra para poder comérselo con la sopa. Además la sopa costó ¢4.090, consideramos que su sabor y la ejecución no coincidían con el precio.

Plato fuerte: Espagueti Carbonara, Gnocchi Gratinati con Salmón.

Espaguetti Carbonara: 

Gnocchi Gratinati:

Los gnocchi estaban deliciosos! El plato traía una buena porción con el queso por encima dorado, eran en salsa blanca con trocitos de salmón que le daban un gusto perfecto. Traía hongos frescos (nada de hongos enlatados) y pedacitos de queso. Los gnocchis se notaban frescos al igual que todos sus ingredientes.  Mi calificación fue un 4 de 5. Nunca antes había probado unos gnocchis tan ricos!

El plato de Espagueti Carbonara traía una buena porción para quedar llenitos!, es un plato clásico, muy fácil de preparar. Traía unos pedazos de tocineta grandecitos  aunque la pasta estaba normal, mucho mejor que en otros restaurantes, pero no tenía el sabor que le da el toque perfecto. Se merece un 3.

Por estos dos platos el precio fue ¢10.910.

Para terminar nuestro delicioso almuerzo pedimos el postre: Baccio Perugina.

Este postre se hace de la misma pasta de la pizza, se forma como un saquito y por dentro lleva Nutella y almendras, se acompaña de helados.

La porción fue generosa, considero que una sola persona muy amante de lo dulce, no lo aguanta, pero eso no importa, lo mejor del postre es compartirlo!. Nuestra calificación fue de un 4. Nos pareció que el saquito estaba algo difícil de partir porque la pasta era un poco gruesa además el helado, a la hora de servir el postre, estaba muy derretido.

Antes había probado este postre en otro restaurante y lo hicieron con la pasta delgada, considero que queda mejor.

El postre salió en ¢2.455.

Falta decir que el servicio fue atento en todo momento, nos atendieron muy amablemente y al final de nuestra comida nos invitaron a tomar limoncello como digestivo. Delicioso. Da la impresión de frescura y con agradable aroma.

Limoncello, me parece que es un restaurante al que se llega fácil pero no está muy bien ubicado, considero que los precios se asemejan a otros restaurantes italianos como por ejemplo La Fabricca, sin embargo la calidad de Limoncello es MUY superior.

Queda recomendado 100%.

As you may have noticed I have been severely neglecting my blog for the past few days. You may wonder what I’ve been up to. Ok, I’ll fess up – no, I wasn’t on a miraculous 5-day diet – I was taking advantage of the opportunity to eat other people’s food Some highlights below:

Thursday: I went to dinner at an Italian friend’s house. He and his roommates (four college guys, mind you, not the usual group you’d find in the kitchen!) made my American friend and I an Italian interpretation of spätzle (a traditional German noodle) made up of spinach, eggs, flour and salt. The head “chef” was originally from Trentino, a region in Northern Italy bordering Austria and Switzerland. A large portion of the population in the region are in fact German speakers and there is a heavy German cultural influence. See a picture of the cooks in action (courtesy of my friend Nicola) here.

Friday: My roommate Giusy cooked dinner for the girls in the apartment. She made a delicious lasagna with radicchio and cream sauce. Yum. I’ve found that radicchio is quite common here and is used in many dishes, from salads to risotto. It looks similar to a head of lettuce but is red in color and has a more bitter, almost spicy taste.

Sunday: I went with my roommate to a local pizzeria to celebrate a friend’s birthday. We started off with beer and pizza – I ordered the Sanremese (pizza San Remo style) which consisted of pomodoro, mozzarella, pesto alla genovese, noci e Parmigiano a scaglie, or in English, tomatoes, mozzarella, pesto, walnuts and shaved Parmesan. It was probably the best pizza I’ve ever had. Amaaaazzzziiinnng. After the pizza we had torta or crostata di fruttà, a traditional fruit tart (which is quite common to eat at birthday celebrations in Italy rather than cake). And to drink with dessert? Prosecco (a dry sparkling wine from the Veneto) and Fragolino. And of course, as is common in Italy, a complimentary shot of limocello (lemon liqueur) with the bill.

This was my first taste of Fragolino and upon asking about it I soon discovered why. Fragolino is a sparkling red dessert wine that has a slight strawberry taste, hence the name (fragola being the Italian word for strawberry). It is typical of the Northeastern part of Italy but is made from an American grape and was therefore made illegal by an Italian law protecting local products. While Italian growers are allowed to produce Fragolino it is illegal to sell. Apparently wine labelled Fragolino can be found in supermarkets but it is not made of the Fragolino (or Isabella) grape; rather, it has been flavored chemically to reproduce the taste. New mission: find a local vintner and get a hold of a few bottles to take home with me!

This is the perfect thirst quencher after a rambling country walk on a sunny autumn day.

Cobra Commander and I brought the limoncello in Venice on our honeymoon, were thought it was about  time that we opened it. I’ve used a cheap champagne here, but it could easily been exchanged for proseco if you want a little more sweetness.  The cocktail would also then be 100% Italian.

So I started by putting one ice cube into the glass. I love it when there is lemon or lime frozen inside the cube. I brought some trays that do that years ago, always keep at least one in the freezer.

There's a lemon in my ice cube

Three fingers of tongue tingling tart limoncello

Ok, to the cocktail, I measured the in fingers, so pour three fingers of limoncello into the glass. It’s not that much, really, It appears to be more because it was made in a champagne flute and they’re narrow….honest!

Pop the pips

The sound of heaven

Look at those bubbles, and the pretty pink hue

I poured equal parts of the two bubbly mixers, but feel free to add more raspberry sparkletini if you want a sweeter fruitier taste.

Last night me and the Canadian fella went to some Irish bar round the corner, it was okay and quite lively. I experimented a bit and went with Beamish and Guiness, I’m getting the taste for proper ales and stouts now. At €5.50 for a pint of anything though it didn’t do my budget too much good. I’ll be swimming to New Zealand at this rate.

When I awoke this morning it transpired that my drinking buddy had barfed in the bidet during the night. His story was that he woke up in the early hours and was that dying for a waz that it made him physically sick, an unlikely tale if you ask me and the hostel staff weren’t buying it either.

I was going to go to Lake Como today but the weather is pretty grim and to be honest I’m quite happy to just have a really lazy day in the hostel for once. I know I’m going to have a pretty hectic week coming up so it will be nice to relax.

I plan to nip out for some supplies later and I’ll do the hour round trip walk to the station to get my ticket to Nice so I don’t have to rush in the morning, but that’ll be it I think.

I’ll finally have a proper opportunity to figure out my ruddy route to Madrid and back to France from there too, that will be a relief.

Ryland (the Canadian barfer) gave me ‘The Road’ by Cormac McCarthy (who wrote ‘No Country For Old Men’) earlier. I’d already heard of it as it’s had a lot of press and I think there is a film adaptation to be released shortly. I like the post apocalypse survival sort of stuff and it looks an easy and short read so I’ll give it a go along side the mammoth ‘Don Quixote’. It will be nice to read a book in the traditional way for a change.

I’ve just booked a flight from Paris to Manchester on December 1st with FlyBe, not too bad at about 60 quid. I can’t wait to see The Citizens in action properly again. Oh yes, it will be alright to see family and friends aswell.

What is making it really difficult to work out my route is lack of hostels, or at least ones with dorms. I keep coming up with a path that works time and transport wise but then have to start again because of lack of suitable budget accommodation. It would be okay if I wasn’t by myself as there is usually somewhere with cheap private rooms for 2-4 people, but obviously I’d have to pay the lot myself as it stands which brings the cost up to hotel prices. Grrr.

I’ve had to cut Andorra out altogether (man, that was a whole new country!) and Marseille, Montpellier, Carcassone, Perpignan, Toulouse, Valencia, Seville, Biarritz were all being considered as destinations but are not feasible for one reason or another.

Anyway, after a full day and evening’s toil, here is my latest route:

Sat 7 – Nice
Sun 8 – Nice (Monaco)
Mon 9 – Overnight bus
Tues 10 – Zaragoza
Wed 11 – Zaragoza
Thurs 12 – Zaragosa
Fri 13 – Madrid
Sat 14 – Madrid
Sun 15 – Madrid
Mon 16 – Bilbao
Tues 17 – Bilbao
Wed 18 – Bilbao
Thurs 19 – San Sebastian
Fri 20 – San Sebastian
Sat 21 – Bordeaux
Sun 22 – St. Jean D’Angely
Mon 23 – St. Jean D’Angely
Tues 24 – St. Jean D’Angely
Wed 25 – St. Jean D’Angely
Thurs 26 – St. Jean D’Angely
Fri 27 – Paris
Sat 28 – Paris
Sun 29 – Paris
Mon 30 – Paris

I will hopefully be able to have less days in St. Jean D’Angely and Paris and fit Normandy inbetween, it just depends if I can find somewhere cheap to stay really.

Me and Craig (the Aussie bloke who works here) had a pizza for tea. I’ve had quite a few diavolas on this trip but this was my first super diavola. I’m not really sure what the difference is though, the only thing I noticed on the ingredients list that was extra was some mysterious element known as ‘zola’.

We then got some beers in at the hostel again and there was also a load of different shots and vodkas on the go as previous guests had left various stuff in the freezer. These shots (such as this one) would prove to be a mistake as when we went to the pub for a last couple of pints I felt completely ill during the 2nd one and had to leave it and do a bunk. Larry lightweight eh.

Another tie on the search front today; ‘New England buggering’ and ‘David Ginola bulge’. Oho err missus eh.

We’ve designed (OK I say ‘we’ but I mean my fiancé!) the limoncello labels for the after dinner drink my Nan (Nonna in Italian) is making for the wedding. Maybe we should have put an alcohol percentage on the label too as I’m not sure all our British guests will know just quite how strong it is!

It has been over a month since our last post on this topic… Are we any closer? Yes!

We have agreed to terms with a broker and distributor/delivery companies (a slightly different model than a true distributor)  here in California. This will take effect on today, November 1. We believe this model will enable Ventura Limoncello to grow in CA, NV and AZ  to eventually absorb the overall margin hit of a true distributor relationship. These terms also allow us to continue sales and distribution in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. The companies we will be working with are Transworld Alliance (Keith, Brian and Joe Bootow’s group) and Renegade Distribution (out of Yorba Linda).

We’re sure this will be a positive step in gaining key accounts for Ventura Limoncello in their distribution area.

With that said, we continue to seek distribution in additional states. We recently sent samples to a distributor in Texas and another distributor in NY. This tallies samples and discussions in: AZ, CT, IL, MA,  NJ, NY, TX and WA. The general consensus of the people who are reviewing Ventura Limoncello is the same, great product, great package, price challenged. More importantly, many had already heard of us!

Price challenged? As compared to what? Well, the availability of Limoncello in each state varies. Most of the “common available” brands are inexpensive compared to Ventura Limoncello. But this is like comparing Smirnoff to Ketel One. The challenge, of course, is how to make consumers aware that there is a difference in Limoncello, like there is in Vodka (or rum, gin, scotch or whiskey for that matter). In stores that carry several (5-8) brands, you will see pricing spreads of over $10 between brands.

Now we don’t claim (or want) to be the most expensive Limoncello on the market. Ventura Limoncello is a value brand.  However, when we discuss entering additional states, we have shipping and various markup costs (distributor, retailer) that impact the price. Still, to be told we are “out of line” in price compared with the other offerings is frustrating. It makes me wonder what is the wholesale price of the other products?

The other challenge distributors in other states say we are faced with is our production amounts. They claim it is not enough. But of course, they don’t say they can sell as much as we make (nor will buy as much as we make). What gives? We can make more, but until we see sales volumes that require increased production (note: investment in the business), why should we make more? It is not a capacity issue, just a smart business decision!

We’re sure we will be in additional states soon. The word is out: Ventura Limoncello is a good product.

Llegó el sábado y tocó salir a dar una vuelta. En un principio no teníamos pensado en cenar en la calle, pero el buen tiempo y que veníamos de fuera nos hizo cambiar de opinión ya que ninguno de los 2 teníamos ganas de hacer de cenar.

Al final después de un breve pensamiento en ver dónde íbamos decidimos volver al Restaurante Vía Veneto al que hacía bastante tiempo que no íbamos. A parte de querer disfrutar de comida italiana, nos ayudó a decidirnos el que nos paguen el tiempo de parking de la plaza nueva que estemos en el restaurante.

Imagino que los sabréis  que restaurante me refiero no? Bueno, para los despistados comentar que hablo de un restaurante que ya lleva más de 20 años con nosotros. Se encuentra situado en la calle El Peso de Lucena y está regentado por Rafael y su familia. Aunque su principal actividad es ser un restaurante italiano, se puede disfrutar de más tipos de comidas. Con una decoración de la que destaca la madera y la tela para las paredes, podemos destacar algunas mesas en las que las sillas son unos sofás tapizados de rojo y cuadros con motivos italianos.

• Servicio: Notable alto.
• Comida: Muy buena, la pizza estaba genial.
• Precio: Normal, precio normal de restaurante.
• Calidad/precio : Notable. Creo que el precio del Lambrusco es caro
• Aparcamiento: Te pagan el tiempo que estés cenando en el restaurante
• Web: http://restauranteviaveneto.com
• Reservas: 957 500425. No disponen de un correo electrónico visible para reservas
• Recomiendo ir: Si.

Nota final: La web es un poco antigua y todo es flash, lo que no me ha permitido en obtener una de las fotos que muestran. Comentar al lector que puedes pedir pizzas para llevar aunque tienes que ir a recogerlas al local.

Escuchando un variadito de carnaval de Cádiz

Venice was veiled by darkness as my plane landed- and yet the minute the plane door opened, I was transported to a different world.

The beauty of the Italian language, the slower pace of this mysterious city and sleek dressed locals all greeted me as I descended the stairs off the plane. A two hour direct flight, and my surroundings were about to make me feel as if I’d traveled back in time hundreds of years.

Boarding the Vaporetto (public water bus) for my hotel, the facades of 15th century buildings came into view. Glowing from the pink lamp shades the buildings looked more like a movie set than a modern city. It was after 9pm, and the sleepy city had settled into its nighttime routine.

After checking in to the hotel, we accepted advice from the friendly receptionist, and headed for a trattoria nearby. To our surprise, the wooden tables were still full of families and groups of young people with carafes of red wine. There was one table left in the corner, and it was ours.

I had spent the morning finishing up a few assignments, hurriedly packing, waiting for a bus that never came, and ultimately jumping in a taxi and fighting traffic to arrive at the airport on time for my late afternoon flight. And yet, that entire frantic world seemed light years away from a table in the corner.

In this casual restaurant, the waiters still wore waistcoats and ties. Our playful waiter jumped back and forth between Italian and English, providing me with just enough clues to decipher the menu and take a suggestion for wine. Like actors in a play, the waiters each executed their roles: bringing wine glasses, the pop of the cork, pouring San Pellegrino and quickly placing steaming plates of al dente pasta in front of us for appetizers.

The host stood at a nearby table; laughing and gesticulating to regular clients. In the corner by the bar, the espresso machine roared to life and someone’s meal was made complete. I was only eating my appetizer, and already couldn’t wait for the frosted glasses of limoncello that would conclude the meal.

The Rialto Fish Market

The ritual of a meal is something I learned from my family, of Italian descent. The atmosphere I was recognizing in this trattoria has spread all over the world, I’ve realized — but in Italy it is still in its purest form. 

Next came my fish course. One of the older waiters carried out my plate, an entire sole that he de-boned at the table. First off came the head, then the tail, then with carefree precision, he removed the bones leaving me with two fresh filets, a couple wedges of lemon, and some grilled vegetables. He looked down at his work and with a perfecto left me to enjoy the daily catch.

A trip to Italy can be about art, architecture, and attractions – or it can be about Italian life. Already having spent some time in Venice, I wasn’t planning on going near the Accademia Gallery, or the Peggy Guggenheim Museum (although I strongly recommend that). I wanted to take the traghetto across the grand canal for 50 cents with a gondola driver who was smoking a cigarette and sipping on a beer. I wanted to search out a gelato shop that had the best reputation in town. I wanted to dine al fresco, and find the nightlife that Venice keeps hidden away.

Traghetto Driver, Smoking while Crossing the Grand Canal

I had three more days to explore Venice – to revisit old haunts and discover new ones. As I finished my first frosty glass of sour-sweet limoncello, I was glad I had put everything else aside, and taken this long weekend to return to the romance of Italy.

Check back for more anecdotes from my recent trip to Venice over the coming weeks – expect pizza, an explanation of the daily passeggiata, what the locals are drinking other than prosecco, a trip to the church featured in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and what sites you shouldn’t miss when you find yourself in Venezia.

I’ve always enjoyed a personalized welcome bag when I’ve gone to weddings out of state. When we made ours, we chose items that represent us and the wedding.  

We shared plant-able confetti, limoncello from Italy (where I lived for four years), marionberry jam (from the groom’s home state of Oregon), an art cube with photographs by my mother, water bottles and helpful maps. 

I was excited to have the opportunity to share my mother’s art with our guests. A professional photographer, Melabee Miller has had her photographs on four art cubes. The cubes are built like ancient Chinese puzzles. You open up the cube and discover more images inside. While we chose the white cube for the wedding, you can watch the pink one being opened up on this Youtube video. If you are interested in purchasing cubes, you are welcome to contact her directly at mmiller95(at)aol(dot)com.

Our wedding had a bit of a green theme (some potted herbs at the wedding) and we decided to re-use shopping bags for the welcome bags. Similarly, the confetti, made by Botanical Paperworks, had seeds in it and could be planted. 

We started planning for the welcome bags early by ordering the various pieces and having them shipped to my parents’ house in New Jersey. To drop them off at the hotels, we called a few days ahead to ask how many rooms were booked and then dropped them with the necessary labels. We tried to choose items that would travel easily if they weren’t consumed immediately. 

What was your favorite treat you found inside of a hotel welcome bag?

I’d had some other plans today that I’d been really looking forward to, but they fell through, and I have come to feel that when life throws you lemons, as it so often does, you can either cry and be bitter or you can roll up your sleeves and make limoncello.*

Scootchin’ on down to C-town with the kidlet to bring a little Muppets into Paolo and Corinnette’s quarantined Hanna lives and help Miss D decompress from these weeks of dramz.

Try to feel sick when you’re eating soup and watching Kermit. I dare you. “See you later, alligator!”

*limoncello is an Italian liqueur and will it fuck you uuuuuuup? boy, howdy! salute!

That was how Chef, Scott Conant of Scarpetta signed my NY Cooks – 100 Recipes from they City’s Best Chefs cookbook which I received at the book’s panel discussion over the weekend as part of New York City’s Wine and Food Festival.  Somehow the pasta gods joined forces and a reservation opened up for early Sunday evening (the best time for Italian Sunday Dinner).

One of the topics on the panel discussion was how has the economy effected your business.  Many chef’s including Scott replied that the ego has gone out the window and really making the guest feel welcome and taken care of  has prioritized in economic turmoil.

Walking into the magnificent dining room of Scarpetta the feeling of being welcomed could not have rung more true.  At least 4 different people welcomed our family and hoped that we enjoyed our dinner.

One of the inspirations for Scarpetta, which in Italian means ‘little boot’ also happens to be the shape taken on by bread when you dip it into olive oil.  Scarpetta encourages the bread bowl throughout the entire meal so you can gather up the last bits of the incredible sauces on the plate.  And indeed I did!!

Also encouraging was the ability to share plates to ensure maxium tasting abilities.  A nice touch was the division of the dish onto two sharing plates as seen below with our pasta course.

We of course had to try the signature spaghetti dish with a portion of the proceeds of the dish going to City-Meals-On-Wheels.  That accompanied by the seasonal flavors of Pumpkin Tortellini!  Second course was split between the Imported Turbot  served with root vegetables and pumpkin seeds, and the Sicilian Orange Spiced Duck.  For dessert, Pear and Almond Tart with Ginger Gelato accompanied by some Limoncello and Fragoli Strawberry Liquor.

Some of my favorite “Nice Touch” moments were the simultaneous unveiling of our dishes from under the ceramic food lids, folding of the napkins if you got up from your seat, constant flow of water, a visit from General Manager, Jeffery Tascarella, the restaurant support for farm-fresh ingredients, and I noticed that the bartender brings your drinks from bar to table upon your tabling being ready.  Ultimate “Nice Touch” was of course Scott Conant visiting our table at my request to the waiter.

..för jag, fru Frato, är ingen kritiker. Detta är mitt personliga utlåtande om en bok som jag tycker det är synd att ingen kulturredaktion eller litteraturblogg i landet verkar ha plockat upp, så synd att jag inte kan låta bli att själv skriva något. Och jag väljer trotsigt att för en gångs skull strunta i att det inte är sådant här Debutantbloggen är till för.

En säck full av Gud återger en storfamiljs vardag under två ovanliga år, från hösten 1943 till krigsslutet 1945. Familjen Bresciani är en välbeställd italiensk familj, som bor i en stor villa en bit utanför Rom. När berättelsen börjar har de första sammandrabbningarna mellan tyska och italienska soldater precis ägt rum utanför Rom och deras lugna livslunk med promenader i trädgården, långa middagar och eviga glas med prosecco och limoncello på verandan ska komma att omkullkastas.

Familjen tvingas snart lämna sitt hem då det intas av tysk militär, så de packar sina saker och ger sig av till släktingar i Rom. Fadern i familjen håller stånd en tid ute i villan men inser till slut att det är bättre att fly än illa fäkta.

Det finns politiska slitningar inom familjen. Mellandottern Romina är förlovad med en övertygad fascist, Gabriele, och väljer att trotsa familjens uppenbara avsky för hans åsikter och reser med honom till Trieste och senare Gargnano för att delta i kampen. Gabriele ansluter sig till de Svarta Brigaderna, men efter en rad otäcka händelser sätter han sin fru och nyfödde sons säkerhet framför sin ideologi. Tyvärr är det redan försent.

Modern i familjen känner sig plötsligt manad att resa till sin födelseort på Sicilien. Hon tar med sig yngsta dottern Laura och de stannar i flera månader, och modern möter och gör upp med sitt förflutna på ett sätt hon inte vågat på 30 år.

Men samtidigt som dessa och många fler händelsekedjor pågår, och man också får korta fakta av hur kriget fortgår i Italien, händelser som på ett naturligt sätt vävs in i handlingen, pågår en väldigt massa på det känslomässiga planet. Författaren har inte en huvudperson, utan många. Hon vandrar obehindrat från sinne till sinne och beskriver i inre dialoger funderingar om allt som rör livet, det förgångna, framtiden, känslor och relationer. Hon beskriver en 13-årig flickas funderingar lika ingående som en åldrande mans, och det känns alltid trovärdigt. Detta tycker jag är bokens riktiga behållning, man lär verkligen känna alla personer med deras egna tankar och ord som hjälp, och när man läst klart känns det som om man varit inne i huvudet på nästan varenda en. Jag tycker det är beundransvärt att kunna föreställa sig hur så många olika slags människor tänker och känner.

Författaren skriver i baksidestexten att boken handlar om hennes italienska släkt, och att det är historier som berättats ”sedan alltid”. Jag kan inte låta bli att undra hur detaljerade dessa historier var. Men författaren har, med en otrolig inlevelseförmåga och fantasi, lyckats klä alla dessa berättelser i känslor, tankar och personliga synvinklar, som gör berättelsen till så mycket mer än bara ett händelseförlopp.

Jag kan bara spekulera i varför alla, som jag ser det, missat att recensera den här boken. Jag kan tänka mig att utkommen på ett riktigt litet förlag, är det lätt att man som överlastad kritiker under årets mest aktiva utgivningsperiod tar för givet att den inte var bra nog att komma på ett stort förlag, och därför inte värd att titta två gånger på. Jag tycker att boken hade behövt en riktigt proffsigt skriven baksidestext, som gav exempel på bokens stämning och handling. Särskilt för en sådan här tjock bok, som dessutom är lite trög i starten, är det totalt avgörande. Baksidestexten som den är nu hade funkat bra som ytterligare information vid författarbilden på pärmens insida, men säger mig nästan ingenting om vad boken handlar om.

Jag kan också erkänna att jag blev avtänd av personlistan i början, som jag för övrigt tycker är mer eller mindre onödig. Det är inte speciellt svårt att hålla reda på personerna i boken. En enda gång tittade jag i listan, och det var för att stilla min nyfikenhet angående vad det i berättelsen ännu ofödda barnet skulle ha för kön och få för namn.

Men detta är petitesser i sammanhanget. Den enda bok jag kan komma på att jämföra En säck full av Gud med, är Isabel Allendes Andarnas hus. Det är många liknande ingredienser; familjehistorien, den politiska oron, och en synskhet och andlig närvaro som är så vardaglig att ingen ifrågasätter den. En säck full av Gud är en Andarnas hus om andra världskrigets Italien.

Our Ventura Limoncello cocktails have been really popular this summer and fall. Many of our restaurant customers have been featuring several cocktails on their drink menus and creating exciting Ventura Limoncello cocktails.

We recently met Bobby “G” Gleason, master mixologist of Beam Global Spirits (yes, Jim Beam). He was mixing cocktails at the American Wine & Food Festival this past weekend. We introduced him to Ventura Limoncello Originale , which he enjoyed and said he would work with. He asked that we come back in a little while and he would have a new cocktail. The Kentucky Lemon Drop was born:

The Kentucky Lemon Drop
1 oz Ventura Limoncello
1-1/2 oz Jim Beam Bourbon Whiskey
2 oz fresh Sour mix
In a shaker with ice, muddle fresh mint. Add Sour Mix, Jim Beam Whiskey and Ventura Limoncello. Shake and serve.

Bobby served them as “tall shots”. Now I am the first to admit I don’t drink whiskey (or bourbon for that matter), but this was amazing tasting. It was so smooth. I did not shoot mine, but enjoyed it in 3 long sips.

Another favorite is the crisp and refreshing California Sunset. The California Sunset was created by The Ebell of Los Angeles for their Wedding Showcase, and has been a hit ever since. It makes a great “party” cocktail because you can make it by the glass, in a pitcher, or a large glass urn (with spigot of course). It is crisp and refreshing on a hot summer day or a nice evening cocktail. It has been served at several events this past summer.

Ventura Limoncello's California Sunset Cocktail

The California Sunset
Mix (or premix) with ice:
2 parts Ventura Limoncello Originale
1 part Cranberry juice
1/2 part Sweet & Sour

Fill a hi-ball glass with ice 1/3 to 1/2 with Club Soda, top off with Sunset mix, stir and enjoy!

There are many more cocktail and food recipes on our recipe page: Ventura Limoncello Recipes

Thank you for following the Ventura Limoncello Blog and remember to Ask for it by name. Salute!

On a warm summer morning after peeling for what seemed like forever (and getting increasingly lazy in my efforts to keep the white bits off the peels), I ended up with this – two quarts full of lemon  peels in my jars.

Making Lemoncello

Lemons will go bad quickly if left out without their skins, so either toss them in plastic bags and get them in the fridge right away (and plan to use them soon), or juice them and either use or freeze the juice immediately. I froze the juice, so I now have pre-measured juice all ready for a couple batches each of  frozen lemon yogurt  I’m dying to make.

Then, into the jars with all the lemon peels goes the two bottles of Everclear grain alcohol. You can’t see it very well in this picture, but the lemon peels are growing more and more pale, as the liquid grows more golden yellow.

Finally, it’s  time to finish making the limoncello. The next step is the combining of the sugar and water. It’s not necessary to heat this mixture ..but gently warm it to even a simmer, as long as you keep an eye on it and the sugar is completely dissolved.

And here we are with the finished product! Save all those empty bottles.. they make excellent limoncello containers. Once poured, store your freshly made lemoncello in the freezer.

Note: Limoncello is strong cordial, please use caution! The first sip will warm you down to your toes.. the second sip is very smooth.. the third you will feel a bit fuzzy and not even taste the alcohol in it.. only the delicious lemon! If you do a few shots, let me just say.. you will be the life of the party! Salute!

Lemoncello

Lemoncello Recipe

• 2-750 ml bottle of Everclear pure grain alcohol
• 16  lemons (make sure they’re organic and not sprayed, you’re using the peel!)
• 5 cups water
• 3 cups sugar

Directions:

• Wash the lemons thoroughly.
• Using a peeler, take off the skins being careful not to get any of the white lemon “pith” onto your peelings or it will add bitterness to your limoncello.
• Put the peels into two 1 quart canning jars, with the alcohol and seal the lid tightly. Be sure to date the jars.
• Put the jar in a cool, dry place for 3 weeks or even longer – once a day, shake the contents well to remix everything. You’ll notice the color of the liquid changing to deep yellow and  lemon peels fading.
• Once the base liquid is ready,  dissolve the sugar completely in water by heating it on the stove. Do not boil the sugar syrup. Then cool the sugar-water mixture to room temperature.
• Strain the lemon peels out of the alcohol.  They should snap very  crisp almost as a potato chip and then mix the alcohol with the sugar-water.
• Pour the mixture into bottles which can be sealed tightly and store them in the freezer. Limoncello makes a wonderfully scrumptious gift.

After a long coastal trip from Tuscany via Enzio, Naples, Sorrento to finally Positano.. we stopped for some dinner at a small family run restaurant.. Antonio’s. Our dinner was absolutely delicious and conversation with the owner refreshing. As we were about to say our goodbye’s Antonio asked us to stay a bit longer and disappeared into the restaurant kitchen. When he reappeared he was carrying a very chilled bottle of homemade limoncello, made from his courtyard garden lemon trees. I was so thrilled and told him that we have also been making our own limoncello at home. This seemed to please him even moreso than our generous tip! He shared his tips with me and I with him. Antonio gave me a bottle of his limoncello to ‘ bring home’.. and I lugged that bottle all over Italy for the next month with me! It was great fun comparing notes, and a great first night spent on the Amalfi coast. I still use this same decanter when I make my limoncello and just smile to myself thinking back on that wonderful meeting. Salute Antonio!

Salute Antonio!