Westchester Eats

Making Limoncello is easy, it just requires the patience of a few weeks. Once it is completed, you will have an Italian treat at the ready in your freezer for guests after a nice dinner.

The Video: Making Limoncello

Ingredients

• 1750 mL good vodka
• 20 organic lemons
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup filtered water

Although you don’t have to filter the vodka, I find that running it through a filter several times gives a “cleaner” result. I use Brita.

1. Filter the vodka four times through a filter (such as Brita)
2. Put the vodka into a clean glass jar
3. Using a microplane, remove the zest (yellow only) and place all zest into the vodka.  Seal the jar.
4. Keep the mixture in a relatively shady area (not exposed to sunlight) – - but in a place that it is noticeable to you.  Every day or so as you pass by, simply give the jar a little “swirl” so the zest continues to interact with the vodka and the natural lemon oils extract. I would do this for a minimum of four weeks, and six weeks is better.
5. Using a coffee filter (I use my Krups gold filter), separate the now very yellow lemony limoncello from the zest.  Discard the zest.
6. In a sauce pan, mix one cup of sugar and one cup of filtered water.  Bring to a simmer while stirring.  Once the sugar comes to a boil, the syrup is complete.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.
7. Continue to mix, in small portions, the simple syrup into the limoncello. Stir and taste until you have reached the citrus/sweetness combination that meets your taste.
8. Pour mixture into glass bottles, leaving some room for any expansion.  Place in the freezer.  Your limoncello will now be icy and syrupy cold and ready to serve as a cordial following any meal.

Delicious combination of Brussels sprouts and pancetta make this a crowd pleasing side dish.

This rustic combination of Brussels sprouts and smoky pancetta are a nice pair for a cold autumn evening.  Perfect served with a roasted chicken, turkey, or a pork tenderloin.

• 1 pound of pancetta (or thick slab bacon) cut crosswise in thin strips
• 1 Spanish onion thinly sliced
• 10 garlic cloves, cut in half lengthwise
• 2 pounds Brussels Sprouts, stem end removed and halved
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

In a deep skillet, cook the pancetta over medium-high heat, allowing the fat to render and the meat to crisp.  Leaving the rendered fat in the pan, transfer the crisped pork to a plate and set aside. Add the onion to the pan and saute, stirring often.  Just before the onion turns a nice golden color, add the garlic so it will lend its flavor without burning. Remove the onion and garlic mixture and transfer to the plate with the pancetta. Continuing to use the same oil, and working in batches, saute the Brussels sprouts, seasoning with a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper, until nicely crisped and browned. Add back to the pan the onion, garlic, and pancetta mixture and stir to incorporate. If the Brussel sprouts are still not tender, you may add a small amount of chicken stock. Turn heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and allow to simmer just until the sprouts are tender. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Serves 6 – 8

Growing up, we ate this delicious dish each fall. Crisp vegetables, cured meats and crusty bread dipped in this “hot bath” of garlic, anchovies, and butter is unbelievably fantastic.  It hails from the northern parts of Italy. My mother’s family is from the Alto Adige region and now it’s time to imbibe again.

Serves 4 – 6

1/2 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

3  Tb. butter

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

10 salt-cured filets of anchovy, rinsed and boned, finely chopped

Kosher salt

Raw vegetables to your liking (carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, turnips, celery, radishes, endive, cardoons, radicchio, etc.) cut up

Sliced bread (good crusty artisan bread)

Thinly sliced cured meats (salami, prosciutto, etc.)

1. Heat the oil and butter in a sauce pan over medium-high heat until butter begins to foam.  Add the garlic and cook for approximately 10 – 15 seconds, do not allow to brown or burn.

2. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the finely chopped anchovies.  Stir and press them with a wooden spoon until they are broken into very small pieces or even until they “dissolve”. The hot bath will become cloudy.  This should take about 4 minutes.

3. Season with salt to your taste and serve immediately as a dip for your vegetable/meat/bread pairings. Some Italians, just before serving will add about 1 tsp. of vinegar, this is optional.

Note: Traditionally, Italians will serve this in a pot over a small candle to keep warm.

Another side note: We also only ate it on a Friday or Saturday evening as not to offend our office mates with the garlic.  Do try it, you’ll be blown away.

Quote to consider by one of my favorite authors who wrote about life and food:

“and above all-friends should possess the rare gift of sitting they should be able to, no eager, to sit for hours- three, four, six-over a meal of soup and wine and cheese, as well as one of 20 fabulous courses then, with good friends of such attributes, and good food on the board, and good wine in the pitcher, we may well ask-when shall we live if not now?” – - MFK Fisher

Thoughts?

You must, must, must visit Tarry Lodge in Port Chester.  This brainchild of Mario Batali, Lidia and Joe Bastianich is a jewel.

Before the entire review is posted here, you must stop in, sit at the bar and order the guanciale pizza (made in a wood burning oven).  In the center is a poached egg yolk which you puncture with your fork and spread across the pizza’s surface creating a most unctuous sauce.  No sense of egg, just creamy delight.  More later on this eatery.  Beverage of choice with the pizza?  Go for “Joe’s Rosso” which is a red blend – - light and delicious to complement the pizza.

Tarry Lodge

18 Mill Street

Port Chester, NY 10573

914-939-3111

www.tarrylodge.com