liqueur

Ciliegie sotto spirito — boozy cherries

Tags: artusi, drinks, fruit, liqueur, summer, traditional
July 5, 2016
2 Comments

Preserving fruit under alcohol and sugar is an age old preparation, and an enjoyable one at that. The liqueur infuses the fruit, the fruit infuses the liqueur and the sugar adds a bit of sweetness that takes the edge off the strength of the alcohol. Marco’s nonna used to make these in the summer during the height of cherry season and then serve them to anyone entering the house as a welcome — the ultimate sign of good old fashioned hospitality.

Tags: citron, citrus, drinks, fruit, liqueur, recipes, salad, southern italy, traditional
January 18, 2016
19 Comments

On my recent trip to Sicily, I brought with me Helena Attlee’s beautiful ode to citrus in Italy, The Land Where Lemons Grow. It’s a fascinating, beautifully written account of the history and current situation of citrus through Italy’s best known citrus areas, from the Medici’s citrus collection in Florence to the mafia tainted mandarins in Palermo, the lemons of Amalfi and Garda and more.

Tags: liqueur, renaissance, traditional, tuscany
November 24, 2015
15 Comments

It felt like I was mixing a magic potion. A little bit of this. A little bit of that. A crumbling of some bark, a few seeds. And then the final touch: a couple of spoonfuls of dried insects. Kermes or cochineal insects are what give this Renaissance-aged Tuscan liqueur it’s distinct colour, and its name. The dried insects infuse the liqueur with a deep, pinkish-red magenta hue and are then strained out, along with the other spices that permeate the liquid.

Ciliegie sotto spirito — boozy cherries

Citron, three ways

Homemade Alchermes liqueur