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Life's lemons ts
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Lombardino's mahes a fine limoncello t
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By Masarah Van Eyck
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aybe it's not surprising that o
limoncello, the lemon-flavored r
liqueur from southern Italy was N
the resu-lt of too much of a sood O
thing namely the abundance of citrus
groves -that line the winding Amalfi coast. €
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Long valued for their culinary and cura- u
tive properties, Iemons were a staple in Italy u
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since at least the Middle Ages. But it wasn't U)
until a little over a centwy ago that a Capre- U
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si hotelkeeper thought to fashion a sweet, liLir.:r,
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clear digestive inf.rced with the rinds of the a tt ":
sour fruits. A handful of Madison bars offer N S',
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Now limoncello (the country's newest limoncello. For commercial brands like s .$::
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19:
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national drink) ald its sister cordial, orange- Toschi and Caravella, try Johnny Delmoni-
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cello, are a common way to end a meal, espe- co's, 130 S. Pinckney St., and Maduro, o
cially in warmer months. I17 W. Main St., respectively. (Maduro also (n
In recent years,limoncello has gainedpop carries Caravella's orangecello). Peppino's z
ularity on this side of the Atlantic as well, Restaurant, 1'11 S. Hamilton St., also makes
though accordingto Michael Banas, manager limoncello in-house.
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of Lombardino's Restaurant & Bar, 2500 Uni- ?
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versity Ave., the commercial brands that land =

on American tables lack the fresh and clean ance to the simple syrup that makes it vis- :<
qualities of true Italian varieties. cously sweet. 3
"They're more like Country Time Lemon- At its worst, it can taste like lukewarm E.
ade with extra sryar." lemon sorbet or evenhandftils of lemon drops
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After a trip to Italy almost five years ago, dissolved in grain alcohol. But if you're deter-
however, Lombardino's pastry chef, Dan
u
mined to have a bottle at home, consider z
Almquist, was determined to serve limoncel- brands like Limoncello di Capri and Villa o
lo back home. Massa, if you can find them.
"I found i.t so refreshing the perfect The key is to store it in the freeze4, serve it
-
thing to have after dinner: Sometimes they'd absolutely ice-cold and in narrow cordial
just hand you one on your way out of the glasses. (Recently a restaurant brought me
restaurant." Iimoncello in a sni.fter. As Almquist explains,
Ninety lemons, five gallons of 100-proof it's more a potion to belt back on your way
vodka and three months latel Almquist out the door than to nwse in the heat of vour
brought in a batch of homemade Limoncello to palm.)
Lombardino's staff. It immediately hit the Limoncello can also make a fine aperitif
menu. when lengthened with tonic or champagne.
At its best, Iimonceilo boasts a citrusy
scent and fresh, clean aftertaste. Because of
the lemon rinds, the cordial is faintly spicy
In true Americano fashion, Lombardino's
offers limoncello and blood orangecello mar-
tinis with a citrus twist. Think of it as a sip of
nUineS3ouliVt
even sometimes nicely bitter a good bal- summerfrom the AmaIfi coast.@
-
Gampfire eooking with Jerry Minnich %aa4{r/21t4 Snzuunt attd 9as,snn fuw
In his new North Woods Cottage Cookbook (Trails Books, 2005), Isthmus
restaurant critic Jerry Minnich opens his recipe file and doles out the Tuesdays S-8 p.m. Thursdays S-8 i
staples of cabin cuisine, from grits souffl6 to braised rabbit. Don't expect Apnl 5. ltalian Selections fmm WineBow Aptil 7: Classical Win
anlching terribly gourmet; as Mirmich writes in his introduction, "What April 12: A Frenzy for Zinfandel! April 14: Treasures fio
would you rather be doing at six'o clock in the evening
- whipping up
a roux...or watching the loons on the lake with a gin and tonic in hand?"
April 19: New Wines from Switzerland April 21. Australia and
April 26: Food & Wine Pairing April 2B. A Vjsit to Sor
Minnich, who has authored a number of books on Wisconsin
including the classic Wiscozsin Garden Guide -
the recipes sim-
ple and includes a handy Iist of pantry items -keeps
to take "up Nort." High-
Iights from the book include Minnich's Championshlp Chili, garlic-fried walleye and some-
thing called Hula Spam Pizza a dish that truly reveals the author's twisted nature.
-
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