Gelato Cocktails

Ladies and gentlemen, let us celebrate in spirit with spirits of the sweetest variety this year.  One of the top elements to a holiday gathering is the beverage options, in order to create the most spectacular offerings serve a couple of signature cocktails that incorporate gelato.  Truly brighten the crowd and atmosphere with a gelato addition to a traditional Bellini or a dark stout beer.  

Giuseppe Cipriani the founder of Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy created the most famous champagne cocktail in the world, The Bellini, although it is made with prosecco.  A traditional Bellini is made with one part white peach puree to three parts prosecco. All items should be as cold as possible.  To create a memorable twist to the traditional Bellini serve all ingredients with a small scoop of peach sorbetto, blood orange sorbetto, or vanilla gelato right in the champagne flute.  The cold, sweetened, and colorful beverage will be a party favorite with the gelato and sorbetto adding an exceptional component to a delightful drink. Beyond the delectable taste, the color in the flute looks fabulous.



At Harry's Bar, photo courtesy of dailymail.co.uk

Options are encouraged when entertaining, so in addition to having a full bar of spirits and wine (or a selection of personal favorites) have another featured gelato cocktail, such as a dark stout beer float.  Offer chilled beer glasses filled with dark stout beer and in a make-your-own fashion present three flavors of gelato next to the poured beer. Hazelnut, caramel, or vanilla gelato is a flavor that complements the notes present in the dark beer.  If there is a full bar display then use the gelato in combination with after-dinner drinks such as Frangelico, a hazelnut liqueur from Northern Italy, or Sambuca, an Italian anise-flavored liqueur. Serve alongside or within an espresso, of course. 

Signature beverages display an extra effort for the host, a seemingly flawless plan to use the simple gelato drink preparations above to wow a crowd. Creating special cocktails with gelato will rally enthused guests and spike creativity, who knows, gelato margaritas could be on the menu at a friend’s Cinco-de-Mayo party, trendsetter!  Enjoying the festivities this season sweeter than ever before will keep a crowd smiling, saying “I’ll have another”, with  these glorious gelato cocktails.  Salute!

Feel the Love, an Italian Christmas Eve

In the infamous words of The Beatles, “All you need is love, love is all you need,” the lyric instills an even greater impact on a holiday.  It is the time to gather and share with the people we love most.  Italian tradition may argue in addition to the great sentiment shared all over the world by those very words, you also need some great food! 

On La Vigilia (Christmas Eve) a coveted tradition Italian’s share is a seven fish dinner with family and friends.  The Feast of the Seven Fishes originated from a partial fast during which no meat is served in honor of the night Jesus was born, a typical reflection in the Roman Catholic Church.  Beyond the religious symbolism the night is now long captured by enjoying lavish amounts of seafood. 



Baccala

The fishes typically consist of a variety of shellfish preparations such as mussels, clams, and shrimp while other dishes may include calamari and anchovies. Many of the fishes are prepared with numerous incorporations of other Italian foods such as homemade pasta. Two staples of the Feast of the Seven Fishes are Baccala, a salted cod fish and baked eel.  Baked eel is not as distinct upon the Italian American versions of the dinner, but it is easily accessible through a local fishmonger who will skin and gut the eel upon request making it a simple recipe thereafter.  The fishmonger is the resource for recipes and preparations for the seafood dishes.  For a simple guide and menu suggestions a quick Google search of “The Feast of the Seven Fishes” will produce both recipes strict to adhering to tradition and others with interpretations of the meal that may seem more suitable for enjoyment of those adventurers trying or sharing the meal for the first time.

The celebratory Italian Christmas Eve dinner is a true food centric annual occasion that springs a feast of delight through to Christmas day.  Antipasti (hold the meat) and aperitif are up to the creation of the host that can vary on cheese, olives, and roasted vegetables and a drink of choice.  Serving the meal with an Italian white wine from a southern region such as the Amalfi coast is a commonly recommended pairing.  Serve an after dinner drink featuring limoncello, a lemon liqueur from Campania, served with espresso and a sweet dessert (gelato!) for an exceptional way to cap the evening.

 

The Feast of the Seven Fishes certainly does boast a spread that harbors all the love across a bountiful table and fills up all, needing nothing else on that special evening. 

 

There are so many Italian foods that are a lasting tradition over the holidays.  A Pino Gelato location in Marietta, Georgia has been participating in a 12 days of Christmas contest amongst businesses in Marietta Square and featured “Italian Style” as their theme. Shop owner Barbara Jostworth sums up all of the other Italian foodie delights of Christmas in the wonderful poem she created:

The 12 Days of Christmas Italian Style:

On the first day of Christmas … my true love gave to me: Pino Gelato at every meal

On the second day of Christmas … my true love gave to me: Panettone cake on my plate with Pino Gelato at every meal

On the third day of Christmas… my true love gave to me: Tortellini Bologna, Panettone on my plate with Pino Gelato at every meal

On the fourth day of Christmas… my true love gave to me a Sparkling Prosecco, tortellini Bologna, Panettone on my plate, with Pino Gelato at every meal

On the fifth day of Christmas… my true love gave to me:  Honey almond Torrine, a sparkling Prosecco, a tortellini Bologna, Panettone on my plate, and Pino Gelato at every meal

On the sixth day of Christmas… my true love gave to me: Hearty lasagna, a honey almond Torrine, a sparkling Prosecco, Tortellini Bologna, Panettone on my plate, and Pino Gelato at every meal

On the seventh day of Christmas… my true love gave to me: glazed pistachios, hearty lasagna, honey almond Torrine, a sparkling Prosecco, tortellini Bologna, Panettone on my plate and Pino Gelato at every meal

On the eighth day of Christmas… my true love gave to me: Baci Italian chocolates, glazed pistachios, hearty lasagna, honey almond Torrine, a sparkling Prosecco, tortellini Bologna, Panettone on my plate and Pino Gelato at every meal

On the ninth day of Christmas… my true love gave to me; an aged prosciutto, Baci Italian chocolates, glazed pistachios, hearty lasagna, a honey almond Torrine, a sparkling Prosecco, tortellini Bologna, Panettone on my plate, and Pino Gelato at every meal

On the tenth day of Christmas… my true love gave to me a tangy bruschetta, honey almond Torrine, a sparkling Prosecco, tortellini Bologna, Panettone on my plate, and Pino Gelato at every meal

On the 11day of Christmas… my true love gave to me a lovely linguini, a tangy bruschetta, Honey almond Torrine, a sparkling Prosecco, tortellini Bologna, Panettone on my plate, and Pino Gelato at every meal

On the 12^th day of Christmas… my true love gave to me a beautiful Feast of Seven Fishes… (La Vigilia), a lovely linguine, Tangy Bruschetta, honey almond Torrine, a sparkling Prosecco,  tortellini Bologna, Panettone on my plate, and Pino Gelato at every meal

 

Buon NatalE! Merry Christmas and Buon Appetito!

From Pino Gelato/Marietta Square

Recipe Corner: Italian Orange Cookies

We have gone through our recipe book and that one looked particularly good at this time of the year.

Give it a try and let us know how it turns out or how long the cookies last on the dessert plates! 

 Photo by Taste of Home Recipe

This recipe yields about 24 dozen cookies and will take about 6 hours if rolling/twisting the cookies, or about 4 hours if cookies are made into balls. 

Ingredients:

½ lb. vegetable shortening (such as Crisco)

1 c. granulated sugar

6 large eggs

2 oranges (for zest)

2/3 c. orange juice

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

½ c. vegetable oil

½ tsp. salt

2 ½ lbs. flour (approx. 9 cups)

½ c. baking powder

Topping:

1 lb. confectioner’s sugar

½ stick butter, softened

Milk, room temperature

¼ tsp. vanilla extract

Multi colored decors (round shaped sprinkles)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   

Beat together shortening and sugar; 

Add eggs one at a time while beating. 

Grate orange rinds fine and add to mixture. 

Add orange juice, oil, and salt and mix well

Alternate between additions of flour and baking powder, and mix well.

Scoop a teaspoon of dough and roll into a ball or roll long and then twist upwards.   

Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes (don’t let them get brown, only a touch on the bottom). 

Cool completely.

Topping: a loose icing

Mix all ingredients together slowly.  

Dip cookies into topping 

Sprinkle the decors on top while still wet.   

Allow cookies to dry well.

And Enjoy!

Tis The Season

Tis the season, ladies and gentlemen! Amongst the spirit and visual aspects of the holidays the taste of this time of year reigns supreme.  Peppermint swirls are just one of the true delights worthy of adding to just about anything.  Notably fastened upon gingerbread houses, this year’s peppermint has an upgraded appearance making it into gelato. Peppermint flavored gelato, albeit delicious in original form, can change the way the holidays are enjoyed when incorporated with the traditional.  

A cup of hot chocolate topped with peppermint gelato will leave the marshmallows in the pantry to go stale. Adorned atop any pie or cake, the perfect escort to Christmas cookies, and a visual delight with an array of candy toppings there is no limit to the decadent, creamy, peppermint-y gelato’s use. Holiday party attendees will be wowed by the means of the flavor, but then again the same reaction is warranted eaten alone straight from the bowl… it is that good.



Spumoni Gelato

Ways to add new sentiment and flavor to the traditions shared within families is to share spumoni gelato with those that matter most. Spumoni or known to Italians as spumone is combination of cherry, chocolate, and pistachio layers folded with cherries and nuts. If spumoni is unfamiliar with friends or family, it is such an exciting combination to introduce. 



Try serving the gorgeous scoop of spumoni gelato in tea cups when hosting family or an intimate sized crowd, beyond ideal for a friend’s wedding or baby shower in the next couple months. A bonus for tea cups that have been handed down from previous generations they will be a wonderful portal to expose something new while bringing a modern use to a treasured item.  Otherwise be on the lookout for all different patterned and sized tea cups on each shopping trip and set the dessert table early on, once with the spumoni gelato added the eclectic display will be just as appreciated by friends and acquaintances.  The table never looked so pretty and no grandparent ever swooned so gleefully at a new holiday dish.



Traditions with a twist and creating new ones are part of the joy in the passing of each season.  Be it the comfort of an old friend, peppermint, or the excitement of trying a new food for the first time, spumoni, a holiday with gelato is bound to be the most enjoyable addition this year and fixed in the food line-up for many years to come.