L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2014 www.italoamericano.com L'Italo-Americano 11 The weather is starting to warm up, so why not think about refre- shing drinks that double as dige- stivi and dessert? The Negroni, first made by Florentine barman Fosco Scarselli, is the quintes- sential aperitivo - one part gin, one part Italian vermouth, and one part Campari over ice, garni- shed with an orange wheel. This triumph of the barman's art has delighted patrons for decades. There are plenty of twists on the drink, from the Boulevardier to the Negroni sbagliato, the Cyn- Cin and beyond. Here is another, an orange lover's delight - a clas- sic Negroni topped off with Prosecco and loaded with scoops of sorbetto kissed with liquor and citrus. It's a Fosco Float, and it combines the best the barman and soda jerk have to offer. If it is lemon and Italian spark- ling wine you are after, then look no further than a Sgroppino, that slushy marriage of Prosecco, vodka and sorbetto di limone (lemon sorbetto.) With a four hundred year history, this frothy charmer hails from Venezia, and takes its name from the verb sgropare, Venetian for loosen, as in loosening the knots in one's stomach after a large meal. While this chilly number works nicely as a cocktail, it really shi- nes as a digestivo, and like the Fosco Float, doubles as dessert. Both of these drinks share citrus sorbetti as a defining com- ponent. Homemade sorbetti are best used within a couple of days of being made. Churn the sorbet- to base until it is the texture of a thick, but pourable smoothie. You may come across recipes that call for the addition of raw egg whites. The egg whites act as stabilizers, extending shelf life, and contributing a creamy consistency. I prefer the dense sorbetto and more concentrated flavor that I can achieve without the egg white. As the bases for sorbetti are not cooked, current food safety standards and the CDC dictate the use of pasteuri- zed egg whites to avoid Salmonella. For high quality pasteurized eggs, I suggest the widely available Davidson's Safest Eggs. Visit Davidson's website at www.safeeggs.com. Fosco Float serves 2 2 oz. Campari 2 oz. Hendrick's gin 2 oz. Cocchi vermouth Prosecco Negroni Sorbetto (recipe fol- lows) orange wheels for garnish Combine the first three ingre- dients in a measuring cup and pour half into each of 2 chilled highball glasses. Add 3 or 4 small scoops of Negroni Sorbetto to each glass and top with Prosecco. Garnish with orange wheels. Serve with an ice tea or soda spoon. Negroni Sorbetto makes 1 scant quart The bitter orange flavor and luminous color of the Campari, combined with the floral notes of Hendrick's gin and herbaceous Cocchi Vermouth are particularly complementary in this very adult sorbetto. This sorbetto is excel- lent served by itself garnished with a wedge of orange or even a sprig of rosemary. Use any of the three main cultivars of blood oranges, the dark Moro, or ligh- ter, slightly sweeter Tarocco or Sanguinello. If you can not find blood oranges, you may substitu- te Navel or Cara Cara oranges. 3 cups of blood orange juice 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons gra- nulated sugar 1 tablespoon Hendrick's Gin 1 tablespoon Cocchi Vermouth 2 tablespoons Campari Combine 1 cup of juice and the granulated sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over a medium flame until the sugar has dissol- ved, stirring occasionally. Increase heat and bring the mix- ture to a boil. Remove from the heat and cool. Add sweetened juice to the remaining 2 cups of Chilling with Digestivi for Dessert AdRI BARR CROCETTI juice, and place in the refrigera- tor until completely chilled, about 4 hours. Transfer the mix- ture to an ice cream/gelato maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions until semi-frozen. Add the liquors and continue freezing until the mixture has reached the consi- stency of a very thick smoothie. Transfer the mixture to an airti- ght non-reactive container and freeze overnight to cure. Sgroppino al limone serves 2 4 oz. Prosecco 1 oz. Vodka Sorbetto di limone (recipe fol- lows) lemon twists for garnish mint sprigs for garnish Place ¾ cup of sorbetto, Prosecco and vodka in the blen- der. Blend on high speed until frothy. Pour into chilled flutes and top each serving with a scoop of sorbetto, lemon twist and a sprig of mint. Serve with an ice tea or soda spoon. Sorbetto di limone makes 1 scant quart Sweet yet tart, this classic sor- betto is utterly refreshing, per- fect on its own or in a Sgroppino. 2 cups water 2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup fresh lemon juice Peel of 2 lemons, preferably unsprayed Use a vegetable peeler to remove the peel from 2 lemons, leaving the bitter white pith behind. Make a lemon simple syrup by combining the water, granulated sugar, and lemon peel in a medium saucepan. Heat over a medium flame until the sugar has dissolved completely, stirring occasionally. Simmer very gently for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain, discarding peel. Combine syrup and lemon juice. Refrigerate 4 hours until thorou- ghly chilled. Transfer to a gela- to/ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's directions. Transfer to an airti- ght non-reactive container and allow the sorbetto to cure overni- ght in the freezer. Questions? Email me at adri@AdriBarrCrocetti.com or visit at AdriBarrCrocetti.com

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