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The Art of Robert Caldwell (website) |
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| Greetings!
We hope that you had a great holiday season and we would like to wish you a happy new year. To kick off 2009, we're featuring several special cocktails as well as Short Rigatoni - not a new entrée but certainly a favorite. We've also added two new wines to our house wine list: Terredora Aglianco and Tabruno Falanghina. And this issue welcomes two new features to the newsletter - "Peppino's Kitchen" and "Alberto's Wine Talk."
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| January Cocktails
A little winter fun
Frostbite Martini
Herradura Tequila, Crème de Cacao and cream
Warm & Fuzzy Martini
Vodka, Peach Schnapps and orange juice topped with an orange slice
Snowball Martini
Vodka, Sambuca and cream
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Not a new entrée but certainly a favorite
Enjoy Short Rigatoni -- pasta tossed with sun dried tomatoes, onions, sweet Italian sausage and plum tomatoes and topped with Taleggio cheese.
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| Two New House Wines
Terredora Aglianico
A new house red
Aglianico is a red-grape variety that is widely diffused in Basilicata and in Campania in the provinces of Avellino and Benevento, where it is known by the names Gnanico, Agliatica, Ellenico, Ellanica and Uva Nera.
Aglianco on the palate opens up to primary fruits of blackberries, black cherries and black currants followed by nuances of smoky tar, tobacco, licorice and coffee-espresso notes.
Taburno Falanghina
A new house white
Wine Advocate calls Falanghina "a variety that has become very popular, especially in the last few years. Most versions can be cloyingly sweet, but not here. Taburuno's 2007 Falanghina reveals white peaches, crisp green apples, mint, wild herbs and minerals on a silky-textured frame. This is a reference-point wine for what Falanghina can be at its most elegant and refined." |
Peppino's Kitchen
Balsamic Vinegar
One of the easiest, most versatile Italian condiments
 In the restaurant I make and use a balsamic reduction that can be used on anything from salads to desserts. You can make it too. First, put 3 cups of good quality balsamic vinegar into a sauté pan and bring it to a gentle boil. Keep the vinegar at a gentle boil until it is reduced by half; it is ready when it's syrupy and coats a spoon. Put it in a squirt bottle and eat like an Italian!
For some history on Italian-aged balsamic vinegar, we turn to il mercato Italiano, or "The Italian Market" :
"Balsamic starts with cooking the juice of the white Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes (called must) over an open wood fire. As the must cooks down, the sugar level rises as the water evaporates and the flavor intensifies. The fermentation begins when previously aged balsamic vinegar is added to the must.
"As times goes by, and according to the taste and palate of individual producers, the fermenting liquid is transferred to progressively smaller barrels. This sequence of barrels of different sizes and woods, such as oak, walnut, ash, acacia, chestnut, mulberry, etc., is known as a 'batteria.' A batteria could consist of as few as three barrels and as many as ten. Part of each barrels contents - but never all of it - is decanted to the next smaller barrel, again based on the judgment of the producer. For years the vinegar goes through what is called maturation in the middle part of batteria, then enters the aging phase in the last few barrels. For the most traditional balsamic, Tradizionale, the ultimate step is decantation into the smallest barrel where it rests and matures." | |
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Alberto's Wine Talk
Understanding wine
 In the next several newsletters I'll share some basic wine terminology before we explore individual wines, vintages and varietals.
Acidic: Used to describe wines whose total acid is so high that they taste tart or sour and have a sharp edge on the palate.
Balance: A wine has balance when its elements are harmonious - no one part dominates. Acid balances against sweetness; fruit balances against oak and tannin; alcohol balances against acid and flavor. Wine not in balance may be acidic, cloying, flat or harsh, among other things.
Body: The tactile impression of weight or fullness on the palate usually experienced from both glycerine, alcohol and sugar.
Cloying: When the sweetness annoys by dominating flavors and aftertaste, a wine is said to be cloying. Such excessively sugary wines lack the balance provided by acid, alcohol, bitterness or intense flavor. (Notice that this term was used in the description of the Taburno Falanhina.)
Nose: The character of wine ascertained through the olfactory senses is called its nose. This can also be called the aroma and includes the bouquet.
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 Gift Certificates Available
Little Venice gift certificates are available in any amount and make a fantastic gift. |
Hours of Operation
Lunch
Wednesday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Dinner
Monday-Saturday, 5-10 p.m.
Closed Sunday
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Keep supporting your local family restaurant. We look forward to seeing you at Little Venice!
Sincerely, |
Alberto Mastromano
Peppino Mastromano Little Venice Restaurant & Bar |
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