Elena’s seasonal flavors
WISHING FOR SPRING
A TASTE OF SORRENTO BY ELENA D’AGOSTINO
Chef Elena D’Agostino is well known for her delicious handmade pasta, which stands to reason as Italian cuisine is her birthright – she was born and raised in northern Italy in Torino. Now at the helm of her own company, she is delighted to be doing what she loves most, teaching and sharing her love of cooking and making pasta. She learned there was great interest in the art of pasta-making, and after teaching a class with the Saint City Supper Club a couple of years ago, she designed her own program. Today, she offers wonderful cooking classes as well as personal chef services for private dinners and events – and she couldn’t be happier. If you’re interested in discovering the world of pasta or want to learn more about authentic Italian cuisine, this local chef is our resident expert. Visit www.elenadagostino.com to learn more about her work and services. For this issue, Chef D’Agostino prepared an Italian classic from Sorrento using lemons and basil. Perfect to bring in a taste of spring as the winter season passes, this recipe will also leave traces of the delightful scent of lemons in your kitchen. &OKPZ
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re you craving a different pasta dish that is refreshing, tasty and light? Then this recipe is made just for you! Best of all, you can to make this dish in just 20 minutes. My hands still smell like lemons while I write this – just imagine the delicious aroma in your kitchen while you make it! Did you know that you can find up to 200 distinct varieties of lemon in the U.S.? But if you ever taste one, the Sorrento lemon would quickly become your favorite. These lemons grow along the Sorrento coastline, which is not just a marvelous tourist destination in Southern Italy, but a renowned area of citrus trees plantations. The typical fruit grown there is the “Limone di Sorrento,” traditionally
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edible San Antonio
THE WINTER ISSUE
used to produce alcoholic beverages such as limoncello, as well as some delicious Italian desserts like the soft, spongy, limoncello-soaked Babà cakes. In Sorrento, it’s common to eat lemons picked off a tree like an apple, sprinkled with sugar. Many also slice them paper thin and stuff them inside a whole fish or add them on top of fish fillets before baking. The lemons are always hand-picked (they can’t be machine-harvested or picked wet). Most lemons are sorted according to color, washed, coated with a fungicide to prevent stem-end rot and a thin layer of wax for preservation and beauty, then stored until ready for shipping. Remember to always wash the lemons carefully before using them. Let’s cook this!
