Page 37 August 2011 150 th Anniversary Celebration of Italy’s Unity! Dinner Special for 2 SICILY VIA PHOENIX $ 55 00 Set Menu Includes Set Menu Includes: : A glass of Nero d’Avola Wine ★ Primo Primo ★ Pasta cu Matarcocu ★ Choice of Secondo Choice of Secondo ★ Lamb Chop Costoletti Impanizzati Swordfish Rollatini Veal Cotoletta Served with side of Caponatina & Vinaigrette Salad ★ Choice of Homemade Dolce Choice of Homemade Dolce ★ Cannoli or Cassata di Gelato ★ Coffee or Tea Coffee or Tea ★ 4231 E Indian School Rd • Phoenix 602.955.1213 • LaFontanellaPHX.com Offer Expires September 1st, 2011. Valid only with Payment in Cash. Offer Expires September 1st, 2011. Valid only with Payment in Cash. THE HOUSE AT SECRET GARDEN 602-243-8539 2501 E. Baseline Rd. www.houseatsecretgarden.com South Phoenix ‘House’ more than worth the drive Gabe Bertaccini I used to know a guy living in Cave Creek who would drive to The Farm at South Mountain just for the afternoon to visit with an old man he respected. I couldn’t believe it. In my mind’s eye, the cities seemed much farther than a good hour away. Yet it’s really not much farther than some unlucky souls’ daily commutes. The South Mountain area is the perfect getaway, not punishingly distant, with, if you are lucky, wonderful weather and a relaxed vibe that can make a day at the farm feel like a mini-vacation. There are just enough things to do. Eating, relaxing, picking vegetables or reading a book. But not so much that it becomes overwhelming. Where to eat, of course, has never been a question: The Farm Kitchen, Morning Glory Café and Quiessence Restaurant. Let me now share one more spot with you. The House at Secret Garden is a sweet little restaurant at 25 th Street and Baseline Road. I was smitten the moment the platter of Artisan and Farmstead cheese board came out. Then the Smoked Steelhead Trout Spread visited our table and my jaw dropped. This farm-to-table eatery dishes up creations made with wonderful and incredibly fresh, organic, local ingredients. Served with grilled bread, julienned bell peppers, Queen Creek olive oil and Crow’s Dairy fresh goat cheese, the trout is a wonderful and welcoming way to start a meal at this little jewel of a place. And it’s a natural, as owner Pat Christofolo and his son/chef Dustin have the ability for creating hidden treasures. If you peak behind the door you can see chef Christofolo and his team at work in the kitchen, eager and alert. These guys want to cook and are ready for anybody who comes in the door. The House at Secret Garden is in an old Spanish mansion, and the restaurant is divided into several comfortable dining rooms so that any place in the house becomes intimate and personal. The butterscotch-colored walls and candlelight-bulb sconces create a romantic setting, while the squeaks-when-you-step wood fl ooring and the snug four-seat bar add to the character and charm. The service is unobtrusive but with a personal touch provided by the friendly staff. The menu showcases fi ne seasonal ingredients, local for the most part. Add simple, delicious desserts and a savvy wine list for a very personal restaurant where everything comes together. Sometimes a dish doesn’t live up to its potential, but not often. And they give a shout-out to vegetables, too. The House’s own on-site garden, as well as nearby Maya’s Farm at South Mountain, provide a salad of bright-tasting beets and goat cheese with crushed walnuts, shallots, basil and greens with desert blossom honey dressing. Continued on page 39

Page 38 August 2011 Take advantage of these spa specials exclusively for locals. Luxury for Locals: Select 60-minute spa treatments for $79* 30% off all other spa treatments and services* give yourself a little tsr. *Offer valid Sunday-Thursday from June 1 - August 31, 2011. Not valid with any other offers. Must present a valid Arizona ID or license; must be 18 years of age or older. An 18% gratuity is added to all spa services. Proudly owned and operated by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. 1 0 1 & I n d i a n B e n d | ta l k i n g st i c k r e s o r t. co m Three-Courses | 5-7pm Daily Complimentary Views Neighborhood Menu Located at The Phoenician 6000 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 (480) 214-8000 www.jgsteakhousescottsdale.com Limoncello history is disputed LIMONCELLO 8 lemons 1 bergamot orange (optional) 1 750-ml bottle of 100 proof grain vodka (like Everclear) or bottle of Stolichnaya 100 proof vodka 4 cups water 2 cups granulated sugar Special equipment: funnel; 2 empty clean 1-liter bottles with caps. Using a sharp vegetable peeler or paring knife, cut zest from lemons and bergamot orange, avoiding white pith. Cut away any remaining pith from zest with a sharp paring knife. Transfer zest to a 2-quart pitcher. Reserve lemons for another use. Add vodka and water to pitcher. Cover pitcher with plastic wrap and let zest steep for 5 days at room temperature. Strain liquid through a fi ne- mesh sieve into a medium saucepan and add sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring, just until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Using a funnel, transfer limoncello to bottles and refrigerate for two weeks before serving. Serve well chilled. By Gabe Bertaccini Limoncello’s origins are disputed. Some say it was created by monks, others say nuns. Some credit wealthy Amal fi Coast families, others credit local townswomen. Every year, I make my own with the lemons I harvest from my tree in the backyard. The 20 bottles I usually get out of it are not nearly enough to go through a whole year of limoncello needs. As you probably can imagine, the story of how limoncello came to be are many. The most convincing one is that of Vincenza Canale, an innkeeper on the isle of Capri who, in the late 19th century, began serving the heady lemon liqueur to weary travelers. Apparently, these satis fi ed travelers spread the word about Canale’s distinctive drink, and its popularity grew. It wasn’t until 1988 that Canale’s family registered the fi rst trademark for limoncello. Today, they produce Limoncello di Capri, which is considered to be among the fi nest limoncellos available. Limoncello has its roots in southern Italy, primarily along Italy’s Amal fi Coast and Sorrentine Peninsula, known for meticulous lemon cultivation. These lemons, prized for their brilliant, yellow rinds, intense fragrance, juicy fl esh and balanced acid, are considered the fi nest lemons for limoncello. Of course, not everyone has the luxury of using Italian lemons. Still, with good store-bought lemons and alcohol, you can make a delicious limoncello. Arcadia News food writer and local chef Gabe Bertaccini offers his favorite recipes each month. The Desert Botanical Garden is offering a class on beginning digital-camera use on two dates in August. Digital Desert Photography: Getting Started is a hands-on class for beginning digital-camera users. Class instruction emphasizes learning the functions and features of your digital camera. This beginning course emphasizes primarily auto scene modes of your camera and is open to all digital camera owners . Some shooting in the Garden is included. Registration is required. Class size is limited to 10. The fi rst class is 8 a.m.-noon August 13. The second class is 6-10 p.m. August 15. Cost is $70 for members, $88 for non- members. For more information and registration, call 480-481-8146. Foto class scheduled