065: Paul Cappelli
Living Villa Cappelli
So, full warning, this is not a happy podcast. But I just wanted to say a little about Paul and thank you all for your support. For those of you that don’t know, Paul Cappelli passed away this year after a short battle with cancer. From all of us at the Cappelli family — Steven, Connie, Nikki, Casey, and Logan — we want to thank you all of you so, so much for all your support. His creative, amazing, loving, and bigger-than-life spirit and love for all things Italian will live on in everything we do at Villa Cappelli. Forever. Thank you.
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064: Translating Pasta
Living Villa Cappelli
We take a lot of pasta names for granted. Sure, we all enjoy “spaghetti,” but do you know what it means? How about “penne” or “fusilli”? In this podcast, we talk about the names of various pastas. And in many cases how the name describes the shape. If you want to see actual pictures of the various pastas, check out all the pics in the show notes. Also, at the end the podcast, we give you a few cooking tips on pasta.
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063: Caremongering, the virus, and gardening — oh my!
Living Villa Cappelli
The title pretty much says it all. We talk a little more about the coronavirus in Puglia and how Italians are dealing with things. Luckily the medical system here is very good. We talk Caremongering. A wonderful movement started in Canada. Essentially, it is a movement encouraging acts of kindness or assistance, especially to help vulnerable people, during tough times, like the COVID-19 pandemic. And while it’s not an Italian expression, the sentiment is totally Italian. Typically Caremongering revolves about starting your own local Facebook group. The...
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062: Our experience with the coronavirus in Italy.
Living Villa Cappelli
Not much in the way of show notes for this episode guys. And this might be a trend as we focus more on putting out good audio, and not so much on the show notes, so we can do more podcasts. This episode, we catch you up with what life has been like with the coronavirus here in Italy, and more specifically, Puglia. It is definitely a strange time, but very manageable and fine from our perspective. Do you have a question you'd like answered? Anything we didn't cover? Let us know in the comments. And we'll give you updates very soon in the next podcast. Stay safe everyone! Wash and...
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061: Day in the life of running an Italian Villa
Living Villa Cappelli
In this episode, we try to give you a bit of behind the scenes look at what it’s like to run a villa, especially from the tour and vacation rental aspect. We cover all sorts of topics, including: • Breakfasts, as far as what we serve and why a simple breakfast is never a simple breakfast • Laundry. Again, while for most a load of laundry here and there during their week is a normal chore. There’s nothing normal about it when you have 10 bedrooms of sheets and towels to wash each week. Plus, you have to head down to hang them up to dry, which is another...
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060: Italian Villa Projects
Living Villa Cappelli
In this podcast, we catch you up on the projects we’ve been doing at the villa during our “off time” without guests. From major new interviews to unexpected construction, we’ve had a lot going on.
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The Top 10 reasons to book an Italian villa for your next celebration
Living Villa Cappelli
Have a big milestone birthday coming up? Or perhaps an anniversary? Perhaps you’re just looking to travel with a large group of family and friends. Then booking a villa in Italy might is the perfect way to celebrate with family and friends. Here are just a few of the reasons you should book an Italian villa now! 1. It’s more affordable than you think When you stay in a villa in Italy, it will feel like you’re living in luxury, but it’s very affordable. Definitely more affordable than a hotel or resort. According to Lonely Planet travel site, even a...
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058: Real News, Fake Food
Living Villa Cappelli
In this podcast, we take a dive into the culinary world and explore where there is a lot of “fake food” out there. From doctored extra virgin olive oils and grated cheese to wine and balsamic vinegar, we give you the real news on fake food. Topics we cover: • How we’ve had a few podcast fans visit this year, including Kendra and her new business: • How often we don’t realize the wool is being pulled over our eyes in regards to food. Here’s a list. Do you have others? Let us know in the comments. Extra Virgin Olive Oil • The corrupt...
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057: It's Not Only Rock 'n' Roll
Living Villa Cappelli
We move outdoors to sit among the olive trees for our second part of our interview with rock ’n’ roll royalty Jenny Boyd. We talk music, creativity, and her book . Topics we cover: • We talk about Jenny’s second husband • The British invasion • How Brits saw America a land of opportunity • What musicians drive was during the creative process, what they experience when writing a son • What part drugs and alcohol played in the creative process • If they believed everyone has the potential to be creative and how to express yourself...
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056: Jenny Boyd "Rock 'n' Roll Nobility"
Living Villa Cappelli
We are finally back after a very very very busy summer. But we couldn't resist making some time to sit down with one of our guests, Jenny Boyd, and talk to her about creative and music and her book . Topics we cover: • We introduce Jenny Boyd, a recent guest at Villa Cappelli • She wrote the book It’s Not Only Rock and Roll . • How Paul grew up with the music Jenny had a first-hand account of this music • How Jenny is a part of rock and roll nobility if you will • How music today doesn’t have the same social relevance as it did in the 60s...
info_outlineAfter a long hiatus, we are back to give you updates on happenings at the villa from record snow storms to our latest guests. But most importantly, the amazing experience we had — and hope to continue to have — with a guest chef at Villa Cappelli.
Topics we cover:
- We hosted our annual Thanksgiving dinner at the villa where we cook the turkeys in the wood burning oven
- Why Italians love our mashed potatoes
- Our guest chef Teresa who we had visiting us for a month and half
- How we started our special international food nights at Villa Cappelli
- Our Teresa, from Pasadena, California, found us through our friend Hillary
- How this lead us to want to develop a program at the villa
- A chef can come and stay at the villa for a week or month or whatever works and help us create these special events
- If you are interested or know anyone who might be interested, please send them to our Facebook group Villa Cappelli Guest Chef or email us [email protected]
- Some of the first special night's drinks included:
Villa Cappelli Margarita
Invented in 1941 in Mexico, when one afternoon, a bartender made a special cocktail for Margarita Henkel, the daughter of the German ambassador. Includes tequila, triple sec homemade lime juice, homemade sour mix, salt.
- 2 oz Tequila
- 1 oz Lime juice
- 1 oz Cointreau or any orange liquor
- Salt (optional)
- Rub the rim of the glass with the lime slice, then roll in salt so the glass is rimmed with the salt. Fill with ice.
- Shake the other ingredients with ice, then pour into your glass. Garnish with a lime slice if you like.
Brown Derby
This cocktail inherits its name after the famous hat-shaped Los Angeles diner where it was created. This refreshing drink is made with bourbon, honey, and grapefruit juice.
- 1.5 oz Bourbon
- 1 oz Fresh grapefruit juice
- .5 oz Honey syrup
- Add all the ingredients to a shaker filled with ice. Shake, and strain into your glass.
- Garnish with a grapefruit wedge or twist.
California Collins
Mixologist Ryan Fitzgerald created this drink for the San Francisco Slow Food Festival. It's made with lemon verbena or lemon grass, gin, apple juice and soda.
- 8 fresh lemon verbena leaves or one 1 1/2-inch piece of lemongrass, tender inner white bulb only, crushed
- Ice
- 2 oz gin, preferably Junípero
- 2 oz unfiltered apple juice
- 1 oz chilled club soda
- In a collins glass, gently muddle the lemon verbena leaves or lemongrass bulb. Add ice and the gin and apple juice, then stir well. If using lemongrass, discard the bulb. Stir in the club soda.
- Some of the first special night's dishes included:
Croqueta de Prosciutto
Prosciutto, made from by Paul's cousins in the hills of Pisa, infused in bechamel sauce, then breaded and fried.
Tartare di carne di cavallo
Horse meat with lemon, capers from our garden, red onion, roasted peppers, and raw quail egg.
Soldadito de Pavia
Fritters of salt cod, potatoes and parsley served with a lemon cream sauce. These "little soldiers" were traditionally served to the sailors to support them during the fighting.
- Teresa secret for the Soldadito was to use egg whites in the recipe, so they came out nice and fluffy
- They use bechamel in Italy to make lasagna, but Paul's mother refuses to use that. She uses ricotta instead.
- How it's difficult to find salt cod in the United States
- It's a winter dish here in Italy
- How you can eat salt cod "raw" after soaking it and getting out the salt out
- What Steven doesn't like about salt cod
- One of the specials from the second night:
Funghi a la Plancha
Grilled mushrooms with chimichurri sauce and fried quail eggs.
The chimichurri sauce as the key here. Sooooo good!
- Paul continued with a sushi night
- How Teresa did an amazing job of using ingredients that were within the Italians taste profile but presented in a totally different way
- How the Italians really liked the idea of a having a "foreign" chef
- How someone at one of the nights said in Italian that the food "was not working for her" and how I misunderstood that
- How Steven is NOT a good waiter
- What we did for the Christmas holidays
- Teresa's on New Year's Eve
- The massive snow storm we've had here this winter
- How it's one of the coldest winters on record in Italy
- How a lot of our citrus trees got ruined
- Our guests the Mangolds and our friends from NYC Kurt & George
- How we deal with the cold here at the villa
Cirveche
Horse tartar
Paella
