Mastering The Art Of The Milanese Aperitivo
La DoubleJ’s print-punching new homeware collection raises a rainbow-hued, hand-blown champagne coupe to the most tantalizing tradition in Italy: the aperitivo! Whether you’re al fresco-ing in Los Angeles, hosting in Paris or sundowning in Sicily, let our porcelain plates, gorgissima serving platters, color-tastic champagne glasses and more deliver a delicious slice of la dolce vita straight to your soirée.
You might have guessed that we take the aperitivo tradition very seriously around here. From Milan to Naples to Puglia, when the clock strikes 7pm in Italy, champagne glasses clink, olives pop into mouths, bars swell and doorbells ring to celebrate aperitivo hour, and there’s no-one who does it better than our very own J.J. Martin. Inspired by her great love of entertaining, our Aperitivo Homeware has been carefully considered from the slender Grissini Jar for your Italian breadsticks (use if for a pinzimonio, too!) to the hand-blown Tumbler Glasses for cocktails and Nesting Bowls perfetto for caprese, olives, almonds, guacamole and whatever else comes flying out of your kitchen. How to host aperitivo the Italian way? Read on, ragazze...
When it comes to wine, our new local favorite is Maria Pia Castelli, a biodynamic wine producer who hand-harvests grapes in the stunning Le Marche countryside. Maria’s dry and full-bodied white Stella Flora is perfect with cheese, while the Sant’Isidoro rosé is a remarkable dark rosé that makes a great hostess gift.
Not drinking? No problem. Line out Chinotto, an orange non-alcoholic drink with that bitter Negroni taste Italians love, by the Ligurian producers Niasco Portofino (please note the super chic bottles). Do as J.J. does and display your technicolor mix of LDJ’s misty Tumbler Glasses on your living or dining table like a mini art installation - pop them in the freezer for a couple of minutes before your guests arrive to make sure their drinks are icy cold.
Also ticking the lip-smackingly fresh and time-saving boxes is pinzimonio, the Italian version of French crudités. Follow the Italian way and pick up the most seasonal products from your local market with the mantra the more color, the better. Radish, carrots, red pepper and celery all hit the spot - chop then cool in ice water for 30 minutes before serving to give more crunch and color. LDJ’s set of three Nesting Bowls are, of course, the perfect pinzimonio vessels complete with a small bowl for your dipping oils. For which, Sofia suggests going classic: mix and whisk six tablespoons of the finest extra virgin olive oil (she recommends Torrerivera for its nutty, green taste) with two pinches of salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Pour your dressing into a bowl and add about 10 drops of balsamic vinegar.
Aperitivo is nothing without cheese and bread: mini mozzarelline and ricotta topped with grinds of black pepper to be munched down in the same gulp as crusty taralli (the delectable Pugliese cracker) and grissini (served in our slender Grissini Holder, no less). For all of the above, plus organic wines, handsome pastas, mushrooms pulled straight from the ground and more, the under-the-radar Milanese delicatessen Terroir is a must-visit thanks to its top selection of small local producers.
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