After 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 info@villacappelli.com 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. Villa Cappelli Margarita   Recipe Type: Drink Prep time: 5 mins Total time: 5 mins Serves: 1 Margarita Ingredients 2 oz Tequila 1 oz Lime juice 1 oz Cointreau or any orange liquor Salt (optional) Instructions 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. Brown Derby   Recipe Type: Drinks Prep time: 2 mins Total time: 2 mins Serves: 1 drink Ingredients 1.5 oz Bourbon 1 oz Fresh grapefruit juice .5 oz Honey syrup Instructions 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. California Collins   Recipe Type: Drinks Author: Villa Cappelli Prep time: 5 mins Total time: 5 mins Serves: 1 drink Ingredients 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 Instructions 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