Living La Dolce Vita in Italy’s Beach Clubs
We are excited for Summer and beach season, and we’re about to whet your appetite for your next seaside adventure in ‘the beautiful country.’
Photos: Melissa Pellegrino and Matthew Scialabba
LIDO: Recipes and Stories from Italy’s Beach Clubs is the perfect tonic to get you in the mood for planning a coastal sojourn in “the boot”—whether that’s the glamorous Amalfi Coast, the golden sands of the Adriatic, the wild and sweeping coastline of Tuscany, the pristine beaches of Sardinia, or perhaps the serene shores of Lake Como. So let us introduce you to the continental concept of the lido.
An Italian lido (or stabilimento balneare) is a private beach club, typically featuring rows of neatly arranged sunbeds and colorful umbrellas, and a nearby bar, cafe or restaurant, plus wait staff who come to you. The concept provides a controlled, comfortable, and upscale beach experience quite different from the do-it-yourself, sand-in-everything experience of the public beach or spiaggia libera.
In Italy, lidos are most associated with sun-ripened leisure, the sweet indulgence of seaside holidays, and, in many cases, beautiful backdrops: think dramatic cliffs, distant mountains, hidden coves, and often historic, art-deco, or classic architecture. Then there are the human perks: lifeguards (bagnini), people-watching, and possibly making new friends. Or perhaps this is all about “you time,” dipping into some vitamin sea, a really good book, and an ice-cold Aperol Spritz.
If you like this concept so far, you will love this lush new book from Hardie Grant, which puts this sparkling experience in the palm of your hand: Lido: Recipes and Stories from Italy’s Beach Clubs by Melissa Pellegrino and Matthew Scialabba.
Did you know that Italy boasts more than 25,000 beach clubs along its 5,000 miles of shorelines? Pellegrino and Scialabba have picked some of the best and most picturesque to showcase with images that simply leap off the page like the sun on the sea, and will have you reaching for your best bathing suit and fixing yourself a Negroni.
This intoxicating tour of Italian lidos offers more than lush photography and a colorful, evocative guide to the most secluded or pulsing, quaint or elegant, humble or lavish, lesser-known or most famed beach clubs in regions such as Campania, Puglia, Toscana, Lazio, and Liguria; it also serves up 60 Italian recipes inspired by the culinary traditions and regional flavors of Italy’s lidos. It’s all done without cliché. Everything about this book taps into time-honored tradition with fresh insight like a limoncello on the rocks with a splash of gin.
Feast your eyes—and feast, literally. The assortment of mouthwatering Mediterranean-inspired recipes fills the second part of the book, and they are all delicious, practical to make, and accompanied by artful, appetizing imagery. They are simple, sophisticated—summer on a plate. Think mango, peach, and tomato salad, tagliatelle with lemon cream, crispy fish balls with tartar sauce, or roasted apricots with mascarpone. Scialabba and Pellegrino know their stuff. They are, after all, chef-owners of Bufalina Wood Fired Pizza in Connecticut and authors of The Italian Farmer’s Table.
To give you a taste, we selected two simple recipes for you to make at home: an apperitivo and an easy fish dish. Both will have you dreaming of lazy salt- and sun-kissed summer days by the water, somewhere on the Italian coast. Either way, you’ll feel inspired to book your summer adventure in Italy!
Get Lido: Recipes and Stories from Italy’s Beach Clubs here.
PALOMA ITALIANO
Makes 1 cocktail
The Paloma is a classic Mexican cocktail made with grapefruit and tequila. This variation adds Cappelletti Vino Aperitivo, a wine-based ruby-red liqueur made by the Cappelletti family and recognized as one of the oldest aperitivo brands in production. The herbal, botanical notes of Cappelletti enhance the layered savoriness and make this Italian-inspired cocktail adaptation one to enjoy on rotation.
1 ounce (30 ml) freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1 ounce (30 ml) tequila
½ ounce (15 ml) agave syrup
½ ounce (15 ml) Cappelletti Vino Aperitivo
½ ounce (15 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
1 ounce (30 ml) grapefruit-flavored seltzer (we like Spindrift)
Grapefruit slice to garnish
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice and pour in the grapefruit juice, tequila, agave, Cappelletti, and lime juice. Cover and shake vigorously until chilled thoroughly, about 15 seconds. Strain into a lowball glass filled with fresh ice. Top with a splash of seltzer and stir gently, then garnish with a grapefruit slice.
BRANZINO WITH ALMOND SALSA VERDE
Serves 4
European sea bass, known as branzino, is prized for its mild taste and flaky texture. The fish appears frequently on beach club menus throughout Italy, and this preparation hails from the Sorrentine Peninsula, where the native lemons are generously incorporated into many of their sweet and savory recipes.
½ cup (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons, and more for oiling the pan
4 (7-ounce / 200 g) branzino fillets
Kosher salt
3 ounces (85 g) Marcona almonds, chopped roughly
1 cup (60 g) fresh parsley leaves, chopped finely
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Lightly coat a sheet pan with oil.
Season the branzino fillets with salt.
In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until it shimmers. Place 2 fillets in the pan, skin-side up, and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer the fillets, skin-side down, to the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining fillets. Place the sheet pan in the oven and roast the fish until it is an opaque white color and cooked through, about 3 minutes.
In a small bowl, stir together the almonds, parsley, lemon zest, and the remaining ½ cup (120 ml) oil.
Place each branzino fillet on a plate and top with the almond mixture. Serve immediately.
Excerpted with permission from Lido: Recipes and Stories from Italy’s Beach Clubs by Melissa Pellegrino and Matthew Scialabba, published by Hardie Grant North America, RRP $40 hardcover.
