San Giovanni Day Nocino Festival

A  D.I.Y Celebration of Italy's Green Walnut Liqueur

Sunday, June 23, 2013, 10 ~ 3 pm

$195 {includes ingredients, supplies, cocktails and a Nocino-centric catered lunch}

Class takes place at the Institute headquarters on the groundsof the historic Zane Grey Estate in Altadena.

Join us for our second annual San Giovanni Day Nocino Festival. Last year was a sold our event, spaces are limited!

Nocino is a traditional Italian Walnut Liqueur, made when the nuts, still green on the tree, are picked unripe. We will harvest local green walnuts to make this inky black walnut liqueur, as has been done in Italy for centuries.

This hands-on workshop includes making a batch of your own Nocino (natch!), a Nocino cocktail, Nocino Ice Cream, a Nocino Chocolate Mortal Sin Torte and a few more surprises.

We will also follow the time-honored ritual of creating our own L'Ordine del Nocino dell'Istituto di Tecnologia Domestica or  in plain 'ole English - The Institute of Domestic Technology Order of Nocino.

The prescribed day for harvesting green walnuts in Italy is June 24th. Aren't we lucky! In the Middle Ages, the Church made June 24th the feast day of San Giovanni, aka St. John the Baptist, which was once the start of the summer solstice, the pagan transition from spring to summer. Some Italian monks say that if you harvest the nuts with dew still clinging to them, the dew will impart miraculous healing properties to your liqueur, driving out both disease and pagan demons.

To actually make Nocino, the walnuts are steeped in neutral spirits with spices for 60 days and then imbibed during another 'demonic sabbath' toward the end of summer.

This festival/workshop is a hands-on experience and includes:

* An optional, early morning pre-class "picking of the walnuts" in nearby Eagle Rock

* Nocino liqueur-making with a discussion of various recipes. We'll send you home with your own bottle!

* Baking our annual Istituto di Tecnologia Domestica Nocino Torte Cake

* Nocino Ice Cream and candied walnuts

* Lunch featuring a Nocino-centric menu

* Conferring of the the Institute of Domestic Technology Order of Nocino society titles

* Nocino cocktail-crafting with some of last year's aged Nocino!

* Candied Green Walnuts and Green Walnut Ketchup

* Institute of Domestic Technology Order of Nocino official "Bestowing of the Society's Certificate Ceremony"

About the Instructors:

{Joseph Shuldiner: Institute Director and author: Pure Vegan, Chronicle Books, Spring 2012}

{Felicia Friesema: LA Weekly Farmers' Market blogger, Master Food Preserver as well as an accomplished infusionista. She also blogs with her sister Ana at:  urbanschmurban.com  blurring line between the metropolitan and the pastoral issues of  sustainability while living in the municipal world.

Refund Policy: Cancellations made up to one week prior to event are eligible for a full refund less PayPal transaction fees incurred by the Institute from both purchase and refund, or event fees paid may also be applied as credit to a future class. Due to class demand, cancellations made seven to three days prior to an event will receive a fifty percent refund, or credit for the full fee may be applied to a future class. Cancellations made less than seventy two hours before an event are not eligible for refunds.