Salem's Stellato headed to National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame
No matter how successful he’s become or how much he’s accomplished in his professional career, Salem’s Sean Stellato has always stayed true to his roots. Whether he’s taking a trip down memory lane on his former high school playing surface — the one and only Bertram Field — or visiting his grandmother’s grave to continue to honor her legacy, the 45...
Italian opera singing added to UNESCO World Heritage list
Italian opera singing has been added to the United Nations' cultural heritage list, a prestigious accolade for the four-centuries-old art mixing costume drama and music. U.N. culture agency UNESCO said on Wednesday it had included opera under its category of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which already features other famed Italian practices such as...
Nativity Set from the Joseph Poli Company, 1950s - Gift of Mark Marchetti
This large-model Nativity set is most commonly found in churches, not homes. The donor’s father, Joseph Marchetti, worked as an artist for the Joseph Poli Company. Established in 1890 in Pittsburgh's Lower Hill District, the company specialized in decor for churches such as statuary, altars, railings, fonts, and sacramental robes. This Nativity set...
Via Sofia's hosting winter food drive
Cedar Rapids Italian restaurant, Via Sofia's, announced Wednesday that it will be hosting a food drive this holiday season. The community can drop off non-perishable food items like canned goods, pasta, rice, and cereal to one of Via Sofia's two locations at 1125 1st Ave SE or 5411 Center Point Road NE. All donations received from December 6 to De...
Local opera singer ready to share her love of music in upcoming concert in Seymour, IN
Seymour resident and international opera singer Donata Cucinotta grew up loving to sing, and being an Italian descent, she learned at a young age the secret to making great pasta sauce. “It’s a scientific fact that if you sing to your pasta sauce, it will taste better,” she said. Cucinotta described herself as one of those kids who would not stop s...
Holy Cannoli! Epic, Foot-Long Dessert Is Just One Holiday Highlight at Lyndhurst Pastry Shop
The Lanzerottis—Italian-American dessert royalty—run Lyndhurst Pastry Shop, which celebrated its 75th anniversary this year. For generations, their welcoming, old-school bakery has supplied lovingly crafted cannoli, cookies, biscotti, cakes and holiday treats to loyal customers in Bergen County and far beyond. For Lyndhurst Pastry Shop regulars, an...
An Essential Guide to Bologna, Italy’s Ravishing Cultural and Culinary City
Just off Piazza Maggiore, Bologna’s central square, the Quadrilatero seduces all of the senses. Grocers deal out chunks of nutty, rich Parmigiano Reggiano cheese as samples to discerning shoppers, along with razor-thin slices of prosciutto di Parma that melt on the tongue. Wine bars pour effervescent glasses of local pignoletto wine alongside board...
Paul Salerni takes a final bow after 45 years of music
There are conductors who compose and composers who conduct. Music professor Paul Salerni claims to be the latter. But with his 45 years at Lehigh coming to a close, he looks back having done much more than just compose or conduct music. Though he will be retiring at the end of this year, Salerni, who has composed and conducted music and been a prom...
How To Spend A Weekend In Lucca, Tuscany
Despite its proximity to Florence and Pisa, Lucca is a Tuscan gem that is often skipped over by tourists. And if visited, it’s often only as a day trip. But with so much to offer, I can assure you that it’s worth spending a weekend in this splendid town. Lucca delivers all the charm one expects of a small Tuscan town, while still having a unique id...
What Is The Feast Of The Seven Fishes, According To Four Southern Chefs
For many Italian-American families, the Feast of the Seven Fishes is as synonymous with Christmas as presents under the tree. A Christmas Eve tradition brought by immigrants from Italy in the late 1800s, it has evolved from an effort to abstain from meat into one of the most anticipated celebrations of the year. From its humble Roman Catholic begin...
Calumet Italian Hall Disaster remembered over a century later
Music can be tied to memories — both wonderful and tragic. One Upper Peninsula composer is memorialyzing a tragedy that changed the face of the Copper Country more than 100 years ago. On Christmas Eve in 1913 in Calumet, a Christmas party was held on the second floor of the Italian Hall for the children of the families belonging to the Western Fede...
Why Lentils Are A Staple Italian New Year's Dish
On January 1, billions of people around the world will eat a meal that's not just nutritious or delicious — but lucky. In the Southern U.S., they'll have Hoppin' John with greens (symbolizing money). In Spain, each person will eat 12 grapes (one for each month of the year). Italians eat grapes, too, but they also have their own tradition: Lentils....