Norcia Bakery reaches the century mark
CANTON Ownership has changed hands, but the Norcia Bakery recipes are intact, and it seems that everybody loves a pepperoni roll. John Norcia launched the Italian bakery in 1918 and it still is going strong after a century. The Norcia family immigrated from Italy early in the 20th century, bringing the original recipe for bread and hard rolls. Mike...
Keeping the tradition of the South Philly wedding serenade alive
On the first warm night of spring, as the wind began to cool the air and whip around the eaves of the tent taking up a block of Girard Estates, Richard DiGregorio, 29, prepared to take the microphone. "Get some drinks in you, Rich — a half hour goes quick!" the DJ joked. It was time for DiGregorio to serenade his bride, Victoria Fera. Lore has it...
Not Just Dante: Italian Speaking Countries In The World – Part Two
Dear Italy lovers, following the first part of our journey throughout the Italian-speaking countries, we will now find out where else in the world Italian is an official language. San Marino The Republic of San Marino is a microstate of 33 thousand inhabitants. Landlocked by Italy, more precisely between Emilia-Romagna and Marche regions, Italian i...
Ninfa Garden wins prestigious European award
The romantic English-style gardens of Ninfa, situated about 80 km south-east of Rome, have reeived a prestigious European Garden Award from the European Garden Heritage Network (EGHN). Ninfa came second only to London's Kew Gardens in the "European heritage of gardens and gardening" section of the EGHN network which comprises 190 parks and gardens...
Italian Food Comes to the South End’s Culinary Incubator
A longtime Boston chef will revisit his roots during a six-month residency in Boston’s South End. Chef Tony Susi, most recently of Capo, will bring his Italian food prowess to Wink & Nod (3 Appleton St., Boston) with Ripasso, an “Italian pub,” taking his place as the South End bar’s next culinary incubatee. Susi takes the reins from Louis DiBiccari...
Daughter of Italian immigrants put family first
Nothing says love like a bowl of cappelletti soup. The small, hat-shaped pasta bathed in a warm broth was a Christmas Day staple in Mary Moff’s home. It’s an Italian tradition she upheld and passed down to her own children. But it wasn’t just about the soup, her children said. It was the hours in the kitchen — hours spent with loved ones — that mad...
Hundreds of gold coins dating to Rome's Imperial era found in Italy
It was an amphora, not a pot, but archaeologists found a literal jackpot in a dig in northern Italy last week. No word on if there was a rainbow. Hundreds of gold coins dating from Rome's late Imperial era, the 4th or 5th century, were found Friday at a dig in Como, Italy, according to the Italian Ministry of Culture. The ministry shared photos of...
The Ancient Game Lives On in New Mexico
Bocce. The game is ancient. It dates back to 5000 BC, at least. And although it originated in Egypt, it’s considered thoroughly Italian. That’s because when Greek colonists introduced it to the Roman Empire, the game put down some serious roots in what is now modern Italy. It quickly became the chosen sport of nobility and statesmen, then spread th...
Who cares if they’re ugly, they’re delicious! I Brutti ma Buoni
The word biscotti in Italy refers to what Americans know as “cookies.” Many Italo-Americans use the word biscotti when they refer to a specific type of cookie, that is, those finger long cookies with almonds. These are known as Cantuccini or Cantucci in Florence and Tozzetti in Rome. Some may say the recipe is different for both, but for argument’...
Frammenti d’Italia al Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
Dopo lavori di ristrutturazione e ammodernamento, il Minneapolis Sculpture Garden è stato riaperto lo scorso anno completando l’integrazione del Giardino con il campus del Walker Art Center. Si tratta di uno dei musei più rinomati per l’arte contemporanea negli Stati Uniti, e si caratterizza per la sua interdisciplinarità, comprendendo sia le arti...
BR singers invited to Italian Choral Festival are raising funds
The Montana A Cappella Society was pleasantly surprised to get an invitation to an Italian choral festival next year. The trip to the Tuscany International Choral Festival in Montecatini Terme will include performances June 20-24 in the Tuscany region, in the vicinity of Florence and Pisa. The Bitterroot-based group was invited to Italy on the reco...
Benito's Cafe renovation plans call for adding new bar, kitchen, menu items
Benito’s Cafe in Novi plans to add gelato, sorbet, Italian beer and espresso to its menu after a bricks and mortar expansion this fall. “It’s pretty exciting and it’s been in the works for a while. If you go to an Italian cafe in Italy, they have liquor, espresso and you can get gelato, too. That’s what we’ve always tried to strive for with this co...