Weekend Wanderlust: A perfect 24 hours in Trieste
Trieste's location near the Slovenian border, and a rich history which has seen periods of Roman, Byzantine, Venetian and Austro-Hungarian rule, have resulted in a fascinating mix of cultures which has served to attract traders and artists to the north-eastern city over the centuries. Even its climate is unusual. The sharp winds known as the Bora c...
Italian Wine Seizes the Moment
In a world where the global wine industry swings wildly from positive to negative and back again, it's nice to see one country bullish about the future. Italy is riding a wave of renewed interest, with others welcoming its wines into the marketplace. At a time when we see increasing fragmentation, Italian producers are happy to pull on the metaphor...
Home away from home: Naples Italian American Foundation celebrates 50 years
When past Naples Italian American Foundation president Marilyn Romeo thinks of her organization, a smile creeps into her voice. “The best friends I have made in Naples in the last 20 years have been in the Italian American club,” she said. The Naples Italian American Foundation, which started as a social club before transitioning to a non-profit, i...
Getting lost is half the fun of a road trip – especially when in Piedmont
Our self-perceptions are not always accurate. For instance, I once described myself as a measured, rational person, to which my wife replied in a tender, yet honest way, “You are the least rational person I’ve ever met.” Likewise, I believe that I have a good sense of direction. In reality, it’s terrible. I get lost consistently. I’m not proud of t...
Mangia! Italian American Club Holds Evening in the Piazza
The Italian American Club held its annual Evening in the Piazza under sunny skies on Saturday (Aug. 17) at the Mahopac Chamber Park. Attendees had the opportunity to enjoy traditional Italian foods such as zeppola, gelato, sausage and peppers and plenty of pizza. A DJ played Italian favorites for the crowd to dance to. For the kids, there was a bo...
The enduring influence of the Etruscans on Italian culture
D.H. LAWRENCE was fascinated by the Etruscans. The English writer referred to the “lost” ways of the ancient Italian civilisation in his letters; in poems he imagined the people as “long-nosed, sensitive-footed, subtly-smiling”, yet “evasive and different”. In 1926 he had the idea to write a study of “Etruscan things”, travelling through Vulci, Cer...
Portantino Expresses Concerns with Ethnic Studies Curriculum Draft
Senator Anthony J. Portantino sent a letter to the California Department of Education detailing his concerns regarding the current draft of the department’s Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum. While the Senator appreciates the attempt to represent California’s diversity in the creation of the United States’ first ethnic studies curriculum, he believes...
Italian food by star chefs makes Genovese’s in Alhambra a must-try restaurant
Over the years, I’ve often driven past Genovese’s Italian Kitchen, at the extreme western edge of Main Street, just before it turns into Huntington Drive — taking a fairly obscure short cut from the Valley into the city that saves me the rigors of the freeways. Since I usually have a destination in mind, I’ve noticed its existence…and then plunged...
Tuscan Market Hosts Open Bocce Tournament on September 7 & 8
This September, Tuscan Market in Salem, NH, will host its sixth annual Bocce Tournament. Open to 20 pre-registered teams of four players, the tournament – inclusive of a complimentary wine tasting – begins with a round robin on September 7 before the advancing teams face-off in the semi-finals and finals on September 8. Developed in Italy and made...
Studio, l’Italia è il maggior esportatore di cultura culinaria al mondo
La pizza con le fette d’ananas o la pasta condita con il ketchup saranno anche sacrilegi gastronomici, ma una cosa è certa: la cucina italiana è quella che esercita la maggiore influenza sulle tavole di tutto il mondo. A calcolarlo è ora uno studio pubblicato sul Journal of cultural economics, con una originale classifica che analizza le abitudini...
The Machine Stops - Tommaso Gambini Quintet
Tommaso Gambini presents his project “The Machine Stops” performing with his ensemble a suite of original compositions based on the 1909 novel of the same name by Edward Forster. More then one hundred years ago, the writer envisioned a dystopian future in which humans rely on a universal machine to provide for their needs and to interact with each...
Plate Italiano Moderno: A Brookside restaurant rises from the ashes better than ever
Modern cuisine is a moving target. As any chef that’s been in the business for more than a year will tell you, tastes change and trends come and go. So when you call a restaurant “modern,” you’re committing to constant evolution. In the case of Plate Italiano Moderno, that evolution was hastened by a disastrous fire at the restaurant’s first locati...