A Kansas City family created Wish-Bone Italian Dressing. It became an American obsession
Before the supermarket aisles, before the ad campaigns, and before the iconic curvy bottle, there was just the Wishbone restaurant in Kansas City. A classy establishment located at 4455 Main Street, the Wishbone served family-style bowls of fried chicken along with prime rib, lobster tails, brook trout, corn fritters, mashed potatoes and gravy — an...
The best design hotels in the Italian Dolomites
Think apple strudel, dumplings and potatoes, ski slopes, forest foraging, mountain views, saunas and uber-chic design hotels. Believe it or not, this isn't Austria or even Germany. Say "hello" to Italy's Dolomites. Particularly South Tyrol and the surrounding area. The beautiful region is another Italy. One that has its own language, Laden, and whe...
Andrea Bocelli makes a magical Connecticut debut
A recently renamed arena deserves a big name to call attention to it, right? On Dec. 11, Total Mortgage Arena (formerly Webster Bank Arena) in Bridgeport got just that as tenor Andrea Bocelli made his Connecticut debut as part of a U.S. tour featuring son Matteo and daughter Virginia. The family and some equally talented friends performed Italian...
Students Design an Italian Café as part of Hands-On Course in Tuscany
This semester, Sophia Caldas ’23 and her classmates worked together to design a café as part of a class assignment. Their classroom? A café in Italy. As they sipped coffee at a bottega in Tuscany, the students discussed everything from the plants that would decorate their hypothetical café to COVID protocols. They were just a short walk from the Un...
How to Celebrate Feast of the 7 Fishes Like an Italian American
Christmas Eve has always been my favorite day of the year. Growing up, while most people I knew had their big holiday celebrations on Christmas Day, my family always pulled out the stops the night before. And like any good Italian American family, we didn’t dine on turkey or ham or casseroles of any kind — rather, we celebrated Feast of the Seven F...
What Nativity Scenes Tell Us About the Evolution of Christianity
’Tis the season for the Christmas crèche, a depiction of the birth of Jesus displayed in churches, in homes and—sometimes controversially—on public property. In most of these scenes, the divine child lies on a bed of straw, watched over by Mary, Joseph and a few reclining animals. Shepherds arrive, and three Magi, or wise men, approach. A tableau o...
Charlie Gracie, Early Rocker Known For ‘Butterfly,’ Dies at 86
Charlie Gracie, an early rockabilly singer and guitarist who influenced a generation of 1960s rock stars has died at 86. The news of his passing on Dec. 16 was confirmed by ABKCO Records, which is home to the catalog of Cameo Records, the Philadelphia label that Gracie recorded his biggest hits for; at press time no cause of death was announced. Th...
Prosecco lands on Netflix, the three Consorzia for the first time together in a commercial
The three appellations of the Prosecco territory, with their respective Consortia - Prosecco Doc Consortium, Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Docg Consortium and Asolo Prosecco Docg Consortium - join forces for the first time (together with the Veneto Region) for a branded content project and land on Netflix: the sparkling wines from Veneto are in...
NFL legend Franco Harris, known for Immaculate Reception, dead at 72
Franco Harris, the Hall of Fame Pittsburgh Steelers running back who was known for making a miraculous grab in the AFC Divisional Playoffs against the Oakland Raiders in 1972, has died. He was 72. Harris’ death came days before the Steelers were set to retire his No. 32 jersey and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the "Immaculate Reception" at Acri...
Italian Christmas Cakes: Panforte
Panforte is a typical Christmas cake from Siena, whose origins go back in time. A parchment attests to the existence of Panforte since at least 1205, but, in a simpler version, it originated even earlier, around the year 1000. Originally, it was a honey-based focaccia and was called pan mielato (honey bread). Fruit was added later, but, during the...
Call for papers. Italian Americas: intracontinental images of the Italian immigrant experience
For many, the term “Italian American” evokes images of Italian enclaves in metropolitan areas throughout the east coast, the Midwest, and northern California, to name a few. Literary works such as Miss Giardino, Christ in Concrete, and The Fortunate Pilgrim constitute celebrated representations of the Italian immigrant’s work ethic and ability to e...
Leonardo da Vinci, the Last Supper, and the Art of Throwing a Great Dinner Party
Lecture by Rocky Ruggiero. Given at the Flint Institute of Art on December 7, 2022. This presentation will explore the evolution of the Last Supper in Italian art, beginning with early Christian images through to the late Renaissance, including one of the world’s most famous works of art: Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper. Dr. Rocky Ruggiero has...