(photo: don’t be fooled by the Carlo Rossi gallon jugs, the contents are 100 percent homemade wine) As many Italian Americans can attest to making homemade wine is one of the culturally defining moments of our group.  Making and bottling homemade wine is practiced by thousands of immigrants and 1st/2nd/3rd generation Italian Americans in the United States.  The process […]

Food Philosophy – You Got to Be Kidding! If you’re not an avid reader of the Atlantic (or similar general interest magazines like the New Yorker) then you’ve undoubtedly missed both B.R. Meyers’ anti foodie argument/rant (in a piece called, “The Moral Crusade Against Foodies – gluttony dressed up as foodie-ism is still gluttony”) and James McWilliams’ March 1st response entitled, “B. R. Myers […]

(photo: clam sauce in pan including chopped clams, garlic, olive oil, red pepper, and parsley) Why I Would Want to Be Reincarnated as Pasta and the Scordo Pasta Challenge. In many Indian religious traditions, such as Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism, it is believed that when a human dies s/he is reborn into a new body.  You’ll also find the same concept in […]

By now you know of our connection to Calabria and our familiar, immigrant, story. You know, for example, that our parents immigrated to the U.S. in the 1970’s from a tiny hilltop village in southwest Calabria called Pellegrina and that we’ve been influenced greatly by the traditions found in the region (located in southern Italy).  However, we’ve never told our loyal […]

(photo: eat more real food like tomatoes, red onion, sardines packed in olive oil, fresh whole milk mozzarella, great bread, and red wine)  The web is on fire with talk about the recently revised dietary guidelines from the USDA.  The USDA, which updates their food recommendations every five years, now suggests reducing the intake of sodium, eating less food, and consuming more fresh […]

I almost hugged our TV last night.  Well, I didn’t exactly get up off the couch to embrace our electronic box because I was under a fleece blanket and several layers of wool and cotton and getting up would have meant losing the precious body heat trapped in my vicinity.  What prompted the urge to hug our TV was the 4th […]

(photo: some of Dr. K.’s homemade duck prosciutto sliced thin and eaten with bread and Prosecco)   I’m a big believer in chasing happiness in life and not the 30 minute kind that’s associated with a new car, electronic device, or a bigger house (sorry all you hedge fund managers and Goldman employees).  Happiness, after all (and there’s empirical evidence for this) is derived […]

  (photo: hummus or chickpeas with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  Omit the tahini if you’d like a more Italian version!) By now many of our readers have realized that Italian food is all about simple preparation and great ingredients.  In short, simple food equals great food that is satisfying, easy to prepare, and healthy for you. […]

(photo: by Piero Morello.  Children in Calabrian classroom.) One of the great appeals of living in a country like Italy is that daily life is truly enjoyed.  That is to say, a stroll by the sea, a day hunting with friends, or a simple prank in a classroom is seen as a form of fulfillment or happiness. The following photos […]

One of the nicest Italian rituals I continue to observe  is the “Sunday visit.”  The idea of the Sunday visit is centered on spending time with your family and friends, maybe consuming an espresso or aperitif, and celebrating a leisurely day without work or obligations.  I was exposed to the Sunday visit early on at my grandparent’s home, where we […]