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On What it Means to Be and Live As An Italian American Today

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By Vincent Scordo on August 18, 2010 | 10 Comments | 1 TrackBack
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(photo: my grandfather and his sons in mid 1960 Pellegrina <Bagnara Calabra> Calabria)

The year was 1997 and I was a college junior applying for a prestigious fellowship for first generation college students.  The fellowship provided funds and a mentor to guide and prepare students for graduate work in the humanities and sciences.  The fellowship had strict academic and social-economic requirements.  On the socio-economic side, students were expected to be first generation college students, fall on the lower end of the income scale, and come from an ethic group that were/are underrepresented at US graduate programs.

In my view, I was qualified for the above fellowship and was excited to apply.  The question as to whether I was from a distinct ethnic group (underrepresented in academic circles) was not an issue in  my mind (the last I checked most prestigious universities had faculties brimming with Waspy sounding last names and not surnames ending in vowels).  After all, I did not learn to speak English until I was 5 and thought the American side of my Italian-American moniker was just a way of acknowledging that we breathed the air in New Jersey and not Calabria; I spoke, ate, lived amongst, and thought like an Italian, so I was a true Italian.  

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(photo: typical Italian wedding in Pellegrina, <Bagnara Calabra> Calabria) 

When I got the call from the faculty advisor alerting me that I would not be selected for the summer fellowship program, my immediate reaction was rage.  Not because I had been denied, but rather because I had been denied for not being from an appropriate "ethnic group"; at least the groups that were currently in fashion as being minorities in the US and in turn at Academic institutions.  I pleaded my case with the advisor and asked, for example, how many of the students that had been selected spoke a second language or had been to the region/country that deemed them to be a minority, for example?  The answers that came back were disheartening and I felt betrayed.  

The incident made me think long and hard about what it means to be an Italian-American living in the United States today.  Unlike Geremio and his son Paul in Pietro DiDonato's classic novel Christ in Concrete, being an Italian American in New York at the turn of 20th century did not come with the added effort of proving one's status as an American with Italian ancestry.  After all, Geremio's son Paul was Italian, although born in New York (like the author who was born in West Hoboken).  No one at the turn of the 20th century would accuse Paul as being an American, rather he was an Italian who happened to be born to recent immigrants from Italy.  Suffice it to say, if such an academic fellowship existed in Paul's time, he would have surely qualified as being part of a true ethnic group.

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(photo: my grandmother's family posing as though they were well off - they were not)

So, what has happened to the Italian-American in the 90+ years since DiDonato's seminal novel?  Has the Italian-American remained truly unique with strong ties to what it means to live like an Italian?  Or have the images of Sonny, Tony Soprano and the cast of Jersey Shore penetrated our media driven society so deeply that to be Italian in America is solely about being involved in crime, putting gel in one's dark colored hair, and consuming tomato sauce?  What has happened to the attributes of the Italian American that were so pronounced and vivid in DiDonato's America yet so dull and mis-represented in our current epoch?   In short, what has happened is as simple as unadulterated assimilation (some self induced and some pushed by the larger American society) of the negative kind that leaves the current Italian American in a state of watered down culture and misrepresentation (in short, a sort of sudo Italian-American).

All is not lost for the modern Italian American, however, and there are glimpses of living the Italian way in America that are centered on core attributes like practical living, working hard, recognizing quality food and products, and just, plan, living well.  I see first and second generation Italian Americans shunning the popular, and myth driven, portrayals of the goofy, unintelligent, "Tony" (don't let the literary critics convince you he was seminal TV figure) and "Sonny" characters and argue strongly that being Italian in America is just that; namely, living like a typical Italian that has been transplanted to North America (with a focus on food, family, friends, and enjoying deep and meaningful experiences every day).  

How do you live as an Italian in America today?

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The Italian Diet, Meat Consumption, and How We Eat in America

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By Vincent Scordo on August 12, 2010 | 1 Comment | 0 TrackBacks
wheat_harvest_pellegrina 
(photo: Various family members during the late summer wheat harvest in Pellegrina, Calabria.  When wheat is king, you learn from a young age the beauty of delicate bread and pasta versus Beef) 

You can say, unequivocally, that Americans love their beef. Compared to their Mediterranean counterparts, American's are ranked third in the world (only behind Argentina and Uruguay) when it comes to choosing beef for their dinner table (Italy is ranked 9th, per 1999 statistics).  An educated guess as to why beef consumption has skyrocketed in the US, post WWII, is probably linked to access, price, and perceived nutritional value (if McDonald's sells a mediocre hamburger for less than $2.00 then why would the average US consumer spend, say, $2.99 per pound on organic peaches or $8.99 per pound on Wild Cod).  Moreover, given how quickly fast food establishments have scaled (from a franchise and business perspective) in the US since 1950, for example, it's probably easier for you to find a Burger King than a quality food market (you can blame capitalism and the subsidized food system for the proliferation of what I like to call, "big box crap food" <read Pollen's work for a more elegant explanation>).  



Contrary to the American food system, meat, especially beef (and especially in Southern Italy) is a nice to have at the dinner table in Italy, as opposed to a given.  Poultry, while abundant in the Italian country side is consumed even less; while the much beloved Italian pig is only ranked in the middle of the world pack (according to rate of consumption).   Specifically, here are how Italians rank in terms of per capita meat consumption (globally):

- Poultry: 23rd
- Pork: 15th   
- Beef: 9th

(source: Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service, Livestock and Poultry: World Markets and Trade, annual.)

What are we to make when we think deeply about how Italians view meat consumption?  One conclusion we can draw, because of access and price (food, like gasoline, clothing, and housing, is very expensive in most parts of Europe, including Italy) is that cheaper and healthier food items (such as dairy, fruits, vegetables, grains, olive oil, legumes, nuts, etc.) are more popular in Italy ; hence the so-called Mediterranean Diet.  But what about when access and price do not enter the equation, do rich Americans eat better than middle class     
Americans?  Does beef consumption scale with income?  Maybe by way of cut, but, anecdotally, eating well in American is still NOT about a delicately prepared plate of pasta or a bowl of just ripe, locally farmed, fruits., rather eating well is about feeling full, salt, and protein via meat (all in relation to price, of course).  


While the Mediterranean Diet has received lots of good publicity here in the United States, we've yet to see the large scale shift in eating preferences because it's still not in our Anglo-Saxon DNA (culture) to put food at the top of list of what's most important to us.  Children do not grow up in a culture of seeing mom or dad prepare, from scratch meals, fruit at the end of a meal, or the local farm that raised the cow they grilled, for example.  In turn, food is more akin to something that is a "given" in American society; that is to say, it's been branded as something available 24 hours a day, with little or no taste/quality, and at a absurdly low price.  

It's not all doom and gloom for the American food system, especially on the coasts and near large cities with ethnic populations (where demand for high quality food is intense). In fact, demand is the key concept here; Americans should demand better quality food types, just like the Italian born ladies do at my local market.  So, forget about the Mediterranean Diet and think high quality foods instead (specifically, the best ingredients you can find in your area).  

Happy eating!   


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Why Food Experts Don't Matter and the Philosophy of 30 Minute Meals

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By Vincent Scordo on April 29, 2010 | 3 Comments | 1 TrackBack
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Recently, a heated food debate has surfaced between the dyed in the wool "food expert" Michael Ruhlman (he's written some fine books on food, appeared on TV, and speaks at conferences) and the food philosophies espoused by celluloid FoodTV starts such as Rachel Ray and Jamie Oliver.  In a Huffington Post article, Ruhlman argues that people should make the time to cook a whole chicken (w/ potatoes) in the oven for an hour and that if you, as an adult in America, choose to heat up a Lean Cuisine meal instead of cooking that chicken it's not because you don't have the time, but rather you choose not to make the time to cook, from scratch, food at home.  

Personally, I'm torn with Ruhlman's assertion.  On the one hand, my nose turns ever so northward when I hear the phrase cooking is too complicated and takes time (and as Michael asserts, I say, bullshit!), yet I can clearly see the want and need to cook a quick meal in under 30 minutes after a long day at the office and a constantly screaming baby.  However, there is one thing that I do know, and assert boldly; that is, the American public should stop listening to the so called "food experts."  And, moreover, it's ok to read Ruhlman's books, watch Pepin on PBS, and maybe even spend a few minutes with Mario Batali and Rachel Ray on FoodTV, but for God's sake don't take what these people say as "food truth."  

I've arrived at my food philosophy via my Italian heritage. I grew up with "from scratch" food and, on the occasion, was allowed to dabble in the processed food world (my mother allowed me to eat potato chips and the occasional "Steak'um sandwich."  So, I cringe whenever I hear someone in the food industry utter the words local, organic, Sous vide (French for under vacuum), micro-gastronomy, etc. as a reference to some sort of Über-cuisine.  To anyone looking to appreciate food, I say to them go out and buy nice ingredients (the best you can afford - see my article on the myth of equating good food with spending power) and experiment at home.  Go and buy some good dry pasta, a nice bottle of extra virgin olive, and a hunk of Grana Padano.  Thereafter, go home and boil some pasta and combine it with the olive oil and grated cheese (that will take you 15 minutes; hence a "15 minute meal").  Is this a bad thing?  No, rather it's a pragmatic truth that modern life does have drastically different time constraints (regardless of how a family or individual made their way, or "choose their way", into this situation) and that most individuals want to eat tasty meals that do not require excessive amounts of time to consume.  Given a long day at the office, I'd rather, for example, purchase a rotisserie chicken from my local market than spend an hour watching it roast in my oven.  If I had a light day and I'd like to stand in my kitchen come dinner time for about an hour and half, I'll roast a chicken, make risotto, finely chop some fennel and parsley for a salad, and even make a small appetizer of toasted bread with homemade ricotta.  

The point is that it's too easy to say that folks should both turn away from 30 minutes meals and healthy and high quality foods prepared by someone else.  Yes, on most occasions, folks should find time to cook from scratch meals at home, however there are pragmatic times when "making time to cook" is truly not a possibility (this is a hard truth, even epistemic if I can get fancy!).  

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How to Lead a Happy Life or Live Like an Italian

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By Vincent Scordo on April 5, 2010 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks
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(photo: the beach in Bagnara Calabra - pure happiness!)

At times, I think the political and cultural columnist David Brooks has a little bit of Mediterranean blood flowing through his body (regardless of his Anglo-Saxon appearance).  Time and time again Brooks puts together elegant arguments on the paradox of American living, why gun control is necessary, or, say, how most people struggle to find happiness.  While I don't agree with every opinion Brooks' holds, I did enjoy a recent New York Time Op-Ed where he argues that we, as a society, should spend more time chasing what truly makes us happy versus material wealth .  The article got me thinking about how many of Italians I know have high levels of happiness (especially the ones living in Italy) and why they so easily grasp how to lead a good life. 

It's no secret that Europeans, generally speaking, have a higher quality of life than most Americans.  The "European way of life" is known throughout the world as emphasizing family, food, and overall well being, while here in the United States the perception is that the more money one makes the better off he or she will live.   Are the Europeans just freaks of nature high on multiple cups of espresso; afterall, isn't a flashy career more important than an afternoon siesta and a pre dinner aperitif?

The above questions beg the ultimate question; namely, why wouldn't everyone want to live like an Italian (or their Europeans neighbors)?  Are we too focused on capitalist models here in the United States training our best and brightest to become investment bankers versus well rounded individuals who have a passion for leading a happy life?  

Prescribing how to lead a happy life is akin to telling someone how to dress or which religion to follow; that is to say, most folks don't want to be told that they would be happier only if they did X, rather they want to discover their own path to smiling each and every day.  

My advice is to listen to the latest psychological research on what makes people happy throughout the world and follow a little bit of Brooks' advice.  In turn, here's a quick summary of how Brooks interprets the latest empirical findings from the new field of "happiness studies" and why living the "Italian way" may be more beneficial than chasing the almighty dollar (or living like an American):   


1. "Marital happiness is far more important than anything else in determining personal well-being. If you have a successful marriage, it doesn't matter how many professional setbacks you endure, you will be reasonably happy."

2. "Poor nations become happier as they become middle-class nations, but once the basic necessities have been achieved, future income is lightly connected to well-being."

3. "The US is much richer than it was 50 years ago, but this has produced no measurable increase in overall happiness. On the other hand, it has become a much more unequal country, but this inequality doesn't seem to have reduced national happiness."

4. "Winning the lottery doesn't seem to produce lasting gains in well-being. People aren't happiest during the years when they are winning the most promotions. Instead, people are happy in their 20's, dip in middle age and then, on average, hit peak happiness just after retirement at age 65."

5. "People get slightly happier as they climb the income scale, but this depends on how they experience growth. Does wealth inflame unrealistic expectations? Does it destabilize settled relationships? Or does it flow from a virtuous cycle in which an interesting job produces hard work that in turn leads to more interesting opportunities?"

6. "The daily activities most associated with happiness are sex, socializing after work and having dinner with others. The daily activity most injurious to happiness is commuting. According to one study, joining a group that meets even just once a month produces the same happiness gain as doubling your income. According to another, being married produces a psychic gain equivalent to more than $100,000 a year."

7. "If you want to find a good place to live, just ask people if they trust their neighbors. Levels of social trust vary enormously, but countries with high social trust have happier people, better health, more efficient government, more economic growth, and less fear of crime (regardless of whether actual crime rates are increasing or decreasing)."

8. "Most of us pay attention to the wrong things. Most people vastly overestimate the extent to which more money would improve our lives. Most schools and colleges spend too much time preparing students for careers and not enough preparing them to make social decisions."

9. "Interpersonal bonds are critical to being happy day in and day out...overall, economic and professional success exists on the surface of life, and that they emerge out of interpersonal relationships, which are much deeper and more important."

There have been a slew of new and recently published books on happiness including Stumbling On Happiness by Gilbert, The Politics of Happiness by Bok, and the Hidden Wealth of Nations by Halpern.  Here's an interesting talk from Halpern, which includes some great data/findings on happiness levels throughout the world.

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On The Myth of Equating Poor Eating Habits with Economic Class or Spending Power

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By Vincent Scordo on February 24, 2010 | 17 Comments | 1 TrackBack
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(photo: Bok Choy with garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flakes: $2.00 for 2 pounds)

One of the critical life lessons I learned from my Italian family is how to value food. Specifically, I was taught: 

1., how to cook and the closely associated idea of, 

2., why food is important and should be taken seriously.  

My mother taught me the mechanics of making all sorts of foods from scratch, ranging from pasta to risotto and roasted baby goat to pan seared swordfish.  And at the same time, I learned how important it was to make time for preparing food and, thereafter, sharing it at a communal table with family and friends (and to repeat the process as much as possible).  I equate the latter lesson I was taught as an Italian boy to the importance of reading and scholarly endeavors in the Jewish tradition, for example.  The idea of food being important and necessary for a good quality life is in my blood and I can't imagine living any other way (I know people who place incredible value on Yankee baseball or a shiny new car every three years; misguided values or to each his own?).

In turn, it comes as a great shock and disappointment when one looks around and sees a culture of fast food, obesity, and the general lack of importance in relation to consuming homemade food in the US.  Specifically, we hear many reasons from the so-called "food experts", including the notion that buying quality ingredients to produce fresh and homemade food is an expensive endeavor in the United States (ask a European how expensive food can be and did you know that food in the US is actually cheaper than it was, say, 50 years ago <see the documentary Food, Inc.?>).  And, moreover, it's more economical for a family of four to purchase dinner and lunch from McDonald's, for example, then to go out and buy fresh food (this isn't the view of the food expert).  What the experts are implying is that poor people choose fast food and other high calorie meals because they have no choice and are priced out from shopping for fruits, vegetables, fish, meats, grains, etc.  

To the latter assertion I say, "that's nonsense!"  And, yes, I'm going to turn to the recent immigrant storybook to illustrate that one doesn't not need to spend a fortune to eat well and, moreover, that a family of four can take his or her fast food budget and prepare "from scratch" meals that are quick, cheap, healthy, and taste good (eating well doesn't equate to the need for great spending power, as the folks at SeriousEats.com seem to suggest when responding to one of Pollan's eating tips). 

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(photo: One pound of Wild Flounder made with breadcrumbs, olive oil, and lemon zest.  The fish easily fed four people: $9.99 per pound or $10.00 for serving of four).

Let's take the price of an average meal at McDonalds for four and say that the Smith family will consume 4 medium size French fries, 3 cheeseburgers, 1 6 piece chicken McNugget, and 4 medium sizes Cokes (let's assume dinner will cost about $20; I don't have access to a menu with prices so I just estimated).  With that same $20 I can head to my local independent market (some would call it a gourmet market) and purchase the following items for dinner (I actually bought these items for dinner two days ago):

- 1 pounds of wild flounder fillet for $9.99 per pound or $10.00
- 1 box of artisan ravioli from Vitamia in Lodi, NJ (16 total ravioli) for  $4.50
- 2 medium sized Bok Choy heads (about 2lbs for 99 cents a poud) for $2.00
- 1 loaf of Sullivan Street bread (this is a large bread which will last a few days) for $3.50
- Total: $20.00

Note: I live in a region of the US where the cost of living is high.  

With the above ingredients I made baked flounder with breadcrumbs, lemon zest, and olive oil, ravioli with already prepared homemade tomato sauce, and sautéed bok choy with garlic and olive oil.  We consumed the bread with our fish and vegetable.  We did finish up our meal with two fresh pears and two oranges that were purchased during a different trip to the market.  The meal fed 4 adults (with an appropriate sized portion of fish, vegetable, and bread per person and we started the meal with 4 ravioli per serving).  

Our meal was tasty, satisfying, made with fresh ingredients, and for the exception of the ravioli and bread, prepared at home.  You could certainly make your own bread and pasta at home, and keep price down, but for a Mon-Fri type of meal this is the sort of "pre packaged" items that are ok to buy, in my view.

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(photo: Artisan ravioli made by Vitamia in Lodi, NJ with homemade tomato sauce with mushrooms, made a few nights earlier: 1 pound for $4.50 ).

So, why is it that many poor to middle income families choose the fast food route when it comes to meal choice?  Could the families who choose prepared food not be ingrained with the idea that consuming quality food is important?  If not for my specific culture and upbringing, for example, I certainly would not consider food an important part of living in the US because it's not taught at school or praised in the media.  Therefore, a probable explanation for eating habits in the US may be cultural norms rather than income or access to fresh ingredients.  In sum, I choose to spend my twenty dollars for wild/fresh fish, greens, artisan bread, and handmade ravioli, as opposed to prepared French fries, cheeseburgers, Coke, and deep fried chicken nuggets, because I was taught from an early age to value food and make it at home.  Eating well isn't a byproduct of socio-economic factors (don't listen to the food experts), but rather how one is raised and views the preparation and consumption of food.  Being poor doesn't force you to eat at McDonald's, rather being taught that consuming pre-made food is acceptable (from an early age) and part of how one lives is the culprit.
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Black Friday Holiday Shopping: Just Say No to Coupons, Free Shipping, and Deals

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By Vincent Scordo on November 14, 2009 | 3 Comments | 0 TrackBacks
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With the notorious holiday shopping season fast approaching I'm having nauseous visions of deals, coupons, free mass produced turkeys and hams, free shipping, wal-mart, and 40 percent off blow out sales.  The visions are not only vivid and haunting they are actually true!  

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't pass up a deal on a particular consumer item that I needed, but much of the typical consumer's behavior and the retail and/or manufacture's promotional tactics to sell a product are logic defying acts.   Especially when you think hard about what the entities in question are trying to get you to do and what channels they are utilizing.   Let's look at a few examples:

1.  Free Shipping.  The typical ground shipping cost for a consumer electronic items like a GPS device or digital camera is between $7-$9 (I used Best Buy as an example).  The typical cost for a middle of the road GPS device or digital camera is about $150-$250.  Using common sense does it make sense to purchase an item you don't need in order to obtain or "save" on free shipping?  The answer, of course, is no.  This tactic aims to bring a nominal cost, such as shipping, to the forefront of the shopping experience in order to downplay the actual cost of the item.  Think actual need ahead of nominal savings.

2.  Percentage off / Deals.  The main tactic here, again, is highlighting a percentage off a certain item.  You see the deals language lots a week or so before "Black Friday" (or the day right after Thanksgiving) so that retailers can attract foot traffic and curious shoppers.  Often, if you look closely at the products being discounted they are not only items you can probably do without (mediocre electronic devices, men's gloves made of fake leather, a set of 5 Teflon-like pans, etc.) but the quantity or model number is often limited.  This is the same tactic car dealers use to lure you into the dealership in Sunday morning newspapers (i.e., you'll see a ridiculously low price for a certain unreliable and gas-guzzling model which is often tied to a single VIN number).  Again, think about whether you need the item ahead of savings measly 10-20 percent.  

3.  Coupons.  The number of coupons sites on the web must double each and every day (I haven't validated this, but it's just a hunch).  These days you can save twenty five cents on yogurt at ShopRite, get two large pizzas at Domino's for $5.99, and find an oil change joint that will replace your engine oil and filter for $15.  I have to admit that coupons don't excite me, rather what excites me is value.  For example, if I see generic yogurt on sale that contains tons of sugar and limited real fruit/flavor I'll often pass on the sale item and spend an extra couple of cents per container because I'd rather purchase the brand that uses real sugar, organic milk, and fresh, real, fruit.  With food specifically, I don't want my choices of what I prepare for my family and myself to be influenced by a circular in the paper or a mass email campaign from Stop & Shop.  The bottom line is that the choice in the food that I consume is something I value highly and don't want influenced by saving, for example, five dollars at check out at my local market (this shouldn't be interpreted as some sort of elitist, East Coast, view, but rather a viewpoint that is centered on quality of life and the best choice).

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Overall, when it comes to shopping and buying stuff (including clothes, food, shoes, consumer electronics, auto renewing services and subscriptions, etc.) I'm a big believer in putting 1. real need and 2. value ahead of spontaneous and pure "saving" shopping behavior.  What I'm driving at is that you shouldn't buy what you don't need regardless of a blockbuster deal or free shipping and you shouldn't let important consumer decisions, like food choice, be driven by coupons; instead, look for value when shopping (which I define as the best product for the best price).      

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Best Places to Live: The Suburbs And Where You Should Live

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By Vincent Scordo on August 13, 2009 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks
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Photo: Hadley, MA

I've always had romantic notions about living in the country.  I've dreamed of waking up early and going for long walks and surveying the many acres on my "property" ; maybe encountering wild life and foraging for wild mushrooms (just like Mayle's book, "A Year in Provence").  I would certainly take refuge in the fact that I could not see another neighbor for miles and enjoy fresh country air entering a rustic, but chic, 19th century farmhouse (renovated with all the necessary modern conveniences, of course).  Our country home would be near the sea as well, so I could enjoy the water at the beginning of each day.  

The above is just a dream, of course.  And the fact is that suburbanites in American are significantly more satisfied with their living arrangements than are residents of cities, small towns or rural areas, according to a Pew Research Center Social & Demographic Trends.  Our family lives in a relatively small town (about 9,000 citizens) just 10 minutes outside of New York City in New Jersey.  Our town has a suburban feel with many trees, sidewalks, lawns/ivy, and an active, family-oriented, base population.  The proximity to a major city, however, does skew the town feel a bit towards the urban, at times.  

Choosing where to live is a major life decision and folks are usually influenced by several factors including:

- price of homes.
- quality of schools.
- proximity to job(s).
- proximity to other family members / where they grew up.
- safety.
- available social/recreation activities
- available commercial outlets (shopping).

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Photo: Harris Farm, Hollis, NH

As I see it, living in a suburban/urban area has many advantages and while I dream of the rural life enjoyed by my Italian family in Calabria, I could not spend the majority of my time in the country (at least at this stage of my life). Living in a suburban area allows me to:

1. Enjoy my extended family and good friends.

2. Enjoy a short commute to my job (and the availability of potential future jobs)

3. Access to good food/recreation/commercial establishments (I can play tennis, go food shopping, and find virtually any product I may need all within ten miles of my home).

4. Access to different people and cultures (in today's world, if you can't speak the language of diversity and feel comfortable with folks from different part of the globe you might as well have no skill set)

5. Access to educational resources (this not only means good schools for our kids, but also access to libraries, universities, lectures, etc. for adults; if you stop learning, then you stop living)

The suburbs do have disadvantages and I'm sure the average New Yorker, for example, will rattle off many reasons why they're happy to exist only on the Island of Manhattan, but there does seem to be some difficulty in living, long term, in an urban environment (such as cost <see Free Money Finance's article on cities and cost of living>, proximity to other people, space, etc.).  

I'll stick to the Burbs for now and aspire to short stints by the sea and the chic countryside.  
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In Defense of Making Your Own Food or Julia Child Was Right

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By Vincent Scordo on August 5, 2009 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks
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How is it that we are so eager to watch other people browning beef cubes on screen but so much less eager to brown them ourselves? For the rise of Julia Child as a figure of cultural consequence -- along with Alice Waters and Mario Batali andMartha Stewart and Emeril Lagasse and whoever is crowned the next Food Network star -- has, paradoxically, coincided with the rise of fast food, home-meal replacements and the decline and fall of everyday home cooking.


Amen, Mr. Michael Pollen!  It seems that everywhere you go people are talking about food; that is to say, how much they love eating it, seeing it on TV, paying for it, reading about it, dreaming about it, etc.   However, what folks aren't doing with food is actually making it.  

Recently, I had a two day Facebook comment thread discussion with offthebroiler.com food writer, Jason Perlow.   Jason and I have never meet but I have great respect for his knowledge of food and, of course, the great content on his site.  Our discussion on Facebook centered on pizza, specifically, the value and quality of buying pizza from a high end pizzeria (viz., Pepe's Pizzeria in New Haven, CT).  Jason was arguing that Pepe's achieves ethereal pizza status (given "char" and "pliability") because of several factors, the most important being the wood burning oven the pizzeria uses (wood burning ovens can get very hot, to the tune of 800 degrees and I've had the pleasure of standing next to my Aunt Giovanna's olive and chestnut wood feed oven in southern Italy).  My position was/is that, as Pollen states, good food is about the making and not just the eating and that you can achieve great results by making food at home (including pizza).   

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Eating out at restaurants, other than the occasional splurge, is in my view a royal waste of money (not to mention the health effects).  Now, don't get me wrong, I do consider myself a foodie (as much as I hate the word), but I take great pride in making my own food (using great ingredients and knowing where they come from), saving money, and spending a evening enjoying the end product with a glass of wine and my family.  

Much of what Pollen is talking about above puts food consumers in the US in a mindset that believes, "I must eat at that famous restaurant" or I could never do what the Iron Chef on the Food Network is doing because I lack a restaurant style stove or truffles from northen Italy.   This type of thinking has led to a huge decline in how much time we spend "preparing" our own meals; as Pollen states:

Today the average American spends a mere 27 minutes a day on food preparation (another four minutes cleaning up); that's less than half the time that we spent cooking and cleaning up when Julia arrived on our television screens. It's also less than half the time it takes to watch a single episode of "Top Chef" or "Chopped" or "The Next Food Network Star." What this suggests is that a great many Americans are spending considerably more time watching images of cooking on television than they are cooking themselves -- an increasingly archaic activity they will tell you they no longer have the time for.

You need time to cook good food and there's no way around it (not massive amounts of time in the long run because most home chefs become very efficient at prep and cooking over time).  You don't need fancy equipment to make great food at home, but you do need good ingredients and plenty of variety (this is why many individuals turn to high fat foods and restaurant eating).  You also need to experiment with different types of cuisine and see preparing food at home as a long term investment in both your health and general happiness/quality of life.  

So, become a true foodie and start cooking at home and eating out less.  Take the money you would use for a mediocre meal out and buy fresh, high quality, ingredients and prepare a meal at home (I swear you'll be impressed).  I also promise your quality of life will improve and, yes, if you have a Pepe's Pizzera around the corner from you you can order a large pie on occasion!

Here are some related links from Scordo.com

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Benefiting From The Recession

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By Vincent Scordo on February 24, 2009 | 5 Comments | 2 TrackBacks
wheat_harvest_pellegrina_2.jpg
(All photos: I posted the three photos above/below for a reason; namely, to demonstrate that, from a US perspective, my family members had a pretty tough life in 1950's - 60's Calabria.  However, if you look beyond the conditions in the photos and through the linen shirts that acted as work uniforms, you see happy people in tight knit groups that are stronger and better prepared for recession, depression, unemployment, or anything else that life was throwing at them.  Why is it that the well-off cannot, at times, deal with bad times <as is the case in US currently>)?

For most Americans the recession seems to be, and to borrow a marketing term, top of mind.  You hear stories of the successful, white collar, executive being downsized because his product is being eliminated from the US market or of the blue collar assembly line worker driving to work one day to spend 8 hours in a factory and the next day finding out his plant has closed.   These stories are not just consequences of the "economic downturn" but real life horror stories affecting millions of families in the US.   Can anything positive come out of the current negative shift in the economy?

The short answer is yes.  Here are 4 good things to look for:

1. People Become More Compassionate and Realize What's Truly Important
Just like after or during a war (think World War II) or after a major crisis (think 9/11) people tend to think about things more deeply and in turn become a bit more humanistic.  Strangers hold doors open, city dwellers don't run into each other on the streets, co-workers are thankful for their jobs, etc.  Folks realize family, good health, food, and a roof over their head is pretty nice, afterall (in brief, they realize what they have and not what they want or lack).

men_eating_front_church_pellegrina.jpg

2. People Let Go
Many folks realize that, during tough times, they are truly not, always, in control.  While you do want to control your own destiny, it's good for folks, especially younger adults who are only accustomed to good times, to struggle a bit and make due without luxuries and material things they once thought indispensable.

3. Frugality and Living Below Your Means Makes a Comeback
If you consume media, then you see local news, the New York Time, and the Wall Street Journal blasting messages about dismal corporate earnings, job cuts, horrific stock market results, and housing foreclosures every day.  If you're a sensible person, you begin to cut back on extras, save more money, scrutinizing your bills for savings, re-doing your household budget, etc.  In short, you become frugal and maybe even a little bit like your dad!

wheat_harvest_pellegrina.jpg

4. You Find Yourself
Like death or any tragic event, there's great lessons to be learned when bad things happen.  A layoff can lead to finding your true calling and not settling for the career you stumbled into after college.  Or seeing a brother or a good friend struggle may bring out altruistic talents you thought you never had; that is, more involvement with neighbors, community and family.  Bad times can be like seeing a therapist (but for free)! 
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Back to Basics: Classic Drink Recipes for the Recession

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By Vincent Scordo on January 26, 2009 | 1 Comment | 0 TrackBacks
rum.jpg
60 Minutes ran a segment on Sunday night on DHL (formerly Airborne Express) and how they will be shutting down their entire US hub in Wilmington, Ohio.  The job cuts in Wilmington alone will result in the lose of 10,000 area jobs.  Moreover, NPR ran a similar story on Microsoft, Pfizer, Home Dept, Caterpillar all announcing job cuts (totaling some 67,000 jobs in a single day!).  

Needless to say, the US is suffering through a very difficult time period (and in my humble opinion, it will, indeed, get worse).  The current national jobless rate is at just over 7% (7.2% to be exact), consumer confidence is low, and consumer and business spending has crawled to a stop.  

For many of us in our late twenties / early thirties, we've never seen a downturn in the national economy like we're experiencing today, yet many of my Gen X/Y peers seem to be handeling the situation well.  Personally, I've turned to enjoying our home and the simple pleasures of being with my family and friends.  I've been spending more weekends at home planning simple meals, watching old movies, reading forgotten books, and finishing projects in the basement.  I've also learned to mix a few new drinks, which in moderation does help one forget about the high unemployment rates (and how low the thermostat is set to save a few bucks)!!  So, here are a few drink recipes to try on a cold, and recession filled, night:

The Simple Daiquiri

- 2 ounces of white rum
- Juice of 2 limes
- 1 tablespoon of confectionary sugar

Combine the ingredients above in a stainless steel mixer with plenty of fresh ice.  Give the mixture a good shake and pour into a traditional tumber glass.  I love the tartness from the lime juice and mellow alcohol from the rum.

Red Martini Sweet Vermouth, Bombay Saphire Gin, and Soda

- 2 ounces of red, Martini, sweet vermouth
- 1.5 ounces of Bombay Sapphire Gin
- 2-3 ounces of club soda.

Combine the ingredients in a tumbler and add a handful of ice.  This drink is nice before dinner and you could substitute the red vermouth with Campari for a classic Negroni.

Classic Gin Martini

- 2 ounces of Tanqueray Gin
- 1 ounce of dry, Martini, vermouth
- 2-3 green olives

Combine the ingredients (minus the olives) in a stainless steel mixer with plenty of fresh ice.  Give the mixture a good shake and strain into a martini glass.  Add the olives (preferably on a toothpick so you enjoy them while you drink).  You can add less vermouth if you prefer your martinis dry.  You can of course substitute Gin with vodka, but Gin is entirely more appropriate and the classic ingredient.  

The above ingredient proportions are hardly exact, so please experiment with the appropriate amounts that suit your palette.  Cheers!

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I'm From New Jersey

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By Vincent Scordo on January 24, 2009 | 3 Comments | 0 TrackBacks
njgarden.jpgLike the popular folk song states, "I'm from New Jersey."  Yes, that State next to New York defined by the "Turnpike", Tony Soprano, and Bruce Springsteen.  However, and as Lee Siegel point out in an excellent Wall Street Journal article, "The Hidden State of Culture", New Jersey often gets a bum wrap.

New Jersey has produced countless artists, academics, musicians, intellectuals, actors, and its geography goes from gritty to picturesque in a matter of miles.  New Jersey is also packed full of cultural diversity from eastern European immigrants from Italy and Croatia to Asian imports from Korea and Vietnam.  

New Jersey is, indeed, awesome and Mr. Gorka we are good enough and do expect much!  Related Posts with Thumbnails

Practical Life Tip: Do What Everyone Else Is NOT Doing

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By Vincent Scordo on November 22, 2008 | 6 Comments | 2 TrackBacks
road.jpgSometimes it's obvious, but most of the time it's not.  What am I talking about?  I'm talking about how we, as humans, are comforted by following the pact or making decisions that everyone around us is making.  For example:

- We like buying Google stock because it helps us find things (there are alternatives) and the media loves Sergey and Larry.

- We like buying SUVs because they are safe (not really) and Bob has one in his driveway.

- We like buying Green because it helps the environment (not all the time).

- We like not saving much because easy credit is (once was) available.

- We like buying our own home because there's a tax savings (doesn't off set initial investment) and because we're told every American is entitled to one (not true). Related Posts with Thumbnails
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Random Thought: "We Are the World" Where Have You Gone?

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By Vincent Scordo on October 1, 2008 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

jack.jpg"There's a choice we're making we're saving our own lives. It's true we'll make a better day just you and me"

I think it's time Wall Street gets together and records its own version of We Are the World, maybe something along the lines of "We Are the Capitalists".

Seriously, folks, have a listen to the original 1985 recording and it will make you feel warm and tingly all over, regardless of your bank's share price.

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The Bailout as High Drama

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By Vincent Scordo on September 26, 2008 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

drama.jpgThe current political and financial scene in Washington and New York could not be unfolding in a more dramatic fashion.  Key congressional leaders, the President, McCain, Obama, and Secretary Paulson met late into the evening yesterday only to walk away with no deal to rescue US banks and the ailing markets.  Click here for a brilliant account of the events via Stolberg of the New York Times.

Meanwhile, the US Government seized control of Washington Mutual and sold parts of it to JP Morgan Chase.

This is high drama with tons at stake, folks!

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Split: A Divided America - Watch Before You Vote in November

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By Vincent Scordo on September 16, 2008 | 1 Comment | 0 TrackBacks

split.jpgWhy are Americans so divided when it comes to political choice?  The 2008 documentary Split: A Divided America takes a close look at the current state of American politics and the problems surrounding how we choose and elect a President.

The movie is a must see before heading out to vote in November.  Here's the trailer and the official documentary site:

 

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Bear Sterns, Lehman Brothers, AIG, Merrill Lynch - Who Will Fall Next?

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By Vincent Scordo on September 15, 2008 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

panic.jpgIf you're any where near the NYC metro area, then you're bound to notice great tension in the air.  The tension is the by-product of recent financial news headlined by the financial giant Lehman Brothers filing for bankruptcy.  Today's NY Times summarizes the current state on Wall Street well:

Nervous investors tried to make sense of a rapidly changing financial landscape on Monday as the State of New York offered American International Group a lifeline, the Bank of America began the task of assimilating Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers started its journey into bankruptcy.

The surprising development surrounding this disastrous Monday is that the Fed allowed Lehman to file for bankruptcy.  If you remember, the Fed rushed in to bail out Bear Stearns over concerns that if a major bank was allowed to go bankrupt, financial disaster would follow. 

So what can we make of the recent developments?  From the latest news reports, there are certainly more banks to fall (even the mighty Goldman Sachs is mentioned) and with no real, grand, government intervention likely, we may see some real downturns before the Banking sector can recover.

Read all about the current financial misery at:

NY Times Business section

Wall Street Journal

Financial Times

 

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OPEC, Fighting in Pakistan, Black Holes and the Psychology of Voting

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By Vincent Scordo on September 11, 2008 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

witt.jpgOPEC is taking measures to cut oil production in order to control market pricing - don't you love the oil cartel.

George Bush has ordered fighting to begin in Pakistan.

The world didn't suck itself into a man-made black hole.

You think your family was competitive, see the latest review on The House of Wittgenstein.

Finally, what makes working class and rural Americans vote for pro-business Republicans when their interests will not be served?  Psychology Professor Jonathan Haidt of the University of Virginia attempts to offer an answer.

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Global Discretionary Income, Unemployment Numbers, and 16th Century Heretic Giordano Bruno

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By Vincent Scordo on September 8, 2008 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

bruno.jpgThe NY Times has a terrific interactive map on how people across the world spend their discretionary income.  Some interesting findings include Japan spending more on recreation than clothing and Greece throwing money at clothing versus electronics.  Read the full article here.

The US Government likes to keep unemployement between 2-5 percent, 0 unemployment is actually a bad thing (according to some economists), so it's quite surpising to see the latest unemployment figures at over 6 percent.

Have you ever given much thought to what it must have been like for an intellectual during the Inquisition?  Say, for example, you opposed the Church and read a little Plato; that could get you in some serious trouble, as it did for the sixteenth - century heretic Giordano Bruno.

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Emanuele's Crialese's The Golden Door

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By Vincent Scordo on September 1, 2008 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

25golden600_1.jpgOK, so I just updated my Facebook status to read, "Vincent is feeling Old World" and I need to explain the thinking behind the status:

I just finished watching Emanuele's Crialese's The Golden Door and it was truly magnificent.  Crialese tells the story of a Sicilian's family voyage to the US in the early 20th century.  The film is simplistic in story, but very rich in language and meaning.  The language component is remarkable in that Crialese manages to accurately reproduce the Calabrian/Sicilian dialect.  The film has rich dream sequences and true to life depictions of the immigrant experience at Ellis Island (psychological tests and all - looks like the Soviets weren't the only ones trying to create a perfect society).

The film had tremendous meaning to me as I'm a first generation American - my parent's immigrated to the US in the early 1970's (from the same environment that Crialese depicts in his film).  However, you don't need to be an immigrant's son to appreciate the film, so go out and find the DVD or purchase it on Amazon.

Here's the trailer:

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Peter Mayle's A Year In Provence

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By Vincent Scordo on August 20, 2008 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

mayle_provence.gifI recently read Mayle's A Year In Provence while laying on the beach.  The book is a fantastic read and it especially motivates the reader to eat and live well.

The eating and living well philosophy has been mostly foreign to the American lifestyle, but with the green and organic movements in full swing attitudes towards the "good life" have changed and really taken root in North America!

Go to your local library and check out A Year in Provence and then make a great meal when you're done with the book!

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Brooks and the Pseudo-Intellectual

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By Vincent Scordo on August 19, 2008 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

photo_brooks_large.jpgI've been reading David Brooks since the publication of "Bobos in the Paradise" and I've been thoroughly impressed with how he describes American society and our "unique" way of living.

Brooks appears on PBS' Newshour and is also a NY Times Op Ed Columnist.  His latest column is entitled, "Lord of the Memes" and is a must read; here's an excerpt:

But on or about June 29, 2007, human character changed. That, of course, was the release date of the first iPhone.

On that date, media displaced culture. As commenters on The American Scene blog have pointed out, the means of transmission replaced the content of culture as the center of historical excitement and as the marker of social status.

Think about what Brooks just said, viz., that the "means of transmission" (say, the iPhone or a Facebook page) has "replaced the content of culture" (say, a piece of classical music or a novel); this is a significant and scary shift!

Finally, here's a brief bio from the PBS web site.

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NPR's Series On How Other Countries Manage to Provide Universal Health Care

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By Vincent Scordo on August 4, 2008 | 2 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

health.jpgNPR aired a series of radio reports on the US health care system as it relates to Europe and Asia and they, in sum, described how other countries manage to run state sponsored, universal, health care programs.

The program was eye opening!

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Global Standard of Living Measurements: Where Would You Live?

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By Vincent Scordo on August 4, 2008 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

National_IQ_Lynn_Vanhanen_2006_IQ_and_Global_Inequality.pngGiven a recent conversation on "where would you live in the world" I dug up some info on 1., standard of living and 2., human development index.  Here are some fun facts to consider next time someone asks the "where should you live" question:

 

  • The United States ranks 4th in GDP (or gross domestic product), but 92nd in terms of distribution of wealth (in other words, if you have money in the US it is a great place to live <but given the concentration of wealth in the US, most individuals don't benefit from high GDP and associated increases in productivity>). 

  • HDI or Human Development Index measures average achievement of a country based on life expectancy, adult literacy rate, and gross domestic product per capita at PPP or purchasing power parity (basically, how to compare the purchasing power of two currencies). 

Here are the top ten:

  1. Norway
  2. Iceland
  3. Australia
  4. Luxembourg
  5. Canada
  6. Sweden
  7. Switzerland
  8. Ireland
  9. Belgium
  10. United States

So, where would you live?  If you got bucks, set up camp in the US; if not, pack your bags and move the clan!

- from the UN (http://hdr.undp.org/en/)

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Why An Elite Education May Not Be Good For You

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By Vincent Scordo on July 23, 2008 | 2 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

snob.jpgThe American Scholar recently ran an article on why a Harvard or Yale education may not be the best decision for most high school or post graduate students. 

The article is very compelling and argues that the Ivies are creating careers and not minds - an important distinction in higher education.

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Classic New York Times Headline: Given a Shovel, Americans Dig Deeper Into Debt

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By Vincent Scordo on July 21, 2008 | 0 Comments | 2 TrackBacks

kafka cockroach500[1].JPGI'm convinced that your average American citizen has the financial IQ of a cockroach.  After all, where else in the Western world is the savings rate less than 1 percent (the instinct in the US is to spend rather than save and that's a problem)! 

Read the latest on America's financial disaster (consumer debt and the mortgage crisis).

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HBO's New Series Generation Kill

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By Vincent Scordo on July 21, 2008 | 1 Comment | 1 TrackBack

You can always count on HBO to experiment with new series and this summer is no exception with the premier of Generation Kill.

Generation Kill is based on Evan Wright's book which follows the Marines of the First Recon Battalion through the first forty days of the Iraq War.

The series is nicely done, including a great performance by the highest ranking official on the ground, "the Godfather:"

 

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Christopher Hitchins subjects himself to Water Boarding and a Profile of the Port Authority Chief

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By Vincent Scordo on July 7, 2008 | 2 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

cusl08_hitchens0712.img_assist_custom.jpgThe writer Chrisopher Hitchins participated in a water boarding session to truly understand the techniques used by the American government at Guantánamo and elsewhere.  You can view the video here, courtesy of Vanity Fair magazine.

If you've spent any time in New York City then you're probably well aware of the NY / NJ Port Authority; they run the Hudson River crossings (and constantly increase tolls), World Trade Center re-building project, etc.  The NY Times recently ran a nice article profiling the Executive Director of the agency, Christopher O. Ward, who happens to have a degree from the Harvard Divinity School (should we be praying when we cross any of the bridges?).

 

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Obama's Web Site and Strategy and How It Will Win Him the Election

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By Vincent Scordo on July 7, 2008 | 1 Comment | 0 TrackBacks

1195666363_9ffdb957f0.jpgThe NY Times ran a profile piece on co-Facebook creator, Chris Hughes this morning, including his new position with the Obama campaign as "online organizing guru."

Hughes set up Obama' web site, which is a social networking wet dream, including tons of interaction points focused on email, text messaging, donate, and the ubiquitous Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn, etc. calls to action.

Obama is the first presidential candidate to effectively use the web for organizing and motivating voters and it may be the tool that helps him win the Presidency.

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Are We Well Off in the United States or Would You Rather Live Elsewhere?

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By Vincent Scordo on July 1, 2008 | 1 Comment | 0 TrackBacks

Every once in a while I have a realization about how well, for the most part, we live as American citizens.  Sure, I understand that the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer (with the income gap growing each year) and that wages adjusted for inflation haven't grown in well over 30 years, but when compared to other countries living in the good old U--S--of--A ain't so bad.  I was reminded of my situation when I came across an old photo of my grandfather along with my father and uncle somewhere around 1961 or so:

italy2_vineyard.jpg

My grandfather Vincenzo is the dark skinned man in the middle while my father Tommaso is on the right; my uncle Francesco is to the left of my grandfather.  Keep in mind that my grandfather is probably around 35 in the photo, but he looks much older (a sign of the hard work and struggles of living in post War Italy).  The photo was taken in Calabria.

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David Brooks and the Detoriation of Financial Mores

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By Vincent Scordo on June 18, 2008 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

ts-brooks-190.jpgIn my view, David Brooks is one of the preeminent op-ed writes in the US.  Brooks constantly gets "it" right and his latest piece, "The Great Seduction", published on June 10 in the New York Times talks about the startling economic reality in the US. 

Here's snip it from the piece: "a typical US household with income under $13,000 spends, on average, $645 a year on lottery tickets, about 9 percent of all income!"  Read the full article here and then go and read some his books, including "Bobos in Paradise", "On Paradise Drive"

For another interesting take on US culture and community see Putnam's brilliant book, "Bowling Alone."

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