Recently in US Culture Category

 
(photo: examples of simple Italian food: lentil soup, fennel and cucumber salad, and flounder with breadcrumb topping)

We're at a food crossroads in America and anyone who takes food seriously in the United States should consider themselves lucky to be living in today's culinary world.  The food universe landscape in the United States is moving from the ultra bland and crude dishes of the late 19th/early 20th centuries and the processed food and meat and potato world of post World War II America to an environment more akin to the major food traditions (countries) on the planet (viz., French, Italian, Chinese, Mexican, etc.).  

Like in Italy and France, you can now find handmade products produced by local experts in the United States as well as excellent small and large markets stocked with the best raw ingredients on the planet (some made here and some brought in from other countries).  There's also an explosion of food related media from the New Yorker's excellent food issue to the countless food related specialty blogs and web sites.  Head to your local bookstore (or shop online) and the choices for cookbooks, food related non fiction, etc. are mind blowing.  Turn on your TV and find good food related content from Mike Colameco, David Rocco, Jacques Pepin, and CBS Sunday Morning's Food Special.  In short, we're most likely right in the middle of a food revolution, versus a crossroads, and as is the case with any revolution it's easy to loose sight of what prompted the unrest with a given tradition and head in the wrong direction post revolution.  Simply put, we have much better food choices in the US (even compared to 10-20 years ago) but the next 20 years will truly determine how we eat, shop, and think about food.

(photo: the author of Cucina Povera, Pamela Sheldon Johns)

If you were to tell people that Italy and America have a few things in common you'd most likely receive some awkward stares.  After all, America is a country driven by capitalism and rationality while Italy operates under a lifestyle driven worldview with importance placed on living well and understanding the subtleties of day to day existence (at least outside of large cities like Milan, Rome, and Turin!).      

With the above in mind, Pamela Sheldon Johns reminds us that there may, in fact, be some similarities in how we live in both the United States and Italy.  Pamela, through her new cookbook Cucina Povera - Tuscan Peasant Cooking, recounts her mother's days on a Midwest farm during the Great Depression, using everything around her and not wasting a single fruit or leftover.  Pam also describes the same tendencies in Tuscan women, having moved to to Tuscany to establish culinary workshops and write countless cookbooks.  So, maybe there's more in common between the two countries than we think!


Let's face it, without the many ethnic groups now a permanent part of the US fabric we'd all be living in a pretty bland and sterile environment.   Specifically, immigrants are at the heart of American life and they are what make our country so special.  If not, for example, the culinary traditions of recent immigrants to the United States we'd have an almost non existent food culture.  So, on this 4th of July remember and recognize your immigrant past and celebrate with a few foods from your specific tradition (Italian or otherwise).  

Here at Scordo.com we'll have a grand outdoor party and it will be informed by our Italian background, including a few of the following dishes:
IMG_5355_garlic

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 and the Myth of 'Sustainable' Food".

Both articles are entertaining and touch on highbrow food terms/concepts such as organic, locavore/local, slow food, food sustainability, etc. yet have the stench of pop sociology that would make David Brooks rage with anger (Brooks is the only popular writer that is objective enough to get non academic sociology correct).   Heck, McWilliams even mentions Immanuel Kant and French philosopher Pierre Bourdieu  - is he kidding (and this is coming from an ex-Philosophy major who was entrenched in circles which espoused theoretical bullshit on a consistent basis)?  At the end of day here's what both writers are saying: Meyers' article condemns "foodies" for being glutenous while McWilliams' points out no one is correctly doing sustainable food.

(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 foods, however, and as the food pragmatist Mark Bittman suggests:

"...aside from salt, the agency buries mostly vague recommendations about what we should be eating less of: we're admonished to drink "few or no" sodas -- hooray for that -- and "refined grains," Solid Fats and Added Sugars."

Michael Rhulman, yet another food critic whom I admire greatly, simply asserts if the government wants to regulate how we eat then why don't they tax the mega-corporations making and selling crappy food and teach the US population how to "roast a chicken and make pasta carbonora?"

(photo: cooking at home begins with basic ingredients; olive oil is key)

"By becoming a cook, you can leave processed foods behind, creating more healthful, less expensive and better-tasting food that requires less energy, water and land per calorie and reduces our carbon footprint. Not a bad result for us -- or the planet."

Why Don't Americans Cook at Home?

The two sentences above are part of a well written article by Mark Bittman, the esteemed journalist and food writer.  Bittman's main thesis is centered on the notion that Americans do not cook enough of their own food, rather they rely on ready to eat foods prepared via fast food outlets, restaurants, or mega-corporations.   In short, Bittman believes that we've lost the basic ability to cook at home and, for many, were never taught the basic life skill.
(photo: Typical Italian breakfast, brioche with gelato.  Image courtesy of THE MUESLI LOVER)

Italians Love Coffee and Sweets for Breakfast!

News break: if you're Italian, you can have cookies for breakfast.  Seriously, cake is a traditional breakfast food in Italy and so are other sweets including cookies, brioche, pastries, croissants,etc.  Coffee is consumed as well and it's usually a quick espresso or a cappuccino (please don't order a cappuccino after 10:00 AM in Italy or just after your dinner, you'll be officially deported).  If you're consuming your breakfast at home then you'll most likely make espresso via a stove top machine and add a bit of milk for a cafe latte and maybe eat a cookie or two before heading out the door.


I've always been interested in language and partly because I grew up speaking two languages at home. Specifically, I speak a southern Italian dialect from the Bagnara Calabra region of Calabria and, of course, English.  My mother tells an interesting story of the local kindergarten teacher in New Jersey wanting to send me back home on the first day of school because she thought I had just arrived from Italy (with brown leather shoes, dark socks pulled up to my knees, and a short sleeved Merino wool shirt that would have made John Travolta envious).  My mother argued that I would pick up English quickly and that I should remain in the kindergarten class.  Flash forward about 30 years and despite the abundant spelling errors on Scordo.com, I picked up English and retained my knowledge of the Italian dialect spoken by my relatives in Calabria.

I became interested in language not because I speak two languages but because I had an interest in the idea of whether language has an impact on culture or identity (this idea is known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis or linguistic relativism in academic circles).  More specifically, linguistic relativism is the concept that differences in the way languages encode cultural/cognitive categories affect the way people think, so that speakers of different languages will tend to think and behave differently depending on the language they use. 

Before I headed to college, I was convinced that my perception of the world changed according to what language I spoke and that, for example, if I spoke Italian my outlook or view of the world was somehow different than when I spoke English.  After a couple of college linguistic courses and a few poorly written papers I discovered that the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is pretty much an unproven theory (partly because of folks like Noam Chomsky).

But even though language doesn't influence thought, isn't language important when it comes to preserving cultural traditions, for example?  And what about the idea that the misuse of language can somehow water down a given culture?  This very question came up during, of all things, a Facebook message comment I left on "Johnny Meatballs" wall.  Johnny (star of the VH1 series, "My Big Friggin Wedding") posed the question, "What's your favorite SENG-WEEEEEECH" in honor of National Sandwich Day and a bunch of replies were posted to his wall (not only does Johnny actually market and sell his own line of meatballs he appears on a new reality TV show called, "My Big Friggin Wedding").  I took issue with a few of responders saying things like, "PROSUT and FRESH MOZZ."; meaning, of course, "prosciutto" and "fresh mozzarella."  John responded by saying:

"Paisan, I know such terms have been referred to as "bastardizations" of the Italian language or less than "authentic" words, however I often find it's the uptight Italian "scholars" (generally not from the East Coast) who don't understand this particular Jersey slang and protest it because they oddly equate it only to the mafia or the low class. But this is a very true and real language in itself my man. Btw your seng-weeh link looks friggin' fab lol. ;)"

Of course, maybe I was being a little uptight, but what happens when the informal pronunciation of a given word turns into the only label for the item in question (for example, if "prosut" replaced the word "prosciutto" would it be the end of world?).  The short answer is no and it's actually how languages works (dialects and pigeons <all forms of language> eventually, if the speaker group is large enough, evolve into full blown languages), but knowing and understanding the origin of words (like prosciutto and mozzarella) certainly contribute to a deeper understanding of the culture tied to the given item or product. 

So, if I was giving advice today, I would tell any Italian-American to first understand the origin and pronunciation of a given Italian word and then either use the more formal word or embrace the more informal use of certain Italian words in certain communities (at your local Italian American deli, for example, or while hanging out with your buddies).  After all, it's all about context as "Johnny Meatballs" said:

When I write recipes or order such foods in a formal establishment, I do say prosciutto di Parma, but with the boys at the deli I say, pro-shoot. I agree it's important to know both sides but my only point is that it's harmful to discredit ...one or the other or try and distinguish which is more real. And it's not just food terms, it's all the words. This is a regional thing that differs from place to place like any dialect, here and in Italy.?!?!?!?!?!?!??!


(photo: the ideal Italian life represented in Pellegrina, Reggio Calabria)

Italian Shopping on Steroids

You'll have to excuse me if I sound a bit crabby this morning, as I just finished reading a New York Times review of the mega supermarket Eataly (located in New York City).  While the Times article was somewhat critical of the 50,000 square foot space (including multiple restaurants, an espresso bar, butcher, fish shop, wine store, cooking school, etc.) calling it, "...a mass-market retail play that capitalizes on the fame of its most visible partners, Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich and his mother, Lidia Bastianich", they also applauded the store for possibly, "represent[ing] a step forward for Italian food at the upper end of the economic spectrum of New York" (I hate to think of the hidden implications behind this statement).

The Authentic Italian Life:
The Mom and Pop Shop Versus the "Unlimited Brand Experience"


What gets me all fired up is the fact that one aspect of what makes Italian life so special is the experience of purchasing and consuming food. That is to say, in many small villages in Italy the average Italian visits the cafe for an espresso in the morning, the Salumeria for some sausage and salumi, the Panificio for bread, and a local farmer for fruits and vegetables (or their own farm if they're lucky) - this may be changing in large Italian cities where "supermarket" shopping is beginning to take hold.  If Eatly-like establishments were to open throughout Italy (there are, in fact, a chain of Eataly like Über stores in Italy) then we could all say good by to the small, local, shops and the idea of supporting local farmers and artisans directly.  And while Eataly claims to carry some local products, most of their items are brought in from overseas (as the Times article points out). 

What Eataly is telling it's customer is to shop here and you can find everything you need (and, by the way, screw the mom and pop shop selling cheese and salumi next door, because they don't offer cooking classes, a handmade pasta station, and the option to have "dinner" in the middle of a super market).  The question that keeps popping into my mind is why would I shop at Eataly and, beyond the novelty of seeing a 50,000 sq. ft. Italian circus (as, again, the Times suggests), would anyone would want to form a relationship and shop in an overly exploited corporate environment?  And, moreover, haven't we had enough of Home Depot, Starbucks, Staples and the idea that every consumer niche in the US (including our beloved Italian lifestyle) can become a brand commodity?

Simple Advice

My advice this morning is to continue (or start) to support the local shops in your area that offer wonderful products, great service, and that one to one relationship and connection that makes living life the Italian way (i.e, the good life) so special.


I always find popular culture, well, a bit strange.  Take Columbus Day, for example; growing up in New Jersey the holiday didn't mean very much in our Italian neighborhood.  Sure, we recognized Christopher Columbus as an explorer who first arrived in the Americas, specifically the Bahamas, but the day didn't symbolize or represent the Italian experience.  


However, I realize some Italian Americans observe Columbus Day as a celebration of our heritage and any day that highlights the Italian American experience can't be a bad thing. Columbus Day was first celebrated as a holiday in New York on October 12, 1866.  The holiday was made popular by the Italian American Angelo Noce in Denver, Colorado in 1905 and in 1934 Franklin Roosevelt made Columbus Day a federal holiday.  

As we move further away from the first Italian immigrants who came to the US (during the first great migration in early twentieth century and then, to a much smaller extent, in the late 1960's/early 1970's) we should stay focused on what it truly means to be and live as an Italian American and not what our American culture has defined for us. 

Happy Columbus Day and enjoy the photos of the Scordo family in 1950/60's Calabria, Italy.







(photo: street scene in Bagnara Calabra, courtesy of myworldshots.com )

I'm going to make a statement that may upset serious cooks, but here goes: It's almost impossible to cook foods from other places in the world outside of their place of origin.  I'm not stating an absolute truth because you can get pretty damn close to replicating a pizza from Naples for example; maybe importing a wood burning stove (along with olive wood or some other exotic species to get the right temperature), specialty flour, San Marzano tomatoes, and bottled water from Italy, but at the end of the day it's just not going to taste the same as, say, a pizza made in Italy. 

There are intangibles when experiencing a given food, including the physical environment, the person preparing the food item, and, of course, the psychological state the eater is in.  For example, if you're on vacation in August in Bagnara Calabra facing the Stretto di Messina in Southern Italy and you order a pizza and a cold beer at a local eatery, you're going to consume a pizza made with fresh mountain water, just harvested tomatoes, and first cold pressed olive oil from one of the surrounding villages.  You'll also be sun-burnt and famished because you've spent a few hours on Bagnara's famous Violet Coast.  In other words, that pizza will most likely be the best you've ever tasted. 


(photo: courtesy of Artisan Books)

My point above is not to discourage you from cooking Italian food in the US, but rather to make a subtle point that all Italian food made in the US is "Italian-American" food (this, to get fancy with a philosophical term, is an a priori truth <i.e., a truth independent of experience!>).  I cook Italian-American food, my mother cooks Italian-American food, and Mario Batali, for example, cooks Italian-American food. 


(photo: courtesy of Artisan Books)

Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo cook classic Italian-American food (by way of their families) and they are both extremely proud of the cuisine they serve each and every night at their restaurant.   And, although, I have not eaten at their Carol Gardens, Brooklyn restaurant Frankies Spuntino, they rightly situate the "American" in the "Italian-American" food category (that is to say, their recipes and cooking style focus on the classics of Italian American cuisine, rather than to try and bring "authentic" Italian fare to it's customers which, to my point above, is impossible in the US!)

Falcinelli and Castronovo recently published their first cookbook entitled, "The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion and Cooking Manual" and the book hits on a few terrific themes including bringing the classic dishes prepared in their Brooklyn restaurant into your home kitchen. 



The book, which is beautifully produced and leather-bound, has terrific illustrations and includes sections on cooking equipment and the Italian pantry, as well as a wonderful chapter on the philosophy of "Sunday Sauce." The same chapter has a brilliant timelines of how to go about constructing a traditional Italian meal on Sunday (this section would make any engineer proud!). 

Other recipes included in the cookbook (really a "cooking manual) are Linguine with Fava Beans, Garlic, Tomato and Bread Crumb, Sardine, Blood Orange, and Puntarelle Salad, Cipollini Onion Vinaigrette, Roasted Eggplant, Braised Pork Shank with Gigante Beans and Rosemary.  Falcinelli and Castronovo have produced an excellent, all around, cookbook and it may be the only Italian-American cookbook you'll ever need to use in your kitchen!   In fact, why don't you enter to win a chance to receive your very own copy the The Frankie Spuntino Kitchen Companion!  Here's what you need to do:

- Only one entry per person please.

- The contest is open until 12 midnight on 9/20 and a single (1) random user will be picked via Random.org (sorry contest only open to folks from the US given shipping logistics).  The winner will be announced immediately on Twitter (so please follow me) and on Scordo.com by 8PM on Friday, 9/21.

- Requirements (both are needed): 1. Become a fan of Scordo.com on Facebook (if you're a fan already please "share" the page on your Facebook account) and 2. leave a comment on an experience you've had where a dish/food item was incredible because of the location / atmosphere. 

- Artisan Books will send out the book to a single contest winner during the week of 9/27.
italy_father_brothers
(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.  

italy_wedding
(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.

italy2_greatgreat
(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 in a foreign country?  Or have the images of Sonny, Tony Soprano and the cast of Jersey Shore penetrated our media and fame 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?  

Again, 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 my view, unadulterated assimilation has happened (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, what we have in the United States today are many pseudo Italian-Americans).

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 practical living, working hard, eating well, and simply living the Italian way.  I see first and second generation Italian Americans shunning the popular, and myth driven, portrayals of the goofy, unintelligent, Tony Soprano (don't let the literary critics convince you he was a seminal and complex TV character; he was a mafioso with strong survival instincts) and argue 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).  

So, how do you live as an Italian in America today?

wheat_harvest_pellegrina 
(photo: various Scordo family members during the late summer wheat harvest in Pellegrina, Calabria) 

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>).
IMG_5852[1]

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!).  

ocean2
(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.

IMG_5481[1]
(photo: Bok Choy with garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flakes: $2.00 for 2 pounds)

The Tradition You Come From Matters

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, share 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 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 Italian blood and I can't imagine living any other way (I know folks who place incredible value on Yankee baseball or a shiny new car every three years; are these misguided values?).

Why Don't American Make Food at Home?

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 is).  And, moreover, that 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, but rather American society as a whole).  The implication is that the poor 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, "nonsense!"  And, yes, I'm going to turn to the recent immigrant storybook to illustrate that one doesn't 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 great spending power, as the folks at SeriousEats.com seem to suggest when responding to one of Michael Pollan's eating tips). 

IMG_5483[1]
(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).

It's Cheaper to Buy Good Food Versus Fast Food

Let's take the price of an average meal at McDonalds for four and say that the Smith family will consume four medium size French fries, three cheeseburgers, one six piece chicken McNugget, and four 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.

IMG_5480[1]
(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 ).

An Explanation

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 by-product of socio-economic factors (don't listen to the food experts), but rather how one is raised and, in turn,  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.
walmart

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).

cart 

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).      

revised_hadley_ma
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).

nh_harris
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.  
noaheat.jpg

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 and Martha 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. 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 met 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).   

julia.jpg

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 that will help you make your own food:

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)! 
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!

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! 
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 pack 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).

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.

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!

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:

 

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

 

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.

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:

scordo on twitter scordo.com on facebook become a fan stumble scordo rss feed for scordo

Scordo.com Free Newsletter - Sign Up Today
* indicates required

BECOME A FAN OF SCORDO ON FACEBOOK:



GOOD READING:



MORE ABOUT US:



FEATURED STORIES:


Homemade Sun Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil Recipe
Don't settle for the canned varieties found at supermarkets; find out how to make your own [+]


How to Make Authentic Tomato Sauce
This is the authentic Scordo family recipe - straight from Calabria. You'll be amazed at how simple the recipe is to make [+]


Guide to Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
My grandfather produced his own extra virgin olive oil in Italy and I've put together an olive oil buying guide just for you [+]


How to Make Rice Balls or Arancini At Home
The ultimate Italian street food - these fried treats are great for the holidays or for any lunch or dinner; try them with your kids [+]


Guide to Making Espresso at Home
Making good espresso at home isn't easy but once you master a few easy tips you'll never settle for the junk served at most cafes in the US, including Starbucks [+]


Why You Should Not Eat Out
My argument on why eating out doesn't make sense [+]


Guide to Italian Meats: Salame, Capicola, Prosciutto, etc.
Learn all about the great "deli meats" and authentic cured specialties from Italy [+]


Scordo Pizza Recipe
Who doesn't love pizza, but did you know it's real easy to make at home [+]

 


English to Italian Translation Powered by
Grab this Widget


SPONSORS, AFFILIATES, SUPPORTERS:

Italian Food and Life Site


mymelange
Independent Budget Backpacking Travel Tips

Advertise with Scordo.com
Advertise with Scordo.com

 


 

DONATE AND HELP KEEP US GOING:

 

Feeling generous and want to help keep Scordo.com producing fresh and original content?

 

QUESTIONS, IDEAS, TIPS:

 

email scordo.com: blog at scordo.com

 

 

Note: The views expressed herein are solely my own and should not be attributed to my employer in any way. This site is not maintained utilizing my employer's resources or on company time.

 

RSS feed graphic for scordo.com Subscribe to Scordo.com via RSSBlog Flux Directory