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We're All About Italy

Culture

What Italians Really Think About... Pizza

3/28/2017

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"Pizza is a lot like sex. When it's good, it's really good. When it's bad, it's still pretty good..."
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Italian Hand Gestures: Speaking Like a Native, Without Words

3/21/2017

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PictureGiancarlo Gianini added his eyes into his sign language
We've all seen Italians talking with their hands, waving them wildly in the air, sometimes right into the face of the person they are talking to. To the onlooker it seems random, yet it does seem tied into their facial expressions, which will change swiftly depending on the gesture being used. It's led people to paint a caricature of every Italian, although most Italian Americans don't have a clue about this unwritten language. Yes, it's a language in and of itself.

PictureMarcello Mastroianni was always good with his hands--just ask Sophia
Where did it start?
What's the reason?


It more than likely started in the port cities of Italy after the Roman Empire. I say after, because before that Latin was a widely spread language. After the fall of the Roman Empire, imported languages started taking over, as conquerors and
immigrants came from many different parts of the ancient world: The Carolingians (mixing early German and French into northern Italy), The Visigoths (mixing German, Spanish and French), the Normans (descending from Vikings from Northern France, they took over Southern Italy), Saracens (Muslims that invaded southern Italy and settled in Sicily), the German tribes (in pre-Christian times and in the middle ages), French (taking over northern Italy in the 1400s) and Austrians. 


Picture"Furbo", Watch Out, Pay Attention
Leaving Latin Behind

Latin itself morphed into what we now call the Italian language. But even "modern" Italy didn't become a cohesive nation until the 1860s, and still today Italians are very region-centric, with many varied dialects still spoken throughout the country. One example I witnessed is on the train from Bari to Rome. The announcements were in three languages: English, Italian and Southern Dialect. And believe me, Dialetto sounds very different than "proper" Italian--my Dad spoke it. He was from Molfetta.
My Mom couldn't understand him. She spoke another Dialetto from Naples.


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The port cities, like Naples, Venice, Bari or Palermo needed a way to communicate with the many different people, all speaking different tongues.  Every so often a a new population and ruling class would be established, depending on who the conqueror was. Hand gestures became a necessity in Italy, and it remains today a large part of how people communicate. For this reason, this might make things easier on travelers to Italy as Italians have many ways of getting people to understand what they are saying.

At the end of this post is a video of a charming Italian gent illustrating the many subtleties of hand gestures. You could learn to have an entire conversation without words!

When I was a kid, my parents told me not to eat with my hands... but speaking with my hands was absolutely permitted.

Ciao!

--Jerry Finzi

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What Italians Think About Americans... Taking Vacations

3/14/2017

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"Americans never really get a day off. When they are on vacation, they still check for messages, file reports, talk to their boss and attend phone conferences. The vast majority of Italians don't do that. If they are on vacation, they are on vacation. They have no conversations about work, don't think about it and certainly don't call up their bosses to hear about what's going on while they're away."
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Father's Day in Italy: March 19th, St. Joseph's Day

3/14/2017

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As a young Catholic, all I knew about St. Joseph is what the nuns taught us: that he was a foster parent to Jesus; he worked as a carpenter; and that if your parents were selling their home, burying a little plastic statue of him upside down in your garden would help get a buyer. As a grown man and a father to my Lucas, I realize that St. Joseph's real strength was as a father. He must have been a man of great faith and trust and love to accept Jesus as his own son. Because of this, in Italy, the feast day honoring him is used to honor all fathers...

La Festa di San Giuseppe (Feast of St. Joseph) on March 19th in Italy is a saint day celebrating the mortal father of Jesus--namely, Joseph. There are two meanings for this day in Italy: as a Name Day to celebrate anyone with the name Giuseppe, Joseph, Josephine or Beppe, but also as La Festa del Papà (alternately, la Festa del Babbo), on which most Italians celebrate their fathers, as we do on Fathers Day.

There are some interesting ways to celebrate, but of course, most involve food. For instance, artichokes come to market in March in Italy, so eating artichokes stuffed with a breadcrumb mixture is one way... the breadcrumbs represent sawdust, honoring St. Joseph's life as a carpenter. On St. Joseph's day, tradition calls for sprinkling breadcrumbs on pasta dishes rather than cheese. Then there is Pane di San Giuseppe in which bread dough is fashioned into crosses and other various shapes.
 

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Carciofi Ripieni - Stuffed Artichokes
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An especially wonderful Pane di San Giuseppe
Another cerebration dish to make to celebrate St. Joseph or your Dad is to make Pasta cod Sarde (Pasta with Sardines), a traditional meal made with bucatini (hollow, spaghetti-like pasta), raisins, pignoli nuts, fennel, onions and sardines.
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Sardines are a bit too fishy for my tastes, but my Dad would have loved this dish
Then there are the sweet treats... mainly sfinci (alt, sfinge). Some are made like profiteroles or cream puffs and stuffed or topped with either a custard or a sweet ricotta filling and topped with a sour cherry, while others are more like bready, sugared zeppole, some stuffed, some not. There are also others called Zeppole di San Giuseppe that are not bready like what we Italian-Americans buy at Italian festivals called zeppole but are like cream puffs. Bottom line, there are lots of sweets that are made to celebrate St. Joseph's Day, and in Italy, the word "zeppole" is used fairly broadly to refer to many types of fried or baked donuts.
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Sfinci
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Zeppole di San Giuseppe
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Sfinci that look like Zeppole
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Here's another Zeppole di San Giuseppe in a more common donut shape
In Sicily, during the Middle Ages, people prayed to St. Joseph to bring rain and save them from starvation and drought. The rains came and so did the fava bean crop, which saved the people. Still today, fava beans are part of celebrating St. Joseph--by eating Maccù di Fave (a fava bean soup) and carrying a fava bean that has been blessed by a priest in their pocket for good fortune.
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Maccù di Fave
PictureSfincione
In the United States, Italian-Americans started the tradition of wearing red clothing on St. Joseph's Day. This was started to offset the proximity of St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) and the "wearing of the green". Apparently, there is no religious or other significance of wearing red on St. Joseph's Day.

To honor my Dad, I usually make a special Sicilian pizza--a traditional Sfincione--which is covered with breadcrumbs on top. My Dad was a decent carpenter, and always loved working with wood and his hands. When I was a boy, he held the wood as I would try using the saw. He was a truly great father, never judging, always there for me. Dad, you would have loved a couple of slices of Sfincione...  We miss your smile, Sally Boy...

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--Jerry Finzi

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Book Recommendation: Turning Tuscan

3/13/2017

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Turning Tuscan: A Step-by-Step Guide to Going Native is one of those books that will either quell your desire to live in Italy, or fire up your spirits to take the plunge, regardless of the hassles. Becoming an expat is an exercise in determination--especially when uprooting your kids and making a new life in another culture.

Author Sam Hilt wanted to start a new life and business--a tour company--and shares his family's experiences, both the good and bad in making the move. How do you become part of the local community? What about the language? How do I hire lawyers, contractors and the like? And what's with the Internet in Italy? What if we get sick? Why is it such a hassle just to get a phone? Will we ever become "Italian"?

Well, find out all this and more. It's not all frustrating... there are successes all along the way, both small and large.

It's a great read... on Amazon.

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March 07th, 2017

3/7/2017

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What Italians Really Think about Americans: Adapting to Italian Life

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"While we Italians have a reputation for being welcoming, we really expect you to adapt to our lifestyle when you are visiting. If you start complaining about our Italian lifestyle and claim things were better back home, don't expect sympathy. Only Italians are allowed to point out what's wrong with our own country! Don't like our public toilets? Go back to your hotel room and stay there! You want more ice in your drink? Go to Iceland!"
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What Italians Think About Americans... Eating

3/7/2017

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" In America, you eat first with your wallet first, your eyes second, and third with your mouth. In Italy we eat with our heart first, second and last.”
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Gift Ideas for Italophiles: GVI Recommendations

3/3/2017

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Anytime during the year, you might have to find the perfect gift for the Italophile in your life. It might be for Christmas, an anniversary, wedding, birthday or to mark a special event. I thought it would be a great idea to suggest some of the coolest, classiest and tastiest gift ideas right here--and you don't have to travel to Italy to get them. It's as easy as logging on to your Amazon account.
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In Italy, the type of glasses used a tavola for wine in homes and the neighborhood trattoria are simple, stemless tumblers. This set of 4 are simple and casual, just like the Italian lifestyle... just like the kind my Dad used to his uncle's home made wine from. 
--on Amazon.
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Just about any Italophile in your life would appreciate this 3 pound wedge of iGourmet Parmigiano Reggiano --on AMAZON. If they are really into the King of Cheeses (and if you can afford it), treat them to this 86 pound wheel--just don't be shocked at the price!  --on AMAZON. 
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Who doesn't love Nutella? Well, if your loved one is a real Nutella Nut, how about not one, but two 105 ounce buckets of the stuff? --on Amazon. 
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Ok, so I like cheese--and while in Italy, I discovered a passion for caciocavallo, a nutty cousin of provolone. Here's a great deal on a 5 pound ball. Tie it to your donkey's back and you're ready for a long winter in the north pasture with your sheep!  --on AMAZON.
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My wife Lisa loved her red Moka pot so much when I gave it to her last Christmas, that she's still using her old, stained silver one, with the shiny, new red one displayed proudly above our cooktop. It's a 6 cup size and makes the best espresso ever. --on Amazon.
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This beautiful Consigli carving set with olive wood handles is what every Tuscan would love to carve his porchetta or wild boar roast. on AMAZON.
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To go with the your Moka pot, perhaps the object of your affection would love this hand made, ceramic  espresso cup set from Deruta. --on AMAZON. 
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When we visited the Solimene Ceramica factory in Vietri sul Mare on the Amalfi Coast, we fell in love with their ceramics. Here's a great pasta bowl in their olive design. --on AMAZON. 
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Aged, imported Balsamic is hard to find... at a decent price. Most are in the $100-200 range for 3-4 ounces. Here's a good compromise, a Modena Balsamico in a 8.45 ounce bottle. It's not 20 year... but 12 years is pretty decent, especially at its low price, and will be way better than the supermarket variety. --on AMAZON.  
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Every uomo when traveling in Italy needs to have a scarf to keep away those 3 mph breezes that Italians fear so much. (Mama to Giuseppe, "Tighten your scarf or you'll get sick!") A beautiful, supple wool from Biella, Italy tied in that special way.
--on AMAZON. 
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Ok, I'll admit that when I was in Italy, I did enjoy the occasional street musicians playing tourist style accordion music as we had dinner in a ristorante, but there is more to authentic regional Italian music other than mandolins and Oh Solo Mio. This album gives you the feel of the small villages and remote cultures in Italia. If you're into folk or world music, you'll love it. Digital download or CD --On Amazon. 
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For the chef on your list, a great olive wood cutting board made from large diameter olive trees. These are imported from Italy. --on Amazon. 
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If you have a friend who loves Italian wines, then they should love this Italian made, carbon fiber sommalier's corkscrew. I bought in Italy and wouldn't open a bottle of Primativo or Barolo without it. A high quality item.  --on Amazon. 

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If you're fascinated by ancient Roman history, then this series is for you. It's one of the most historically accurate series about the lifestyle, politics, sexuality and culture of the Roman Empire. Not for the faint-hearted, this is a very blunt look at the vulgarity (as we now see it) and violent lives experienced by Roman elites, plebeians and slaves. My wife and I have binged watched this series... it's as addictive as the I Claudius series from years ago. Available streaming or as a boxed DVD set. Not for the kiddies. --on AMAZON.  


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If you love making your own pasta, try this imported ravioli maker. I Inherited my mother's ravioli pin and still remember her making ravioli for special occasions with it. --on AMAZON. 
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This "chitarra" (guitar) isn't musical, you make tonnarelli pasta with it--a sort of square profiled spaghetti. Under $40 on AMAZON. 

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When it's time to take your next Grand Voyage to Italy, keep a record of your travels in this 6x8" Florentine leather journal. Keep photos, notes, sketches and tickets from museums and monuments you've visited. Think of it as an 18th century, analog way to blog.
--on Amazon.  


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While traveling on the Amalfi Coast, Lisa discovered Limoncello--that heavenly-hellish drink made from the skins of amazingly sweet Sfugo lemons. This version is a bit sweeter than others--more perfumed, too.  Keep one for yourself, give the rest to good friends. Remember to sip. It's powerful nectar. --on Amazon.
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Another prize we brought back from Amalfi Coast's Vietri sul Mare was a hen version of this wine pitcher. This rooster is decorated in the same joyful, often childish style popular in southern Italy. Decant and pour your wine--the Italian way.
--on Amazon.
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Italians celebrate with pizzelles for just about any holiday, especially Christmas and Easter, but they also appear at weddings. Pizzelles are great any time of year dusted with cocoa, sugar or cinnamon... you can even shape them into gelato cones or cups and cannoli tubes! --on Amazon.
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One of the best changes I made to my at-home pizza making was to upgrade from a standard ceramic pizza stone to a baking steel. Steel transfers heat more efficiently than ceramic ever could--about 20 times faster. It also bakes more evenly. If you really want a great crust under your pizza, then a steel is the way to go--it's a great investment. Read more about my switch to a baking steel here: Making Pizza: My New Pizza Steel, an Answer to My Problems
--on Amazon.
--Jerry Finzi
If you CARE, please SHARE. Grazie.
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What Italians Think About Americans: Gaining Weight

3/1/2017

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"You Americans are always concerned about your weight. Even if you are thin, you think you are overweight. If you have a big stomach, you're embarrassed and want to lose weight. You even have operations to stop you from eating too much. In Italy if I get too thin a Nonna will stop me on the street and say 'You need to eat more. You’re too thin. Also, you’re dog is too thin. EAT MORE and feed this poor dog!'"
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Only in Italy: A Lamborghini Police Car?

3/1/2017

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PictureOn Parade Duty
We all know that a filthy rich city like Dubai can afford to impress their even filthier rich pedestrians and drivers with their fleet of Supercars... including a Ferrari FF, Lamborghini Aventador, Bugatti Veyron, McLaren, BMW i8, McLaren MP4-12C and Aston Martin One-77. But one wouldn't think a financially stressed country like Italy could afford super-police cars. For the most part, I've seen the polizia stradale driving around in Fiat Grande Puntos or Alfa Romeo Panteras. I've even seen Fiat 500s with "Policia"  emblazened across their blue and white bodies.

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Smart Car
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Alfa Romeo
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Fiat Grande Punto
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BMW
PictureGallardo--totaled.
Well apparently, for some years now, there have also been a few Supercars gifted to the state police by Lamborghini...

The latest addition to the polizia stradale fleet of squad cars is the specially designed  Lamborghini Huracán LP610-4, donated in 2014. This amazing car replaced not one, but two Lamborghini Gallardo squad cars driven by officers in Rome and Bologna, after succumbing to crashes. For consumers, a Huracán runs about $300,000, less the weaponry of course.

There were also two earlier Gallardos put into service in 2004 and 2005. But alas, Supercar police vehicles might not last that long, with all that Autostrada criminal car chases, bouncing on their underbellies and scraping through ultra-thin streets in most towns... Oh, but wait a second... now that I think of it, they are typically only used to impress dignitaries at special public events and parades, or to deliver organs to hospitals for transplant patients.

Maybe they will last a bit longer this time.

--Jerry Finzi

You can have your very own diecast model of the Huracán LP610-4
-- on Amazon

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