NIAF - National Italian American Foundation Gala!

Support NAIF!

http://www.niaf.org/

The National Italian American Foundation is nonprofit, nonpartisan educational foundation that promotes Italian American culture and heritage. NIAF serves as a resource on the Italian American community and has educational and youth programs including scholarships, grants, heritage travel, and mentoring. 

NIAF is also the voice for Italian Americans in Washington, DC and works closely with the Italian American Congressional Delegation and the White House. NIAF’s mission includes advancing US – Italy business, political, and cultural relations and has a business council that promotes networking with corporate leaders. 

During the weekend of October 23-25 I traveled to Washington D.C. for NAIF Gala! Check out some of the photos from the this amazing event! How exciting it was to be part of it!
http://washingtonlife.smugmug.com/2010-Photos/NIAF-35th-Annual-Awards-Gala/14357699_CKouN/5#1063330947_K7WwB

Danny DeVito interrupting all the noisy Italians that were talking during the President of NAIF's speech!

Me and the famous Italian woman of the kitchen! Lidia Matticchio Bastianich

http://www.lidiasitaly.com/

Check out some of my fun photos from the event! 

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=295619&id=646356082

I scream, you scream, we all scream for.....

GELATO!!! When I moved to Rome in July of 2004, I moved in with a roommate, whom I contacted through a friend of mine. My apartment was directly above THE most famous gelateria in all of Rome! I have to admit that at first this circumstance did not seem to phase me, but within a few days I learned quickly of this remarkable phenomenon! Old Bridge Gelateria is no typical ice cream shop (frozen yogurt? what's that??) Within the small hole of ancient stones, pure decadence emerges! Not to mention it is located a skip away from the Vatican and across the street from the entrance to the Vatican Museums. 


I would leave for work around 7:30 am. Nearly most every morning I would see "cute ice cream boy" as I called him. He was either smoking in the atrium dressed for work already in his white apron. Or I would see him like the white rabbit running through some door that I always wondered what was hidden behind. A friend of mine, Patrizia, told me that the fruit arrived early in the morning. Straight dalla terra, whatever fruit would arrive (of course based on season and availability) would be transformed into the most wonderful, cultural dessert ever created... down and dirty ice cream! However, the best part about Old Bridge is that it's cheap! 2 euros flat... and they give you "American" sizes! No chintzy European portions here. Large scoops, for real! So tasty and all fresh!! 

Although I loved living about this famous monument in Rome, I have to say the "open until 2am" nightly lines did become some sort of a burden when I, the "American girl" had to work early the next morning. 

Within the next few weeks I will be trying out Gelato Paradiso in Newport Beach, CA to see if it lives up to Old Bridge standards. Try it out for yourself! http://www.gelatoparadiso.net/

The Natales

Oh, the tangled web we weave... I work a little at at time, untangling bit by bit the story of my family. My aunt Aimee, my father's sister has been interested in tracing our family genealogy as well. I tend to have so much more information on my mother's side (the Fastuca-Andreini-Agnello-Riggio side) but it's always been so much harder to trace on the side of my actual surname! Why? Can't seem to locate the records! I have found out that unlike my mother's side, my Italian ancestors were never naturalized and remained "aliens" (I hate that term, it seems so UFOish)! That's the bad news. The good news is.. if we can unveil  those onion layers, we can get our Italian citizenship! Italy only recognizes unnaturalized citizens, those that never went through the process of citizenship. And, only through the paternal line! It was not until 1948 that the maternal line was even recognized!

Here's a pic from my great aunt Margo's wedding. Biagio Natale (formerly Di Natale) is pictured as the third person on the left. Then his son, Richard (name was changed) and then my grandfather Robert sitting next to him! Again.... around the table.

Btw... Natale means "Christmas" is Italian. I loved living in Italy even for the fact that people could actually pronounce my name! I especially loved seeing my name displayed in lights! Even it was only once a year ;-)

The Sicilian Girl

Check out this new film! I can't wait to see it! My family wonders sometimes how my grandmother was able to serve Filet Mignon at her wedding during the depression. The family was involved in "politics" as they said.

Lovers of Italian cinema will want to see “The Sicilian Girl,” or “La Siciliana Ribelle,” an Italian language film with English subtitles that opened this month in New York.

The fictional film focuses on Rita Mancuso, the daughter of an old-school Mafioso who, after her father and brother are murdered by rivals, seeks out a local prosecutor and offers to testify against her father’s killers. Played by actresses Miriana Faja (portraying Rita as a child) and Veronica D’Agostino (embodying the protagonist as a teenager), Rita originally turns to the law to seek revenge but ultimately comes to a greater understanding of justice.

The film is based on the short life of Rita Atria, a Sicilian teenager whose testimony was critical to many convictions of Mafia members. Director Marco Amenta previously examined Atria’s life in his 1997 documentary, “One Girl Against the Mafia: Diary of a Sicilian Rebel.”

Feast of San Gennaro in Los Angeles!!

Oh... I almost forgot! You don't want to miss this event!! The Feast of San Gennaro in Los Angeles! 
Check is out at http://www.feastofla.org/
It's the feast of the precious cheese! Music and lots of great entertainment and above all... great food! It's all happening the weekend of Sept. 24th so check out the website, buy your tickets and mark your calendars!!

La Sagra

You and me... we may not have much in common. And without something in common, how so we create community? The Italians of course got this figured out centuries ago! There is one universal thing that we do all have in common. Let's say it together...we EAT!  Adorable quaint towns such as in Umbrian Orvieto can be pretty boring most of the year. On most days, the only sense of life that life exists in a town like this are the tumbleweeds, church bells, the smell of garlic and sauce permeating through the hallways of apartments, and old men reminiscing on a bench, playing cards or debating Italian politics to pass the time (I love this photo from Orvieto, one of my favorite towns! I have a very similar pic but I can't seem to find it)

All the following pics are my own.

so incredibly cute right?

  The absolute hands-down best season in Italy is autumn. The rolling green colline (hills) and vibrant vineyards like this one in Chianti, Toscana filled with wonderful things to eat!

So what to do with lots of time and lots of chestnuts, grapes, potatoes, or what have you? Might as well throw a party, Italians love to celebrate! Harvest time means FESTIVALS!!!! La Festa is usually a festival usually to honor a saint, etc. There are are also festivals called a "sagra." Of course in Italy they have a sagra for just about ANYTHING!! A sagra for fennel, a sagra for the chestnut, pepper, potato, a sagra for even chocolate! Below are some photos I took in Perugia at Eurochocolate. A man chisels away at what was a huge statue and passes out bags of chocolate to grabby hands!

Any great Italian product gets a party! They are usually held in small medieval towns and in the main piazza. People travel from everywhere and anywhere to come together and eat. In fact, the streets are so packed you can hardly move! Forget about finding a seat... get comfy on a 13th century stone step of a church and enjoy the parade, music, dancing and laughter.  Build old friendships or make new ones, and celebrate Italian prodotti (products!). A few years ago I went to a famous sagra called Sagra dell' Uva al commune di Marino or better known as the Marino Grape Festival. These festivals start around September and may continue to some time in October. Here are some photos I took in 2007 at alla sagra!

California terrain and climate is very similar to that found in Italy and we have taken hold of those centuries old traditions. Napa and Temecula are two places where vineyards abound and you can participate in a sagra without going to Italy! An old Italian tradition of stomping grapes usually takes place in Sept.-Oct. It's called la pigiatura. Now who could ever forget this classic!!!!

Tickets to an event in Temecula vary in price so you should look into it soon if you are planning to go!

Mount Palomar Winery
Grape Stomp

September 26, 2010

11:30am - 4:00pm
Cost: $40.00
Location: 33820 Rancho California Road, Temecula, CA 92591
Celebrate the Grape Harvest at Mount Palomar Winery!
http://www.mountpalomar.com/mtpalomar/index.jsp

South Coast Winery

Blessing of the Wine -- Grape Stomp & Harvest Celebration
September 26, 2010

4:00 - 7:00 pm
Eat, Love, Pray Your Own Special Way...

http://wineresort.com/home

Ponte Winery

8th Annual Grape Stomp

September 26, 2010

4:00 - 9:00 pm

http://www.pontewinery.com/

This one's like 90 bucks a person! but I'm sure it's worth it.

Callaway Vineyards

Harvest Festival and Grape Stomp

October 2, 2010

Family friendly event 11 am - 3 pm

Adult only 5 pm - 9 pm

http://www.callawaywinery.com

The Sower and the Seed - Matthew 13. 3-33

x

And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear."The disciples approached him and said, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" He said to them in reply, "Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because 'they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand." (Matthew 13: 3-33).

The Bible has been talking about seeds for centuries. Seeds are the beginning. Even as in the birth of any new life, seeds are where it all starts!! But what we need to remember is that it's also about where you put those seeds... it's the fertile ground! The Mediterranean sun, the soil, humidity. etc. all play a factor in the perfect offspring. We are not perfect here, so there are some things we need to work around, those are our "sinful" parts in preparation but can definitely produce something perfect!! 

When people say, "Do you know what you are eating?" Well, I say, "Do you REALLY know what you are eating?" Go back to the beginning. Go back to the seeds.
Franchi seeds are the best! I actually smuggled some back from Italy (shhh! don't tell!). I found this great site... http://www.growitalian.com/ This is where I have ordered some new seeds. 

I also picked up some of these for my basil (basilico). I'll take pics when they are in full bloom, but honestly, we pluck them from the plants every day so they're always sparse!

These are my little green tomatoes. They are from seeds I brought back from Italy. A future blog will reveal what how we will use them when they are ready!

This is some highly recommended stuff! Imagine it's like prenatal vitamins!! Girls... you know what I'm talking about! I started taking them again just for my nails and hair!