Rubygate…Bunga Bunga January 21, 2011

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“I Love Life and Beautiful Women”

Rubygate…Berlusconi’s alleged relationship with a Moroccan teen and it’s “coverup”…has resurfaced once again.  This time the authorities want to  look at his office’s records and ascertain whether he did, indeed, pay for sex with Ruby and other prostitutes which frequently attend his “parties”!  Of course, he and Ruby both deny that they had anything but a friendly relationship – even though he did give her 7000 Euros just because he wanted to help her out.  What a nice guy…..hmm…..

The women of Italy have had quite enough with Signor Berlusconi’s obvious ignorance when it comes to his views on what women really are!  He hasn’t learned that the modern woman is independent, intelligent…and doesn’t live just to please her MAN!  Therefore, they have banned together to sign an online petition which states that not all Italian women are prostitutes or showgirls.  This campaign is called ”BASTA!” or “Enough”, and it is aimed at re-instructing the males of Italy on how to treat and look at woment!  Chissa (we’ll see) if it will work!

Rubygate, as you can imagine, has also sparked a host of jokes and parodies by comedians all over the world. It has recently even become the inspiration for a movie starring Italy’s “Italian Stallion”, porn star Rocco Siffredi.  The movie is titled “Bunga Bunga Presidente” and it is loosely based on the parties held by the Premier in his villa outside of Milan.  The film’s producers state that any similarity is stricly accidental, but there are too many similarities which make us doubt the coincidences.  The plot revolves around a womanizing politician who intervenes to save a “damsel in distress” after she is arrested by police.  The girl appears in the movie sitting on a bed draped with the Italian flag!  Now, how many more clues do we need?  Really! 

The clip from the movie is pretty tame, but just in case…you have been warned!!!

And, the best of all, is this catchy tune about the Bunga Bunga Presidente!!!

My, oh my, Silvio never ceases to give the world a little comedy!!  But for a political figure, this may not be such a good thing…hmmm?

Meet Me in Venice – A Book Review January 19, 2011

I just finished reading Meet Me in Venice by the prolific author Elizabeth Adler.  The story was exciting, even though at times a bit predictable.  It took place in so many exotic locations:  Shanghai, Paris, North Carolina, Monte Carlo….and Venice!  It was filled with treachery, deceipt, murder, suspense…and, what else….LOVE!  At the root of the story is a precious necklace, at one time belonging to one of China’s most famous empresses.  It was stolen from her tomb and fell into the hands of a certain family.  Of course, once its identity resurfaces, everyone wants to get their hands on it.  What ensues is a complicated plot of intertwined relationships.  Fortune seekers and  innocent victims come face to face with each other.  The locations described in the book are so vivid that surely the author must have spent some time in each of these places.  Her depiction of Venice, complete with the names of real hotels and restaurants, palazzos and churches,  are so accurate that you feel like you are walking the calles with her.   I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it!

This review is part of the Italy in Books Reading Challenge 2011.

 

 

Segreti della Mona Lisa January 17, 2011

There’s been some talk lately about some “secret” codes that have been found within the Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci!!  This painting has always had an aura about it, perplexing and captivating historians and artists alike.  It is believed to be the portrait of the wife of a wealthy merchant… or is it a self portrait of the master himself?  It was lost for years in the early part of 20th century, and then discovered under a mattress.  Time after time, the Mona Lisa never ceases to create some kind of news. 

Just recently, an Italian researcher has discovered 3 secret codes embedded in the eyes of the subject, and in the arch of the bridge in the background.   He claims that an “S” is located in the left eye, an “L” in the right eye, and “72″ on the arch under the bridge.  These three secret codes are messages which he believes Leonardo Da Vinci put there to give clues to the painting’s model, age, and his own personal religious convictions.  He claims that Leonardo Da Vinci always hid clues in his work…like the “interpretations” of The Last Supper.  His genius was always playing games as evidenced by the backwards writing of his notes. 

These newly found symbols are not visible to the naked eye, and Silvano Vinceti, the researcher, performed his research on highly digitized images of the painting. 

His theories state the following:  The “S” stands for Sforza.  He believes that the model is not Lisa Gherardini, as always believed, but a member of Milan’s Sforza family.  Leonardo Da Vinci was employed under Ludovico Sforza and perhaps this painting was commissioned by him for a member of his family.  This would change the date that the painting was begun. 

The “L” stands for what else but Leonardo himself!!!  How boring….I would think that the great Leonardo would have thought of something a bit more intriguing to authenticate the painting!

And then finally the “72″ stands for biblical references.  The “7″ is an important number in both Judaic and Christian beliefs…for example, for the Creation!  The number “2″ could be related to the duality of male and female. 

It seems to me that all this is open to speculation and interpretation.  If there really were secret symbols imbedded in the painting, what did Leonardo Da Vinci want to say with these?  You can imagine all the theories that will be forthcoming if it becomes indisputable that those symbols are really there. 

In the meantime, if you can get anywhere close to the Mona Lisa in the Louvre (despite all the crowds), you can try to look at all the speculations that this painting has created throughout the years or just purely enjoy that smile which has us all wondering what she is thinking about!

Quanti Avanzi (So Many Leftovers)! January 14, 2011

I don’t know about everyone, but I LOVE leftovers!  They make for an easy lunch the next day or save on a night of cooking!  And leftovers that lend themselves into being transformed to a new dish are always an extra bonus….and I feel like I am doing my part to be GREEN (something that has become something of an obscession for me!!!) by wasting NOTHING!

This Christmas we cooked a turkey.  Turkey is always one of those things, that if you don’t have a LOT of people to eat it, is guaranteed to give you leftovers.  Well, this one was no exception.  We ate about half the turkey on the night we cooked it, and then the rest we converted into more things.  The first thing I did was cut off all the extra meat that I could from the carcass, and I put it aside.  Then into a large pot of water I added the carcass and made stock from it.  I put in lots of celery and onions, a couple of bouillon cubes, and some salt and pepper and boiled it slowly for a couple of hours.  Once it was done, I strained everything…leaving a good tasty broth behind.  This broth bowl I put into the refrigerator – the cold helps the fat congeal on the top so that it can be skimmed off easily (this part is gross, but it leaves behind a fat-free broth!!).  I then placed it  into freezer containers and froze it for use when I need a good broth stock! 

Once the broth was taken care of, I attacked the carcass one more time to remove any meat left behind.  With all the scavenged meat, I made “Polpettine”!!  So, into the Cuisinart I added all the salvaged turkey meat, some chopped parsley, a few eggs, some parmesan cheese….and pulsed away until it was all chopped finely.  I then formed the meat mixture into meatballs in “football” shapes about 4 inches long by 2 inches wide.  I rolled these in fine breadcrumbs, patting the breadcrumbs in firmly.  I placed these in aluminum foil, wrapped them up, and placed them in ziploc bags for freezing.   Another meal waiting for a time when I need a quick dinner.  I will defrost the meatballs ahead of time and fry them in a little bit of olive oil until they are browned and a little crispy!  Yummy!

Leda and the Swan January 12, 2011

At times, inspiration for blog posts comes to me in very convoluted ways. This one was born out of  curiosity by a book that I am currently reading (Elizabeth Kostova’s The Swan Thieves).  The book has nothing to do with Italy, and therefore its review would not be true to my blog’s theme. But a mention in the book of some paintings created by some of Italy’ masters has inspired some research on my part into these works of art and a reminder that I actually saw one of these masterpieces when it was on tour here in San Jose. The paintings are the renditions of the Greek mythological story of Leda and the Swan. As the legend goes, Zeus appeared to the beautiful Leda and seduced her on the same night that she had made love with her husband. She subsequently became pregnant from both of these unions and gave birth to a pair of human twins and a pair of godly twins that hatched from an egg. The eroticism of this subject inspired many painters to depict it, and Renaissance painters, especially, were taken with the idea of painting this subject.  Since it was frowned upon to depict any kind of human “interaction”, they could express their sensual sides by depicting “non-human” ones!   

One such Italian great was Leonardo Da Vinci. This was the Leda that I saw! Actually it is a copy by one of Leonardo’s students, Cesare Sesto, because the real one was lost (painted over by Leonardo himself, perhaps, to reuse the canvas?)  Too bad, because it is a beauty.  To my perspective,  Leonardo’s depiction does not seem to be erotic at all. The swan seems to be acting like a pet for Leda.  It is looking at her lovingly as any loyal pet would look at it’s owner,  and she is stroking it as if it were a treasured pet. The painting has an aura of innocence to it. Leda seems calm in the swan’s presence, and the swan seems very docile.

Michelangelo, on the other hand, decided to be a bit more adventurous in his interpretation, even though this one doesn’t really show much.  I guess the idea is there, though, with their lips almost touching and her legs sprawled over the swan in a sensuous gesture. 

Many other artists have interpreted this story – beginning with the ancient Greeks and continuing to this day.  It is interesting to note the changes in them as the times change. 

Late Classical Period 350-340 BC

 

Louis Icart 1934

By the way, The Swan Thieves was a very good book and I can highly recommend it (even though it has nothing Italian about it!!!)

Italy Book Challenge 2011 January 6, 2011

I LOVE reading books set in Italy.  I especially enjoy historical fiction, and the Renaissance is one of my favorite periods.  But, really, all stories set in my beautiful country are attractive to me.  Even though most of the books I read are fiction, their factual accounts of places and events in Italy teach me so much about Italy’s history, culture, people, and places.  It makes me relive those places to which I’ve been, and to dream about the others yet to be discovered.  That’s why when I heard about Book after Book’s Italy Book Challenge 2011, I knew I had to participate.  First of all, I think it’s a great resource to discover new titles to read.  Secondly, it’s fun to read reviews by others who also enjoy reading books about Italy!

The “challenge” runs the entire year, and the goal is to read one novel about Italy every month, and then to review it.  There is the possibility of winning a prize, too!  If you are interested in joining the challenge, you can join Book after Book’s Italy Book Challenge 2011.

Can’t wait to read my first new book about Italy….stay tuned!

What Will She Bring? January 5, 2011

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care in hopes that St. Nicholas   La Befana soon will be there!  Yes, that’s right!  Tonight she is coming and will be leaving treats to all the GOOD boys and girls.  If you’ve been BAD, watch out – you will most likely find some coal in your stocking instead!

The legend of La Befana is an old Italian tradition.  She is an ugly old lady who flies around Italy on her broomstick with broken shoes.  But despite the fact that she sounds like a mean old witch, she is actually a kind old lady who brings treats to all the children of Italy.  She is on a search for the new Baby Jesus, and since she doesn’t know which child it is, she leaves treats for all the children! 

Visiting Italy a few years ago, we were lucky to partake in some of the local traditions surrounding this day – both in celebration of Epiphany and of La Befana.  In the town square, a huge bonfire was set up with a stuffed old woman sitting at the top.  The plan was that as the fire burned the old woman on top would topple over.  Depending on which way she toppled would set the tone for the year to come!  That year, she didn’t fall because the snow made it so the bonfire didn’t burn.  Hmm…it made for an interesting year!

January 6th, or La Befana, has also been deemed “The Woman’s Holiday”.  Men all over Italy say “auguri” to all the women – but what they mean by it is always a mystery.  Are they saying it because they think that a woman looks like the Old La Befana, or are they saying it as a joke, or are they simply acknowledging the woman’s day?  Well, take it in stride and simply enjoy the traditions of the day!

Buon Anno….Buona Fortuna! January 3, 2011

Bringing in the New Year in Italy is a very serious event!  There are many traditions to follow to ensure that the new year will bring you everything you desire…The event takes some preparation – mostly in the form of shopping for all the necessary foods and clothing! 

The first order of business involves making sure that you have some red underwear underneath your New Year’s Eve attire!  Red underwear is mandatory to insure that the New Year will bring you luck!!!  Now, how many of you wore your red underwear to bring in the New Year!? I did, but frankly almost forgot to – luckily my Italian cousin reminded me to put it on!!! 

The other tradition involves eating cotechino with lentil beans…but only after the stroke of midnight.  It doesn’t count if you eat it for New Year’s Eve dinner – it must be consumed after the New Year has been brought in.  A few years ago, while in Italy for this night, we ate a huge dinner around 9 pm.  Then after some dancing and champagne, the New Year was brought in.  Right after all the hoopla of wishing everyone a Happy New Year, the meal continued with cotecghino and lentils!!!  Needless to say, even though I wasn’t in the least bit hungry for more food, I HAD to eat this traditional dish.  The lentils, because they are shaped like small coins, symbolize money and everyone can benefit from a bit more of this…so lentils it was at 1 am!!!