Italy is Always Around Me February 28, 2012

When my mom was a little girl in Italy, long before the world of the internet and fast airplanes, whenever someone wanted to say “get lost” they would say “vai a California” (go to California!).  Back then, California was as far away as the moon!  Luckily, technology has improved and Italy and California are just a 13-15 hour plane ride away.  You can wake up in California and go to sleep in Italy (or vice versa).  The world has become a much smaller place.  We can SKYPE with our loved ones on the other side of the world – see their faces – hear their voices!  It’s a true wonder

Even though the world is much smaller, travelling back and forth between Italy and California takes time and money.  It’s not something that we can do on a routine basis – it still remains a special trip and one that takes planning.  Luckily, though, I have many reminders of Italy in my own vicinities!

Excellent Italian Restaurants rivalling those found in Italy

Wonderful Enoteca’s serving Italian wines

Beautiful Italian architecture

Villa Montalvo, Saratoga CA

Shops selling Italian products

Italian Fashion Houses

Gucci at Santana Row

Baccala’…Made in Italy February 20, 2012

An old recipe, handed down through the generations….
A dried piece of stoccafisso (the best kind of dried codfish to use)….
Three days of patient waiting…

Voila!

Baccala’!

My mom’s family hailed from the Veneto region of Italy where Baccala’ recipes originated. Served on top of polenta, it was a poor man’s delight during those cold nights of winter. Families always had a dried piece of cod in their pantry…it kept forever and they knew that they could follow their “Fish on Friday” mandate of the Church in case fresh fish wasn’t available. I guess they were better dinner planners in those days because in order to prepare the Baccala’, they needed at least three days!

Just last week, my Italian cousin found this recipe and was inspired to make it! This version is known as Baccala’ Ragno!

The first thing he had to do was beat the dried fish with a piece of wood.  This breaks up the tough fibers and softens it a bit.

When the poor dried fish was beaten, it got soaked in water for three days, changing the water a few times a day.

Here is a translation of the above recipe – I didn’t translate word for word to make the recipe read better in English!

1.  Beat the baccala’ wrapped up in a rag (with a stick or a meat pounder).

2.  Submerse it in cold water for 3 days – changing the water 2 times per day.

3.  Skin it and remove the spine.  Cut it into clean pieces.

4.  Saute 1 minced onion, 3 chopped garlic cloves, and a handful of chopped parsley in some olive oil.  Add salt and pepper to taste. (Optional:  add 3 or 4 salted and chopped sardines).

5.  Add the baccala’ and 1 1/2 cups white wine.  Add a vegetable bouillon cube and simmer for a while.

6. Add some water and cook slowly for about 3 hours.  Occasionally add some wine or water so that it doesn’t dry out.

7.  Halfway through the cooking, add 2 cups of milk.

8.  When it is almost done, add some grated Parmesan or Grana cheese and some more milk if needed to make a creamy consistency.

Technology is wonderful….He could share the cooking process with me almost instantly….but, sadly, it hasn’t evolved yet to the point where I can actually taste a bite of this delicious family recipe!  Buon appetito!

Snow….Snow…and More Snow! February 7, 2012

Italy, and a lot of Europe, has been covered in record snowfall this year.  Pictures and pictures of famous sites covered in snow have been appearing all over the media.  Rome received a record amount of snow – the most they’ve gotten in over 26 years!  The Cinque Terre has been a winter wonderland – the beauty of the white snow surrounded by the warm sepia toned houses perched on the hills has been better than a postcard!  But, as I recall, the January I spent in Italy in 2009 brought with it more snow than they had had in over 20 years.  I think that was the beginning of the new winter trend – snow, snow…and more snow.

Scenes along the Shores of Lago Maggiore

The Duomo with its “Snow” Frosting 

….and the Castello Sforzesco

Snow covered Santa Maria delle Grazie 

La Prima Cosa Bella…A Movie Review February 2, 2012

La prima cosa bella

che ho avuto dalla vita

e il tuo sorriso giovane…

The first beautiful thing

that I’ve had in life

is your young smile…

Last night, the Italian club in San Jose treated us to a special filming of the 2010 hit movie La Prima Cosa Bella, directed and produced by Paolo Virzi.  This film has not been released in the USA yet, therefore it was extra special to be able to see it.  The movie was a candidate for an Academy Award for best foreign film, but sadly, didn’t make it to the finals.  Irregardless, it was a great movie – both a poignant drama and a light comedy.

The story is of a young mother who, in 1971, won the contest for Miss Mamma Estate (Miss Summer Mother) at a beach resort.  She had two beautiful children, but winning this contest brought out a jealous rage in her husband.  The marriage began to fall apart, leading to an eventual separation and divorce.  Through it all, Anna did everything to try to create a normal and happy life for her children.  Despite tears and rejection in her adult life, she always put on a happy face for her children – leading them in song and carrying on with frivolity and fantasy.

The movie jumps between the past and the present where her children are all grown up and she is living her final days.  Even though she is in her final moments of life, she still finds the joy of life and laughs and sings with them.  Throughout the movie, the flashbacks help us to understand her life as well as the development of her children and why they have become the adults that they are.  Her final words to her children moved me to tears when she said to them….”Abbiamo avuto una bella vita insieme, bimbi miei” (we’ve had a beautiful life together, my children).

The movie stars Micaela Ramazzotti as the young Anna and Stefania Sandrelli as the older Anna, Valerio Mastandrea as Bruno (her adult son), Claudia Pandolfi as Valeria (her adult daughter) among others.  It won numerous awards and accolations, among them  David di Donatello and Nastri d’argento.

When and if this movie becomes available in the USA, I can highly recommend it!