Ficacci: new sustainable solutions to fit US market
Ficacci launches range of Gourmet Jarred Antipasti and Olive Paper Tray line. The new range of jarred antipasti includes nine SKUS: three bruschetta spreads (Spicy Bomb, Black Olive Spread, and Garlic Spread), four grilled veggies (Peppers, Mushrooms, Borettane Onions, and Artichokes), and two Italian specialties (Sundried Tomatoes, and Grandma’s A...
Discovering the ancient Norman capital of Melfi
Melfi, located at the heart of the Basilicata region in Southern Italy, is a town rich in history, culture, and tradition. Nestled in the Vulture territory of the province of Potenza, this medieval town has a prosperous and fascinating past, strictly connected to the Norman domination in the 11th century. Its strategic position at the foot of Mount...
An Unbroken Legacy: Joe Petrosino, the People’s Hero
Sergeant Petrosino bundled deeper into his coat as he stared at the body on the ground. He looked again at the dead man. He had been found almost three hours earlier, folded in two and stuffed inside a wooden barrel normally used for food. Petrosino was handed a crucifix removed from the dead man’s neck, his boss, Inspector George W. McClosky, tell...
Italian Aperitifs: An Italian Culinary Tradition
In Italy, before dinner, people enjoy a special drink called an aperitif. It’s not just a drink; it’s a fun and tasty tradition that brings friends and family together. Aperitivo is an integral part of Italian culture, a pre-dinner drink ritual typically accompanied by light snacks intended to stimulate one’s appetite and facilitate socializing bef...
How to Make the Most Out of a Week in Tuscany
A few months ago, I published a guide to 72 hours in Florence, but what if you have more than 72 hours? That’s the question a reader recently asked me via email. “My nephew is studying in Florence next semester. I'm flying over to see him with my sister and sister-in-law,” she wrote. “Two of us have been to Rome before so we wanted to maximize our...
14 Primo Italian Restaurants in San Francisco
There’s a long and wonderful tradition of Italian food in San Francisco. Immigrants flooded the Bay Area during the Gold Rush, and while many southerners stayed in New York, simmering hearty red sauces, many northerners landed in San Francisco, bringing a taste for fresh fish, green olives, and bright citrus. North Beach is the historic Italian nei...
BK House Celebrates Italian Heritage With Special Events
The Historic BK House & Gardens is set to honor the Patron Saint of Sicily with its annual St. Joseph’s Altar on March 18th and 19th. Located at 1113 Chartres Street, BK House continues the sacred Sicilian tradition, once embraced by the Corrado Giacona Family from the 1890s to 1925. The celebration begins with a private blessing of the altar by Fa...
An Insight into Met Opera’s Italian Gems: ‘La Forza del Destino’ and ‘Turandot’
As the Metropolitan Opera re-emerged from its winter recess, it provided its audience with the pleasure of witnessing two contrasting Italian masterworks on stage. The Met’s fresh production of the somberly modern ‘La Forza del Destino’ by Mariusz Treliński graced the stage, soon accompanied by Franco Zeffirelli’s lavishly traditional ‘Turandot.’ T...
Galileo Galilei: A Multifaceted Exploration of His Writings, Music and Equations
Friday, March 15, 2024 6:30 PM PDT. Italian Cultural Institute San Francisco, 710 Sansome St, San Francisco, CA. Free Admission | Registration required here. Join us for a special presentation dedicated to the great astronomer, physicist and engineer Galileo Galilei, by Prof. Alessandro De Angelis and Prof. Claudio Pellegrini. The event is moderate...
Giorgetto Giugiaro. The Car Designer of the Century
Dear Friends of Italian Innovators, Welcome back! My core content for March is a profile of Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, author of innumerable automobile masterpieces and named “Car Designer of the Century” in 1999. From the Volkswagen Golf to the Fiat Panda, from the Maserati Ghibli to the DeLorean-DMC 12, Giugiaro styled some of the most...
Tuned into Faith: The Spirit of Caruso Is Embodied in ‘Cabrini’
The new movie “Cabrini” will be in theaters by the time you read this, and it is a sumptuous film from director Alejandro Gomez Monteverde, based on the life of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the Italian Catholic sister who founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The film goes into great detail to portray how she offered support t...
Celebrity chef brings new Italian steakhouse home to Lake Zurich, IL
Celebrity chef Fabio Viviani was in high demand during a preview event Saturday night for LAGO, his new Lake Zurich restaurant. In between shaking hands and posing for photos with hundreds of guests, Viviani bused tables, helped the kitchen and bar staff members and grabbed a mop at one point to clean up a spill. Opening restaurants isn’t new for V...