Busiate. Strangulet. Rasccatieddi di Miscchieddu. They're all types of pasta. In America, most people can rattle off maybe five: spaghetti, linguini, penne, tortellini, rigatoni. In Italy, there are hundreds of variations, many particular to a specific region or even a tiny hamlet. But as culture and customs become more homogenized, and as the remote villages … Continue reading 172. The Shape of Pasta
Katy Clarke is exactly the person I would be if I were smarter, braver, outgoing, enterprising and entrepreneurial. Like me, she has a passion for Italy, and an unending urge to explore every corner, taste every morsel, meet every person, and absorb every bit of the culture she can find. Unlike me, she has managed … Continue reading 171. Katy Clarke
A few weeks ago, my cousin Anna Abbruzzese sent me an email containing a short video that her daughter and grandchildren had made to celebrate her 80th birthday. The video consisted of them reading a translated letter written in 1915 by her mother (my great Aunt Mary) to her father, Nick, when they were engaged … Continue reading 170. Voices Across the Century
Sometimes, the things you remember most are the little things. Not the big must-do attractions like the Colosseum or the Vatican, but the moments stumbled upon, that almost take you by surprise. Street Arts One such moment was in Florence. We were heading back to our hotel to make our way out of the city, … Continue reading 169. Magic Moments
Food is always going to be a centerpiece of any trip to Italy. Future chefs learning their trade at the Central Market in Florence Now that everyone has watched Stanley Tucci's series, it is old news that Italian cuisine ranges far beyond the red-sauce dishes that form the foundation of Italian-American cooking. Tucci showcases the … Continue reading 168. Mangia Bene
I am always alert to how people do themselves up in a Italy. Much has been said about la bella figura (which literally means "beautiful figure," but figuratively means making a good impression), and there is no question that the average person on the street in Italy cares more about looking nice than the average … Continue reading 167. In Style
There’s something about blood relations. Five Simeone cousins, plus three husbands So when I knew we’d be spending time in Rome, I knew I had to reach out and try to connect with my family there, which consists of three first cousins, three second cousins and their children and grandchildren. I’m the youngest of our … Continue reading 166. Family
If you’re traveling, and want to get a sense of the culture, history, values and daily life of an unfamiliar city, do a market tour. Listening to our wonderful guide Fernanda, with Alexis and Dave from San Francisco Markets, after all, are where real people come every day. So we were eager to do a … Continue reading 165. Food Plus Culture = Market Tour
Everyone has a favorite pizza joint. The pizzaiolo at Sue Pizza Illuminati But when an international pizza-ranking organization lists the 50 best pizza joints in the whole world, you have to sit up and take notice. Some of them are in oddball places like Copenhagen and Beijing. But about half are in Italy, so we … Continue reading 164. World’s Best Pizza
Today was Leonardo da Vinci’s day. And not just because we ended the day in Florence, near his birthplace of Vinci, hence his name. Today was Leonardo’s day because we finally scored tickets to see "The Last Supper," after two decades of trying. The house in Milan where Leonardo lived while painting The Last Supper. … Continue reading 163. Leonardo
Gigi's Italia 