I always celebrate my birthday with a nice Italian meal. It used to be Babbo in New York before Mario Batali's disgrace, or Brigantessa in Philadelphia. So when I realized when the two-week-long olive harvest took place, I couldn't resist scheduling our trip to include my birthday, November 18. We spent the afternoon on the … Continue reading 97. Birthday in Roma
It takes a lot of moxie to call yourself the Bread City in Italy.Italian bread is uniform in its excellence, but like all regional specialties, not in its shape, taste or texture. Genoa is known for its focaccia. Sicilian bread is made with semolina flour and often has sesame seeds sprinkled on top. The Tuscan … Continue reading 96. Bread City
Of course, going to Italy, you know you're always in for a treat, food-wise. But one's wildest imaginings don't come close to the home cooking we were treated to in Grazia and Rosanna Creanza's kitchens. Grazia, Tonio's 85-year-old mother, and his sister-in-law, Rosanna, who lives upstairs, provided three meals every day to our band of … Continue reading 95. Oh, the Food
Rube Goldberg comes to mind. Or that old board game Mousetrap. But what will linger in my memory most is the smell: the beautiful, rich smell of crushed olives. After our first day in the groves, we went along with Tonio as he brought our half-ton haul to the press. (We picked a full ton … Continue reading 94. At the Press
So I did it, and I'll do it again tomorrow. And the next day, too, and the one after that, weather permitting. Along with our leader, Tonio Creanza, and our band of six Workaway volunteers (chosen from 65 applicants) hailing from the U.S., France, Canada and Switzerland, Ben and I helped harvest olives from branches … Continue reading 93. Olive Garden
Boy, do I have an adventure in store! In 2018, Ben and I participated in the Messors Art Restoration and Conservation Program, working to preserve ancient cave frescoes and other decaying art in Puglia. The director and founder of Messors is Tonio Creanza, for whom preserving the culture of this region is a life's passion. … Continue reading 92. Anticipation
First would be Bruce Springsteen; then Michelle Obama. But after those two, the person I would most like to be would be Dianne Hales. Ms. Hales, a journalist who was originally a science writer, found her way to Italy thirty years ago, and fell in love. Returning year after year (sound familiar?), she has published … Continue reading 91. The Passion
I am very well aware that the celebration of Christopher Columbus is problematic, and for good reason, causing tomorrow's holiday to split into Indigenous Peoples' Day and Italian Heritage Day. The latter make more sense than making a big deal about Columbus. Like St. Patrick's Day, which isn't remotely about the actual saint, it's a … Continue reading 90. Columbus Day
27, 1, 18. Those were my family's lucky numbers, used in any case where a number was called for. My father's birthday, my mother's and mine. The phenomenon of choosing loved ones' birthdays for gambling is so common that my mathematician father maintained that to minimize one's chances of needing to share the Megabucks jackpot … Continue reading 89. Settembrino
A friend recently drew my attention to the America-Italy Society of Philadelphia, as she thought I might be interested in their Italian language classes. The classes looked great, although probably too advanced for the likes of me, but what really drew my attention was the Society's "My Italy" photo contest. Members were invited to "showcase … Continue reading 88. Worth a Thousand Words
Gigi's Italia 