Difference MakersThe Advertising spot above is reserved for companies,people and organizations that are making a difference in the Italian and Italian American communities. It's a free spot and changes periodically. Are you making a difference? Contact me. | The only thing better than foraging for mushrooms here in the US is foraging for mushrooms in Italy! I learned to forage for wild mushrooms from my grandfather,father and uncles so when we were in Calabria this summer,my brother,uncle,E and I hit the woods early in the morning to avoid [...] Back from Calabria and I wanted to send everyone l’auguri per una Buona Pasqua! (Best wishes for a very Happy Easter.) Here are a few traditional Calabrian foods we will be eating tomorrow at our house. And here’s a recipe for Fraguni,which are my favorite! What will be on your menu tomorrow? [...] In my last post on curing black olives I mentioned that I was making them 2 ways:sott’acqua (in a simple brine of salt and water) and al forno (oven dried black olives.) The black olives “sott’acqua”don’t take much maintenance…once you make your brine and drop them in it’s a waiting game. [...] Last year I posted on “Grispelle”and la Grispellissima festival that is held December 8th in Feroleto Antico,where my family is from in Calabria but I didn’t include a recipe…so here it is. My family makes a fried potato-dough with and without anchovies every year at Christmas time:We call [...] The zucchini are starting to appear in the garden and one of our family favorites and easy-to-make recipes for this wonderful vegetable is something we call “cucuzzieli e uova”…which is also fun to say! (try saying it 3 times fast) Cucuzzi are actually another type of squash but once the name sticks,there’s [...] UPDATE:Just to clarify:I certainly realize that Italians eat packaged foods and other “porcheria”like anyone else and that Italian companies make (in my opinion) junk (like Barilla sauce,which we also have here) My point is this:Regardless of what you name it or who makes it or where you may [...] | Heading to Calabria? Need a travel consultant,place to stay or some great ideas for what to do? Contact Bella Vita Travel Consulting in Catanzaro. | Joe Maruca welcomes you to Italyville where he writes and rants about growing up Italian in Massachusetts,his experiences living and working in Bologna,visits to the family's Olive farm in Calabria and everything along the way. In America we're considered Italian,in Italy we've become Americani... but we're always at home in Italyville. Italyville.com All Content,graphics and photos on Italyville.com are property of Italyville.com unless otherwise noted and can not be used without permission. All rights reserved. |