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Celebrating Your Inner Italian

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From Pompeii to Today

Posted August 30, 2016 by Sharon Leave a Comment

P1120532

Italy may be fragile but our love for the land and its people is unshakeable.

“We all forget—visitors and residents alike—that Italy is a stunning but shaky land,” wrote Beppe Severgnini in The New York Times after the recent devastating earthquake in central Italy on August 24.

Only a few days before that tragic event, Walter and I were in the Naples area face-to-face with the history of Italy’s fragility: the destruction of Pompeii in 79 AD. Eerily, historians pin date the deadly volcanic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius as August 24.

We walked the stone streets of the once-prosperous town of 20,000. We saw the stone shells of its homes, shops, public baths, and amphitheaters. We looked in appropriate awe at the peak of Mt. Vesuvius less than five miles away. A French couple we met had climbed Vesuvius to peer into the crater. Like looking into the mouth of hell.




Friends advised us to tour the National Archeological Museum of Naples to gain a better understanding of daily life in Pompeii. The museum houses countless objects from the town when it was alive: Vivid frescoes, stunning mosaics, glassware, silver serving pieces, finely crafted pottery, cooking vessels, and an eye-popping collection of erotic art kept in “The Secret Room.”

The Past is Prologue

The volcanic eruption that time-encapsulated the ancient Roman settlements of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis, and Stabiae was preceded 17 years earlier by an earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Modern scientists understand that these natural disasters are caused by a fault line where the Eurasian and African plates come together and pull apart to facilitate earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. In other words, a really bad location for one of the world’s greatest civilizations.

As Severgnini explained, “Since 1861, when the country was unified, there have been 35 major earthquakes and 86 smaller ones. Every region has been hit. Over 70,000 people lost their lives in an earthquake that struck Messina, Sicily, in 1908. The island was hit again in 1968; Friuli in 1976, Campania in 1980, Abruzzo in 2009, Emilia in 2012. The Apennine mountain range, the geological spine of Italy, has been repeatedly battered.”

Italy shall prevail. It always has. The hope is that it will prevail with earthquake-proof buildings and improved seismic activity forecasts. Italy may be fragile but our love for the land and its people is unshakeable.

For information on how to donate to relief efforts for people affected by the earthquake in central Italy, click here.

 

   

Filed Under: Archeology, Architecture, Art, Campania, Culture, History, Miscellany, Travel Tagged With: Italian archeology, Italian earthquake, italian history, Pompeii

Renato in Centro

Posted May 23, 2016 by Sharon 2 Comments

RenatoinCentroA recent sojourn to the American South took us to Spartanburg, S.C. where we enjoyed a marvelous Italian lunch at Renato in Centro.

Clearly, residents in “The Upcountry” of South Carolina are in touch with their Inner Italians. They’ve enjoyed Chef Renato Marmolino’s tastes of Italy in Spartanburg for 24 years. In restaurant terms, that span is several lifetimes.

Sambuca and citrus cured salmon
Eggplant rolls with ricotta and spinach

Arugula and grilled shrimp salad
Gnocchi in tomato sauce

Seated beneath a leafy canopy on Morgan Square, we started with Scottish salmon that Renato had cured with Sambuca and citrus. The delightful fish plate was garnished with red onion, cherry tomato, and chopped pistachios.

A classic plate of spinach-and-ricotta stuffed eggplant slices bathed in a perfect passato di pomodoro was melt-in-your-mouth good.

We shared two specials-of-the-day: Salad composed of peppery grilled shrimp, arugula, red onion, ripe olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, and the crowning touch—mozzarella from Battipaglia and tender gnocchi with sausage and tomato sauce.

RenatoRenato comes from Viareggio on the Tuscan coast where he learned to cook with his mother and grandmother and, in the Italian way, family continues to be important. Wife Stephanie, children Andrea and Gabriella, and mother-in-law Joyce Heitler (who previously shared her Inner Italian story with SimpleItaly) contribute at Renato’s in various capacities.

The interior of Renato in Centro is graced with vibrant paintings and happy patrons. It feels like Italy!

Filed Under: Food, Lifestyle, Miscellany, Travel

Naples, Go to Give

Posted November 19, 2015 by Sharon Leave a Comment

Ron Martin (upper left) with  IVHQ volunteers.

Ron Martin (upper left) with IVHQ volunteers in Naples.

Ron Martin is a community guy. He advocates for small businesses and his firm, RMG Insurance, hosts an annual Ladies Golf & Gourmet fundraiser to support the Freddy Awards for high school musical theater.

Ron Martin is also a guy who adores Italian food and culture. Always has. So when Martin pondered a recent trip to Italy, he embarked on a plan that satisfied both his Inner Italian and his community guy.

Martin volunteered for the month of October in an International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ) program. Working with the Piedi per la Terra nonprofit, Martin helped refurbish the Vigna di San Martino.

The 17-acre UNESCO world heritage site clings to the Vomero hillside in the heart of the city. Atop the hill is the former Charterhouse of San Martino, which is now a museum, and Castel Sant’Elmo.

In exchange for a $1,000 fee, Martin received hostel lodging, modest meals, and at age 51, the honor of being the senior volunteer in the group. Among his colleagues were Americans, Canadians, New Zealanders, and Australians.

The Bay of Naples
The view of Mt. Vesuvius from the IVHQ hostel.
Work area at the vineyard

Volunteers clearing out undergrowth
Creating planting rows
The olive harvest
Rainy afternoon in Naples

Host Vincenzo
Pranzo at the vineyard
Piazza Dante, Naples

Veiled Christ at Chapel of Sansavero
Archeological Museum

One of Ron’s feline friends
Bricola, the vineyard dog
Another feline friend
Teatro San Carlo

The Amalfi Coast
Positano at night

Martin labored–clearing land of undergrowth, harvesting olives, and turning compost piles–but he also fell into the rhythm of southern Italian life. Rainy day naps, a weekend on the Amalfi coast, the famous pie at Antica Pizzeria Michele. Walking to and from work each day through a living tapestry of ancient street culture.

He summed up his experience on his parting Facebook post:

“Tonight I leave Napoli. I have spent a whole month here. I will miss it incredibly. I have lost two notches on my belt working in the vineyard. I have not watched TV at all. I have connected with its people and its rhythm. It’s not the prettiest city but the people here make it feel like home. My fellow volunteers are all awesome and deserve all of the praise in the world. Love them all! I’ll be back!”

Have you volunteered to work in Italy or are you considering it?

Share your thoughts with us.

Filed Under: Amalfi, Campania, Culture, Gardening, Miscellany, Travel Tagged With: italian travel, Naples tourism, volunteer in Italy, volunteer in Naples

Peach Sorbetto

Posted August 24, 2015 by Sharon Leave a Comment

peach sorbettoFarm to table sounds so simple, doesn’t it?

Take the peach sorbetto pictured above. It started at an orchard and ended up on my table.

I bought perfect peaches from Hausman’s Fruit Farm at the Emmaus Farmers’ Market on a recent fine Sunday morning. I froze a tray of peeled and sliced ripe fruit (click here for directions) then pureed the frozen slices in a food processor with simple syrup and lemon juice.

Easy peasey. And easily, the best peach sorbetto ever.

Peeled peaches ready to be flash frozen.
Make simple syrup in a heatproof bowl in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop.
Freshly made peach sorbetto is cooler than a dip in the Mediterranean.

But to make those peaches, ah, not so easy.

For the peach grower, patience, skill, and luck are essential.

Patience is needed to nurture the tree for three to four years before it can produce blossoms that grow into fruit.

Skill is needed in feeding the tree, watering the tree, protecting the tree from pests and diseases, and harvesting the delicate fruit.

Luck is needed when Nature’s dealing out her early frosts, hail storms, wind gusts, and droughts.

As a fortunate peach eater, I thank the farmers for making it so (seem) easy to make this divine peach sorbetto.

Peach Sorbetto
Print
Recipe type: dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Author: SimpleItaly
Serves: 2 cups
This frosty fruit sorbet is guaranteed to take the steam heat out of August.
Ingredients
  • 1 pound frozen, peeled sliced peaches
  • 6 tablespoons cold simple syrup (see Note)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
  1. Remove the peaches from the freezer and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse to chop coarsely.
  2. Run the machine, scraping down the sides of the bowl, for about 3 minutes, adding the syrup and lemon juice through the feed tube. Process until the mixture is smooth.
  3. Serve right away or ripen in the freezer for 30 minutes.
  4. Note: Make simple syrup by boiling 1 cup water with 1 cup granulated sugar until sugar is dissolved. Cool and transfer to a jar. Store in the refrigerator.
3.2.2925

 

Filed Under: Miscellany

Risotto with Asparagus and Shrimp

Posted July 13, 2015 by Sharon Leave a Comment

11709415_10153362464781357_5099074015839789754_n (1)We were atop a ridge in eastern Pennsylvania but felt as if we were in northern Lombardy or Alto Adige. The 360-degree view of trellised grape vines and distant forests from Galen Glen Winery‘s tasting room is stunning.

Last weekend, the folks at the award-winning Andreas, Pa., winery hosted a cookbook signing and tasting of SimpleItaly’s Risotto with Asparagus and Shrimp paired with its crisp Grüner Veltliner 2014 Stone Cellar Dry White wine. The wine’s notes of grapefruit, mandarin orange, and honeysuckle embraced and softened the grassiness of the asparagus. What a match.

Owned by Galen Troxell (the grape grower) and Sarah Troxell (the wine maker who was awarded “Best Woman Winemaker” in 2014’s International Women’s Wine Competition in California ), Galen Glen was recently named the Best Winery in Pennsylvania in the New York International Wine Competition.

slide1

Galen and Sarah Troxell (right) of Galen Glen Winery. On the left are Galen’s forbears who originally farmed the land in Andreas, Pa.

Philadelphia food writer, Craig LaBan, wrote, “they have pioneered the growth in this region of aromatic Northern European grapes — edgy Austrian Grünner Veltliner, exotic Alsatian Gewürztraminer, minerally Riesling — well-suited to the cold climate, and well-drained, stony soils.”

Family-owned, dedicated to excellence from the earth . . . Galen Glen may not be in Italy but it sure feels like it is.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Food, Miscellany, Recipes, Wine Tagged With: Galen Glen winery, local wines, risotto recipe, wine pairings with asparagus

Grillo White Wine From Sicily

Posted May 15, 2015 by Sharon 3 Comments

P1090982Browsing in my local wine shop, a bottle of white caught my eye.

It came from Tenuta Regaleali, a name I recognized as the much lauded estate and cooking school in Sicily. It was founded by the late Anna Tasca Lanza, who did so much to bring Sicilian country cooking to wide acclaim. Tasca Lanza’s daughter Fabrizia has taken over the school. (This is off topic, but David Lebovitz published this gorgeous post about the estate.)

I also had never encountered the varietal Grillo, which means cricket in Italian, so I was doubly intrigued.

Golden in color, this vino is aromatic with hints of citrus. It’s a sumptuous dry Italian white for summer times.

I learned the back story of this indigenous Sicilian grape on The Wine Hub blog. Once the primary varietal used to produce fortified Marsala wine, it has largely been replaced by the higher yielding Catarratto. Happily, it’s being revived by modern vintners.

Cin Cin!

Tenuta Regaleali
Grillo
Cavallo Delle Fate
Sicilia DOC 2013

$13.99 for 750 ml. bottle in Pennsylvania Wine & Spirits Store

Do you know of an Italian white that veers from the standard pours list? Share it here!

Filed Under: Cooking Classes, Culture, Mediterranean diet, Miscellany, Sicily, Travel, Wine Tagged With: Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School, David Lebovitz, Italian white wine, Sicilian white wines, summer white wines

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