Parmigiano

People always say that Italian cuisine is simple but the reality I think, is that it is simple because so many other Italians have painstakingly made quintessential Italian ingredients that elevate an Italian dish to a heavenly experience. To illustrate this point one would only have to think about a simple dish of homemade “Tagliatelle” which are crowned with the “indisputable King of cheeses” and then, becomes a glorious and unforgettable experience of the palate. I love “the indisputable King of cheeses” as Mario Batali describes so beautifully the Italian cheese of Parmigiano Reggiano. It takes two years of hand-on work, hard work to age this cheese to perfection. This cheese is made in Parma in the region of Emiglia Romagna. This region is known as the gastronomic heart of Italy. No wonder Bologna is called besides “La Dotta” ( the Learned One)… ( for the oldest university of Europe ( 1088) “La Grassa” (the Fat One) because of its exquisite foods such as Aceto Balsamico (Balsamic Vinegar) from Modena, Tortellini ( fresh, stuffed pasta that looks like Venus’ navel) or its many delicious deli cuts such as Mortadella and Prosciutto from Parma. When I was in Bologna for many Italian exchanges with my students from Lyons Township High School, I would love to look at the massive wheels of this divine cheese in the “vitrine” of the “salumerie” o “latterie” that would pop-up as I would take my evening strolls ( passeggiate) and would end up in the center of the city in Piazza Maggiore with the Basilica of Saint Petronius (the patron state of Bologna) and the lovely Fountain of Neptune. The incredible buttery and nutty aroma of this cheese would entice me to go eat any fresh pasta dish with Bolognese sauce and of course, topped with “Il buonissimo Parmigiano” at a marvelous “trattoria bolognese.” I remember once while I was there with my wonderful students, I had the best pasta dish ever with a spectacular, former student of mine, Ann Marie Moran who took me to a trattoria she had found while she was studying at the University of Bologna at that very time. I will never forget that encounter with her. What a cherished memory for me that it was!To be taken by a special student like Anna Maria that you formerly taught who now knew the Italian language and culture and Bologna so well and who was studying there because she had a beautiful experience during her high school exchange to Bologna was one of the best memories of my teaching career! I was so proud of her! But to get back to the story, the pasta dish with the Parmigiano Reggiano was “Straordinario” or as we say in English…Out of this World! So, to sum up, Italian Cuisine is simple only because there are so many Italian ingredients that are made with great care and love that have been handed down to us as part and parcel of Italian tradition that desires to produce quality and not quantity! Cooking Italian dishes is simple only because we are able to buy and use in our cooking Italian food products of great genius! Buon Appetito! Alla Prossima, Dorina

Italians and Food Continued

I would like to continue to talk about Italians and Food. Besides freshness, quality of food and taste, a deeper aspect to the Italian food tradition is deeply rooted in religion. At Christmas and Easter, Italians celebrate with some basic dishes, breads, dessert, and wines that capture Italy’s Judeo-Christian roots and its rich history with the Catholic Church especially. The concept of breaking Bread as symbolic of the Sacrifice of the Mass is part and parcel of the breaking of the bread and the drinking of wine in daily life as well as in a more grand scale for Natale and Pasqua. Preparation of meals for these religious holidays is not only a tradition involving family and taste but a fundamentally spiritual one as well. Many Italian traditions are deeply rooted in Catholicism. Devotion to one’s family is one of those traditions. Family is connected to the concept of the Holy Family: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. We [Italians] try to emulate that love in our familial lives. We equate love for family with Christ’s love for humanity, a love that sacrifices and endures for those we love. Consequently, mothers like my dear mother worked very hard every day to prepare a beautiful meal for us from scratch with love and sacrifice. The careful and time-consuming process of preparing food now becomes a kind of reenactment of Christ’s sacrifice and love for us. These religious principles are deep at the heart of Italian identity. Therefore, in my cultural lessons on Italian food, I always highlight that modern-day fast food is deleterious to society on many different levels. Italian food identity is cultural, historical, spiritual, and even philosophical in nature: Everyday life is filled with our cultural gastronomic identity. It is a ritual for us that is very important. We have to eat together as a family all the time. We need to eat wholesome food for our bodies that we respect as temples of God. We therefore, demand that our food be fresh, the best quality, with the eating of many fruits and vegetables every day. We do not generally like fast food for the many reasons I have just described. We revert to the ancients and humanists and then by the Judeo-Christian values and then by Renaissance man’s quest for exquisite eating which Catherine De Medici spread to France and then to the rest of the western world. Our cuisine is treated as an Art. It is connected to family and therefore, it is very individual. Each family has its own recipes that reflect Italian culture in very complementary ways. Italians have wonderful casual trattorias that are divine but they also have elegant fine dining in restaurants, but what makes eating such an Epicurean delight is the charm and warmth of the Italians as they serve it because the desire to share it so animatedly is what people remember about them so vividly. Traditions surrounding food and cultural identity are inseparably linked at the most basic level for most Italians. Italians also value and take pleasure from carefully prepared food. We as Italians are very social beings and we love pleasurable things; and good food is one of the best pleasures in life for us when prepared with love and care. Producing quality food is an important duty of the woman in the Italian household and is one that she takes a high amount of pride in. Today, men as well participate in this very important aspect of life. My husband does a nice job to help in this area of our marriage and family life. Will Fast food threaten Italian tradition and cultural identity? For me, fast food is a small threat because Italians will always, to some extent retain their love for tradition and for family that is connected with eating if [they] remember that the breaking of the bread and drinking of the wine at the table is a spiritual act that reminds us of the sacrifice of the mass. If Italians can look to the past and hold onto their traditions as only they can do, fast food will not disturb the Italian identity in the long run. If, however, the Italian people ignore their traditions and cultures, their identity is destined to be twisted by the epidemic of fast food, as so many other cultural identities already have been. I have been so blessed to receive and experience my loving parent’s traditions and values “A Tavola” and I hope to continue them with my family and share them with all who come my way. Alla prossima, Dorina

Italian food and memories

Growing up Italian as a first generation Italian I experienced the connection with food and faith-filled events. Perugina chocolate and Easter, Italian breads and pizzas on Fridays, expresso and biscotti in the mid-afternoon with friends during Christmas and Easter time, fish dishes on Christmas Eve, daily fruit, nuts, figs, and dates on a long table that my Papa built in the basement, and most notably, the sumptuous Sunday dinner, tangibly different and special on the Lord’s Day every single week are just a few of these examples. These memories carry with them many lessons of good, fresh, wholesome food connected with our faith and family. My Mamma would say, ” A Tavola” to call my five brothers and I to the table and that is where we learned to be served and how to serve others with love. A Presto, Dorina

Hello world! Reflections of a retired teacher

Ciao Tutti, My resolution for the New Year is to write a blog at least once every week on teaching Italian and how it relates to me regarding how to live a good life. I taught Italian at the high school level for 37 years. Now, after festively celebrating my retirement, I find myself wanting to reflect on what teaching Italian has meant to me. During the last year of teaching, my students would often encourage me to write a book about my thoughts on life through the lens of Italian language, literature and culture. And so when one of my students wrote me an email stating that she started a Blog for me in order to help me write down my thoughts, I decided that I would give it a try. I would like to thank Liliana for her inspirational words to me and for setting up a blog for me. As I taught my Italian curriculum for the last time this past school year, it clearly and emphatically dawned on me that the theme of “Hope” ( Speranza) was repeated over and over again in my didactic units of the study of Italian language and its culture. So, today I would like to dedicate this writing to my family and my former students of Italian at Lyons Township High School who made that word come alive in my teaching and in my own personal life. “We are a people of hope, since God has won the definitive battle against evil, Satan and sin through Jesus’death on the cross. “ (Alan Schreck) Signora Dorina

 Today I would like to express that the most important characteristic of Italian Cuisine is ”Freschezza” ( freshness). Italians love to eat food that has just been prepared. Therefore, it must be fresh and immediately served without preservatives. For this reason, Italian food is simple in the sense that it does not have to have many ingredients or a complex preparation. I have vivid memories of eating various foods in Italy for the first time that conjure up in my mind amazing fragrances and tastes. I will never forget the first time I ate an “Insalata Caprese” in Naples. The fresh tomatoes and mozzarella were sublime! So, today after many, many years of preparing food for my family, the most important aspect of my meals for my family is “Freschezza”! Using this rule I have made my family happy and most importantly, healthy! Buona Giornata! Alla Prossima! Dorina