Cooking Italian Style
Minestrone
When I think of Minestrone I think about a green valley surrounded by rugged mountains and a stone house with a smoke stack chimney sending an aroma of flavor throughout. This is a simple yet universal Italian dish.
1\4 cup of virgin olive oil1\8 cup of white wine
1 can of diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup of onions (diced or minced)
1 cup of celery (small chunks)
1 cup of small carrots
4 cups of chicken broth
1 tablespoon of fresh basil
3 garlic cloves minced
2 bay leaves
1 cup of ditalini pasta (or whatever desired)
1 cup of garbanzo beans(or cannellini beans)
1\4 pound of red beans
1]2 cup of zucchini
1\3 cup of fresh parsley (minced)
Salt and black pepper
In a medium size pot combine olive oil, broth, 1\8 cup of white wine, tomatoes, beans, carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours.Thirty minutes before the soup is done cooking, add ditalini and zucchini. Cover and cook 30 more minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle parmesan cheese. Garnish with basil, if desired.
Fettuccini Verdi
Oil – 2 tablespoons
Butter – 2 tablespoons
2 Green onions chopped4 oz Smoked salmon, chopped
4 oz Chicken stock
5 oz CreamNutmeg – ¼ tablespoon
Cayenne – a pinch
1 lb Green fettuccini, cooked and drained
1 tablespoon – Parsley, chopped
4 oz Parmesan cheese, grated Heat oil and butter in a large frying pan, and cook the onions for about 4 minutes or less. Add the smoked salmon and cook for a couple of minutes. Add liquids and seasonings, cook for about 10 minutes or until sauce has reduced to half. Toss with Pasta, top with parsley and cheese. Serves 2-4 people
Penne With Asparagus & Shrimp
- Garlic shrimp asparagus & wine sauce
crushed chili pepper (optional)
12 oz. medium shrimp, shelled
1 yellow pepper (diced)
1/2 lb. asparagus, cooked al dente
2 1/2 tbsp. butter unsalted
salt & pepper
minced parsley (as desired)
1 small red onion (cut in strips lengthwise)
1 cup white wine
1 lb. penne
Melt butter over medium heat in pan. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp turns a light pink color. Add onion to pan and sauté until slightly brown. Stir in half a cup of the wine. (Shells can be removed at this point according to preference) Add asparagus and stir gently. Stir in the remaining half cup of white wine. Add salt and pepper and crushed peppers to taste. Reduce heat to low. In a large pot of boiling water cook the pasta until al dente. Drain pasta and place in a big bowl. Add the shrimp and asparagus mixture and toss together. Serve sprinkled with minced parsley and grated romano cheese. Serves 6
Insalata con Pomodori e Mozzarella
Although the ingredients are simple the flavor depends on the vine-ripened tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and aromatic basil leaves.
- Pomodori e Mozzarella
1 small, red onion thinly sliced (optional)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh basil leaves, cut into strips.
On a serving platter, arrange the tomatoes
and mozzarella and onion slices, overlapping
them in a decorative pattern. Lightly pour
olive oil over the dish and season with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the salad with basil.Serve at room temperature. Serves 4-6
What Coconut Oil DOES NOT Do:
Does not contain cholesterol * Does not increase blood cholesterol.
Does not promote platelet stickiness which leads to blood clot formation.
Does not contribute to atherosclerosis or heart disease Does not contribute to weight problems.
What Coconut Oil DOES Do:
* reduces risks of atherosclerosis and related illnesses. * reduces risk of cancer and other degenerative conditions. * Helps prevent bacterial, viral, and fungal (including yeast) infections. * Supports immune system functions, helps prevent osteoporosis. * Helps control diabetes, promotes weight loss. * Supports healthy metabolic functions. * Improves digestion and nutrients absorption. *Helps keep skin soft. Helps prevent premature aging and wrinkling of the skin. (Ciao Magazine)
Abbiamo Un Gusto di Vino…Of Amarone.
Amarone is a great wine. It has a very earthy quality, and high alcohol which people like. You want to serve with a braised meat dish or something with a mushroom sauce. Amarone also has a touch of sweetness, so it is versatile. The only bad thing about Amarone is it is expensive and you rarely see it by the glass. A half-bottle (375ml) will be about $30 and full bottle will be upwards of $50 but, a little goes a long way with Amarone. I find that a half-bottle is perfect for dinner for two. It comes from the Veneto region of Italy and is its most famous dried-grape, dry table wine. The wine is made from selected superior whole bunches which are dried or raisined in special drying lodges or chambers. Traditionally, grapes were spread out on mats or wickerwork shelving, or strung up from the ceiling or rafters. Today, however, most producers pick the grapes directly into slatted packing cases, stack these cases on a pallet and then transport them to a drying room controlled for temperature and humidity. This new approach, which ensures minimal handling of the grapes, reduces the risk of damage and consequent development of rot or mould, has resulted in cleaner, more balanced wines. The problem remains one of quality, for there is too much mediocre Amarone for sale, and not enough of the clean, balanced style. Good producers include Allegrini, Bertani, Brigaldera, Bussola, Masi, Quintarelli, and Tommasi.
Tasting Notes for 2003 Masi Amarone
Deep garnet with a caramel-brown tinge and almost tawny at the rim. About 85% opaque. Strong aromas of damp soil, mushroom soup, tar, cocoa powder, and slightly burnt toast dipped in hot bacon grease. Flavors center around the darkest of fruits like black plum, fig, prune, raisin, and blackcurrant. The sensory feel of the wine is something akin to blood- a silky, heavyweight body and a big foundation of acidity. Tannin level is about average but still a little brawny, chewy, and dense.
What To Eat With Amarone:
Cheese, especially aged, creamy,
strong-flavored. Gorgonzola, Gouda,
Grana, Parmesan
Lamb, especially braised, grilled and with spices – game and game fowl – pesto and pasta braised short ribs – spicy lentil wrap
The Pig And The Artists
The Bourgeois Pig, on Franklin Avenue, stands directly across the street from the Chateau Marmont look-alike, the Hubbard Celebrity Centre. The Pig makes a mediocre cup of coffee and the garage sale furniture that decorates the eclectic room blends well with the patrons, as they sit and read movie scripts that will never see the light of day. I would often visit this trendy java hole when my presence was needed in LaLa land.
Today I was meeting up with my friend Nick. We sat outside on unbalanced wrought iron chairs, smoking cigarettes and looking like the starving artists that we were as we conversed about things soon forgotten. The waiter behind the bar was familiar with me and knew my order. I took my too-dark chai tea and started making my way back to my seat outside when I spotted a familiar face. He was sitting talking to someone with his back to me.
I excused myself and told him that his friends back in TO send their regards. With a warm but curious smile he shook my hand and gave me a hug. I mentioned that my buddy and I were sitting outside and would love if he joined us. What are the chances three Italo-Canadians would wind up in Tinsel town chatting about their Toronto roots. Sounds like a potential sitcom. After about thirty minutes of laughter and conversation, which at times included the Calabrese dialect, my actor friends discovered that they had both worked on the same movie “ZOS: Zone of Separation” without ever meeting. The giant orange sun was calmly setting as the evening began to descend on us. We drank, we laughed and we became good friends that day, only to be brought together once again in celebration by the Italian Walk Of Fame.
Toronto Premiere of Questo Buio Feroce (The Wild Darkness) from Italy’s Compagnia Pippo Delbono
World Stage to host Toronto Premiere of Questo Buio Feroce (The Wild Darkness) from Italy’s Compagnia Pippo Delbono
TORONTO – Harbourfront Centre’s World Stage 2011 is proud to host Italian performer/director Pippo Delbono for his inaugural visit to a Toronto stage with the theatrical spectacle Questo Buio Feroce (The Wild Darkness), January 26 to January 29, 2011 at the Fleck Dance Theatre.
For over 20 years Delbono has been creating works that defy the boundaries of contemporary theatre, working with world renowned dance and theatre creators, including the legendary Pina Bausch. His visions have been described as “part theater, part dance, part carnival, part music, the works … are hard to categorize; they leave viewers alternately elated, drained, shocked and thoughtful.” – Tara Mulholland, New York Times.
Delbono’s Questo Buio Feroce was inspired and adapted from the autobiographical essays This Wild Darkness: The Story of My Life by American writer Harold Brodkey, as he neared death from AIDS, first published in 1996. The stage adaptation is a reflection on life in the shadow of death: “a parade of haunting tableaux that connect in a poetic way, defying interpretation.” – Pat Donnelly, Montreal Gazette.
Questo Buio Feroce features actors and non-actors whom Delbono has assembled from various walks of life, including Bobò (who spent over 40 years in a Naples asylum for the clinically insane), former homeless people, and individuals confronted with other adverse circumstances. “After having worked with them,” said Delbono, “I can no longer accept that the more ‘difficult’ members of society be looked upon differently. They have become the stars of my success…It just goes to show that diversity can be a fundamental tool to opening up people’s perspectives.”
In celebration of the Toronto premiere of Questo Buio Feroce, Harbourfront Centre will launch the balance of World Stage 2010-11 with a contest offering audiences an opportunity to win a Trip for 2 to Campania, Italy, compliments of Transat Holidays. Details will be available on harbourfrontcentre.com in early to mid-December.
Harbourfront Centre’s World Stage 2010-11 Questo Buio Feroce (The Wild Darkness) – In English and Italian with English surtitles Compagnia Pippo Delbono (Italy) Jan. 26-29, 8 p.m. (*Post-show Q & A Jan. 27) Fleck Dance Theatre, 207 Queens Quay West, 3rd Floor Queen’s Quay Terminal Bldg.
Tickets: $15-$49, Box office: 416 973-4000 or HarbourfrontCentre.com
Cast and Crew:
QUESTO BUIO FEROCE World Premiere, Rome, 2006
Conceived and directed by Pippo Delbono
With Dolly Albertin, Gianluca Ballarè, Raffaella Banchelli, Bobò, Pippo Delbono, Lucia Della Ferrera, Ilaria Distante, Gustavo Giacosa, Simone Goggiano, Mario Intruglio, Nelson Lariccia, Julia Morawietz, Gianni Parenti, Pepe Robledo
Set designer: Claude Santerre
Light designer: Robert John Resteghini
Technical manager: Fabio Sajiz
Chief machinist: Gianluca Bolla
Machinist: Mattia Manna Sound: Angelo Colonna
Light: Orlando Bolognesi
Wardrobe: Elena Giampaoli Set and
costumes: realized in the workshops of Theatre de la Place-Liège
Complete information about performance times and tickets is available through the Harbourfront Centre box office by phone at 416-973-4000, or online at harbourfrontcentre.com
Harbourfront Centre’s World Stage 2010-11 gratefully acknowledges the support of Department of Canadian Heritage, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council and Intercontinental, the official host hotel of World Stage.
ABOUT HARBOURFRONT CENTRE
Harbourfront Centre is an innovative, non-profit cultural organization which provides internationally renowned programming in the arts, culture, education and recreation, all within a collection of distinctive venues on a 10-acre site it operates in the heart of Toronto’s downtown waterfront.
From Illustration To Reality
As a young boy in the new world, Jimi’s dreams were heightened by endless possibilities. Growing up on Grace Street, the melting pot of a pulsing environment, made him street smart, with a passion to explore the newness of his surroundings. The hood had it all, musicians, athletes, politicians, actors, novelists. This eclectic gathering of determined ethnic opportunists would eventually roar to recognition. The struggles were those typical of newcomers to a culture that was complacent in many ways. His roots and traditions of his culture can be attributed to a community that made him feel secure and safe. The Italian Walk Of Fame will be a reminder of all those that dream and never stop dreaming.
Marisa was glued to the radio and television. She sang along with popular songs and imitated the boob tube celebrities. As a teen growing up in Trieste and Toronto, she would keep in touch with the world with her many subscriptions of teen magazines. Her bi-coastal lifestyle allowed her to have a good sense of fashion and trends. Her father was a proud man that served in the Italian Army and her mother was the loving caring protective Italian mom. A graduate of York University with a major in Psychology, she would soon discover that entertainment somehow still flowed through her creative senses. She decided to leave a successful career in Psychiatric research and form her own artist management company. Over the years, she would go on to manage some very important artists and administer an extensive catalog of music for James Bert Publishing, of which she is part owner. “I feel honored to be a part of this historic event. The IWOF represents hope and inspiration for the future of our heritage”.
Johnny Lombardi
Johnny Lombardi (Johnny Barbalinardo Lombardi), musician, Canadian soldier, grocer, impresario, and broadcaster
1915-2002
Lombardi was born to Italian immigrant parents in Toronto on December 4th, 1915. As a teenager he learned to play trumpet, and later became a popular dance band leader. After serving in the Canadian Army during WWII, Lombardi returned to Toronto and opened Lombardi’s Supermarket at 637 College Street in 1948, in the area which was soon dubbed “Little Italy.”
Lombardi began Italian radio programming in the early 50’s on CHUM and CKFH, became an impresario of Italian shows, and in 1966, he realized his dream of creating Canada’s first full-time, multi-ethnic, multicultural and multi-language radio station when he won his license for CHIN Radio AM 1540, and later, CHIN FM 100.7.
Lombardi gave a voice to millions through his CHIN Radio stations, and was recognized for his achievements and public service with awards that included Member of the Order of Canada, Member of the Order of Ontario, and Order of Merit from the National Congress of Italian Canadians.
Lombardi helped shape and define a vision of Canada that openly embraced different cultures and different languages. As Johnny said, “I hope we will all help preserve the vibrancy of multiculturalism in the city; a blend of traditions, languages and beliefs. It is this diversity that makes a community strong.”
Connie Francis
Connie Francis (Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero), was born in Newark, New Jersey. Her debut as a teenager on the wildly popular American Bandstand, performing her recording of Who’s Sorry Now? catapulted Francis to international stardom. By the mid-1960s, she had sold more than 35 million records worldwide, with 35 U.S. Top 40 hits, and three number one singles including, Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool, My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own, and Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You.
Francis recorded many of her singles in over 13 languages. Several ethnic albums followed including, an Italian album which became her biggest-selling LP, with the single Mama, reaching Top 10 in the U.S. and No. 1 in Europe.
In the 1960’s, Francis appeared in a string of successful motion pictures, including a starring role in one of the most popular teenage films of all time, Where the Boys Are, with the title song reaching No. 1 in 15 countries.
Through the years, Francis has donated much of her free time to charitable benefits and often performs for various religious and civic organizations. She continues to perform to sell-out crowds throughout the United States and abroad.
Giancarlo Giannini
Giancarlo Giannini, Oscar-nominated Italian actor and director was born in La Spezia, Italy. At 18, he enrolled in the Academy of Dramatic Art D’Amico in Rome. In 1965, Giannini made his big-screen debut in Libido. His successful collaboration with the legendary Italian director Lina Wertmüller resulted in several award-winning films with Giannini as the male lead. His many appearances include, Film d’amore e d’anarchia, ovvero ‘stamattina alle 10 in via dei Fiori nella nota casa di tolleranza…(1973), Travolti da un insolito destino nell’azzurro mare d’agosto (1974) and Pasqualino Settebellezze (1975). He also starred in Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s masterpiece, Lili Marleen (1981).
Giannini is well known for his dubbing of international stars. His fluency in English and mastery of dialects have brought him a number of supporting roles in Hollywood, including, A Walk in the Clouds (1995), Hannibal (2001), Darkness (2002) and Man on Fire (2004). He appeared in Casino Royale (2006), and in the sequel, Quantum of Solace (2008).
