NOVEMBER  2007

Tutto Italiano
Benvenuto a Tutto Italiano

 Last Monday, I returned from another trip to Italian culture – this one in Cleveland. What a beautiful city, and the people I met there were just as beautiful.

My visit was due to a series of events that began last October, when I started writing for La Gazzetta Italiana, an Italian American newspaper based in Cleveland. In December, I placed an advertisement in the paper for Con Amore; and in February, I received a call from Mary T., asking if I would be interested in donating a book as a fundraiser for the school of Our Lady of Mount Carmel West. I sent five, and while meeting with the ladies of the parish and planning for the annual Italian festival in July, Mary sold the books.

In June, I spoke to Mary’s friend, Johanna Sfiscko, a partner in McDonough Sfiscko & Company, a law firm in the Cleveland area, and a member of The Justinian Forum, a membership organization of judges and lawyers of Italian descent living and practicing in northeast Ohio.

Johanna enjoyed Con Amore, and recommended it as a “good summer read” in The Justinian Forum’s summer newsletter. She also recommended it to her friend and business associate, Gloria Cipri Kemer, owner of the Emerald Necklace Inn, and founder of the Women Standing Up for Business Gala, an annual local networking and fundraising event. This year, the event was held to raise funds for Our Lady of Mount Carmel West. In keeping with an Italian theme, Gloria decided to serve recipes from Con Amore, and I was invited to participate as a guest speaker. I was also invited to attend The Justinian’s Annual Night Out in Little Italy at Angelo’s Nido Italia Ristorante.

In early October, plans began to form. Candace Rego of Rego’s Fresh Market would be preparing the recipes – Brussels Sprouts with Prosciutto, Garlic, and Walnuts; Caponata with Polenta; and Chicken with Roasted Red Pepper and Olive Pesto. The menu was rounded out with assorted cheeses and crackers, Pesto Pasta, and a variety of desserts.

In mid-October, Gloria and Johanna met with Barbara and Pete Strom, owners of La Bella Vita, an exquisite gift shop in Little Italy, and a book signing was scheduled. I also scheduled a radio interview with Jon Carroll Salerno, host of Memories From Italy, a two-hour Sunday morning broadcast on WJCU.

The weeks leading up to my Cleveland visit were hectic, and just a week before the Gala, I decided to bring a map of Italy with me to point out the regions I would be talking about. I have several beautiful maps of Italy – all from the Italian Trade Commission – that I have received from its booth at the Food Show in New York City. I chose a map that shows the regional foods in the shape of Italy. For example, olives and grapes form Puglia, the heel of the boot; San Marzano tomatoes are part of Campania (Campagna) on the southwest coast; prosciutto and Parmagiana-Reggiano identify Emilia-Romagna to the north; and radicchio shapes the northeastern region of Veneto.

I thought it might be nice if I could give everyone at the Gala a postcard or flyer of the map, so I called the Italian Trade Commission. The map is out of print, and instead I was offered an elegant full color 120-page book, The Wines of Italy, in its place. What a wonderful gift! The Italian Trade Commission also hosts ItalianMade.com, a Web site I always refer to when developing recipes or writing about regional Italian foods, and it was used as a resource for Con Amore (it’s listed in the bibliography).

I arrived in Cleveland on Thursday and that night enjoyed a delicious dinner (in Westlake) at La Campagna, a small, charming restaurant run by three sisters from that region. The menu changes every day, as they purchase food daily, and prepare it for that night’s menu. The dinner was extraordinary – one of the best I've ever had. The Gala on Friday was very successful. Candace is a wonderful cook! Over $800 was raised for Our Lady of Mount Carmel West. The Italian Trade Commission had sent some full color posters of another beautiful map of Italy, showing the regional DOC (Denomination of Controlled Origin) and DOCG (Denomination of Guaranteed Controlled Region – “particular esteem”) wines. Raffle tickets were sold for the posters and all proceeds were donated to the church.

On Saturday, Johanna and Mary took me on a tour of west and Downtown Cleveland. We stopped at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church West and Mary gave me a guided tour, describing the wonderful statues and the artwork. The church is very impressive and it felt very special to be there. I met Father Tony and learned the correct way to say “Trapani,” my father’s hometown in Sicily. (He immigrated to New York with his family when he was eight years old.)

We visited the ethnic food markets, and went to Gallucci’s, an importer and retailer of Italian food, established in 1912. I bought a small piece of Italian Brie (delicious), a jar of anchovies from Sicily, and chocolate and vanilla ladyfingers made in Veneto.

Our tour of Cleveland ended in Little Italy, where we had lunch and then headed to La Bella Vita. Barbara and Pete were most gracious, and the signing became a party, with a wine tasting and delicious cookies from Corbo’s Bakery. Pete is an opera buff and he would often sing a verse or two. I met many very, very nice people at La Bella Vita, among them, Sandro Bonaiuto, a sculptor who studied in Italy. His detailed work reminds me of the sculptures of Antonio Canova.

La Bella Vita defines Italian life. Elegant Italian artwork/giftware is beautifully displayed, enhanced by wall murals, walls and floors in stone and brick finishes, and Italian music playing in the background. The store is unique with a wine room, a Fairy Forest, and a separate area with a miniature golf putting green in the shape of Italy. (I don’t play golf, but I would love to have this in my backyard!) Before I left, Pete gave me a CD, Yo-Yo Ma plays Ennio Morricone (Web site in Italian). This year, Morricone received an Academy Honorary Award for his musical compositions in film. If you like to listen to beautiful, relaxing, yet inspiring music, this is a great CD. (I was listening to it while I wrote this newsletter.)

It was very difficult to be in La Bella Vita for several hours and not want to take home some of the beautiful Italian artwork. I purchased a small, heart-shaped leaf plate – Vietri Lucca Glass – in gold and mahogany; and a few other small items. The main office and only outlet store for Vietri is in Hillsborough, NC, about 45 minutes west of Cary. Several years ago, I went to a Warehouse Sale, where one-of-a kind, discontinued products, and samples are sold at discounted prices. It was very crowded.

After La Bella Vita, I walked around the corner to Nido’s Italia to join Johanna, her husband Jim, Gloria, and about 100 others for The Justinian Forum dinner. It was another delicious meal – this time a typical seven course Italian feast served family style – platters of food passed around the table. After dinner, along with several announcements, Justinian Forum President Basil M. Russo introduced me as a guest. I felt very honored to be there.

Early Sunday morning, Johanna and Jim drove me to John Carroll University, where Memories >From Italy broadcasts. During my interview with Jon Carroll Salerno, I talked about Con Amore, Tutto Italiano, and Thirty-One Days of Italians. I mentioned and thanked most of those in this newsletter and also mentioned my grant from NIAF and the support of the Italian Historical Society of America. Both have been extremely helpful in assisting me as I promote Italian American heritage.

During my visit, I stayed at the Emerald Necklace Inn, Gloria’s Bed & Breakfast with a tea room, gift shop, and day spa. It sits next to the Rocky River, which runs, in part, through Cleveland Metroparks, a chain of 16 parks – called the Emerald Necklace – that surround Cleveland. The Inn is beautifully decorated, very comfortable and inviting, and this year received the Best of the West (Cleveland) Award for outstanding Bed & Breakfast. I was pleased to read that Room Five, where I stayed, is considered the most popular, as its deck overlooks the park.

I’ve used beautiful, wonderful, and a few other adjectives quite often, but my trip to Cleveland was beautiful and wonderful, and I thank everyone there who made it possible, with special thanks to Mary, Johanna, and Gloria. This newsletter is longer than usual, and I have kept it brief, touching on some of the many highlights of my enjoyable trip. I hope you find as much joy in reading it, as I have had in writing it.

Buon anno, buon tutto, buona vita
Janice Therese Mancuso
Author of Con Amore

www.jtmancuso.com
Thirty-One Days of Italians

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