L’Aquila European Capital of Culture 2019
On Wednedsy, Novembre 18th, in an article in Il Centro, Pierluigi Mantini and Roberto Danea proposed the L’Aquila’s candidacy to become European Capital of Culture in 2019. I believe this is a great idea, not only to recognize L’Aquila’s cultural importance before the Earthquake, but to help ensure it’s rebirth by giving it an international spotlight and clear, 10 year timeline to restoration. It will also give those people who work in culture locally a goal to rally around in these difficult time. For this reason we have decided to support this initiative. A facebook group is already active http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&

Sardinia Whites
I’ve always wanted to visit Sardinia, Italy’s other big island (the first is Sicily). I have been told my everyone that I am missing Italy’s best beaches and coast. The Emerald Coast near the northern city and airport of Olbia is one of those vacations spots where movie starts and millionaires spend summer vacation, as to those dream of joining their ranks. But right now I’m dreaming of visiting the area so I can visit the town of Arzachena and sip a white wine from there. Last night I was at business dinner at Tullio, just of Piazza Barberini here in Rome, famous for it’s grilled and roast fish – but sometimes it’s wine that really makes the differen

Marcella Hazan
Twenty years ago when I left for Italy to study a year at the University of Bologna, my mother snuck a copy of Marcella Hazan’s “The Classic Italian Cookbook” into my suitcase. While it would seem strange to give a kid flying off to Italy a cookbook in English, it was a lifesaver. I have found cookbooks that are just as fun to read, and others that are pleasure to browse through, gawking at enticing images of food and Italy. The book, the size of a thick paperback crime novel, was a perfect guidebook for a young american college student as he plunged into a year in city of tortellini and lasagna. She had (and has) a way of translating recipes and cooking philoso

Places, habits, memories
There’s a colleague I’ve been meaning to call for a while. Diego’s agency developed the visual image and promotional materials for Vinalia, a small wine bar and restaurant that was just near Palazzo Margherita in the heart of l’Aquila. I had a lot of favorite places to eat and drink in L’Aquila, and Vinalia was where I went when I wanted something intimate, elegant and refined (and was in the mood to pay for it). Marzia Buzzanica, Vinalia’s mind, heart and soul was somehow able to transmit her rich knowledge of wine and her attention to detail, but also make you feel at ease and somehow in control. Of course she was playing with a stacked deck. It was all good. And

Cinnamon Chocolate Fall Redux
Discovering Cioccolata di Modica When I think of great chocolate, its usually creamy. If it’s grainy with traces of lighter, dusty overtones, it usually means it’s gone stale. But not always. The chocolate they have been making in the Sicilian town of Modica is the exception that proves this rule. I first learned about cioccolato di Modica recently when Pierluigi and I were exploring the Testaccio neighborhood of Rome, scouring th streets and piazze looking for for-sale signs. Testaccio is the neighborhood just over the river from Trastevere. It was my first time to this small neighborhood, and the night was a great one for exploring, cool a