I’m a better Italianista than you! By: Paula Dupont
It happens all the time: you’re sitting at a dinner or attending a school function or standing in the deli line, and something triggers the question, “Are you Italian?” When I’m asked it’s not a real stretch to see why as I’m small, dark-haired, and look the part. But tread carefully my friends. My fascinator is nicer than yours … Why? Because some Italians know better than everyone else. I suppose this isn’t any different from competing English folks, trying to out-fascinate each other with...
Read MoreIt’s all About Mom By: Paula Dupont
Mother’s Day. La Festa della Mamma. No matter the language, the intent is the same: show those we love how much we love them with a little celebration, a break from the daily routine, and some family time. Whatever your preference, whether a lavish champagne-fueled brunch in an opulent setting or a casual family dinner (prepared by someone else) with the kids, Mother’s Day means family. But let’s imagine that you could spend Mother’s Day in Venice. One daughter chronicles her day with mom here, http://www.lets-be-adventurers.com/2011/12/me-n-mom-in-venice-italy.html,...
Read MorePasta Perfect By: Paula Dupont
Gorgeous trofie — with pesto, of course Trofie. They’re the unique pasta local to the Italian Riviera spanning from Genoa to Sestri Levante, or so. These little squiggles of flour and water are best-served with pesto, which also originates here. I don’t even bother to say basil pesto, because it’s the original, But I guess to be clear – since now we have cilantro pesto, sun-dried tomato pesto, and pesto of just about anything that can be smashed up – I do mean basil pesto. Made from true Genovese...
Read MoreYou say Murano … I say Merano By: Paula Dupont
Sure, just when I’ve finally gotten spellcheck to understand that Murano is a word, I discover this other lovely town. There’s no jewelry to be found (well, I suppose there is but it’s not the point), there’s a lot less water, and we’re swapping the “u” for an “e.” An article on this breathtaking locale claimed the front page of last week’s travel section in the Chicago Tribune http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-04-17/travel/sc-trav-0416-italy-hike-20130418_1_south-tyrol-alto-adige-dolomites. ...
Read MoreFood: A Four-letter Word By: Paula Dupont
I was recently working on another client’s project (I can’t tell you who or I’d have to kill you) that is a narrative to document their experience with several of their long-standing clients (I can’t tell you who or I’d have to kill you again, and you’d be double-dead) in the form of a New Yorker-style narrative. And ultimately, the topic boiled down to love as conveyed by food. It was an amazing revelation. This really basic concept that comes down to “if I prepare someone food, I am showing her love.” And...
Read MoreThe Quiet Side of Venice By: Paula Dupont
Venice – a bunch of islands slowly sinking in a lagoon. And we know all about them. The two biggies, Murano and Burano are all about tradition. Murano, island of glass factories producing everything from baubles to chandeliers, whose master crafters were sequestered early on to keeps things secret. Burano, island of colorful houses lining quiet canals where delicate lace is still painstakingly made in traditional manner. Easily accessible; charming; heavily touristed. But there is another option. I’ve been...
Read MoreMore plastic than Venice … but a quicker trip!
Fab Fratelli. Italian-style pizza with a shorter travel time We took a quick trip to Italy just before Easter. We enjoyed fabulous pizza and antipasti at Fratelli la Bufala, complete with homemade cheese and salami. And we gobbled delicious gelato and Gelato-go, nutella and straciatella. The restaurant maître de spoke Italian; the wait staff were all Italian; and many of the patrons were Italian. I got to practice. What’s weird, though, is that we didn’t actually jump across the pond. We went to Miami. I...
Read MoreIt’s all about the Starter By: Paula Dupont
In our never-ending quest for delicious food in a great setting, we jumped on the chance to head down to Bar Tomain the city (Chicago) for what Not really a bar … was the first in the “Dough Masters” series. Bar Toma is the casual, trattoria-down-the-street setting, the latest of Chef Tony Mantuano’s ridiculously successful ventures. Even if you aren’t from Chicago, you have probably heard of Tony as he’s the chef behind Spiaggia, a 4-start Italian restaurant in the city; its little sister, Café Spiaggia...
Read MoreIf an alarming vision of great aunt Carmella’s hideously chartreuse floral sofas covered in plastic came to mind … you might be Italian. Like from Jersey or maybe parts of Chicago. Because I guess that’s what slipcovers were to that group at that time. Check out this blog, http://takimag.com/article/why_i_hate_italians/print#axzz2MzBceyPs, about slipcovers and other “Italian” topics – it’s pretty funny, if a bit coarse. But hey, she says she’s from the Brooklyn of Canada so I guess she’s got the...
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