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When the Moon Hits Your Eye or Spaghetti in the Sky

Posted July 16, 2012 By Adri

Spaghetti al sugo di carne

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We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.

President John F. Kennedy, September 12, 1962


Gaetano Crocetti

 

 

 

I often find myself wondering what my grandfather, Gaetano Crocetti, thought as he sailed to America in 1913. As he voyaged across the Atlantic Ocean from Naples to New York he must have looked up from the deck of the Hamburg and gazed at the Moon. I bet he never dreamed he would have two sons, and of those two Italian-Americans, one would help send men to the Moon and the other would become world famous singing about the Moon. Read more… »

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Philip Mazzei and the Declaration of Independence

Posted July 3, 2012 By Adri

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Philip Mazzei
b. December 25, 1730 – d. March 19, 1816

 

Tutti gli uomini sono per natura egualmente liberi e indipendenti. Quest’eguaglianza e necessaria per costituire un governo libero. Bisogna che ognuno sia uguale all’altro nel diritto naturale.
-Philip Mazzei – Virginia Gazette, 1774

 

All men are by nature equally free and independent. Such equality is necessary in order to create a free government. All men must be equal to each other in natural law.
-translation by Thomas Jefferson

 

These are the words of Philip (Filipo) Mazzei, Italian emigre, surgeon, businessman, friend and neighbor of Thomas Jefferson. It is so easy for us to think that everyone who lived in the United States prior to the Revolutionary War hailed from England. That is, however not the case. Read more… »

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Liberation of Rome – June 4, 1944

Posted June 3, 2012 By Adri

Spaghetti Carbonara

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Citizens of Rome, this is not the time for demonstrations. Obey these directions and go on with your regular work. Rome is yours! Your job is to save the city, ours is to destroy the enemy.


So read the Allied leaflets that fell from the sky early on the morning of June 4, 1944. D-Day was just hours away. Italy and much of Europe lay in ruins, her great capitals and cities reduced to rubble. Monuments and buildings that still stood were pockmarked by bullets, testament to a continent ravaged by war. In less than a year the Third Reich would fall, consigned forever to history’s dung heap.

The Allied communique sent later in the day to Washington and London was considerably shorter – The Allies are in Rome. The Italian campaign had begun ten months earlier with the landing at Salerno. After brutal fighting, the American Fifth Army under General Mark Clark advanced to Rome, and entered unopposed. Read more… »

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On the Occasion of Italy’s National Day

Posted June 2, 2012 By Adri

Italian FlagAmerican Flag

Press Statement

The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State, United States of America



On the Occasion of Italy’s National Day – Festa della Repubblica



On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to send best wishes to the people of Italy as you celebrate your national day this June 2. I send my deepest condolences to the family and friends of those who lost their lives in Tuesday’s earthquake. The United States stands by the Italian people as you rebuild and recover.

As we look forward to 2013 as the Year of Italian Culture in the United States, we reflect on the history and shared values that have bound our nations and peoples over the centuries. Americans have long been drawn to Italy to marvel at the art, admire the antiquities, and rediscover their heritage. For years, Italian-Americans have enriched and enlivened American culture in ways large and small.

Our two countries are working together for the future peace and prosperity of our world. As you celebrate this special day with the warmth of good food, family, and friends, know that the United States stands with you.

Washington, DC
June 1, 2012
PRN: 2012/874

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Crema al Forno con Punch Abruzzo

Posted May 26, 2012 By Adri

Baked Egg Custard with Punch Abruzzo

Crema al Forno con Punch Abruzzo

Punch Abruzzo


Infused with Punch Abruzzo, this silky liaison of milk, cream and eggs is comfort food that speaks Italian. Punch is a liquor from Abruzzo, the homeland of my grandfather, Gaetano “Pop” Crocetti. The flavor of Punch is a remarkable combination of citrus, coffee, chocolate notes and tobacco with a hint of rum and a hearty dose of spice. It’s got character, just like Pop.


Treat the eggs carefully and you will be rewarded with a smooth custard with a soft interior. First “scald” the milk, cream and sugar, a technique that involves heating them just until bubbles appear around the edges of the pan, far below the boil. Next, slowly combine the hot mixture with the eggs to “temper” them, ensuring that the heat of the heat of the oven does not shock and curdle them. Read more… »

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The Boulevardier

Posted April 27, 2012 By Adri

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Boulevardier – A sophisticated, worldly, and socially active man; a man who frequents fashionable places; a man-about-town.

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Are you in the mood for a cocktail? A Negroni, perhaps? Ah, what say you? You have had too many Negronis of late? What, they are just everywhere, too trendy? Oh, but you still want one, or maybe some thing with an even bigger punch. Running with the big dogs, are you? Well, then try a Boulevardier. Mais oui, ma certo, a Boulevardier – like a Negroni but lose the gin (I’ve said that before) and replace it with (get ready) bourbon. Yes, bourbon. The bourbon lends the drink a voluptuous smoothness that was a complete surprise to me. You simply have to try it. I am thinking this is not a cocktail for every woman, but it is surely a cocktail for every man. Read more… »

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