Dear Readers,
Artist Sassoferrato is the name that appears below a beautiful image of the Madonna and Child on the Christmas stamp issued by the U.S. postal service this year. Like Leonardo da Vinci, his last name was not Sassoferrato, but Giovanni Battista Salvi (1609-1685), however, as per the custom of the day, he was commonly known by his place of birth, Sassoferrato, which indicated that he was from the small town of Sassoferrato, in the Marche region of Italy.
Just as Leonardo da Vinci was from (da) the small village of Vinci. Sassoferrato had few public commissions but his devotional close-up painting style made him highly sought after by religious institutions like the Benedictine Convent in Perugia.
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Buon Compleanno, Francis Albert Sinatra (1915-1998), you may be gone but you defi- nitely are not forgotten by your fans worldwide. And, to that “citrullo” who complains I give too much ink to a man with an “abbondanza” of moral foibles, I remind him the immortal words of He who knows best: “Let who is without sin throw the first stone”...
Frank Sinatra felt like “family” to many fans in the early days of his career. And, like any “family” member, especially one that has been part of our lives for over fifty years, Frank’s fans still miss him...
Mauro Potestio, L’Italo- Americano reader, who lives in Portland, Oregon, has a party room dedicated to Frank that is filled with Sinatra memorabilia he has collected since his high school days. Mauro, a retired teacher, owns each and every commercial record Sinatra made in 78’’s, 33 1/3’s and CD’s and still listens to them. He never dri- ves a mile that he does not have Sinatra on the speaker system. In Mauro Potestio’s party room, dedicated to Sinatra, there are over 60 framed pictures. Mauro Potestio also hosts a dinner party each year on December 12th, Frank’s birthday.
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Abruzzo’s seismic shake-up that killed and injured hundreds, and evacuated thousands, took place in April 2009.
The earthquake registered 6.3 on the Richter scale. The epicen- ter was about 10 kilometers from L’Aquila, Capital of the Abruzzo Region, but the tremor was felt distinctly all over central Italy from Romagna to Napoli. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi proclaimed a state of emergency mobilizing the Army, the Air Force and Italy’s Civil Defense V olunteers.
In the U.S. many Italo- American groups raised funds to help rebuild schools, hospitals and structures that left thousands homeless in the main towns, but Bay Area businessman, Lorenzo Scarpone, worried about the small farmers in the hills of Abruzzo, who although similarly impacted, would be overlooked in the immediate future. Lorenzo Scarpone focused his efforts on helping small farmers, shepherds, wine artisans, producers of cheese, preserves, honey and even helped one farmer rebuild his barn.
A website, Sustain Abruzzo.com was set up and a non-profit identification number registered with the State of California so they can accept donations and also assure that beyond the initial financial assistance a market place is created to help small farmers and small agricultural producers find a market for their products long after the dust has settled.
Abruzzo born Lorenzo Scarpone, popular and generous President of Villa Italia Wines and pioneer Slow Food activist in the San Francisco Bay Area, as you may recall, was the first person friends and Slow Food members who “wanted to help” tried to contact upon learning about the earthquake that shook up and devastated the Abruzzo Region early Monday morning, April 6, 2009.
Callers to his Villa Italia Wines office (210 Littlefield Rd., So San Francisco (650) 873-6060) were told that Mr. Scarpone was out of town: in Verona, Italy attending a wine fair, when the quake struck. Mr. Scarpone feels his Abruzzo Aid efforts should focus on helping small farmers, shepherds and artisan producers because already many groups like the NIAF are helping to rebuild schools, hospitals and structures that left thousands homeless in the main town, but the small farmers in the hills of Abruzzo, although similarly impacted, will likely be overlooked in the future after the terrible “terremoto” in Abruzzo is no longer in the headlines.
Now it is 2010 and Lorenzo Scarpone together with Dava Guthmiller of the Bay Area Slow Foods Convivium organized a tour to visit some of Abruzzo’s artisan producers. My “Bambina” Angelina traveled to Italy with the group and has written some of her impressions which I will share with you, but for more comprehensive insights visit www.sustainabruzzo.com..
The Slow Food International convivium was held recently in Torino, Italy. Slow Food was started in 1986 by Carlo Petrini, as a backlash against the fast food culture epidemic. It is a movement to celebrate artisan food producers, and help save heritage type fruits or vegetables that cannot be shipped long distance. Slow Food is dedicated to local, clean and fair food. Following the convivium in Torino, Lorenzo Scarpone of Slow Food San Francisco, took a small group to visit some of the artisan producers in central Italy.
The tour was arranged and led by Lorenzo Scarpone and Dava Gurthmiller of Slow Food San Francisco. Lorenzo was an early leader of the Slow Food movement opening San Francisco first “convivium” in 1990. Also accompanying the group was chef/owner of the wonderful (with Michelin stars) Aquarello Restaurant, Suzette Gresham. They began in Turin, and traveled down, through Perugia, and Abruzzo, finishing in Rome.
The purpose of the trip was to increase interest and awareness of the importance of Slow Food. The first stop was the Raina Winery in Montefalco, where the wine-maker, Francesco Marinai, prepared a stellar meal, the highlight being the roasted goose cooked with “lardo” tucked under the skin, cooked in their wood fired oven, built just adjacent to the wine cellar.
The following day the group headed down to the outskirts of L’Aquila to the Fattoria Luchetti (Luchetti Ranch) where the family has been humanely raising pigs, cows and sheep for many generations. Listening to the rancher describe the traits and behavior of each type of animal, demon- strated how much heart goes into this way of life. Next the group visited the Galano Dairy, owned by Enzo and Dina Galano.
Their barn was able to be rebuilt as a result of the fundraising efforts of Lorenzo Scarpone’s, post earthquake, Sustain Abruzzo initiative. After a trek in the mud, to visit the cows, the group was treated to fresh mozzarella made in the farm’s tiny production room. They also visited a small cheese maker, where the renown cheese Pecorino di Farindola has traditionally been made by the women of Farindola for centuries.
The most impressive spot was the town of L’Aquila where most buildings have been condemned, following the 2009 earthquake. The buzz of activity continues in the back of a coffee bar where a family continues to make torrone with the help of a propane tank heating the copper pots, determined to fill the orders of their customers just like they have been doing for the last 200 years. Fratelli Nurzia Torrone Company family member, Natalina, said the family has been making torrone since 1835, and the Abruzzo earthquake is not going to stop them now. In Northern California, you can usually find Torrone Nurzia at all A.G.Ferrari Food Stores. For store locations visit www.agferrari.com
The journey was a unique culinary adventure. The common thread being that all of the farmers and food artisans welcomed and treated their guests with warmth, openness, sincerity and pride and left all with renewed respect for the family artisan producers.
