Archive

 

Dear Readers,
October will always remain Italian Heritage Month to me, despite the Columbus bashing that began in 1992, the quincentennial year of the Great Navigator’s voyage and the contrived political neo-nomenclature for “Columbus Day” that deprives Italian Americans of their symbolic national heritage holiday.

We do not need the validation of politicos to make an extra effort during the month of October to ignite an interest in things Italian in any young children in our care. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Teach them how to count in Italian. A book, Count Your Way Through Italy by Jim Askins is outstanding. The author takes the children on a tour of cultural discovery as he counts his way one-to-ten through Italy. Readers learn about Mount Etna for the number one, uno.

“There is only one Mount Etna, the largest and highest volcano in Europe. One of the world’s major active volcanoes, Mount Etna most recent eruption took place in 1983. Although the volcano’s height and crater dimensions constantly change, its highest point is above 11,100 feet (3,390m.) Mount Etna is located on the offshore Italian island of Sicily.”

“The name of the volcano comes from a Greek word meaning ‘I burn.’ Thousands of years ago, the people of nearby Greece created many myths about Mount Etna. One was that a giant named Typhon lay buried underneath it. When Typhon struggled to escape, the Earth would tremble, and the giant’s breath would explode from the volcano in bursts of flame and smoke.”

For the number two, due, readers learn about the two mythological brothers Romulus and Remus, who founded Rome, the capital of Italy. Legend has it that the twins were sons of Mars, the god of war, and were raised by a wolf.

Readers also learn about Cristoforo Colombo who sailed three ships to the New World in 1492, the four rows of columns that make up the two colonnades that ring the piazza or square in front of Saint Peter’s Church in Rome, the five gold pieces the puppet master gives Pinocchio in one of his many adventures, the six watery districts of Venice, the seven foods associates with Italy, eight characters that can be found in the Commedia dell’Arte, nine products for which Italy is known, and ten horses to race in the Corsa del Palio in the Italian city of Siena.

In addition to the text, artist Ben Wright applies bold, vibrant illustrations to the author’s Italian samplings. Together the artist and writer bring beauty and the essence of historic Italy to life with this unique counting book. Try your local library or Amazon.com book search for out of print or a used copy.

***
If you have some Hershey Kisses, chocolate chips or other small chocolates handy, you can count, eat, and learn this little poem about chocolate:
(Italian)
Cioccolatini, cioccolatini,
Uno per te e uno per me;
Cioccolatini, cioccolatini,
Due per te e due per me;
Cioccolatini, cioccolatini,
Tre per te e tre per me;
Cioccolatini, cioccolatini,
Quattro per te e quattro per me.

(English)
Chocolate candy, chocolate candy,
One for you and one for me;
Chocolate candy, chocolate candy,
Two for you and two for me;
Chocolate candy, chocolate candy,
Three for you and three for me;
Chocolate candy, chocolate candy,
Four for you and four for me.

***
You can also use those once ubiquitous Beanie Babies to count in Italian or introduce color words if you still have them around stored in a big box.
The elephants: Gli elefanti;
The monkeys: Le scimmie;
The lions: I leoni;
The zebras: Le zebre;
The hippos: Gli ippopotami;
The camels: I cammelli;
The pink flamingos: I fenicotteri rosa;
I leoni che ruggiscono: The lions that roar;
Le zebre a strisce: The zebras with stripes;
I fenicotteri rosa: The pink flamingos.

***
Tomie de Paola books, videos and DVDs have good Italian Connections any month of the year. DEMCO 1-800-356-1200 has several Strega Nona book titles available and remember that “Strega Nona” with her magic spaghetti pot instead of an evil-smelling brew is a great choice for a Halloween story.

A video that can encourage recalling in English and Italian the colors of the balls the juggler juggled, for example “First the juggler juggled the purple ball. Then he added the yellow ball. He ended with the orange ball” etc. is this trio of Tomie de Paola stories “Strega Nona, Charlie Needs a Cloak, Clown of God” that comes with a little guide for follow-up activities. It is available in VHS format for $19.95 (DVD costs more) from Weston Woods Studios in Connecticut, 1-800-243-5020. They also sell to schools and libraries.

***
Other old standbys include: Lyric Language, a bilingual DVD with a great booklet illustrated with Family Circus characters and happy songs. The Lyric Language DVD is actually filmed at the beach, zoo, supermarket, birthday party and playground. Call Penton Overseas 1-800-748-5804 to order at $14.95 plus post.
Also don’t forget The First Thousand Words in Italian book by Amery Di Bello.

Every time I look at my copy of “The First Thousand Words in Italian “ book for children, I learn something new myself, plus I enjoy the illustrations by Stephen Cartwright, i.e. "la vasca-the bathtub”, “il quotidiano-the daily newspaper”, “la ragnatela-the spider web”.

***
Pesto, once popular only in Christopher Columbus’ hometown of Genoa, the Ligurian Coast stretching from Genoa to the French border and “La Regione Liguria”, has happily made it to menus across the Atlantic:
Pesto comes from the word “pestare”, meaning to crush or beat. Pesto is a very old sauce, especially in cities on the sea, often hedged in by mountains and enemy fleets that might prevent access to food. In fact, all ingredients used in pesto can be kept for long periods while the basil could be easily grown on windowsills and preserved in oil for a long time.

Pesto is most associated with Genoa, on the Ligurian Sea, where this very popular condiment is said to have been created.

Ingredients:
8 oz. very fresh basil (if possible, use leaves from plants not yet in blossom)
½ cup pine nuts (or toasted walnut kernels)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tbs Parmigiano
1 tbs Pecorino
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt

Preparation:

Wash the basil leaves and dry with a clean cloth. Place in a mortar. Add pine nuts, the garlic and a pinch of salt. Pound these ingredients with a circular motion of the pestle. Carry on until you achieve a soft green paste. Put the paste in a bowl and gradually drip in the oil. Mix well and set aside. Add cheese just before using, and more oil if necessary.

The preferred pasta with pesto is trenette. Boil the water with the addition of a finely sliced potato. Cook pasta in the usual manner, drain, reserve a small amount of the water. Before dressing the pasta add a little bit of water to the bowl with pesto and gently stir in order to obtain a fluid creamy sauce. Toss the pasta with pesto.

***
Elizabeth “Beth” Belsito, on October 23rd will celebrate Happy Birthday “numero” 103! Beth is the “cugina” of longtime subscriber Dorothy Capurro of Tucson, Arizona and widow of Lt. Commander Joseph J. Belsito of Saratoga, California.
Beth worked for a major Hollywood movie studio and remembers typing the script for “Gone with the Wind”.

During WWII her late husband Commander Belsito served as Headquarters Company Commander of the 96th Naval Construction Battalion in the Azores Islands and North African and South Pacific theaters of war. He also worked as a liaison officer and interpreter for the French government. Subsequently, he was assigned to the Naval Air Facility at Port Lyautey, French Morocco, as project manager and public works officer.

Later he was attached to Support Activities Headquarters, under U.S. Naval Forces Commander in Chief, Admiral Carney, in Naples Italy.

“Buon Compleanno e Buona Salute” wishes to Signora Belsito.

10631 Vinedale Street, Sun Valley, CA 91352 - Phone (818) 767-3413 - Fax: (818) 767-1410