Poche Parole | December 2021

Poche Parole

Supporting Italian Arts, Culture, and Language Since 1953

FESTA DI NATALE 2021: CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH US!

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oin us on December 19th at the Chevy Chase Village Hall, from 4:30pm, for the ICS Special Event: Festa di Natale 2021.

This year, we are happy to celebrate the magic of Christmas with an in-person party for a limited number of participants, ICS members only.

Approximately 65 adults and 25 kids, will have the opportunity to enjoy live music with the piano concert, while Maestra Fiorenza Castelli will entertain children with a workshop. Following, the traditional recitation of poems by the ICS kids and the arrival of Santa Claus and the Befana to bring gifts and sweets.

Try your luck with the Christmas raffle, buy tickets and you will have the chance to win a language course, Ferrero-Campari baskets and more.

Toast with prosecco and a slice of panettone.

Discover the program of the party and read more information on our website.

THE BEST PANETTONE OF THE WORLD IS SICILIAN!

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iuseppe and Mauro Lo Faso, of the Pasticceria Delizia di Bolognetta in the province of Palermo, are the winners of “Panettone senza confini”, one of the most important events dedicated to the iconic leavened product. The Lo Faso, father and son, participating for the 3rd time in the international competition where they have finally brought the trophy to Sicily. Nothing out of the ordinary if it was not that panettone is one of the typical sweets of the Milanese, traditionally very different from the typical confectionery of Trinacria.

The origins of this dessert are lost in time and the birth of panettone is

linked to numerous legends. The most famous tells that the panettone was born at the court of Ludovico il Moro, lord of Milan in the distant fifteenth century. It was Christmas Eve when, on the occasion of the banquet, the official cook of the Sforza family, Toni, inadvertently burned a dessert.

To recover the cook decided to use a yeasted dough that he had kept aside for Christmas. He worked it by adding flour, eggs, raisins, candied fruit and sugar, obtaining a particularly leavened and soft dough. Thus was born the “pan de Toni” that will go down in history as the first panettone.

The traditional Panettone therefore

December 2021 | Vol. XXXIX | No. 4

is becoming a more universal dessert throughout Italy and beyond. A vast artisanal production that proudly is making its way in to the international market place.

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MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD

By Chair of the Board Annelise Brody Morani Dear ICS Members and Friends, Last month I stepped up to serve the ICS as the new Chair of the ICS. Christmas is in the air and although Winter may be lagging a bit, here at ICS we started feeling festive. We kicked off December honoring our special guest speaker and board member Sara Forden at the Avalon movie theater for a very successful viewing of the House of Gucci. Many of you were also at her formidable book presentation. Although our Fall class term has ended, we will be proudly offering a plethora of activities to enjoy during the holiday season.

Cooking is a fabulous way to share the holiday cheer. As a native of Emilia Romagna, I will be sharing the lead dish of our region’s Christmas dinner, the tortellini or turtlein served in warm aromatic broth with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. If you would like to learn how to make this stunning dish (a winner for any grand dinner) sign up for a two hour class on Saturday, December 11th, from 2:00 to 4:00pm. Make sure to register ahead of time as there will be a grocery list to acquire prior to the class start.

Our traditional Christmas party is also fast approaching at the Chevy Chase Village Hall at 4:30pm. Sunday December 19th will be filled with anticipation and surprises, especially for our smaller guests who will be meeting Babbo Natale and the Befana; watch out for the coals!

In addition, it will be my pleasure to personally lead two guided tours of the Italian art collection at the National Art Gallery also on December 19th, before the Christmas party. In addition to these activities and to our drop-in classes, we have reserved tickets for Italian movies at the AFI Silver Spring for our donors. Please contact us to let us know which movie you are interested in, and we will be happy to offer you a pair of tickets. What better way to enjoy an evening with your friends and family, while donating to our organization?

You can find all the aforementioned events at this link: https://italianculturalsociety.org/events/.

Finally, I wish to extend my most heartfelt thank you to you all who are supporting our mission: our students, teachers, staff, volunteers and donors.

We could not do what we are doing without you, without your passion and dedication. Thank you for believing in us and for trusting us. I am looking forward to 2022 as our best year yet, so stay tuned for a lot more.

May the Holiday Season bring you joy, peace and happiness and see you in the new year.

Chair of the Board

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THE ITALIAN CULTURAL SOCIETY BOARD OF DIRECTORS

GALA 2021 SPONSORS

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Agostino Group - Compass Real Estate

Annelise Brody: Chair of the Board Francesca Casazza: Executive Director & CEO Chiara Gastaldi: Vice Chair Bruce Esposito: Treasurer Dario Penzo: Secretary

DIRECTORS Ellen Coppley: Fundraising Sara Forden: Events and Communication Salvatore Romano: Membership Elizabeth De Leon-Jones: Communication Melitta Paterni: Cultural Programs and Fundraising Angela Maggi: Photographer and Events

HONORARY MEMBERS Luigi De Luca: President Emeritus Ronald Cappelletti: President Emeritus Romeo Segnan: Member At Large

ICS STAFF Francesca Casazza: Executive Director & CEO Lucy Fonseca: Administrative and Office Manager Melanie Renzulli: IT & Communication Coordinator Derek Ginoris: Social Media Coordinator Dario Penzo: Editor & Web Manager Reagan Smith: Marketing Consultant Felicia Toscano: Director of the ICS Music School Fiorenza Castelli: Workshop and Summer Camp Coordinator

ITALIAN LANGUAGE PROGRAM Valentina Asciutti, Annelise Brody, Sofia Caligiuri, Brita Caminiti, Fiorenza Castelli, Carlo Ellena, Luigi De Luca, Silvana De Luca, Alessandra Di Vetta, Cristiana Fabiani, Giovanna Galletta, Laura Granata, Kristin Cassola, Laura Loddo, Nicoletta Nencioli, Dario Penzo, Mariana Petrova Tacheva, Camilla Presti, Antonella Salvatore Pellegrino, Cristina Rampulla, Claudio Tanca, Felicia Toscano.

GOLD: Ferrero International SA, Taylor

TABLE OF CONTENTS

BEVERAGE SPONSORS: Campari, Cantiniere Imports and Distributing, Inc. in collaboration with Marramiero

Festa di Natale 2021........................... 1

BRONZE: Pirelli Tires North America,

The best Panettone of the World is Sicilian...................................................... 1

Your True Italy, Aguita Flowers, Accademia Italiana Salerno, Casa Italiana Sociocultural Center Inc.

AUCTION MAIN DONORS: Accademia Italiana Salerno, Annelise Brody Morani, B&B Sol’Art Laura Marchese, Barboursville Vineyards, Campari, Carlo Ellena, Chiara Melucci, Chiara Pappalardo, Geoffrey Krieg, Choral Arts Society, David Cieslikowski, Diane Eames, Elite Island Resorts, Eyma Salon and Spa, Ferrero, Franca Casagli, Giancarlo Chiancone, Hotel Palazzo Grillo Genoa, Laura Benedetti, Laura Moticka, Lorenza Pieri, Maria Luisa Moen, Melitta P LLC, North Italia, Peutery, Pia Agostini, Pitango Gelato, Simone Maraini, Smithsonian American Art Museum

INDIVIDUAL DONORS GALA 2021 Vanguard Charitable Fund, Ellen & Jackson Coppley Fund, Bruce Esposito, Ronald Cappelletti, Silvana & Luigi Deluca, Elena Bisagni, Elham & Joseph Cicippio, Michael Farrell, Camilla Presti, Richard Schiripa

Message from the Board.................. 2 House of Gucci: Sara Gay Forden in conversation with Professor Donatella Melucci............................... 4 Italian Language Program and more.......................................................... 6 A conversation with Attorney Marco Permunian founder of Italian Citizenship Assistence......... 7 The Great British Bake Off: Giuseppe e’ il primo vincitore Italiano.....................................................8 Dinner Club............................................ 9

We Are Social!

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS College Student: Derek Ginoris Single: Richard Maggiani, Lynn Dimeo, Marina Galli, Erminia Scarcella, Wendy Garner, Debora Lyon, Mary O’Neill, Paola Amador, Maya Goldstein-Bolocan & Jennifer Kirsner Couple/Family: Marija Spaic White and family, Emilia Demeo and family & Garrido/ Arauzo-Ramirez family Silver Sponsor: Fabrizio Permunian

SUPPORT THE ICS BECOME A MEMBER AMAZON SMILE THE ITALIAN CULTURAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON D.C. 4833 Rugby Avenue, Suite #201 Bethesda, MD 20814 301-215-7885 italianculturalsociety.org

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HOUSE OF GUCCI:

SARA GAY FORDEN IN CONVERSATION WITH PROFESSOR DONATELLA MELUCCI

By Derek A. Ginoris

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ur talk with Sara Gay Forden on her book, “House of Gucci,” was awe-inspiring, intriguing, and magnificent! In an interesting conversation with Professor Donatella Melucci of Georgetown University, Forden gave the crowd an exclusive look at the story which inspired the forthcoming film starring Lady Gaga and Adam Driver.

The New York Times Bestselling author started off by giving a thorough background history on the Gucci brand and family, highlighting vivid details about Maurizio Gucci’s assassination in 1995. At the time of the murder, Forden worked as a Fashion Journalist in Milan and quickly familiarized herself with the situation at hand. She explained how she constructed her novel based on several interviews conducted with the members of the Gucci family and on letters she exchanged with Patrizia Reggiani during her incarceration in the San Vittore Prison of Milan.

Forden also explained the timeline behind the success of the Gucci which can be traced back to Guccio Gucci’s original launch of the brand in 1921.

She notes an interesting phenomenon in the Gucci dynasty: the first generation of the family created the business, the second generation expanded the business, and the third destroyed it.

Afterwards, Forden sat down with Professor Donatella Melucci to discuss the intricacy of her realistic novel which conveys authentic tales and accurate events from the Gucci family’s history. The author discusses intimate details that surrounded the family, such as Guccio’s humble persona as a man who would go to great lengths to save on the family’s expenses. She describes the original Gucci patriarch

as a humble man who would cut the prosciutto extra thin and top off the bottles of water with tap. In this way, Forden notes that Guccio was always conscious about the survival of the family business and the livelihood of the brand, especially during times of excessive hardship. In fact, during the World War II period, he modified his factories to produce shoes for the military in order to survive financially amongst the poverty which pervaded throughout Florence at the time.

Forden notes that the novel is very realistic in the sense that it conveys these complex personalities while entertaining the reader with a pageturner narrative that stays true to the family’s accounts.

At the end of the talk, the audience had the chance to ask Forden about their own curiosities regarding the iconic story. One guest inquired about her opinions regarding the forthcoming blockbuster which she recently viewed at the world premiere in London. Forden expressed her love for both the film and the remarkable cast who worked

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together to transform the story into a cinematic masterpiece. She admits that seeing the story materialize on the big screen intensified the plot to a new level. Another guest inquired about the author’s favorite fashion piece used in the film. Forden replied that it is without a doubt a leather neckline tunic worn by Lady Gaga, who plays the role of Patrizia Reggiani.

She originally saw the piece in a Gucci fashion show in Milan and was thrilled that it made into the film!

The crowd was ecstatic to be the amongst first to get the author’s insider perspective on “House of Gucci” and can’t wait to see the movie in theaters.

On December 1st, the Italian Cultural Society in collaboration with Avalon Theater, organized a screening of the film “House of Gucci”. The movie was preceded by a Q&A session conducted by Francesca Casazza with Sara Gay Forden. Many ICS members were present and had the opportunity to purchase the book autographed by the author.

HOUSE OF GUCCI:

SARA GAY FORDEN IN CONVERSAZIONE CON PROF. DONATELLA MELUCCI Di Derek A. Ginoris

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l nostro evento di Novembre con Sara Gay Forden sul suo libro, “House of Gucci”, è stato impressionante, intrigante e magnifico!

In un’interessante conversazione con la professoressa Donatella Melucci della Georgetown University, Forden ha dato al pubblico uno sguardo esclusivo sulla storia che ha ispirato il film che vede come protagonisti Lady Gaga e Adam Driver.

Il libro e’ attualmente secondo nella lista del New York Times bestseller ha iniziato fornendo una storia approfondita sul marchio e sulla famiglia Gucci, evidenziando i vividi dettagli dell’assassinio di Maurizio Gucci nel 1995. Al momento dell’omicidio, Forden lavorava come giornalista di moda a Milano e rapidamente si e’ trovata a parlare con una certa familiarita’ del caso e dei suoi contorni. Ha spiegato come ha costruito il suo romanzo sulla base di diverse interviste condotte con i membri della famiglia Gucci e delle lettere che ha scambiato con Patrizia Reggiani durante la sua permanenza nel carcere di San Vittore a Milano.

Forden ha anche spiegato la linea temporale dietro il successo di Gucci che può essere fatta risalire al lancio originale del marchio Guccio Gucci nel 1921. Anche nel caso della famiglia Gucci si e’ verificato il frequente femonemo che la prima generazione della famiglia crea l’azienda, la seconda generazione amplia l’attività e la terza la distrugge.

Successivamente, Forden e la professoressa Donatella Melucci hanno discusso sulla complessita’ del suo libro che trasmette storie autentiche ed eventi accurati della

famiglia Gucci. L’autrice racconta dettagli intimi che circondavano la famiglia, come l’umile personaggio di Guccio, un uomo che avrebbe fatto di tutto per risparmiare sulle spese della famiglia. Descrive il patriarca Gucci originale come un uomo alla mano, che tagliava il prosciutto extra sottile e riempiva le bottiglie con acqua del rubinetto. Con questi esempi, Forden osserva che Guccio è sempre stato consapevole delle necessita’ per la sopravvivenza dell’azienda di famiglia e del sostentamento del marchio, specialmente durante i periodi di eccessive difficoltà. Durante il periodo della seconda guerra mondiale, per esempio, modificò le sue fabbriche per produrre scarpe militari al fine di sopravvivere finanziariamente, tra la povertà che pervadeva in tutta Firenze all’epoca. Forden osserva che il romanzo è molto realistico, nel senso che trasmette queste personalità complesse mentre intrattiene ed invoglia i lettori rimanendo fedele ai racconti.

in una sfilata di Gucci a Milano ed era entusiasta che fosse entrato nel film!

Il pubblico e’ rimasto entusiasta di essere stato tra i primi ad ottenere la prospettiva interna dell’autrice di “House of Gucci” e non vede l’ora di vedere il film al cinema.

Il primo Dicembre, L’Italian Cultural Society, in collaborazione con Avalon Theater, ha organizzato una proiezione del film “House of Gucci” preceduta da una sessione Q&A condotta da Francesca Casazza con Sara Gay Forden. Erano presenti molti soci ICS che hanno potuto acquistare il libro autografato dall’autrice.

Alla fine del discorso, il pubblico ha avuto la possibilità di chiedere a Forden le proprie curiosità. Un ospite ha chiesto le sue opinioni sul film blockbuster che ha recentemente visto alla prima mondiale a Londra. Forden ha espresso il suo amore sia per il film che per il notevole cast che ha lavorato insieme per trasformare la storia in un prodotto cinematografico. Ammette che vedere la storia materializzarsi sul grande schermo ha intensificato la trama a un nuovo livello. Un altro ospite ha chiesto informazioni sul capo di moda preferito dell’autrice utilizzato nel film. Forden ha risposto che si tratta senza dubbio di una tunica con scollo in pelle indossata da Lady Gaga, che interpreta il ruolo di Patrizia Reggiani. Inizialmente ha visto il pezzo

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ITALIAN LANGUAGE PROGRAM & MORE

By Francesca Casazza, Executive Director & CEO

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he winter schedule is online and registration will open on January 2nd.

The tuition fee will be the same as in Fall until January 5th; then it will slightly increase. Take advantage of the “early bird” tuition fee, and allow our administration and teachers to organize their work better, by registering between the 2nd and the 5th of the month. Afterward, the price will increase.

New beginners classes—as well as other levels, from beginners 2, to elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels—will start both in the evening and in the morning, online and in-person.

Among the new courses, we have the pleasure to present Viaggio in Italia (A2-B1), a virtual “Grand Tour“ of Italy, to discover main cities, regions and their history, with grammar in context; Leggere l’Italia e Gli Italiani (B1-C1), to learn about Italians through memoirs, journalistic books, and short stories; Circolo di Lettura (B2-C1), to discuss short novels from XX century’s authors introduced by Jhumpa Lahiri; Grandi Italiani nella Storia (B2-C2); Il Segreto di Petrarca e La Nascita della Poesia Moderna(C1-C2); Vasari and the invention of the Renaissance (B2-C2) Ortoepia, Articolazione e Dizione (B2-C1); Italian Cinema (B2-C2); Alla Ricerca dei Tesori d’Italia (B2-C1); Isole Intorno Alla Più Bella Penisola del Mondo (B2-C1); and a Virtual Tour of Dante’s Cities (B2-C2).

I finally invite you to try our yoga classes, to keep your body as trained and young as your mind. We also have Latin courses of different levels.

For the children, Maestra Fiorenza is planning our next themed workshop: La Befana, l’Epifania e l’Inverno on January 6th from 6:00-9:00 pm (parents night out!).

We are looking forward to seeing you at the Festa di Natale on December 19th at 4:30 pm. We will have a smaller event compared to the previous years, but we will be happy to be able to celebrate with prosecco e panettone in person and on Facebook Live.

Your continued support and appreciation for our courses and events online is very valuable for us. It is also great to see some of you coming back in person.

Please stay healthy and keep enjoying Italian culture from your home and inperson this winter. A list of upcoming events is on our website.

Affettuosi auguri di Buone Feste,

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AN INTERVIEW WITH ATTORNEY MARCO PERMUNIAN FOUNDER OF ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP ASSISTANCE

Italy, or via judicial proceedings for cases which need to be filed in court.

Interestingly enough, we at ICA saw an unprecedented surge of citizenship applications in the past 18 months.

The events of 2020 on various fronts seem to have acted as a catalyst for many people of Italian descent to finally take advantage of their birth right and start the Italian citizenship application process.

H

ow can I become an Italian Citizen and what are the advantages?

We met Marco Permunian, attorney and founder of the Italian Citizenship Assistence, who will try to clarify doubts about the citizenship application process.

How did ICA start and what do you do?

Marco Permunian: Many years ago I travelled to New York City where I was introduced to the ItalianAmerican community; the way in which Italian culture had survived so many generations, combined with the passion and love that many still had for the motherland, sealed my desire to help Americans with Italian heritage claim Italian citizenship jure sanguinis (by right of blood). Therefore, in 2012 I founded ItalianCitizenshipAssistance. com, which is a very big team of legal experts, genealogists, professional translators and dual citizenship attorneys based both in Italy and the US who help American citizens with Italian descent acquire Italian citizenship via consulates in the U.S. and abroad, via applications filed in

Who is eligible to apply for Italian citizenship jure sanguinis?

Marco Permunian: You can apply for Italian citizenship by descent if your ancestor (who was born in Italy) was alive at the time Italy was unified as a nation on March 17, 1861 (or if he/she was born after that date); you can apply if your ancestor was never naturalized (or if he/she became a U.S. citizen after the birth of the child who was born in the U.S. and after June 14, 1912), and if none of your ancestors in your direct line of descent ever renounced their Italian citizenship. If there is a woman in your Italian lineage who gave birth to her child prior to January 1, 1948, you may not be able to apply for citizenship via an Italian consulate or municipality but you might be able to file a 1948 case and apply via the court system instead. You can check out our website for more detailed information about the eligibility requirements.

Which documents do you need to apply for Italian citizenship jure sanguinis and where can you apply?

Marco Permunian: In order to apply for Italian citizenship by descent you need certified copies of your family’s vital records, i.e. birth, marriage, death and divorce certificates (if applicable) and your ancestor’s naturalization records or proof that your ancestor was never naturalized. In particular, you will need to retrieve your ancestor’s

naturalization records or proof of no naturalization from NARA, USCIS or the county in which the naturalization took place. All these records will then need to be authenticated with an Apostille, translated into Italian and submitted to the Italian municipality or to the consulate that covers the jurisdiction where you reside. On the other hand, if you are applying via a 1948 case you do not need to travel to Italy, rather, you can sign a Power of attorney and enable a lawyer to represent you in court.

Which would you say are the top 3 benefits of becoming an Italian citizen?

Marco Permunian: If you apply for Italian citizenship you will be able to pass citizenship automatically on to your minor children. In other words, you only need to register their births in order for them to be officially recognized as Italian citizens and the same will apply to future generations.

Secondly, as an Italian citizen you can access Italy’s high-quality, free universal healthcare. Finally, another benefit of becoming an Italian citizen is the ability to both live in Italy and to travel, work or study in any of the EU’s member states without any restrictions or time limitations.

ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP ASSISTANCE

Contact info: ItalianCitizenshipAssistance.com 1-323-892-0861 ICA also produces a very popular podcast (published on YouTube) on the subject of Italian citizenship, to watch the latest episodes please visit http://youtube.com/ italiancitizenshipassistance

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THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF: GIUSEPPE E’ IL PRIMO VINCITORE ITALIANO Di Dario Penzo

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’Italia torna a vince ancora in una competizione inglese, questa volta si parla di The Great British Bake Off, uno dei programmi più seguiti dal pubblico oltremanica e non solo. A vincere è stato Giuseppe Dell’Anno, incoronato come miglior pasticcere amatoriale nella dodicesima edizione del programma.

Il fine settimana scorso, su Chanel 4 e rispettivamente su Netflix nel resto del mondo, si è svolta la finalissima, girata come tradizione nei mesi primaverili.

Ai nastri di partenza 12 concorrenti, quasi tutti nati e cresciuti in Inghilterra, ad eccezione di Jürgen, tedesco, e di Giuseppe 45enne, sposato con 3 figli, originario di Gaeta in provincia di Latina, ma da anni residente a Bristol dove lavora come ingegnere.

“Giuseppi”, come è stato ribattezzato dai conduttori Paul Hollywood e Prue Leith per tutta la trasmissione, è giunto

all’ultima puntata insieme agli altri due finalisti Crystelle Pereira di Londra e Chigs Parmar di Leicester. Nonostante la bravura dimostrata dagli altri due sfidanti, sia Hollywood che Dama Prue non hanno avuto dubbi nel premiare il pasticcere italiano il quale, secondo le due celebrity chefs, “Fin dalla prima puntata ha mostrato davvero di saperci fare, portando con sé la più bella e buona tradizione culinaria italiana“.

Una passione naturale per il forno, quella di Giuseppe, che arriva direttamente dal padre, chef e ristoratore professionista, che era solito cucinare tutti i giorni per la propria famiglia. Giuseppe amava seguirlo nella cucina, raccogliendo consigli e trucchi. In un’intervista alla tv inglese dichiara:“Mio padre preparava una torta quasi ogni settimana, il che mi ha portato ad innamorarmi della pasticceria.”

Dopo la vittoria Giuseppe avrebbe

dichiarato di sentirsi orgoglioso di aver tenuto alto l’onore della cucina casalinga in un anno particolarmente felice per l’Italia dopo l’eccezionale prestazione alle Olimpiadi, la vittoria degli Europei di Calcio e la vittoria dei Måneskin all’Eurovision Song Contest. Molte le congratulazioni che sono piovute dai social media per l’ingegnere e panificatore italiano.

Finiti i festeggiamenti per la vittoria nel futuro di Dell’Anno si preannuncia un libro di cucina, dedicato alla pasticceria italiana per riprendere e mantenere la tradizione di famiglia.

GIUSEPPE IS THE FIRST ITALIAN WINNER

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taly returns to win another English competition, this time being The Great British Bake Off, one of the most popular programs in the UK and beyond.

The winner was Giuseppe Dell’Anno, who was crowned as the best amateur pastry chef in the twelfth edition of the program. Last weekend the finale aired on Channel 4 and respectively Netflix for the rest of the world, after being filmed in the spring months as per tradition. At the starting line were 12 competitors, almost all born and raised in England, with the exception of the German Jürgen, and Giuseppe, 45 and married with 3 children, originally from Gaeta, but now living in Bristol for many years where he works as an engineer.

“Giuseppi”, as he was renamed by the

hosts Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith throughout the show, reached the last episode with the other two finalists Crystelle Pereira from London and Chigs Parmar from Leicester. Despite the skills shown by the other two challengers, both Hollywood and Dame Prue had no doubts in awarding the Italian pastry chef who, according to the two celebrity chefs, “From the first episode he really showed he knows how to do it, bringing with him the most beautiful and good Italian culinary tradition.”

Giuseppe has a natural passion for the art of baking, which comes directly from his father, chef and professional restaurateur, who used to cook every day for his family. Giuseppe loved to follow him into the kitchen, collecting

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tips and tricks. In an interview on British TV he declares: “My father used to bake a cake almost every week, which led me to fall in love with the pastry shop.”

After the victory, Giuseppe declared that he felt proud to have kept up the honor of home cooking in a particularly happy year for Italy after the country’s exceptional performance at the Olympics, winning the European Football Championships, and the victory of Måneskin at Eurovision Song Contest. Many congratulations rained down from social media for the Italian engineer and baker. After the celebrations for the victory, Dell’Anno has plans in the future for a cook book dedicated to Italian pastry to resume and maintain the family tradition.

DINNER CLUB

UNA SOLA REGOLA: AMARE CIBO, VIAGGI E BUONA COMPAGNIA Di Dario Penzo

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u Amazon Prime Video è arrivata già da qualche settimana una nuova serie, Dinner Club: sei episodi in cui sei attori italiani si mettono alla prova ai fornelli, viaggiando per l’Italia con lo chef stellato Carlo Cracco, che forse non è poi così cattivo come vuole far credere.

Ogni episodio ritrova Cracco in viaggio con uno degli attori prescelti tra Diego Abatantuono, Fabio De Luigi, Pierfrancesco Favino, Sabrina Ferilli, Luciana Littizzetto e Valerio Mastandrea alla scoperta di ricette gustose e originali in giro per l’Italia. Da Nord a Sud i protagonisti si muovono “on the road” alla scoperta di sapori della tradizione, svelando anche ricette poco note, tramandate da generazioni.

Dinner Club è uno show dinamico di

puro intrattenimento, si ride come davanti a una bella commedia o all’esibizione di un comico. Ogni episodio ritrova i protagonisti seduti a cena e a turno in cucina c’è un attore diverso insieme a Carlo Cracco che racconta la loro avventura e cosa ha imparato nel corso del viaggio gastronomico, riproponendo alcune ricette. Una cena tra amici in cui si alternano chiacchiere, riflessioni e confidenze tra una critica e l’altra al cibo che arriva in tavola.

e imprevedibile Mastandrea che non mangia “le cose bianche”.

Ogni personaggio arricchisce gli episodi con naturalezza e simpatia.

Da Favino con il suo fare intellettuale che mette in crisi la verve verace e onesta della Ferilli che non vede l’ora di assaggiare i vari piatti che le si parano davanti; l’ironia pungente di Abatantuono e la simpatia di De Luigi; la spregiudicata ed eccentrica Littizzetto che mette in difficoltà lo chef; fino al sornione

Quindi un programma che merita un’occhiata perché è un prodotto televisivo di qualità, realizzato con cura, e soprattutto utile ad arricchire il suo pubblico con nuove conoscenze tra una risata e una confidenza. E poi ovviamente ci si può anche mettere alla prova togliendo i sottotitoli e cercando di capire le battute dei protagonisti.

Un viaggio spassoso e interessante per scoprire la cucina autentica legata al territorio, incontrando persone autentiche che raccontano la loro esperienza e le loro ricette. Da non sottovalutare il valore turistico del programma che mostra luoghi bellissimi poco noti che potrebbero essere messi in lista per le prossime vacanze, al mare o in montagna.

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ABOUT POCHE PAROLE Poche Parole is published each month from September through May. Deadline for ad and article submissions is the 22nd of the month preceding publication of the issue. Please send submissions to events@italianculturalsociety.org. Advertisers appearing in Poche Parole have paid a fee. Publication of any advertisement in Poche Parole does not reflect ICS endorsement or guarantee of the advertiser’s services, products or statements. Material contained in articles is the sole responsibility of the author and does not indicate ICS endorsement.

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ABOUT US The Italian Cultural Society of Washington D.C. (ICS) is your home for cultural and social events in the Washington metropolitan area, and for courses to learn or improve your Italian. Our community is growing and involving the entire US, thenks to online activities.

OUR HISTORY Founded in 1953 by Professor Salvatore J. Castiglione, Chairman of the Italian Department of Georgetown University, the Society launched its Italian Language Program in 1974, with contribution of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

The Italian Cultural Society of Washington, D.C. is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. All donations to ICS are 100% tax deductible.

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