Panoram Italia Magazine Toronto June-July 2013

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THE ITALIAN-CANADIAN MAGAZINE MAILED TO HOMES & BUSINESSES IN THE GREATER TORONTO AREA

THE NEW EMERGING ITALIANS

LA CANTINA:

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JUNE / JULY 2013 • VOL.3 • NO.3

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

JUNE / JULY 2013 Volume 3 Number 3

EDITORIAL La stampa in lingua italiana in Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 McGill University Provost Tony Masi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Intervista all’Ambasciatore Gian Lorenzo Cornado . . . . . . 12

LA CANTINA

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La Cantina: An Italian-Canadian Staple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 La Cantina: The Italian Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 The ABCs of Homemade Prosciutto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Guide to Homemade Capicollo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Homemade Sausage and Soppressata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

LIFE & PEOPLE Mary Mauti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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FUTURE LEADER Cristina Tenaglia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

FOOD & WINE Alla ricerca del sapore perduto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 The University of Gelato . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Fired up for Pizza in Toronto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Making Neapolitan Pizza Classics at Home . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Grape Expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

LIVING ITALIAN STYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 FASHION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 ITALIAN HERITAGE MONTH Viva Vitalità . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 TRAVEL Italian Drop Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Un’estate al mare di Sicilia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER AND EDITOR Tony Zara

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Filippo Salvatore

EDITORIAL DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Adam Zara MONTREAL WEB MANAGERS MANAGING EDITOR Gabriel Riel-Salvatore Gabriel Riel-Salvatore Claudio Ortu TORONTO MANAGING EDITORS Rita Simonetta Viviana Laperchia

PROOFREADERS Claudio Ortu Marie-Joëlle Proulx

ART DEPARTMENT ART DIRECTION David Ferreira

PHOTOGRAPHY Gregory Varano Michel Ostaszewski Giulio Muratori

GRAPHIC DESIGN David Ferreira

MAKEUP Desi Varano

ADVERTISING VICE PRESIDENT – MARKETING & SALES TORONTO Earl Weiner

ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVE David De Marco

CONTRIBUTORS Sabrina Marandola Sarah Mastroianni Giuseppe Mattoscio Sergio Mattoscio Francesco Caruso Carolina Caruso Alessia Sara Domanico Francesca Spizzirri Fabio Forlano Stephanie Grella Vanessa Santilli Liz Allemang Salvatore Difalco Danila Di Croce Alessio Galletti Alain Raymond Letizia Tesi Romina Monaco Laura Nesci Daniela Di Stefano Andrea Lepore Querido

ARTS & CULTURE Little Italy on the Silver Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Una scuola di cinema in Calabria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Patricia Fogliato’s Mad Ship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Pino Daniele . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Between Takes with Antonio Cupo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Western University Italian Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 St. Clare Church Celebrates 100 Years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

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SPORTS Lamborghini: Ferrucio’s Revenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Confederations Cup Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

26 Duncan Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5V 2B9 Tel.: 1.800.775.9428 I Fax: 416.438.3188 or by e-mail at: info@panoramitalia.com Legal deposit - Bibliothèque nationale du Québec / National Library of Canada - ISSN: 1916-6389 Distribution par / by

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EDITORIAL

La stampa in lingua italiana in Canada tra passato, presente e futuro La sospensione il 4 maggio 2013 del Corriere Canadese, l’unico quotidiano in lingua italiana in Canada, nella zona metropolitana di Toronto, diretto da Paola Bernardini, fondato 59 anni fa da Daniel Iannuzzi, è innegabilmente una perdita per gli italofoni del Canada. Questa drastica decisione obbedisce ad una logica prettamente economica: la costante erosione del contributo ricevuto dal Dipartimento per l'editoria e le rigidità di applicazione della normativa esistente, ossia il mancato pagamento, alla Multimedia dei costi sostenuti per la produzione del giornale. La situazione è venuta a crearsi a causa delle problematiche e delle lungaggini legate al finanziamento ed alla erogazione dei contributi previsti alla stampa all’estero dalla legge sull’editoria del Governo italiano. uesta incresciosa situazione ci porta a fare alcune riflessioni sul ruolo che i mezzi d’informazione in lingua italiana al di fuori dei confini nazionali nell’età della rete telematica sono chiamati a svolgere nel presente ed in avvenire.

I media tradizionali in sola lingua italiana, sorti in vari paesi di emigrazione negli ultimi cinque/sei decenni stanno affrontando un periodo di crisi, poiché sono arrivati alla fine di un ciclo, quello dell’emigrazione di prima generazione che cerca nelle testate sorte all’interno delle varie comunità espatriate un punto di riferimento per capire e tenersi in contatto con l’ evoluzione sociale della Madrepatria. Sui circa sessanta milioni di oriundi italiani solo una percentuale decrescente parla ancora, all’inizio del terzo millennio, la lingua madre e solo poco più di quattro milioni sono ancora cittadini italiani. Questi dati danno la vera immagine dell’Italia nel mondo. La questione da capire è dunque questa: il ‘sistema Italia’ può continuare ad esistere nel mondo se si usano diverse lingue, oltre all’italiano, per esprimerlo? L’ideale sarebbe di poter usare solo l’italiano, ma nella realtà dei fatti l’italianità è concepita ed espressa sempre più frequentemente usando lingue altre.

Dalla fine dell’Ottocento alla seconda guerra mondiale i giornali pubblicati in vari paesi di emigrazione italiana sono stati il mezzo preferito usato dai cosiddetti ‘padroni’ per offrire servizi, diventare sostituti di uffici di collocamento, cambio di valuta, vendita di biglietti o di vari prodotti alimentari importati. È esistita anche una stampa dichiaratamente ideologica, voce di espatriati politici. Una dialettica politica, tra cavouriani, mazziniani o guelfi è esistita per esempio in paesi di vecchia e numerosa emigrazione come gli USA, il Brasile, o l’Argentina. Nei soli USA sono nate e scomparse oltre 2.000 piccole testate, da

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prima l’unità d’Italia fino alla fine del secondo millennio. In Canada le testate pubblicate dal primo Novecento sono state circa una cinquantina. Nel periodo fascista la stampa in lingua italiana si è trasformata in città come Montreal, Toronto o Vancouver in mezzo di propaganda facendo combaciare italianità e fascismo con rare eccezioni come Il Cittadino Canadese di Antonino Spada, la voce dell’antifascismo italocanadese (la versione attuale de Il Cittadino Canadese, proprietà di un ex senatore filo-berlusconiano, fa rimpiangere la gloria passata).

La versione cartacea di quotidiani e di settimanali, nel cinquantennio 1950-2000, indispensabili fino ad un decennio fa, prima cioè della rivoluzione telematica in corso, era una necessità e lo rimane per la vecchia generazione. Nel 2013 un numero crescente di lettori ha ricorso alla rete come fonte primaria e virtuale di informazione. Si tratta di un cambiamento epocale ed irreversibile in quanto la nascente nuova emigrazione italiana è costituita da giovani istruiti che hanno ricorso alla cosiddetta computer literacy, sanno cioè navigare nella rete digitale.

Dei quasi due milioni di italocanadesi (censimento 2011) ormai meno di 500,000 parlano ancora l’italiano. Questo semplice dato statistico va preso come punto di partenza e di arrivo per capire qual è il ruolo della stampa in una lingua non-ufficiale come l’italiano in un paese come il Canada. La realtà canadese può essere presa come un esempio significativo dell’evoluzione occorsa in seno alle comunità italiane nel mondo e la base per le modifiche urgenti da apportare alla legge sul finanziamento alla stampa italiana all’estero.

La stampa è un mezzo di informazione e di formazione, un contropotere in difesa della libertà. È la espressione scritta della cronaca, dei problemi, delle aspirazioni, delle sconfitte e delle vittorie singole e col-

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lettive di una comunità. È la traccia duratura che lascia di sè e che con il passar del tempo diventa la sua storia.

Tante piccole testate, in Canada e nel resto del mondo, non assolvono più a questo compito. Si limitano a tagliare e copiare notizie di agenzia. Sono diventate mere cinghie di trasmissione dei desiderata delle varie segreterie di partito. Venendo così meno al ruolo fondamentale della stampa: essere la voce degli ideali di libertà di pensiero e di responsabilità sociale ed etica. A cosa serve mantenere in vita testate di questo tipo anche se usano la lingua italiana? Perché escludere testate come Panoram Italia che da oltre un decennio sta portando alto il nome dell’Italia in Canada nella versione cartacea e in quella telematica usando oltre che l’italiano anche il francese e l’inglese? Tante sono le incongruenze presenti nella legge sull’editoria che non tiene conto dell’italianità nel mondo così come essa è veramente oggi. Invece delle tradizionali sovvenzioni basate sulla tiratura (nella stragrande maggioranza dei casi inflazionata), e il sistema farraginoso usato per determinare chi è eleggibile, il Governo di Roma potrebbe dare un contributo, dietro raccomandazione dei rappresentanti diplomatici, per mezzo di annunci pubblicitari per incentivare il Made in Italy o il turismo a testate che sono veramente tali.

Gli editori della stampa che hanno l’Italia come punto di riferimento dovranno puntare sulla pubblicazione in rete, escogitare metodi diversi di attrarre lettori nuovi e sponsor pubblicitari nei paesi in cui operano, riducendo in tal modo la dipendenza dall'erogazione del contributo del governo italiano. E offriamo PanoramItalia, la rivista italocanadese più importante, come modello. Il Corriere Canadese a Toronto, i settimanali Corriere Italiano e Insieme a Montreal o altre piccole testate a Ottawa o a Vancouver non ci sono riusciti e ne stanno subendo le conseguenze e pagando il prezzo. (La Redazione)

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The impact of disruptive information and communications technologies on universities

By Prof. Anthony C. Masi, Provost, McGill University esearch universities are under attack in virtually every jurisdiction in which they operate in advanced industrial democracies. The issues in this crisis are many, diverse, and often contradictory: funding models that are antiquated; cutbacks in government subsidies; tuition rates that are either too high or too low; expensive infrastructure that needs maintenance; costly equipment that cannot be easily replaced; students and employers interested only in practical skills training rather than in a broad, general, adaptable education; professors who must publish or perish on the road to tenure and who do not focus attention on their pedagogical approaches to teaching students; classes that are too big; too many classes that are too small; administrative apparatuses that are unjustifiably large and growing; Byzantine bureaucratic rules; and, disruptive uses of emerging technologies that have the potential to erode the foundations on which higher education has been built.

A treatise could be written, and many have been, on each and every one of these issues. Here, however, I want to concentrate on the last one, the emergence of highly disruptive technologies and their impact on university education. There are four aspects that deserve serious consideration in this regard.

First, the generation of students who are about to enroll in programs of study at research universities are what some commentators have labeled “digital natives” or “the born digital generation”. They are at ease with computers, touch screens, and smart phones in ways that make their parents, and certainly their grandparents, both proud and envious. Familiarity with these technologies affects the way digital natives think, study, and learn. So, how have universities prepared themselves for the arrival on their campuses of this born digital generation? Not well, I am afraid, is the answer. Our pedagogical approaches have still not adapted to this new style of learner and the new tools used to master materials. Professors are rarely given the opportunity to think about and improve their teaching, and they rarely teach with explicit learning objectives based on the experiences and expectations of the students in their classes. Universities have a lot of work to do on this front.

Second, the born digital generation has grown up in an environment in which vast stores of information are readily available on the Internet and the means of accessing these data are ubiquitous. The size and scope of browser-based searches across the World Wide Web is nothing short of mind-boggling. Unfortunately, this data is not of uniformly high quality. Rather, more often than not, it leaves much to be desired. How do digital natives know which information is valuable and correct and which is questionable on both counts? At universities, professors create much, if not most, of the truly useful information available on the Web. But finding it can be a daunting task. The profession of librarian is constantly being reinvented to address these matters as libraries themselves cease being repositories for paper and are transformed into active learning spaces. But changing old bad habits is very tough. Librarians and pedagogues must work together with professors to help students sort the data on the Internet and World Wide Web to allow them to transform it into useful information. Professors’ research and the very nature of

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research itself have to become part of the value-proposition for undergraduate students who attend research universities. Research and teaching must be seen as complementary and librarians have to be identified as key resource personnel.

Third, the traditional physical design of classrooms does not encourage deep engagement with the process of learning. Active participation is required in order for learning to be most effective. Indeed, active learning rarely takes place in the lecture hall or when the only speaker in a seminar is the professor. If the technology is appropriately deployed and the information readily available, then why don’t we just flip the procedures: record the lecture and make the relevant reading and exercise materials available to students BEFORE they come to class, and then use class time to focus on the specific learning objectives. In order to do this, we need planners, designers, and architects to consider learning styles and information needs of digital natives so that professors can adapt physical spaces to fully engage students as active learners. Once again, professors and administrators know what we need to do, but we are not doing it fast enough or deep enough.

Finally, given the technology, information, and pedagogy, one might ask why the community of active and engaged learners be created that extends far beyond the walls of the classroom or the gates of the university?

There have already been some exciting and challenging experiments with higher education materials, but until recently many have originated outside of the university.

The concept to which I am referring here is called a MOOC, a “massive open online course”. These are not just “canned” courses or recorded “talking heads”, but rather entirely new ways of packaging materials, conducting assessments, and ensuring quality, in order to teach incredibly large numbers of students, with success. The economies of scale are incredible – forget teaching a 1000 student introductory course, MOOCs can reach hundreds of thousands of learners, potentially millions, with a single offering. The challenge is that

many such enterprises which can, and do, offer quality products for interested and motivated learners are not directly affiliated with traditional institutions of higher learning, although they all use highly renowned professors from world-class universities to design, develop, and deliver MOOCs. Universities can learn a lot from these groups, and already are doing so. This includes creating not-for-profit consortia that plan to learn how to improve the residential campus experience for digital learners by experimenting with MOOCs. Taken together, these four trends, based on disruptive information technologies, represent a truly significant challenge for universities. Research universities can continue to be relevant to born-digital generations only if they take pedagogy seriously, enlist librarians to help students transform raw data into useful information and knowledge, convert traditional classrooms into active learning spaces, and deliver MOOCs in such a way as to make the experiences transferable to the oncampus face-to-face environment in which professors’ research feeds directly into the course.

If universities, especially public research universities, are to survive into the twenty-second century of the Common Era, they will have to be creative in responding to the political, economic, and personal criticisms levied at them and in adapting to new expectations of students who are “digital natives”, and they will have to respond to “startups” entering the higher education arena. If universities were traded on the futures market, I would only buy stock in those that are addressing all four of the issues I have outlined above. I am pushing the one at which I work to do just that.

Prof. Masi would like to acknowledge the financial support of the Max Bell Foundation.

A longer piece on this topic, from which the above op-ed is drawn, will appear in the Literary Review of Canada in Fall 2013.

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Banks vs. Credit Unions

S.E. Gian Lorenzo Cornado è stato Console Generale d'Italia a Montréal, dal 2000 al 2004 e ha lasciato un segno indelebile della sua presenza nella nostra comunità. Panoram Italia l’ha incontrato all’inizio di maggio nella sede dell’ambasciata a Ottawa.

PI: Ho avuto modo di parlare con alcuni giovani laureati della nuova immigrazione che trovano che il periodo del permesso di lavoro in Canada di sei mesi sia troppo breve. Vorrebbero che la lunghezza fosse estesa ad un anno, per aiutarli a trovare un’occupazione, migliorare la conoscenza delle lingue e fare esami integrativi, se necessario. E’ fattibile?

GLC: Sei mesi non sono sufficienti per inserirsi in un Paese come il Canada e per avere un’esperienza di lavoro completa. Questo è il cosidetto programma VacanzaLavoro. Anche i Canadesi sono interessati a inviare i propri giovani in Italia per un periodo di un anno anziché di sei mesi. Ci sono delle questioni tecniche che bisogna risolvere sul piano bilaterale. Ci sono dei contatti in corso, li riavvieremo senz’altro e premeremo affinché si possa estendere ai ragazzi italiani lo stesso trattamento che viene offerto ai francesi, per esempio.

PI: Un’altra richiesta fatta da molti giovani immigrati italiani è di spingere le autorità canadesi affinché ci sia l’equipollenza dei titoli di studio. Come si potrebbe operare?

GLC: Il problema riguarda, in particolare, gli ordini professionali che difendono le proprie categorie, i propri iscritti e costituiscono una forma di tutela nei confronti degli studenti che hanno conseguito un titolo di studio, sopratutto in Québec. Però, credo che sia nostro compito, come Ambasciata, perorare la causa degli Italiani che vogliono utilizzare il loro titolo di studio in Canada e vederselo riconosciuto. Bisogna negoziare un accordo con le autorità locali, canadesi e quebecchesi. Sarebbe interessante vedere quali altri paesi hanno magari già risolto questo problema e cercare di seguire il loro esempio. Sarebbe un enorme valore aggiunto per il Canada e per il Québec poter accogliere ricercatori e professionisti italiani, come avviene negli Stati Uniti.

PI: Quali sono i settori in cui l’Italia è maggiormente presente in Canada?

GLC: Ci sono delle grosse possibilità per un’azienda italiana per insediarsi in Canada e fare affari. Il Canada è un’isola felice. È l’unico Paese occidentale che è sfuggito alla recessione. Pensiamo all’industria dolciaria, alla Ferrero, che è presente in Ontario e che distribuisce i suoi prodotti non solo in Canada ma anche negli Stati Uniti.

C’è anche il settore tecnologico, naturalmente. Nel settore petrolifero c’è una presenza della Saipem e dell’Eni in Alberta. Sono settori di punta ad altissimo potenziale dove esiste la possibilità di migliorare i rapporti e di promuovere gli investimenti, la partecipazione e la presenza di altre aziende italiane. Il 17 maggio a New York ho parlato agli imprenditori italiani negli Stati Uniti e li ho incoraggiati ad investire anche in Canada, ad aprire succursali e filiali. C’è l’errata valutazione che si può lavorare con i Canadesi dagli Stati Uniti. Bisogna lavorare con i Canadesi dal Canada. Il settore petrolifero in Alberta è in rapida crescita. Il Canada è il terzo paese produttore di petrolio al mondo.

PI: La stampa in lingua italiana in Canada è in crisi.

Testate storiche stanno chiudendo, come il quotidiano

di Toronto “Corriere Canadese”. Il contributo dato dal governo italiano è stato ridotto, poi ci sono stati anche dei casi in cui i finanziamenti dati ad alcune testate non corrispondevano alla realtà dei fatti perché hanno aumentato la tiratura. È possibile rilanciare la stampa in lingua italiana su basi diverse?

GLC: C’è stato un momento in cui stava per essere tagliato completamente il contributo alla stampa all’estero. Poi il Presidente del Consiglio e il Ministro degli Esteri sono ritornati su questa decisione proprio perché non si voleva privare la comunità italiana all’estero di uno strumento così importante. I mezzi l’anno scorso sono stati veramente pochi. Io mi auguro che quest’anno le condizioni generali finanziarie siano migliori. Bisogna vedere quali sono le effettive disponibilità di fondi. La stampa italiana all’estero vive di contributi pubblici; è assolutamente necessario continuare ad aiutare i giornali italiani all’estero, segnatamente quelli in Canada. Per quanto riguarda le irregolarità, faremo molta attenzione da qui e dai vari Consolati perché ogni contributo sia predisposto secondo la legge con il massimo rigore.

PI: La legge vigente, prevede che vengano dati contributi alla stampa italiana all’estero solo se si usa la lingua italiana. Non le pare che ci debba essere un emendamento o un cambiamento della legge per includere le testate che usano, oltre che l’italiano, una lingua locale, ad esempio il tedesco o il francese in Europa, lo spagnolo o il portoghese in America Latina, o il francese e l’inglese qui in Canada?

GLC: Occorrerebbe discuterne a livello del Ministero degli Esteri, a livello di comunità italiana e a livello parlamentari italiani che portino le istanze per la modifica tramite emendamento al Parlamento italiano. La legge vigente purtroppo permette solo di finanziare giornali o testate in lingua italiana. Capisco la frustrazione che può provare un editore come quello di Panoram Italia, una rivista bellissima a larga diffusione, che quindi ha dei costi considerevoli, e che dà un grosso contributo all’informazione della comunità italiana perché è di altissima qualità.

Al momento, ripeto, la legge in vigore ci permette di finanziare soltanto la stampa in lingua italiana. Però tramite la sensibilizzazione alla Farnesina e tramite i parlamentari eletti all’Estero si potrebbe fare un ragio-namento diverso.

PI: Una delle raccomandazioni dei 10 Saggi al presidente Napolitano, era l’eliminazione della Circoscrizione Estero. Lei, come vede la questione del voto all’estero?

GLC: E’ una questione sensibile. Lei sa che ci sono state numerose proposte da parte di formazioni politiche nella scorsa legislatura per emendare la legge sul voto e sul voto degli Italiani all’estero. Vi sono molte sensibilità politiche presenti, credo che sia preferibile affrontare questo argomento quando avremo maggiori elementi. Vedremo quale sarà l’atteggiamento delle forze politiche e quali proposte di modifica della legge Tremaglia verranno presentate in Parlamento.

It’s true that credit unions and banks provide a similar range of financial services, from daily banking to retirement planning, but delve deeper and it becomes clear that credit unions are decidedly different.

Credit unions are democratic cooperatives The first credit unions were established because big banks made it difficult for average citizens to borrow or invest.

Whereas banks are focused on the value of their shares, their shareholders are not necessarily their customers. Credit Unions are co-operatives where customers become owners. At IC Savings, each customer receives one share and becomes an equal shareholder with an equal vote.

Better services and benefits Credit unions offer the same full range of services as banks–from RRSPs, mutual funds and other investment options to expert financial planning. Another major benefit of credit unions is their “ding-free” ATM network, which allows members to take out cash from any credit union ATM without paying additional surcharges.

Credit unions are friendly Outstanding customer service is one of the hallmarks of credit unions. Whether you’re opening a new account or seeking the services of an investment specialist, knowledgeable staff members are on hand to help. Credit unions routinely rank higher than banks in customer service and satisfaction surveys.

Community comes first Much of the decision-making with Credit Unions rests at the local level. Banks, on the other hand, tend to be managed by a central office, with their view on national and even international markets. Credit Unions care for their communities because they are creatures of communities whether from an affinity bond or a geographic region. They express this care by contributing to the social and economic well being in ways ranging from sharing profits with their members, to making donations on the their behalf, or simply providing financial services in support of their local communities.

IC Savings has its roots in the Italian Community but has become an integral part of all the neighbourhoods that it serves; welcoming all Canadians that are looking for a “Better Banking Experience”.

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LA CANTINA

La Cantina An Italian-Canadian staple It’s the vault in every Italian-Canadian household. That small, dark place that holds the family’s most cherished possessions; the fruit of its hard work and manual labour. So if you’re ever invited into an Italian-Canadian family’s cantina, consider it an honour.

By Sabrina Marandola Photography by Michel Ostaszewski

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Toronto JUNE-JULY 1-16_Layout 1 13-05-23 1:11 PM Page 15

xperiencing a cantina makes everyone feel a little more Italian,” says David Szanto, a PhD Gastronomy student, who also teaches at Concordia University in Montreal, and l’Università delle scienze gastronomiche di Brà in Italy.

From cured meats, damigiane of wine, jars of pickled food and canned tomato sauce, the cantina displays an Italian family’s history, tradition, and above all, identity.

“In terms of identity, food is critical,” Szanto says. “For Italians in Italy, the place they live, the language they speak and the food they eat is deeply interconnected to identity.”

So when Italians immigrated to Canada in waves after the First and Second World Wars, leaving Italy meant leaving behind a part of who they were. “The ‘place’ was gone,” Szanto explains. “The cantina becomes a recreation of the old place. It’s a figurative representation of home, and it’s where they keep homemade food.” Add to that the fact that most Italians who immigrated did so to escape poverty and hunger. It becomes easy to understand why food – making, preserving and storing it – played such a significant role in defining the Italian way of life here in Canada.

“The cantina is a safety net against hunger. It represents a surplus,” Szanto says, adding that back in the old country, many didn’t always know where their next meal would come from, or if they’d have a bad harvest one year. “For new immigrants, life is chaotic, new and scary. They are looking for stability and food security. The cantina created a kind of security that new immigrants would want to have. It’s an emotional and psychological sense of security.” That’s why today, the cantina is a staple in the homes of many Italian immigrants across Canada.

“E

“

When Italians started to come to Canada, they immediately began growing, preserving and storing their own food as they worked toward living a better, richer life where they wouldn’t go hungry again.

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“

Today, many older Italian-Canadians still maintain a cantina – their way of practicing “Slow Food” long before it was a marketing buzzword. “Slow Food is about having a firsthand connection to your food,” Szanto says, adding that every family has its own distinct recipes and methods for preserving homemade foods in their cantine.

“

But is the cantina still a place that reflects identity? Recipes have changed from the homeland, as immigrants have had to use local products they could find here in Canada to produce and preserve their food. And what about those who don’t have a cantina?

“The cantina is disappearing,” says Szanto, adding that new generations are Italian-Canadian – not “Italian.” “There are other places now where Italian-Canadian identities are being enacted.”

Regardless of whether or not the cantina will survive in the homes of young Italian-Canadians, Szanto says it will forever remain a link to our roots. “The cantina lets us feel connected to our history.”

2012-13

“

“After the First World War, when Italians started moving to Toronto and Montreal, they were using empty plots of land outside of the city for gardens,” explains Master of Geography Cedric Capacchione. “It was a direct transition: they went from the Italian countryside, and imported those customs into the city.”

When the second, and bigger wave of immigrants came over after the Second World War, families often got together to buy a home, and eventually modified their basements to include a cantina. “As soon as they could afford to buy their own homes, Italians set up secondary kitchens in the basements, and built cantine,” Capacchione says.

And building their own cantina further cultivated the immigrants’ sense of identity. That’s because who you are is based on what you do, according to Szanto.

“Identity is performed: it’s what we do. Italians would build their own cantina, they would make the food in it, and eat that food. They were constructing and consuming, so the cantina serves as a double-identity reinforcer. There is the saying, ‘You are what you eat.’ But in fact, it goes beyond that. You are what you make.”

And while Italian immigrants were making their own food in their own cantine as a way to tap into who they were and where they came from, they were cutting down on expenses at the same time.

“They would buy a pig and cure the meat themselves. They were able to save significantly on the cost of living this way. They were supplementing their income with agriculture, and this is something that is almost uniquely specific to the Italian community,” Capacchione says, adding it’s the equivalent of an immigrant coming to Canada today, and being able to afford a home after working a minimum-wage job for just a few years. “Because they came from an agricultural background, they saw the household as an economy. The family was seen as a giant unit.”

Please submit your picture on www.panoramitalia.com by clicking on ‘Magazine’ followed by ‘Graduates of the Year,’or by mail, and include the graduate’s name, institution, and field of study. Cost is $35.

Deadline: July 8, 2013

Pictures will appear in the August/September issue Si prega di inviare la foto a www.panoramitalia.com e cliccare prima su ‘Magazine’ e poi su ‘Graduates of the Year’, oppure spedirla per posta indicando: nome, titolo, programma di studio e istituto di provenienza.

Scadenza: 8 luglio, 2013

Le foto saranno pubblicate nell’edizione di agosto/settembre

26 Duncan Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5V 2B9 PA N O R A M I TA L I A . C O M

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LA CANTINA

Rosario De Simone

La Cantina The Italian way

By Sarah Mastroianni

Photography by Gregory Varano and Giulio Muratori

Though Italian immigrants weren’t able to bring much in their trunks and suitcases on the voyage to Canada, nestled among their belongings were many of the same things: hopes, dreams, skills, memories and traditions to serve them as they built a new life in Canada. Among the many traditions that survived the move is that of the family cantina, still alive and well today in many Italian households across the GTA.

J

ust as the dinner table is an integral part of Italian culture, so is the cantina, which houses and protects the delicacies that are then proudly offered upon the table for friends and family to enjoy. “For me, the cantina is very convenient,” Maria Grazia Riverso says. “Anything we have to keep cold, we keep it in there – sauce, wine, salami, and sometimes crushed grapes.”

While the cantina is convenient, it doesn’t have to be modern, according to Riverso, who lives in Vaughan. “You could put tiles in, but it can’t be finished like the house. It’s better to leave it a bit rustic,” she advises. In the country where many immigrants encountered various modern conveniences for the first time, the rustic cantina still merits a mention among household conveniences even today.

At the Oakville home of Maria and Pasquale Pelusi, who also make and store their own wine, oil, vinegar and sauce, the cantina plays an important role in their family’s daily life. “When I have a house, I have a cantina,” Maria says. “Even our daughter has one.”

For Woodbridge resident Joe Coppola, the cantina is more than a convenient storage space; it’s a place to showcase the work that goes into making the food staples that are the backbone of Italian culture. “We make our own pasta, our own peaches, pears and strawberries. It’s nice, but it’s hard work,” Coppola explains, adding that he and his wife also produce roasted peppers and eggplants as well as three different types of sauce.

Despite the hard work, Coppola assures that all his efforts are worth it: “There’s nothing better than what you do for yourself. It’s better than what you purchase. I know the hard work that went into it.”

If it wasn’t evident before, Coppola makes sure there’s no mistaking how he feels about his cantina. “My cantina is the proudest thing I have here,” he explains. And it shows.

But it’s not only pride in his work that makes his cantina important to him – it’s a 16

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deep appreciation of the wholesome food and wine he produces and stores there. When Coppola eats food from his cantina, he says, “I know exactly what I’m eating or what I’m drinking. It’s beautiful to keep up the tradition because it’s an all natural thing.”

Rosario De Simone, who lives in Innisfil, feels the same way. Talking about the various foods and wine he produces for his cantina each year, De Simone is sure to add,

“I keep everything original. I don’t put any additives, nothing.”

In today’s day and age, where “organic” is an expensive buzzword and organic foods are not the norm, the cantina’s stocked shelves serve as a reminder of the simplicity and goodness of the Italian food-making tradition.

Similarly to Riverso, Coppola, and the Pelusis, De Simone uses his cantina as a storage spot for the many things he produces at home: olives and sausage, to name a few, and of course, wine. “Where else would you keep it?” he laughs, referring to the damigiane of homemade wine he produces each year. He’s not a fan of the store bought stuff, but rather “the good stuff,” which can be found in his cantina. “Everybody likes the good stuff. It’s work though. If you want to keep the tradition alive, you have to keep working,” he says.

In addition to the wholesome stockpile of food the cantina provides, De Simone views his cantina as a link to his past. “I came from the old country,” he explains.

Toronto JUNE-JULY 17-32_Layout 1 13-05-23 1:14 PM Page 17

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LA CANTINA “I tried to keep the traditions that were there. It’s how I was brought up. If you really want to keep your roots, then that’s how you do it.”

Pasquale and Maria Pelusi, both of whom fondly recall having a cantina in their respective family homes, are of the same mind. They maintain the importance of the tradition within their family. “We grew up like that,” the couple states. Maria adds, “For me, it’s important to keep the tradition.”

In the hearts and minds of many Italians of a certain age, the cantina means more than just carrying on a tradition – it’s a place steeped in memories.

“I was always with my dad and his wine. I had to be there [in the cantina] helping him,” recalls Coppola. “As you grow older, you say, ‘It’s beautiful that we brought with us all that we learned from our parents,’ ” he says and adds that he hopes the new generations will continue to keep a cantina in years to come – a sentiment echoed by Riverso, De Simone and the Pelusis. “If we don’t do it,” explains Maria Pelusi about keeping up the tradition of the cantina, “our kids won’t do it, then our grandkids won’t even remember what it is.”

The culture of the cantina has remained so deeply woven into the fabric of life for Italians even after immigrating to Canada, that both Coppola and De Simone wouldn’t consider

Joe Coppola

purchasing a house that didn’t have one. “No cantina, no deal for the house,” De Simone recalls saying when he was looking for his most recent home.

According to Coppola, his house-hunting criteria were much the same. “That was priority number one!” he laughs. “I made sure it had a cantina. I wouldn’t do without it.”

But Pasquale and Maria Pelusi warn that not all cantinas are created equal. It’s something they learned the hard way when they moved into their current home expecting the cantina to work the same as the one they’d enjoyed in their previous house. “In the new house, the cantina’s not the same. I don’t know why,” explains Maria, who was very disappointed when the salami they cured didn’t turn out the way she had expected.

In order to combat this possible problem, De Simone uses a dehumidifier in his cantina and keeps a vigilant eye on the amount of moisture in the air. He explains that the level of humidity has to be just so in order for his meats to cure properly – a little bit of science woven into the art of keeping a cantina.

In De Simone’s opinion, all the talk of tradition, hard work and wholesome food boils down to one simple sentiment. Why keep a cantina?

“If you want to do things the Italian way,” he says, “you must have a cantina.”

The passion with which Riverso, Coppola, De Simone and the Pelusis speak about their cantinas only reinforces the idea that even in Canada, the tradition of the household cantina has remained central to eating well, living well, and being Italian. Viva la cantina!

Pasquale Pelusi

“In the new house, the cantina’s not the same.

I don’t know why.”

Maria Grazia Riverso

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LA CANTINA

The ABCs of Homemade Prosciutto Recipe by Giuseppe and Sergio Mattoscio

Photography by Michel Ostaszewski

Prosciutto is a common staple in Italian households. Often associated with the renowned antipasto duo of prosciutto-melone, there are tons of ways to enjoy this seasoned delicacy, the best probably being alone or in a tasty panino. While most would tend to buy it sliced at their local butcher shop, others will venture into curing it themselves in their own cantina for a fraction of the cost. rices vary from $90 to $110 for an entire “prosciutto canadese” and from $130 to $150 for its Italian counterpart, while raw ham (hind leg or thigh) can be found at any butcher shop for approximately $3 per kilo (around $40 for a whole leg).

An entire prosciutto requires up to a year of aging, altough the thinner

P

Ingredients • • • • • • •

13 kg (approx.) freshly butchered ham 1/4 cup hot peppers 1 cup ground black pepper 1 cup paprika 2 cloves garlic 1 cup white wine 1 kg coarse salt

Tools • • • •

20

“S” hook Butcher twine Boning knife Pan for salting

PA N O R A M I TA L I A . C O M

boneless base (lower part) of the prosciutto should be ready to eat first after close to six months. Bear in mind that it is always better to start your prosciutto in November as the colder winter months will ensure optimal aging conditions. A cooler cantina will keep the meat from going bad at the initial stage of the curing process when it is still raw.

Directions on preparing the meat Make sure the ham is properly cut and that the leg bone has been cleared of extra skin and fat.

All the odds and ends that you recuperate in the process can be used to make a tasty stew or Bolognese. Even the fat can be fried up or baked onto a focaccia.

The main technique for deboning (exposing the bone) of the prosciutto is following the leg bone as closely as possible without damaging the meat around it. You will then reach a joint bone that will detach itself quite easily. You want the leg bone to be exposed in order to help the drying process and prevent the meat from rotting. *You can ask your butcher to debone it for you. Keep the bone as it will make a great broth.

Clean out the excess blood remaining in the ham by applying pressure on the skin with your fist from the bottom of the leg towards the thigh. Soak up extra blood with a rag. *You can also remove the bone completely and then press the prosciutto before hanging it.

Once the cleaning is complete, apply pressure onto the top of the ham to bend the joint.

This is a very important step as it will help the salt penetrate and cure the meat properly.

Finally, make a hole between the two vertical bones of the ankle. Allow your knife to penetrate between these two bones until it goes through to the other side. Then twist the blade in the hole to make sure it is wide enough. This is where you will be hanging the prosciutto from for the drying process.

Toronto JUNE-JULY 17-32_Layout 1 13-05-23 1:14 PM Page 21

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LA CANTINA

Salting and seasoning The amount of time that the prosciutto is usually salted is determined by the weight of the ham. Salt it for one day per kilo of its weight (approximately two weeks for 13 kg).

Place the meat on a large pan and cover it with coarse salt, making sure you cover every hole and crevice of the ham. After this time, wash the salt off with lukewarm water and then rub it with white wine.

Once ready, tie a rope through the ankle hole where you will be hanging the prosciutto from. Finely chop garlic and use it to fill the hanging hole and to rub around the joint bone. This is done as a preventative mesure to repell insects. Then rub with white wine and season with a mixture of the paprika, chillies and pepper all over the prosciutto leg before hanging it. *During the salting process, the meat will expel its fluids. You can use this liquid to remoisten the salt if it gets too dry.

Hanging and aging Your prosciutto is now ready to be hung.

Use a “S” hook to hang it from your cantina’s ceiling. Do not forget to write down the date so you can monitor it. Your prosciutto should be ready in approximately twelve months.

Tips for cutting and slicing the meat The best way to slice and serve prosciutto is by cutting it a chunk at a time, leaving the rest hanging. This will also make your boneless “prosciuttino” easier to slice with a sharp knife or on a slicer. *Tip: Before placing your prosciutto back on its hook, cover the exposed part of the meat with vegetable fat (Crisco). This will prevent the meat from drying and keep your prosciutto fresh until the next time you dig into it.

Panoramitalia.com View video of entire process online.

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What is a Cantina?

Simply put, a cantina is a cold place to store or age cured meats, canned goods, beer and pops, homemade wine, jarred tomato sauce, as well as vegetables and fruits (potatoes, onions, squashes, apples, etc.) for the winter months.

Very versatile, a cantina may come in all shapes and sizes. Any unheated space in your basement or space under a porch can easily be converted into a cantina. Think of it as a cool, ventilated food closet or a safety deposit box, where you store all your treasures.

It should only let in a minimal amount of natural light, be as cool as possible and have adequate shelving.

Toronto JUNE-JULY 17-32_Layout 1 13-05-23 1:15 PM Page 23

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LA CANTINA

Guide to Homemade Capicollo Recipe by Giuseppe and Sergio Mattoscio

Photography by Michel Ostaszewski

There are few better joys in this life than snacking on well-cured capicollo with hard cheese, olives, fresh bread and a glass of wine. Especially if you’re the one doing the curing.

A

lso known as coppa, capicola, or capocollo, capicollo takes its name from the cut of meat that consists of the upper portion of the pig’s neck (collo) and shoulder.

The meat is salted and massaged before being stuffed into a natural beef casing. It is then seasoned with various spices and aged for approximately two months.

Here’s a guide to making this Italian classic in the comfort of your own cantina.

Salting Place the capicollo on a large pan and uniformly cover it with coarse salt. Salt it for one day per kilo of its weight (one to two days for 1.5 kg). After this time, wash off the salt with lukewarm water.

Panoramitalia.com View video of entire process online.

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Ingredients

Tools

• • • • •

• Butcher twine • Elasticised net (found at your local butcher shop) • PVC pipe 5 to 6 inches in diameter with one side rounded (sand down one edge so it doesn't rip the net) • “S” hook • Pan for salting • Plywood planks for pressing

1,5 kg pork shoulder 1/4 cup ground black pepper 1/4 cup “Montreal” spices 2 cups white wine Beef budello (beef casing) (One beef casing should be enough for two to three capicolli) • 500 g coarse salt

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LA CANTINA

Marinating and seasoning Pour two cups of white wine into a large bowl. Add in each dry ingredient separately, whisking each time to prevent clumping so the marinade will spread evenly on the meat. Once it reaches a smooth consistency dunk the meat into the bowl and allow it to marinate for about 30 seconds, turning once or twice to make sure the capicollo is uniformly covered.

Stuffing the beef casing To discard impurities rinse the beef casing twice by filling it with lukewarm water. Tie one end of the beef casing with butcher twine. Stretch the remaining opening and roll the casing, as if putting on a sock, in order to slowly slip the meat into it. Knock off the excess marinade from the meat before pushing the capicollo into the beef casing. Don’t try to fill it all at once as it won’t work. It’s better to proceed a bit at a time. Once the capicollo is inside the casing, grab the top end of the casing and give it a little yank to make sure that the meat moves all the way down.

Then tie the loose end of the beef casing with a double knot making sure there is as little air as possible left inside. Cut off the excess butcher twine and beef casing. You are now ready to fit the capicollo into the net. * You can find beef casings at every butcher shop.

You can also use synthetic casing especially made for cured meats, but it is usually much more expensive.

Both are very effective.

Fitting into the net While this may look easy, it is a crucial step. It is very important that the capicollo slides to the bottom of the net or the whole process will have to be repeated.

Make a double knot at one end of the net leaving a loop so that it can be hung.

Slide down the open end of the net onto the PVC pipe along the sanded edge to prevent the net from ripping. Once pulled properly, the grid of the net at the bottom of the PVC pipe should be tight like the net of a tennis racket. Put the PVC pipe on a table with the net facing down. Then drop the capicollo into the tube and shake the pipe in an up and down motion so the capicollo gets tightly tangled inside the net with no excess space, slowly letting the net slide off the tube. Once inside the net, slide the remaining part of the net off the tube and twist it as tightly as possible around the meat. Tie the open end leaving a loop for hanging.

Hanging and aging Hang the capicollo for one week. Then press it between two planks of plywood and use heavy weights on top (concrete blocks, bricks, etc) for another week. This will remove the remaining air contained in the meat and give the capicollo its flat, elongated shape. It is better to do this step with various capicolli to have a more even pressing surface.

Once this is complete, hang the capicollo for two to three months depending on the weight.

Make sure the capicolli are not touching to avoid molding.

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Building a Cantina If you are planning to build a cantina, we recommend checking out other cantine from people you know to get a sense of the size and type that would suit your needs. Some entrepreneurs include them as a potential feature in their new constructions. Usually built in the basement’s utility room, the cantina consists of an insulated basement room (except for walls facing outside) vented to the outside. The floor (no ceramic) and walls are poured concrete (and ceiling if the underside of the porch) and could include a window.

Humidity Humidity is key to a successful cantina.

The ideal humidity level should be about 65% to 95% (35% when curing meat).

Consider buying a hygrometer to measure the humidity. If you have a concrete floor, you may have to work to increase the humidity. Some ways of achieving this include keeping buckets or flat containers of water in the cellar, or by hanging wet blankets in the cantina.

If you have gravel flooring, you may want or need to pour water on the gravel cellar floor.

Ventilation Ventilation is also important to a successful cantina. Proper air circulation helps prevent mould growth, and also moves ethylene gas out of the cantina.

Ethylene gas is given off by fruit and vegetables as they ripen and can cause other vegetables to sprout. Always use a ventilator when aging cured meats in your cantina.

Temperature The optimal temperature for a cantina is 1 to 10 degrees Celsius. Building your cantina below ground – ideally below the frost line – will greatly help in keeping it cool.

Thermal mass, in the form of the structure, the concrete and the food itself, help the cantina retain the cold. During winter, keep a jar of water in your cantina to monitor the temperature. When the water freezes, it’s time to close the vent.

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LA CANTINA Grinding the meat Once the cutting is complete, start mincing the meat. The fat should always be minced thinner than the lean meat.

You should, therefore, select the appropriate die plates or levels on your meat grinder. The fat should be at least half the size of the lean meat.

Place a bowl under the grinder’s hopper to collect the meat coming out of it as you push the meat into the grinder with the help of a sturdy wooden tool. Once minced, weigh your meat and mark it down to ensure correct seasoning before transferring it into a large container for mixing and seasoning. * Meat Grinder: While slower, domestic kitchen food processors will do the trick, but they usually don’t include a stuffing function. * An average hand-cranked grinder and sausage stuffer typically costs $50 to $60, while a good electric meat grinder including sausage stuffer attachments will cost you anywhere from $200 to $500. You may find them in most kitchen appliance stores.

Homemade Sausage and Soppressata Recipe by Francesco and Carolina Caruso

Photography by Michel Ostaszewski

No cantina is complete without a beautiful necklace of Italian sausage and soppressata dangling from the ceiling.

While you may need a more experienced pair of hands to stuff the casings correctly, making these Italian staples is a rather straightforward process. The size of the casing will determine whether you are making soppressata (3 ½ inch) or sausage (1 ½ inch). While the meat is exactly the same, the difference in thickness between the two will ensure a difference in taste at the end of the aging process.

Ingredients • 1 whole freshly butchered pork shoulder or thigh (11 kg) • 50 g black ground pepper • 50 g ground fennel seeds (can be ground with a coffee grinder) • Fine salt (10 g/pound (450 g) of meat) • Half a jar of salsa di peperone.

You may substitute with paprika or hot flakes (to taste).

• 1 or 2 packs of sausage casings (lamb casings) • 1 orange, cut in half (to help flavour & disinfect casings)

Cutting the meat Start by carefully removing the skin of the pork shoulder and all the unwanted hard lard, ligaments and nerves from the meat. Divide the lean meat and the fat into two different containers. Both sausages and soppressata should have a ratio of 10 to 25 percent fat for 75 to 90 percent lean meat. Keep all the white hard fat and discard all the fat that is too soggy. Once you reach the bone (also called sacred bone) scrape off as much usable meat as possible. Make extra sure that there are no bones left on the meat to avoid damaging the grinder. * You can ask your butcher to mince your meat, but doing it yourself will ensure your meat is free of any unwanted elements.

Mixing and seasoning In a large container, mix fatty and lean meats with a large wooden spoon and start adding the dry ingredients and the salsa di peperone. Count 10 g of fine salt for every pound (450 g) of meat. Once all the ingredients are roughly mixed together, continue mixing with your hands to make sure all the ingredients are spread evenly until your mixture reaches a thick texture.

Tools • Butcher twine for tightening the ends • Meat grinder (preferably electric) with sausage stuffer attachments if possible • Sausage stuffer (preferably electric) • “S” hook • Small bowl (for collecting the meat) • Large bowl (for mixing the meat) • Large wooden spoon • Good scale (to weigh the meat) • Wooden rack (to hang sausages) 28

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Panoramitalia.com View video of entire process online.

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Filling and stuffing Replace the die plate from your meat grinder with your stuffing tube (or use a separate sausage stuffer). Use a bigger tube for the soppressata and a smaller one for the sausage.

Once the tube is installed, lubricate it with a bit of olive oil and slip the whole casing onto the filling tube making sure you pull it all the way to the end of the cylinder. Tie the end of the casing with a double knot to secure it and slowly start pressing your meat into the tube.

Fill your casings up to 6 to 10 inches depending on how long you want your sausages. For the soppressata, use butcher twine to divide each soppressata link to the desired length.

For the sausage, fill your casing in a continuous fashion in one long coil until the casing is completely filled. During the filling, there is no need to separate your sausages.

Once ready, divide your long sausage coils in two and make a knot at the centre leaving a small loop for hanging. Then start making links to the desired length with butcher twine or by simply pinching off your coil dividing your links by spinning them between your fingers away from you several times. Continue this way, alternating, until you get to the end of the coil.

To prevent the casing from ripping or sliding off the tube, let the meat enter the casing without adding any pressure, gently holding the casing onto the tube with one hand, slowly letting the casing slide as it gets filled and twisting the sausage with the other hand as it takes shape. *If a casing breaks while you are filling your soppressata, you can always patch the broken area with a piece of extra casing that you will apply on the opening as a bandage. If the casing breaks while filling your sausage, simply tie the end of the casing and restart process with the remaining casing discarding the broken part as it is not really worth patching up afterwards. * This step requires two people: one person holding the casing, the other one pushing the meat into the grinder. * You need about 15-18 feet of casing for a 5-pound batch of links * Once done, make sure to clean and disinfect your machine properly, disassembling it completely.

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Hanging and aging Once ready, hang your sausages on a rack in your cantina with an "S" hook making sure the sausages don't touch each other using a small piece of wood or plastic to separate them.

The soppressata must age three and a half months depending on how thick they are. Sausages should age for a minimum of three months.

In ideal conditions, a white coating should slowly develop on the casing. This is a normal reaction that does not affect the quality of the meat and the integrety of the taste.

If your sausages start turning green or black, discard them immediately as this means they have been contaminated by unwanted mould and are unedible.

Ideal aging conditions To properly age your cured meats and to prevent any appearance of mould, your cantina requires a careful balance between humidity and ventilation. You should always have a fan running to keep mould out of the cantina. The humidity level should always be around 35%.

The ideal period to dry and age cured meats at home is between November and March. It is not recommended to age any kind of meat during the warmer, humid summer months.

Once ready and vacuumed sealed, you can keep your meat for up to one year in the refrigerator.

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LIFE & PEOPLE

Mary Mauti putting things into action

By Liz Allemang

It’s been a busy spring for Vaughan resident Mary Mauti: The first week of May saw the culmination of a year’s worth of volunteer overtime, first with the Kids Help Phone 5km fundraising walk on May 5, then the Humber River Regional Hospital fundraising gala on May 9.

It’s

not that Mauti has a full social calendar attending charity events — though she does — but, rather, she’s integral in organizing both, which raise $3 to 4-million and $500,000 respectively.

Mauti has chaired the Kids Help Phone, York Region branch since 2004. She has always had an interest in helping youth, she says. “When you’re younger, you encounter bullying. That’s a reality, yet there’s a lack of awareness,” says Mauti. “I have always had a soft spot for kids and maybe it’s because I don’t have them, but I recognized that at that age it can be so hard. Having somebody to listen, to pay attention can make it a little bit easier,” explains Mauti. “Kids are often too embarrassed to go to their parents or to their peers, who might not even be capable of providing answers or advice,” she says.

This is where the Kids Help Phone, a national, bilingual and confidential counseling service offering advice by phone or online, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. “And it doesn’t cost them a cent,” she adds.

As Chair, Mauti oversees the key fundraising initiative for Kids Help Phone York Region, which raises the second highest dollar value after the Toronto branch’s annual fundraiser. Perhaps this is attributable to her unconventional approach, knowing that those considering a 5km walk may be that much more motivated if there’s gelato, porchetta, panini and massages en route.

Mauti radiates thoughtful, genuine charm and this might explain why others rally around her causes: CTV News anchor Lance Brown has served as MC, local politicians stop by and lend a hand, her own 85-year-old father is often cooking sausages on the grill, while her sister and brother-in-law are pulling shots of espresso.

Caffeine is something Mauti might need, though she strikes one as the kind of person who just naturally vibrates, drawing energy from her multiple passion projects.

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She chairs the gala fundraiser for the new Humber River Regional Hospital, a part of a $225-million fundraising campaign for the $2-billion 650-bed hospital being built at Keele and 401. When it opens in 2015, it will be the second most digitally advanced hospital in the world.

Planning and executing these events could be a full-time job for Mauti, but she’s got one of those too: For 27 years, she has worked with Bell Canada, having studied business at Humber College. She is presently a right-of-way manager, negotiating easements and negotiating infrastructure in new subdivisions and developments.

Her day job is perfectly at ease with her night (and weekend) job as Chair of the Committee of Adjustments for the City of Vaughan, a position she’s held for 14 years, having been on the committee for 18 and politically involved for 25. “I think I might be the longest-serving Chair the committee has had and I was the first woman,” Mauti says. “Often, with the work that I do and my political involvement, I’m the only woman in the room. Most of the time I earn people’s respect and my peers are receptive, but you still have to prove yourself.”

She was raised to be tough, the first female born in four generations of her family (both parents hail from Veroli in Lazio), but she seems to be as comfortable holding her own against developers and talking land parcels as she is with more refined pursuits.

It could be argued that her passion borders on the religious and, in fact, Mauti also helps organize a winter dinner-dance and fall fashion show for her church, St. Margaret Mary in Woodbridge. “I’m in my element when I’m going, going, going.

Some of my friends say they get tired just looking at me,” she laughs. “There are times when, if I have too many nights off, where I’m not working or volunteering or at a gala or out with friends, I don’t know what to do with myself,” says Mauti. “So I figure, if I’ve got the energy, use it.” And, quite clearly, she does.

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FUTURE LEADER

Cristina Tenaglia

By Vanessa Santilli

my professional career, it was a good lesson that if I wanted a job, if I wanted an internship, if I wanted to make it to this level, I was going to have to make a lot of sacrifices and work for it,” says Tenaglia, a remote host for CP24, where she works as a field reporter covering breaking news.

The daughter of Italian immigrants – her mother is from the town of Scafa in the Abruzzo region and her father is from the northern region of Trentino-Alto Adige – Tenaglia grew up in the city of Vaughan.

With hopes of being a reporter, she moved to Toronto to attend the Radio and Television Arts program at Ryerson University. Before joining CP24 in July 2012, Tenaglia had worked as a reporter, videographer and anchor for CHCH News in Hamilton as well as an associate producer and researcher for the Gemini-nominated series Silverman Helps, which aired on Citytv.

“When you know you have to work hard to get somewhere, it makes you a better reporter because you're not going to give up, you're going to ask tougher questions, you're going to be driven and you're going to be relentless,” adds Tenaglia, now in her late 20s.

On a daily basis, she's out in the field covering news as it happens – anything from crime to sports to a day at the CNE, she says.

Recently Toronto Mayor Rob Ford took notice of her busy schedule. “He came up to me and said, ‘I see you on TV all the time, everywhere. You work too hard.’” In her journalistic work, she says she has a deeper understanding of covering various communities as both her parents and grandparents were newcomers to Canada.

During her work on Silverman Helps, she recalls receiving numerous calls – often from immigrants or elderly people who couldn't speak English very well – because they were being ripped off or taken advantage of. “I'm able to relate to different different people because you understand that your parents and grandparents had to struggle in a way that some people

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didn't have to,” says Tenaglia. “I think that's true of a lot of children of immigrants.”

Throughout the many stories she's covered to date, the overarching theme of loss has made the biggest impact on her. “Sometimes, weekly even, I'll speak to families that suffer loss: the loss of a home or a pet due to a fire and – the most difficult – the loss of a child due to tragedy.

I'm always amazed at the strength of these families and their resilience.”

She recalls covering a fire and standing next to the homeowner who was watching his house engulfed in flames. “He said to me, 'I'm not worried. My home can be replaced. My family is fine and that's all that matters.' I'll never forget it.”

As a result of her hard work over the years, in 2011, Tenaglia was the recipient of the RadioTelevision News Directors Association Canada President’s Fellowship. Her prize included attending the acclaimed Poynter Institute for Journalism in St. Petersburg, Florida, to further her training in broadcasting.

But amidst the busyness of her work in breaking news, she spends lot of time with students hoping to pursue journalism; both speaking via telephone and meeting up in person.

“I find when I chat with people who want to get into the business, a lot of times it's giving them as a younger person more confidence to achieve whatever it is they want to do.”

Tenaglia feels this mentorship is important because it's a tough business to get into and she's aware that parents are often wary of their children entering such a challenging field.

“I always tell younger people that I speak to – my parents said the same thing – and frankly, I didn't listen. You've got to do your own thing.”

For Tenaglia, though, one of the best parts of the job is being able to meet people she wouldn't otherwise have access to, such as politicians or interviewing lawyers during court cases. “It's a great responsibility and a great privilege.”

Photo by Gregory Varano

Cristina Tenaglia's Italian upbringing instilled in her the importance of hard work.

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Mangia come parli, perché se a parole ormai si sa che la frutta non è tutta uguale passare dalla teoria alla pratica è senz’altro più difficile. C’è riuscita Isabella Dalla Ragione, che ha fatto della ricerca e della conservazione dei sapori perduti la sua missione.

“I giovani non sanno più cosa siano una sorba o una nespola, e al giorno d’oggi si compra soprattutto con gli occhi”. embrano nomi esotici, ma sono frutti italianissimi che solo fino a qualche decennio fa erano diffusi in tutta Italia e che Dalla Ragione continua a tenere in vita in un incantevole spicchio di territorio tra la Toscana e l’Umbria, vicino a Città di Castello. Oggi sono poco più di un ricordo lontano che si deve andare a ricercare nei chiostri senza tempo dei conventi e nella memoria dei racconti degli anziani che inesorabilmente il tempo cancella. “Tra gli anni Cinquanta e Sessanta mio padre si è reso conto che questo importante pezzo della nostra cultura stava sparendo e ha deciso di mettersi al lavoro per preservarne la memoria”, racconta Dalla Ragione, che nella sua tenuta di San Lorenzo ha creato una vera e propria oasi dove innesta e ridà vita a questi alberi da frutto. Gli stessi che oggi sopravvivono in modo sparso e raro in mezzo ai boschi e negli annessi dei monasteri. Proseguendo il lavoro iniziato dal padre, da oltre trent’anni Dalla Ragione va alla ricerca di mele, pere e fichi, così come della conoscenza antica che permette di continuare a coltivare queste piante.

“Fondamentali sono state le parole dei nostri nonni, che avevano ricevuto dai propri avi un sapere antico che è andato perso quando le nuove generazioni hanno iniziato a lavorare in fabbrica e hanno ritenuto che questo sapere fosse inutile – racconta Dalla Ragione – se non addirittura qualcosa di cui vergognarsi”. Il passare del tempo ha reso sempre più rare queste memorie, unico resto di una cultura orale che era stata tramandata di padre in figlio per secoli. Per questo l’agronoma ha cercato altri indizi in ogni luogo, comprese le pitture commission-

S

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Alla ricerca del sapore perduto Alessio Galletti Foto di Alex Margineau

“

Se oggi siamo abituati a un solo tipo di pera, che il supermercato ci offre 365 giorni l’anno, è solo perché non ci ricordiamo più di quei frutti misteriosi che si vedono negli affreschi e che non sono nati dalla fantasia degli artisti, ma nelle terre che i loro mecenati possedevano.

“

ate dai Medici dal Rinascimento in poi. Se oggi siamo abituati a un solo tipo di pera, che il supermercato ci offre 365 giorni l’anno, è solo perché non ci ricordiamo più di quei frutti misteriosi che si vedono negli affreschi e che non sono nati dalla fantasia degli artisti, ma nelle terre che i loro mecenati possedevano.

“Oggi si compra con gli occhi”, dice Dalla Ragione, spiegando che vogliamo mele grandi e lucide perché ci siamo abituati a pensare che una mela debba essere così.

“Ad esempio nessuno comprerebbe mai una ciliegia bianca, una varietà ormai sconosciuta, ma molto dolce e prelibata”. Oggi c’è una maggiore attenzione alla provenienza di ciò che mangiamo e alla biodiversità, ma “le persone, soprattutto in tempi di crisi, continuano a comprare i frutti più convenienti”, cioè quelli della grande distribuzione. Frutti privi di sapore, anche se tanti non sanno più cosa si perdono, anzi, dice Dalla Ragione, addirittura si lamentano che il sapore è troppo forte quando assaggiano quello vero. Sapori perduti, insomma, di cui si è perso il ricordo. “La frutta che si compra al supermercato è coltivata con molte sostanze chimiche per allungarne la conservazione. In più la maggioranza non viene nemmeno fatta arrivare a maturazione, ma congelata prima così da poter durare per un anno intero”. Una logica difficile a cui sottrarsi, ma non impossibile. E a chi ci vuole provare, Dalla Ragione è disposta a vendere nuove piante create dagli innesti di quelle che lei ha salvato e che i più fortunati si possono mettere in giardino. Dà consigli su come coltivarle? “Beh, è come se fossero le mie figliole, non le potrei mai abbandonare in giro per il mondo”.

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FOOD & WINE

By Salvatore Difalco

The University of Gelato Leave it to the Italians to come up with an institute of higher learning for gelato. As the entire world discovers the delectable ecstasies of this cool dessert, demand for both the product and the art and science of gelato production has never been keener. Carpigiani, an Italian firm that makes ice-cream machines, presciently took up the challenge, establishing its Gelato University in 2003, with a uniquely global mission: “to convey the culture of quality artisan gelato and the promotion of Italian gelato as a natural and flavorful food suitable for all cultures.”

F

ounded in 1946 by the brothers Bruto and Poerio Carlo Carpigiani (after the success of their first automatic gelato machine, the Autogelatiera), the company was instrumental in turning Italy into a country of 37,000 artisanal gelato makers. But with the local market saturated, Carpigiani looked beyond Italian borders to expand their business, and quickly plunged into an eager, untapped world market. Not surprisingly, exports now make up 80% of Carpigiani’s business.

As Valentina Righi, Carpigiani Group's communication manager happily states it, “Gelato makes everybody smile.” And perhaps this simple, immutable truth has been key to the Gelato University’s burgeoning success. In a short decade, it has achieved international recognition as a breeding ground for successful gelato entrepreneurs. And over the past few years enrollments have increased exponentially with students benefitting from the extensive training program, modern teaching methods, and a team of internationally renowned instructors.

“Carpigiani Gelato University is the most prestigious gelato school worldwide,” Valentina Righi attests. “This year the school organized a total of 590 courses in 10 languages, for a total of 15,000 class days.” Located in Anzola dell’Emilia (Bologna), training is carried out at the university and in 12 other campuses located throughout the world. The full course of training requires five weeks.

Far from being a clever marketing ploy, Carpigiani embraces the idea of the Gelato University as a true centre of higher learning. “We’re proud of our highly qualified, world-famous faculty,” Valentina Righi says. “Our instructors cover a wide range of fields: gelato, pastry, communication, marketing, and business. Their lessons are not purely theoretical excursions, but rather practical, hands-on learning sessions.”

Carpigiani is committed to give holistic knowledge about the gelato business, not only teaching how to make the best gelato, but also teaching students how to be successful

gelato-entrepreneurs. Righi adds that, “Gelato University students make an important commitment while attending our courses: time, travel expenditures, tuition fees. We’re all conscious of it, and the environment is very serious in order to transfer the maximum amount of knowledge to our students. But every time we taste gelato, we smile!”

Of course gelato and ice cream are not synonymous. Gelato has less fat than ice cream, contains less air, and is served at a higher temperature. Simply put, gelato offers a richer, livelier flavour than ice cream. Carpigiani Gelato University teaches students how to make true Italian gelato (produced fresh daily in small batches and usually based on fresh ingredients) not its mass-produced, fattier, less tasty cousin, ice cream.

Perhaps Canadian James Coleridge, gelato chef and owner of the famous Bella Gelateria in Vancouver, states it best: “The new world of gelato is a balance of protecting tradition while expanding exciting flavours that reflect the culinary world.” He should know. Coleridge, who worked for National Geographic, went from mountain climber to gelato-master and entrepreneur, improbably winning the 1st “Maestro Gelatiere Award” at the Florence Gelato Festival last May with his dazzling Toasted Pecan Gelato. “We gave James a special award,” Valentina Righi points out. “He’s our Gelato Pioneer – The Father. He's organizing gelato-classes for children, and we are proud of him.”

As for deeper incursions into Canada, Righi confirms, “We have many Canadian students attending our courses at the Italian campus, but we will probably organize base courses in your country next year.” Meanwhile, serious Canadian students of gelato might well be tempted to enroll at the Gelato University itself and hop on a plane to Italy. Not a bad idea. Five weeks in Bologna intensively studying gelato . . . hmm.

DREAMS ROMANCE MEMORIES

CUSTOM DESIGNING FOR ALL OCCASIONS specializing in: fresh cut flowers, bridal design, funerals, baby gifts, gourmet baskets, green plants

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Fired up for Pizza in Toronto

FOOD & WINE

By Daniela DiStefano

It’s Friday night at Forest Hill’s Doppio Zero Ristorante, and the tables are filling in with parties savoring glasses of Italian wine as they await their entrees. To the back of the restaurant chef and owner Nick D’Elia and staff are pulling thin and crisp pizzas out of the large oven that has been fed all day with wood to keep the flames bright and the temperature just right for the perfect pie. The air is beautifully perfumed with the unmistakable pizza aroma, and on an average night 100 pizzas will be turned out of the oven and onto the plates of eager diners.

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a wood fire oven. “Watching pizza being made is a little bit like theatre and has historically been part of the experience since pizza was first sold on the streets of Naples” she says. “The singing and the performance is entertaining for diners and brings ambiance to the restaurant.”

From the inside of some of the city’s most popular Italian restaurants, the wood-fired pizza oven has made its way into the backyards of the most discerning of pizza lovers. Ovens can be purchased from a number of suppliers and manufacturers, but for some like Joe Fusco, only Italian-made will do.

“The satisfaction of cooking and entertaining is what I love most,” says Fusco. “It’s become a focal point of the home and brings together the family for quality time.”

After noticing the growing popularity of outdoor ovens at the homes of friends and family, Fusco purchased his own five years ago from a local importer bringing in fire wood ovens from Italy.

“Once you can make it at home the restaurant pizza just isn’t as good,” says Fusco, who enjoys hosting summer pizza parties in his backyard complete with white and red checkered table cloths and homemade menu cards. “We tweak each pizza with our favourite toppings, and with the aroma from the wood as the pizza is cooking and the set-up it’s like we’re in Italy.”

From Toronto’s trendy new pizzerias to backyards transformed into personal pizza-making paradise, the search for the finest in wood fired pizza continues to ignite our cravings and our taste buds.

Pizzeria Libretto 221 Ossington Ave 550 Danforth Ave Queen Margherita Pizza 1402 Queen St E 785 Annette St Pizzeria Via Mercanti 188 Augusta Ave Enoteca Motorino 4101 Rutherford Rd Doppio Zero 530 Eglinton Ave W Marcello’s 1163 St. Clair West 3175 Rutherford Road Ice Cream Patio 5451 Hwy 7 Pizza Al Metro 7887 Weston Rd

Wood Burning Pizzerias in the GTA

wenty years ago local restaurants with wood fired pizza ovens were limited, but the influx of openings in almost every corner of Toronto has proven to be a welcomed and flavoursome addition for the city’s pizza lovers. It’s now a hotbed for gourmet chains and family-owned restaurants turning out pizzas from inside Italian-made fornos with toppings and price points just as diverse as their clientele.

“Pizza is the ultimate comfort food,” says D’Elia, who has been in the restaurant business for over 25 years. “People of all ages and from almost every part of the world enjoy it on a regular basis.”

A classic wood-burning oven pie is characterized by its thin, chewy crust speckled with black, leopard-like char marks and a tender dough centre cooked at around 650 to 700 degrees Fahrenheit anywhere from 90 seconds to two minutes. For the most part, the pizzaiolo will keep toppings simple with a sauce of Italian San Marzano tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, fresh mozzarella and a basil leaf that probably came from a Nonno’s backyard.

“You can’t compare to a conventional pizza,” says Andrea Mugnaini, owner and founder of Mugnaini, a California-based company that has been importing Italian-made ovens across North America for 20 years. “Cooking with wood releases aromatic flavours into the pizza, and the moisture in the cooking chamber allows you to bake quickly maintaining pizza dough tenderness.”

Mugnaini says pizza culture is seeing a popular return to the roots of the authentic Neapolitan pizza, which includes baking in

Nino D’Aversa Bakery 3120 Rutherford Rd Peperoncino Trattoria 200 Whitmore Rd

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Making Neapolitan Pizza Classics at Home Instructions Set oven to 475 °C. Once dough* is ready, divide into four pieces. Using the palms of your hands, begin stretching each piece separately into round pizzas, about 12 inches in diameter, on a hard surface sprinkled with flour.

While tradition dictates that only the margherita and marinara can be designated as true Pizza Napoletana, many more varieties are now part of the Neapolitan pizzaiolo’s roster. Here’s how to make four of them at home:

By Gabriel Riel-Salvatore

Photography by Michel Ostaszewski

The pizza should be as thin as possible with a bit more dough all around to shape the crust. If the dough gets too sticky, sprinkle with a bit more flour. Gently brush dough with olive oil and start layering ingredients. It is always preferable to blend the tomato sauce so it will spread more easily and evenly on your pizza.

Once you have topped the pizza, slide the pizza stone (or a baking tray with aluminum foil) on the upper third rack of your oven and bake for about 10 minutes. Once the pizza is cooked, gently brush the crust with olive oil and broil on high heat for two minutes or until crust is golden.

Carefully monitor oven to prevent crust from burning. Rotate the stone to broil your pizza evenly. *Visit www.panoramitalia.com/en/food-wine/recipes/ for our pizza dough and tomato sauce recipe.

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FOOD & WINE

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1. Margherita

Ingredients: Tomato sauce (San Marzano variety) • ½ cup grated mozzarella • 1 mozzarella di bufala campana DOP or Fior di latte, diced or sliced • 2 tsps extra virgin olive oil • 6 basil leaves • Pinch of salt.

2. Marinara Ingredients: Tomato sauce • 2 garlic cloves, minced • Dry oregano (to taste) • 2 tsps extra virgin olive oil.

3. Quattro Formaggi Ingredients: Tomato sauce (though rarely used in Naples) • ½ cup grated mozzarella • 200 g crotonese • 200 g Fior di latte or bufala diced • 25 g parmigiano • 50 g gorgonzola • 2 tsps extra virgin olive oil • 6 basil leaves *The choice of cheeses is left to the pizzaiolo’s discretion, but generally includes at least some mozzarella and gorgonzola.

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4. Ripieno al forno (or Calzone) Ingredients: Tomato sauce • 75 g provola (type of smoked mozzarella) • 25 g grated cheese (grana or parmigiano) • 50 g ricotta • 100 g salami, prosciutto cotto or small pieces of pork ciccoli • 2 tsps extra virgin olive oil.

Instructions: Spoon tomato sauce on to the centre of the pizza and then place the ingredients in the middle of the dough. Don’t overstuff your calzone or it will end up soggy and hard to handle once cooked. Flap your pizza dough in a semicircular shape, carefully sealing the dough with your fingers. You can moisten the edges of the dough with your fingers with a bit of water to help the dough flaps stick together. Pierce small holes on the top of the calzone with the tip of a knife before cooking it like a regular pizza.

!

T I E T S TA A DISCOVER F WORLD O FLAVOURS

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FOOD & WINE

Grape Expectations

By Liz Allemang

Increasing quality of Italian wine receives cheers in the Canadian market

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Perhaps Canadians heard through the grapevine that Italian wines are among the best for cost to quality or that Italian wines are continually improving, while becoming readily available. Whatever the motivation, Canadians are increasingly reaching for Chianti, Pinot Grigio and other Italian imports.

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FOOD & WINE

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money [more than $10 USD according to a recent Vinexpo-commissioned study, a category into which most bottles in Canada would fall, while 60% of global consumption tends towards bottles priced at less than $5 USD] on them,” says Beynat.

Such revelations came to the fore in Vinexpo’s 2013 report, conducted by International Wine and Spirit Research in London, which compiled statistics and made predictions about global wine and spirit consumption spanning 2007 to 2016.

The report found that Canadians are drinking wine at an average rate of 15 litres per capita. While that’s considerably less than the volume consumed by individuals in Italy (50 litres), it’s a rate that’s growing faster than the global average: In the 10 years considered in the study, Vinexpo expects a 35% increase in volume drunk in Canada.

Compare that to the 10% global average increase.

Zaratin represents a portfolio of wines including Santa Margherita’s best selling Pinot Grigio and Franciacorta, a sparking wine with DOCG status. Canada has been a part of his territory since he joined Santa Margherita seven years ago, and he notes that he has seen a marked uptick in interest since, specifically in Ontario and Quebec.

“I think there has been growth for both Santa Margherita and Italian wines. This is particularly interesting in Quebec, where they have such strong ties to [French] culture and language.

People are still very much interested in French wine, but Italian wine is catching up.”

Zaratin says he is not surprised. “People in Quebec know their wine well – they are very Latin in the sense that they consume their wine with their meals,” he says. “Italian wine is so precisely made to pair pleasantly with food.”

“In Ontario [the popularity] also makes sense because there’s such a strong and proud Italian population, but our consumers now are a much broader profile than simply those of Italian origin,” Zaratin says.

More and more Canadians are consuming wine on a regular basis. It is no longer reserved for “special occasions,” rather it is becoming an almost quotidian ritual.

“People in Canada are starting to drink wine more regularly with their meals. I think this comes from people drinking wine with their meals in restaurants,” says Zaratin.

“In the past people used to have spirits or, in many cases, beer. Now spirits are confined to a cocktail before or after dinner, and when you look at tables in restaurants, it’s rare to see a table without a bottle of wine.” And, increasingly often, that bottle is Italian.

THERE’S A DEPTH, BREADTH AND

RICHNESS TO ITALIAN WINE THAT

REFLECTS THE CULTURE BEHIND IT.

Roner Grappa Gold

“

obert Beynat, General Manager of Vinexpo, the international wine and spirits exhibition that occurs every two years in Bordeaux, France, notes that while France remains the biggest supplier of wine in Canada in terms of value, Italy has surpassed it as the number one supplier in terms of volume.

“The fact is that Canadians are buying more Italian wines. In 2011, for example, [Canada] imported 6-million cases, compared with 5.7 million from France,” says Beynat. “If you look at value of wines imported to Canada, France has 35% more than Italians, but that’s because the cost of French wines is higher.”

Roberto Martella, who co-owns Grano restaurant in Toronto with his wife Lucia, notes, however, that this does not mean that Italian wines aren’t good wines.

“There’s been a huge transformation from the exaggeration of cheap and cheerful Italian wines in the ’80s,” says Martella.

Martella cites improvement in technology and technique as two pivotal elements in the steady advancement of Italian wines, as well as the diversity of growing climates – “from the Alps to Africa” – but also, a shift towards celebrating previously unrecognized grapes. The latter provides another point in Italy’s favour among Canadian wine drinkers: choice. “[The French] use about 15 varieties of grapes commercially. For California, maybe nine. Italians have 100 varieties of grapes, which makes for a very interesting wine-producing country,” says Martella.

“People have a respect for this diversity. We really have a grape from A (Aglianico) to Z (Zibibbo), with everything in between. There’s a depth, breadth and richness to Italian wine that reflects the culture behind it. This is an important aspect that I try to stress: A bottle of wine is a cultural window into Italy. It’s a product of its place.”

But not to be ignored is the value of Italian wines. Martella notes their “outstanding price to quality ratio.” Adding that one could get a good bottle from Abruzzo for $7, nearly unheard of in a context in which heavily taxed wines are primarily sold through a government monopoly.

Bruno Zaratin, Export Manager for the Santa Margherita Group, agrees. “I’ve been in this business for 27 years and I am totally convinced that at this point in time, the improvement in the quality of Italian wine has outgrown the increase in the price.”

Canadians are so committed to the pursuit of intoxicating pleasure that they are willing to spend more than their foreign counterparts.

“Canadians prefer good wines and high-quality wines, and they will spend the

Available at the LCBO #601039 Roner's refined Grappa Oro is distilled from a delicate composition of firstclass Gewürztraminer, Vernatsch and Pinot Noir grape pomace. It is aged in oak barrels to make this grappa unique and round off the authentic flavour of South Tyrolean grappa.

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Since 1953 we have delivered fresh baked Italian artisan bread. Our Commitment is quality, tradition, passion and the finest ingredients.

Address

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Fin dal 1953 produciamo pane artigianale italiano fresco. Il nostro impegno è garanzia di qualità, tradizione, passione e degli ingredienti più genuini.

Phone

(905) 265-1438

Website

www.panevittoria.com info@panevittoria.com

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LIVING ITALIAN STYLE

Go to panoramitalia.com and click on “Living Italian Style” to submit your profile!

Robert & Daniel Prochilo Age: 29 Generation: Second Mom and dad from: Reggio Calabria, Calabria Speak: English Raised in: Aurora

Robert Nickname: Twin A, Pizza Pizza Occupation: Community Recreation Coordinator Passion: Helping others achieve their goals Clothes: H&M jeans, H&M shirt, Lacoste shoes Favourite designer: Burberry Boutique: H&M Restaurant: Napoli Ristorante Pizzeria (Niagara Falls) Favourite dish: Penne alla Vodka Absolute must in the pantry: Nutella Type of wine or drink: Nonno’s homemade wine Favourite Italian saying: “Mannaggia!”

Last time you went to Italy: 2002 Italian soccer team: Juventus Sexiest Italian: Monica Bellucci 40

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Best way to feel Italian in Toronto: Being part of a Euro or World Cup event in Little Italy Thing about you that would surprise most people: I enjoy doing chores around the house Best coffee in Toronto: My espresso machine Pet peeve: People who chew with their mouths open You know you are Italian when or if: You have two kitchens in your house You know you were raised Italian when: You can only call the dust pan the “paletta” Favourite Italian song: Gente di Mare by Umberto Tozzi Best memory growing up Italian-Canadian: Making sauce in the garage

Daniel Nickname: Twin B, Pizza Pizza Occupation: Retail Passion: Family and sports Clothes: H&M jeans, H&M shirt, Lacoste shoes Favourite designer: Diesel Boutique: H&M Restaurant: Gran Gusto Favourite dish: Pizza Absolute must in the pantry: Chips Ahoy Type of wine or drink: Gin and tonic with lime Last time you went to Italy: 2002 Italian soccer team: Inter Milan Sexiest Italian: Laura Pausini What you like most about our magazine: It really showcases Toronto’s Italian culture Best way to feel Italian in Toronto: Little Italy

Best pizza in Toronto: Dad’s homemade pizza Pet peeve: People who don’t push in their chairs You know you are Italian when or if: Your hands do all the talking Your fashion idol: David Beckham Most common name in your family: Tony and Cosimo (too many to count) Italian artist or actor you would like to meet: Eros Ramazzotti Favourite Italian song: Azzurro

by Adriano Celentano Favourite Italian city: Reggio Calabria If never visited, which city would you like to visit: Venice Best memory growing up Italian-Canadian: Making homemade sausages

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Photography by Gregory Varano

LIVING ITALIAN STYLE

Makeup by Desi Varano

Rebecca Guida

Graziella Noto

Nickname: Bex Occupation: Marketing & PR Age: 28 Generation: Second Dad from: Frosinone, Lazio Mom from: Catanzaro, Calabria Speaks: Italian & English Raised in: Toronto

Nickname: Gracie Occupation: Student at York University & Customer Relations Coordinator at TD Canada Trust Age: 21 Generation: Second Mom and dad from: Caltanissetta, Sicily Speaks: English & Italian Raised in: Woodbridge

Passion: Movies, cooking, philosophical studies Clothes: Robert Rodriguez dress, Balisi shoes, Pandora ring Store/Boutique: Anthropologie Restaurant: George Restaurant Absolute must in the pantry: Spaghetti #7 Type of wine: Nonnos’ homemade wine Favourite Italian saying or quote: “Se vuoi, puoi” Best Italian movie: Cinema Paradiso Italian soccer team: AC Milan Sexiest Italian: Fabio Cannavaro What you like most about Panoram Italia: Relating to heartfelt stories, places, and food Best way to feel Italian in Toronto: To make tomato sauce in the backyard with family

Best coffee in Toronto: Yorkville Espresso Bar Pet peeve: To be lied to You know you are Italian when or if: Your holiday plans include an Italian social club dance Your fashion idol: Sophia Loren Favourite thing to do in Toronto: Walk to Kensington market Most common name in your family: Giuseppina (3) You know you were raised Italian when: When you say sandwich and pronounce it ‘sangweech’ Favourite Italian song: L’Italiano by Toto Cutugno Favourite Italian city: Venice Best memory growing up Italian-Canadian: My communion at the Vatican Plans for the fall: Salmon and steelhead trout fishing

Passion: Fashion, travelling and zumba Clothes: BCBG Max Azria Jumper & Belt, Michael Kors Shoes, Tory Burch Jewellery Favourite designer: Valentino Store/Boutique: Mendocino Restaurant: Dimmi Bar & Trattoria Favourite dish: Nonna’s lasagna Absolute must in the pantry: Nutella & “S” Cookies Type of wine: Pinot Grigio Favourite Italian saying or quote: “Gioia mia” Best way to feel Italian in Toronto: Enjoy a gelato on St. Clair or College Street during the summer Thing about you that would surprise most people: I have an obsession with Betty Boop

Best coffee in Toronto: Espressamente Illy Best pizza in Toronto: Terroni You know you are Italian when or if: Every zio or cousin owns a paving company Most common name in your family: Graziella (4) Best Italian movie: La vita è bella You know you were raised Italian when: Nonno’s zucchini garden is bigger than any store selection Favourite Italian song: I Belong to You by Eros Ramazzotti and Anastasia Favourite thing about being Italian: The culture’s emphasis on family, maintaining traditions and of course, food!

Plans for the fall: Complete my degree at York University PA N O R A M I TA L I A . C O M

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FASHION

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By Alessia Sara Domanico

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Accessories to Success Summer is finally here. Time to cast away those wrap-up tendencies and work with less – fabric that is…

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hile the humidity characterizing this season may call for a lighter wardrobe, the style options are by no means reduced. Now is the time when accessories arrive front and centre, adding personality where clothing can’t. This climate inclines us to go “California” with wardrobe choices, looking to photos of celebrities caught out on the streets of Venice Beach for a little inspiration. Take a cue from the street style of the bold and beautiful of the southwest and use vibrant colours, white linen shirts, khaki and denim as a palette for standout handbags, conversation piece jewellery, aviators, strappy sandals, and leather loafers – sans socks of course.

The ideal setting to show off your summer accessories is a beach getaway, which means you’ll need road trip essentials, a set of beachside fixtures and some trusty casual evening pieces. When it comes to accessories for the fairer sex, I have two words for you: Arm Candy. Hold that forearm at 90 degrees, pulse-facing upwards, and plant that hot new purse where it’ll attract maximum visibility!

Get to know your new best friends: mini-clutches, pouches and iPad covers; mid-sized shoulder bags; larger boho bags and widebrimmed straw beach bags. High-street names like Dior, Mulberry,

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Longchamp and Max & Co. propose their bags in the prettiest of hues such as pale mint, bubblegum, fuchsia, coral and lemon.

Heavy, slightly flashy hardware works all the way along the arm from the wrist right up to the shoulder with metal charm bracelets and bangles being standard for the girls. Take a cue from Dolce & Gabbana’s Sicilian-inspired ads where supermodel Bianca Balti piles on the gold and brass with old Italian coins reflecting the rays of the sun.

Arm candy continues to grow in popularity for men, especially when hitting the road for a change of scenery. More and more brands are proposing multiple takes on the “man bag” from satchels to backpacks, cross-bodies and weekenders. Pair some braided leather bracelets and metal cuffs with a plain black Tee and a pair of jeans for a carefree style reminiscent of David Duchovny’s Hank Moody in the Showtime series Californication.

Moving away from arm’s length, men have a wealth of details to work with from smart baseball caps to Panama hats, silk and linen ties in an array of colours and patterns, weaved leather and canvas belts for an island-bound flair and of course the many shoe styles that come with vacation wear: lace-ups, moccasins and breathable calfskin loafers from the likes of Ermenegildo Zegna and Fratelli Rossetti.

The ladies also have it easy in the shoe department with ballerina flats, loafers and sandals in every possible silhouette from flat to wedge and stiletto.

Wrap a silk, patterned scarf around your head to complement a high ponytail or a messy bun and finish off with a pair of standout earrings, whether shiny studs or chunky, multi-tiered baubles embellished with colourful stones.

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Legend 1. Mulberry 2. Max&Co 3. Ermenegildo Zegna 4. Vivienne Westwood 5. Ermenegildo Zegna 6. Vivienne Westwood 7. Dolce & Gabbana 8. Dior 9. 10. Massimo Dutti 11. Paul Smith 12. Versace 13. Longchamp 14. Max&Co 15. Ermenegildo Zegna 16. Vivienne Westwood 17. Max&Co

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ITALIAN HERITAGE MONTH

VIVA VITALITÀ

By David De Marco

A showcase of Italian and Italian-Canadian art The Viva Vitalità Art Exhibit has become a major event in the celebration of Italian Heritage Month since its inception in 2011. This year, with great enthusiasm, the exhibit’s curator Marcello Tarantino, in collaboration with the National Congress of ItalianCanadians, Toronto District, has assembled a noteworthy collection of works by both Italian and Italian-Canadian artists. Five renowned Italian artists will have their work showcased: Gianfranco Antoni, Giulio Da Vicchio, Rodolfo Marma, Guido Borgianni, and Gianfranco Frezzolini. These Tuscan masters distinguished themselves from the postwar period of the late 1940s up until the 1980s. The six Italian-Canadian artists presented are Tony Bianco, Bruno Capolongo, Lorenzo Fracchetti, Silvio Mastrodascio, Sam Paonessa, and Giuseppe Pivetta, with art highlighting the nature of our multicultural society.

Opening Reception: Thursday, June 6 from 6:30-9:30pm • Location: Joseph D. Carrier Gallery at Columbus Centre • 901 Lawrence Ave. W. Toronto • (416-789-7011) • www.carriergallery.com • The exhibit continues until Monday, July 8

Featured Italian Artists

Guido Borgianni (New York, 1915 - Florence, 2011) Borgianni studied art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. His passion for painting led him to travel extensively throughout Italy, France and Spain. In 1952, he was appointed to the Accademia delle Arte del Disegno of Florence. Many of his works are found in the Galleria d’Arte Moderna, in the collection of self-portraits in the Vasari corridor, and in the Gabinetto Disegni e Stampe in Florence’s Uffizi Gallery, as well as in numerous private collections.

Sponsored by:

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Rodolfo Marma (Florence, 1923 - 1998) Marma studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence and also attended the studio of Emmanuele Cavalli. He participated in numerous exhibitions in Italy and abroad, especially in the United States, France and Germany. He received several awards and recognitions, including the Premio Vallombrosa in 1971. His works are part of public and private collections in Europe and the United States, including the White House in Washington, D.C.

Giulio Da Vicchio (Florence, 1925 - 1997) Da Vicchio was the son of master painter Ferruccio Rontini. Born Giulio Rontini, he later changed his name to Da Vicchio (after the town of his birth) so he would not interfere with his father’s legacy. He is famous for painting many splendid landscapes of Tuscany and Sicily, and after moving to Sicily, he focused mainly on depicting fishermen and market scenes.

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ITALIAN HERITAGE MONTH

Gianfranco Antoni (Florence, 1925 - 1992) Antoni lived and worked in Florence his entire life. He was known for painting with a free-spirited style that made him famous throughout Italy. The key subjects of his work were the landscapes of Tuscany and the everyday activities of the people around him. His art can be found in public and private collections throughout Italy.

Gianfranco Frezzolini (Florence, 1929 - 1994) Frezzolini became enamoured with the Florentine and Tuscan artistic world from a young age. While he remained loyal to its traditions, he also developed his own personal style, which garnered him admiration as a landscape artist. He held several exhibitions in Tuscany and throughout Italy, France, Switzerland, Denmark, and the United States. Today, his paintings are part of public and private collections in Italy and abroad.

Featured Italian-Canadian Artists

Bruno Capolongo Capolongo has spent most of his adult life travelling to Italy, most notably Rome, to study art. His work is amassed by private and corporate collectors alike, and has been featured in over 125 exhibitions. In addition to being the recipient of numerous awards and honours, Capolongo has won the internationally coveted Greenshields Prize three times. He has also won consecutive first place awards for the national Canadian exhibition and competition Evidence of Things Unseen.

Silvio Mastrodascio Mastrodascio has been active in the fields of painting and sculpture for over 30 years. His art combines classical and contemporary elements, and is characterized by simplicity of expression. Mastrodascio’s work is best described by leading art historian, Maurizio Calvesi: “Using a technique that reveals craftsmanship perfected over time, they reach out to us as if they were alive. A trait typical of an artist who looks into the soul of the persons portrayed to define their characteristics and mirror their emotional state.”

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ITALIAN HERITAGE MONTH

Giuseppe Pivetta Pivetta was born in Villenouvelle, France, to Italian parents in 1938. He began his artistic training at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Toulouse. His work is found in many private and corporate collections throughout Canada. Pivetta has taught painting workshops for numerous organizations, including the Toronto Separate School Board. His work has been exhibited since 1972, most notably at La Parete Gallery, Hart House, Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery, and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

Lorenzo Fracchetti After studying art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Milan, and artistic design in Switzerland, Fracchetti came to Canada in 1967. Working as a book illutrator in Canada’s Arctic, Fracchetti became captivated by the natural beauty of its landscapes, people and wildlife. The Arctic has since become a major subject of his work. Fracchetti has held exhibitions in Italy, Switzerland, the United States and Canada. His works are collected by major corporations, as well as by astute private collectors around the world.

Sponsored by:

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Sam Paonessa Paonessa’s career began in Toronto as a junior layout artist followed by work as an illustrator at Hallmark Canada. For 30 years, he has created over 500 images for greeting cards and various retail products. Over the past several years, Paonessa has also been sharing his talent by conducting demonstrations and teaching oil painting workshops across the GTA. His pursuit of excellence has garnered the attention of both corporate and private collectors across North America.

Tony Bianco Early in his career, Bianco began experimenting with plein-air painting (working directly from the subject, on location). This led to a life-long study of working from life, in the landscape, throughout all seasons. His series of pieces depicting Canada’s national parks is his most renowned work. It comprises over 120 paintings, and is entitled "A Portrait of Canada". It has exhibited in a number of museums and galleries across Canada. Bianco was chosen by the Royal Canadian Mint to design the millennium two-dollar coin. He has since designed a number of coins for the Mint.

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Photo by Jean-Francois Neu

TRAVEL

Italian Drop Zones

By Alessia Sara Domanico

We get a look at Italy from an entirely new vantage point, 13,000 feet from the ground One fine Sunday morning my friend calls me up and tells me that our tentative plans to go to the countryside are on. We were waiting on favourable weather and now we had the go ahead thanks to some sunshine and clear skies. The purpose of the day’s trip: spend an afternoon in the municipality of Cumiana, in the province of Turin. A quick espresso and 30 kilometers later we’re driving on a country road passing abandoned farmhouses and pastures with grazing cows and horses, all set against the magnificent backdrop of the distant Italian Alps.

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ur final destination is an airplane hangar situated in the middle of a field. Around the hangar are a small patio with a tent and picnic tables, a rustic home-style restaurant and bar, children running around and playing and the approaching sound of a small Pilatus Porter PC-6 plane, followed by the sight of a dozen colorful parachutes dotting the surrounding skies. This quaint, out-of-the-way place is home to the Sky Dream Center, one of over 50 professional Italian skydiving clubs whose existence is unbeknownst to most Italians, let alone foreigners.

Skydiving, or paracadutismo for the Italians, is regarded as an extreme sport, but one that has seen increasing regulation and stricter safety codes applied to it over the years. An estimated 350,000 people skydive each year, 6,000 of which decide to take the plunge in Italy. It makes sense that this sport should have a strong Italian following, considering the fact that parachuting has Italian origins.

The first parachute designs stem from an anonymous Italian source during the Renaissance. Leonardo da Vinci would go on to refine this design in his Codex Atlanticus (1485), complementing the scale of the chute with the weight of a jumper. Da Vinci’s parachute is held open by a square wooden frame, which renders the shape of the parachute pyramidal. The only known testing of this design took place in the year 2000 by a British skydiver – luckily for him, it worked.

A skydiving activity is one of the more novel and feasible itineraries to accomplish on an Italian vacation due to the abundance of Drop Zones throughout the country. Locations, which are typically close to small airports, with ample landing areas for skydivers to safely practice the sport. Some of the best known centers are located in the regions of Tuscany, Piedmont, Veneto, Lazio, Reggio Emilia, Marche, Campania and Sicily.

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When it comes to the jumping part itself, there are many different variations from height to jump type. In Cumiana, dives take place 13,000 feet from the ground. The tandem jump is essential and the safest type for beginners. Tandem skydiving involves the student being strapped to a professional instructor via a harness. Your job is then to follow the basic instructions your expert first briefs you about on the ground and then actively tells you to carry out once out of the plane. The major efforts that include the pulling of the parachute, piloting to ground and landing are handled by the instructor.

For my first tandem skydive, my instructor and I were the last to leave the plane. I watched as the first few divers slid the plane door open and felt the cold air whipping in. One by one, or two by two they jumped out, seeming to be slapped to the side like hockey pucks. With a squeeze of encouragement from my coach, it’s our turn. I’m sitting on the edge of the doorway, the different hues of green squares beneath my dangling feet and then we let go into a freezing, windy blur, known of free fall.

Free fall is the minute or so in which a diver is falling through the atmosphere without the parachute deployed. The pinnacle point, known as terminal velocity, feels as though you are supported by an unseen air cushion. This is the most intense and disconcerting moment for a beginner, in which they must maintain a horizontal position with their elbows and forearms out at 90 degrees and their legs out behind them.

Free fall is followed by the calm and majesty brought on by the floating parachute. “Have you seen Titanic?” my instructor asks me and I immediately clue in that I have to play like Leo and stretch my arms out (King of the World style), toes pointed to the ground and enjoy this unguarded state of suspension with the ground far below, the sight of Monte Rosa off in one direction and the Po River in the other. The landing is soft, and comes far too soon.

Sky Dream Center – Cumiana, Turin Founded in 2002, Sky Dream offers courses, tandem jump and overnight hospitality as well as camping in the summer months.

A selection of other Italian Drop Zones

Fly Zone Fermo – San Marco, Fermo Three kilometers from the Adriatic shoreline, 60 kilometers south of Ancona.

A.S. Crazy Fly – Nettuno, Rome Skydiving school est. in 2000, 60 kilometers from Rome.

Skydive Salerno School of Skydiving founded in 1953, located on the gulf of Salerno by the beautiful coastal town of Cilento.

Skydive Sardegna Located on a farm on the island of Sardinia, 23 kilometers from Cagliari.

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TRAVEL

Un’estate al mare di Sicilia Alla scoperta della provincia di Trapani fra spiagge incantevoli e testimonianze del passato Fabio Forlano Nel profondo ovest della Sicilia c’è un pezzo di isola capace di entrare immediatamente nel cuore di chi lo visita. Stiamo parlando della provincia di Trapani, crocevia di popoli e merci ma, soprattutto, scrigno di spiagge e panorami mozzafiato. Sole e bel tempo non sono certo una rarità a queste latitudini, tuttavia l’estate è il momento migliore per organizzare una vacanza. Se non altro per godere di un mare che ha pochi eguali in Italia.

Un tuffo dove l’acqua è più blu La spiaggia più famosa e frequentata della costa nord occidentale è San Vito Lo Capo.

La sabbia finissima e l’acqua cristallina la rendono una vera e propria bomboniera, una delle fermate obbligatorie nel percorso alla scoperta del trapanese. Il luogo è ben attrezzato per i turisti, anche per quelli che ambiscono a posti più selvaggi.

Non molto lontano da San Vito Lo Capo si trova Scopello, piccola frazione del comune di Castellammare del Golfo. La particolarità di questa spiaggia è data dalla presenza di faraglioni che fanno da cornice allo specchio d’acqua antistante il borgo, dando l’illusione di trovarsi davanti a un golfo.

A tavola con i prodotti tipici La specialità sovrana delle tavole trapanesi è senza dubbio il pesce. Quello azzurro di Mazara del Vallo o il tonno rosso che ancora si riesce a pescare a Favignana. Una delle particolarità è la presenza di un piatto arabo, come il cous cous, che qui è stato rivisitato con un condimento a base esclusivamente di pesce. Per il dolce, invece, la tradizione porta a Erice dove si usano meglio gli ingredienti tipici della pasticceria siciliana: la ricotta, le mandorle e i canditi. Come vino, ovviamente, non può mancare il Marsala, una vera e propria istituzione conosciuta in tutto il mondo.

La Riserva dello Zingaro Nonostante un grande incendio ne abbia distrutto buona parte della vegetazione, la Riserva Naturale Orientata dello Zingaro resta uno dei luoghi imperdibili per chi visita la Sicilia. L’area si estende per sette chilometri, da San Vito Lo Capo a Scopello, lungo un percorso fatto di calette e falesie. Percorrerla tutta a piedi richiede diverse ore ma per gli amanti del trekking si tratta di un’esperienza unica. Chi vuole semplicemente passare una giornata al mare, invece, può scegliere una delle piccole insenature che intervallano lo scorrere della costa. Le più importanti sono Cala della Capreria, Cala del Varo, Cala della Disa, Cala Marinella e l’incantevole Tonnarella dell’Uzzo.

L’incendio del 2012 non ha fermato le attività e anche quest’estate sono in programma escursioni, passeggiate notturne e uscite in canoa.

A contatto con la Storia Nella parte meridionale della provincia trapanese sorgono i resti di Selinunte, città greca fondata 650 anni prima della nascita di Cristo. La polis fu completamente distrutta, per mano dei Cartaginesi, nel 409 a.C., dopo anni di splendore e ricchezza. Dopo una seconda distruzione, ad opera dei Romani, la città non fu mai più abitata. Oggi le rovine sono organizzate in un grande parco archeologico, tra i più importanti d’Europa. Al centro dell’area spicca l’acropoli, sede di templi, altari e fortificazioni. Intorno al cuore della vecchia città, invece, sorgono tre colline: la Gàggera, la Mannuzza e la collina orientale.

Tappa a Erice Erice è una cittadina di origine fenicia, arroccata su un monte che porta lo stesso nome. La città, difesa da bastioni e mura di cinta, è un labirinto di strade così strette che, in alcuni punti, non riesce a passare più di una persona alla volta. Nell’antichità, Erice era nota come sede del tempio dedicato alla dea della bellezza, Venere per i Romani. Oggi al castello, conosciuto anche come Castello di Venere, oltre che a visitare memorie di ogni epoca storica, si può godere di un panorama mozzafiato che va da Trapani alle Egadi.

Le isole Egadi Chi volesse organizzare un’escursione per mare può fare tappa all’arcipelago delle Egadi. Delle Isole va sicuramente visitata Favignana. Un tempo sede di una delle tonnare più rinomate del Mediterraneo, oggi ospita un museo che ricorda i tempi della pesca del tonno. L’ex stabilimento Florio mostra al pubblico le testimonianze di un’epoca florida per l’economia dell’intera Isola.

Molto suggestiva è anche la laguna dello Stagnone, specchio di mare caratterizzato da un fondale poco profondo e dalla presenza di quattro isolette. L’alta temperatura dell’acqua ha reso il luogo ideale, fin dal tempo dei Fenici, per la raccolta del sale marino. Tra le tante saline che continuano, incessanti, la loro attività, allo Stagnone c’è ancora spazio per trovare qualche vecchio mulino che serviva per la macinazione.

PA N O R A M I TA L I A . C O M

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ARTS & CULTURE

Una scuola di cinema in Calabria per "la meglio gioventù"

By Sarah Mastroianni

Already occupying a place in the hearts of many members of the Italian community, Toronto’s Little Italy has also recently found a place on the Canadian silver screen. March 29 saw the release of Italian-Canadian film director Jerry Ciccoritti’s latest project, The Resurrection of Tony Gitone (2012), which was filmed entirely at Il Gatto Nero Restaurant and Bar on College Street.

hy did he choose Il Gatto Nero? Ciccoritti, who grew up between what he refers to as “College Little Italy” and “St. Clair Little Italy” explains, “Il Gatto Nero has been, for me, my office away from office. I live a couple blocks away from it. Ironically, when I bought my house I jokingly told my real estate agent that it couldn’t be any farther than two minutes away from Il Gatto Nero. In my heart it has a special place.”

But Il Gatto Nero wasn’t chosen simply for sentimental reasons; it fit the bill perfectly for the type of film Ciccoritti wanted to make: a tribute to his generation, his culture and his community. “[Il Gatto Nero] is ground zero for the English-Canadian film community,” he says.

“It’s like a little village. It’s also a beautiful place as well.

One of the best looking locations in the neighbourhood.”

Ciccoritti also admits that serendipity played its part in his selection of a location for filming. “I had the idea [for the film] while I was sitting in Il Gatto Nero,” he recalls. “It was always meant to be there.” So he went ahead, secured the location, contacted the actors and made it happen.

The film, funded by Ciccoritti himself, centres around the homecoming of Nino, an Italian-Canadian actor whose Hollywood successes have brought him home to shoot a movie in Toronto. The entire plot plays out over the course of a single evening, during the afterhours celebration that Nino’s neighbourhood friends hold in his honour.

The film’s characters, whose occupations include

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film director, reformed Mafioso-turned-chef, and cultural radio station owner, reminisce, discuss and argue about their problems, each one of them with opinions to offer and a story to tell. Fueled by copious quantities of food and wine, which are imperative to any Italian gathering, the old friends’ carrying on lasts until dawn. By the end of the film, problems are at least partially resolved and audiences have witnessed the characters re-examine the paths their lives have taken, and have seen them start to reevaluate different aspects of the culture they’ve clung to for so many years.

In an attempt to create a film that is authentic and which mirrors reality, Ciccoritti employed a somewhat unorthodox method for writing the script; he let the actors improvise the scenes, then wrote around what they had done and worked from there. “Once I started to write it, I knew that everything had to come from the heart,” says Ciccoritti with conviction. “Everything had to come from bits of reality so that the poetry and reality could all be intertwined.”

Considering the storyline and type of characters it employs, you’d think The Resurrection of Tony Gitone would appeal only to a very small category of viewers.

Ciccoritti is assured that this isn’t the case. Even nonItalian viewers have commented to him that the film has helped them to understand what it’s like to be an immigrant to Canada. “It’s been really gratifying to me to see that my film doesn’t have a niche audience,” he says.

“Although I’m being very specific, my hope is also that it was going to reflect a larger ethnic Canadian culture.”

Letizia Tesi

Little Italy on the Silver Screen

Marco Tullio Giordana, all'ICFF di Toronto, chiede aiuto agli Italiani all'estero “Prima di Piazza Fontana l’idea che qualcuno facesse delle vittime innocenti era inverosimile, come immaginare un elefante che nuota o un pesce che cammina.

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ggi, purtroppo, ci siamo abituati. È stata proprio quella strage a inaugurare in Italia la stagione del terrorismo”. Era il 12 dicembre 1969 quando a Milano una bomba fece saltare in aria la Banca Nazionale dell’Agricoltura. Il bilancio fu di diciassette morti e 88 feriti. Il regista Marco Tullio Giordana era lì, a pochi passi da Piazza Fontana. “Ho continuato a sognare quella scena per anni. Ho smesso solo dopo averla filmata, dopo aver fatto esplodere quella banca per la seconda volta”. È nato così, nel 2012, Romanzo di una strage, il film dedicato alle vittime di Piazza Fontana che il regista milanese, invitato dall’associazione culturale L’Altra Italia, è venuto a presentare a Toronto nell’ambito dell’Italian Contemporary Film Festival.

PI: Quel giorno era lì anche lei. Che cosa pensò?

MT: All’inizio si sparse la voce che fosse stata una caldaia. Ricordo la mia incredulità quando mi resi conto che era stata una bomba. Non potevo credere che fossero stati gli anarchici o delle persone di sinistra a far strage di innocenti. Quando poi Pino Pinelli cadde dal quarto piano della questura di Milano e la polizia disse che si era suicidato, ebbi la certezza che non si stesse cercando la verità, che ci stessero mentendo. Per capire quello che era successo ci sarebbero voluti molti anni.

Sono riconoscente a quei giornalisti coraggiosi che da subito misero in evidenza la matrice neofascista della strage e il tentativo di un colpo di Stato.

PI: È cambiata la sua idea di Piazza Fontana dopo aver fatto il film?

MTG: Oltre alle diciassette persone morte nell’esplosione, la strage di Piazza Fontana ha fatto altre due vittime, Pinelli e il commissario Calabresi, ucciso nel ’72 dalle Brigate Rosse. Da ragazzo anch’io lo ritenevo

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ARTS & CULTURE

Patricia Fogliato’s

By Liz Allemang

Mad Ship

responsabile della morte di Pinelli. Con questo film ho pensato fosse giusto ridare dignità alla sua figura perché con il passare degli anni mi sono reso conto che non era nella stanza quando Pinelli è volato dalla finestra. Non riesco a capire perché, dopo così tanti anni, non si vogliano rettificare i giudizi sul suo conto. Quando si scopre la verità bisogna dirla.

PI: Cosa rappresenta la strage di Piazza Fontana per la storia d’Italia?

MTG : È stata il tentativo di un colpo di Stato per bloccare l’avanzata delle conquiste sindacali e dei diritti del ’68. Questo colpo di Stato non è riuscito perché la risposta del Paese fu di grande compostezza e di grande unità. I funerali delle vittime ne furono la dimostrazione: tutta Milano scese in piazza senza divisioni di partito. Io incontrai mia madre, una signora sessantenne che non mi sarei mai immaginato di vedere lì. E invece c’era anche lei con le sue amiche. Tutti a condividere il dolore e a difendere la democrazia. Però Piazza Fontana è stata anche una grande battuta d’arresto. L’Italia, dopo, non si è più riconciliata, è diventata più triste, più diffidente.

PI: Se fra vent’anni dovesse descrivere l’Italia di oggi quale fatto storico sceglierebbe?

MTG: Con questo film chiudo una stagione del mio lavoro. Vorrei non raccontare più le pagine dolorose della storia del nostro Paese. Mi piacerebbe raccontare un segno di speranza, che però ancora non vedo nell’Italia di oggi.

PI: Nel suo futuro c’è il progetto di una scuola di cinema in Calabria. Perché chiede aiuto agli Italiani all’estero per realizzarlo?

MTG: Perché penso che gli Italiani migliori siano fuori dall’Italia. Ed è a loro che chiedo di aiutarmi a riportare nel nostro Paese l’ottimismo e la voglia di fare. Ho scelto la Calabria perché è una regione segnata da molti pregiudizi. Invece sono state proprio le comunità dei calabresi a dare esempio, fuori dall’Italia, di capacità di lavoro, di intelligenza e di spirito d’adattamento. La scuola è un gesto di ottimismo che voglio dare al mio Paese prima di diventare troppo vecchio.

When filmmaker Patricia Fogliato’s two older siblings married nonItalians, her parents took fate into their own hands.

“I

grew up in Thornhill and, at the time, there were few Italians living there,” says Fogliato.

“When I was 16, my parents moved us to Woodbrige. The joke in the family was that I was their last hope.”

But the joke was on them. “As it turned out, I married possibly the only non-Italian in Woodbridge,” says Fogliato, who now lives in Caledon with her 15-year-old twin daughters and husband and business partner, David Mortin (together they run Enigmatico Films).

But Mortin is an honorary Italian or an Italian by osmosis. In fact, the couple’s first creative collaboration was a documentary about a Fogliato family reunion in Piemonte in 1991. The two met at York University where they both studied film (Fogliato had previously completed an undergraduate degree in psychology and started a masters in social psychology).

Fogliato was about to enter the final year of her film degree, when her parents decided to head back to the country – and family – her father had left behind to reunite with those members of his family who remained near Turin. “When my father came to Canada, his family was split down the middle: three siblings left Italy and three stayed. It had been 30 or 40 years since he had left,” says Fogliato.

Rather than stick around and study film, Fogliato and Mortin decided to make one.

They spent three weeks in Piemonte producing a documentary, which focused on Fogliato’s aunt and uncle who lived on a farm that had been in the family for 500 years, and the life her father left behind for the new one created when he immigrated to Canada.

“We called it The Good Life and we wanted to explore who actually had it – those who stayed or those who left. My parents thought they would get it [by coming to Canada], but there were certain things they lost,” says Fogliato.

The immigrant’s sense of identity is a theme that Fogliato has revisited in her career as a storyteller. And there is, perhaps, no more extreme and unexpected

unfolding of this subject than in her most recent film, Mad Ship, released this March.

Mad Ship takes place in the 1920s, with Danish actor Nikolaj Lie Kaas starring as Tomas, a Scandinavian immigrant who comes to the new world in search of a better life, only to find his dreams turn to dust.

The struggle of trying to “make it” endures and – motivated by pride and shame contemporaneously – Tomas abandons his family on their small farm to search for work in the city, eventually landing a job building coffins.

His wife, Solveig (played by Norwegian actress Line Verndal) is left to care for their two young children, fighting her own sense of homesick exasperation, desperation and the misery of feeling relentlessly out of place.

She dies unexpectedly. Tomas returns to the farm and, mad with grief, builds a ship to sail out of the prairie dust bowl amid the grim prospects presented by the Great Depression, to return his wife home as she had so longed for.

The story of how the movie came to be is almost as curious as the film’s plotline. Eight years in the making, it was developed with funding from Telefim, backburnered for a few years, shot with support from a funding agency in northern Norway that took interest in the story – originally about a Finnish man (though the Norwegians were quick to assure that their country boasted a similar boat building tradition) – and introduced them to their producer for the film, a CanadianNorwegian co-production, shot mostly in Manitoba.

“It’s a passion project. You know it has to have depth and dimension,” says Fogliato. “But any film is really. You have to believe in it intensely for it to be made and for it to be made well.”

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ARTS & CULTURE

Pino Daniele

By Dante Di Iulio

For over three decades, Pino Daniele has successfully created a unique brand of world music by blending pop, blues, jazz, and Neapolitan and Middle Eastern sounds. His 1977 solo debut, Terra mia, demonstrates Daniele’s "taramblù," a combination of tarantella, rhumba, and blues. ince then, Daniele has continued to expand his melodic palette by collaborating with several international artists like Luciano Pavarotti, Eros Ramazzotti, Wayne Shorter, and Pat Metheny.

And on June 24, Daniele is bringing his distinctive music to Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square for the TD Toronto Jazz Festival. Prior to his visit, Panoram Italia talked to the Neapolitan singer/songwriter about his achievements and inspirations.

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PI: Where did the idea for your latest CD, La Grande Madre, originate?

PD: It’s a record that’s connected to jazz, the blues but also to the Mediterranean. It refers to the Earth as well as our roots. It’s also the mixed blood of music. Italy is the centre of the Mediterranean. Its culture has not only been affected over time and influenced by Arab as well as African and European music, but also by the blues and American music. All of this is part of our modern musical culture. All of this, for me is La Grande Madre.

PI: Your song “O Fra”attempts to rediscover Parlesia. Can you tell us more about Parlesia and why you felt it was necessary to revisit this lost language?

PD: It’s just a Neapolitan slang used by street vendors and musicians in order to trick customers. They didn’t want others to understand them. The song itself is not just a trip through musical notes, but also through memories, encounters, and language. I wanted to revisit the past generation and my childhood growing up in Napoli.

PI: You’ve been successful for over three decades. What is it like to be an artist in Italy in 2013, and how has it changed since you first started?

PD: I’ve seen many things change. I must say that no matter what has happened my research hasn’t changed after all these years, neither has my hunger to create music.

I still feel part of the old generation – a relic that has survived over the years. But I don’t like to consider myself an Italian artist. I feel very connected to the entire world. I like to consider myself as a universal artist, in touch with all cultures and people. That’s why I sing the blues, because everyone feels them. Essentially, I don’t think I fit within the Italian panorama, more like a “fish out of water.”

PI: After all of the songs, tours, and albums, what is your favourite or most sentimental song that you have recorded?

PD: I have two. The first is the song I wrote for my city called “Napule è.” The other is “Yes, I Know my Way” because it’s more of a rock song and I love to play the guitar. Whenever I hear them, I get memories from when I was just a young kid starting out.

PI: What emotions come over you when you hear 60,000 people sing “Napule” at the San Paolo Stadium in Naples?

PD: To hear the San Paolo sing it in unison, I feel immensely proud as an artist but first and foremost as a Neapolitan.

PI: Are there any Canadian artists you would like to work with in the future?

PD: There are so many great artists; I would love to work with Celine Dion — such a beautiful woman with a great voice. Of course, in the past I did write the lyrics for Gino Vannelli’s “Parole per mio Padre.”

PI: What can we expect from you on the night of June 24?

PD: Spectators can expect a very Mediterranean world and feel, of course with my touch.

There will be more songs that reflect who I am today, but also older songs that have defined me. Lots of jazz and blues always provides a relaxing and pleasant atmosphere.

PI: What do you think of Toronto?

PD: The first time I visited I thought it was very beautiful and big. I had the pleasure of visiting in the summer but I don’t think I could ever spend a winter there. It’s too cold for my Mediterranean soul.

PI: You have a large following around the world, but how do you hope to reach the third and fourth generations of Italian-Canadians?

PD: With emotion and feelings. I feel that many third or fourth generation ItalianCanadians might think of Italian music as the stuff their nonni listen to, but Italy produces incredible modern music, from blue to jazz to rock. I want to reach some of these younger generations, inspire them with a Mediterranean feel.

Pino Daniele performs at the TD Toronto Jazz Festival on Monday, June 24 at 8pm 52

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Legendary Italian musician comes to Toronto

Toronto JUNE-JULY 49-64_Layout 1 13-05-23 1:22 PM Page 53

ARTS & CULTURE

Between takes with

By Sarah Mastroianni

Antonio Cupo Born in Vancouver to Italian parents, actor Antonio Cupo grew up with a strong sense of Italian culture and identity. “I felt very Italian living in my hometown out west. Already the name puts you on a different playing field,” he says. And although he points out that he always felt proud of his culture, he didn’t speak Italian much at home. “I didn’t really want to do the work,” he recalls.

hat Cupo did want to work at was acting. Throughout high school and into his twenties, Cupo’s passion for acting only grew.

His parents urged him to complete his university studies before pursuing acting full time, and they weren’t very happy with his career choice. “No parent is happy the moment their child comes home to say they want to be an actor or a rock star,” he admits. But in the end his parents were supportive and proud of their son’s success. “Dad drove me to auditions and he helped me with getting headshots,” Cupo remembers. And it paid off.

Cupo appeared in various TV shows and movies before taking a chance and accepting an invitation to audition for the role of Cristiano in one of Italy’s most popular TV series, Elisa di Rivombrosa. He agreed to go, even though he spoke few words of Italian at the time. “I learned my lines phonetically,” he says as he laughs at the memory. “In hindsight I probably did a terrible job.”

But it was enough to land him the part and push his career to new heights.

What was originally supposed to be a short stint in Italy to film Elisa turned into a seven-year stay for Cupo. He hired a teacher and got down to work learning Italian, which he now speaks with all the fluency and enthusiasm of a native speaker.

Living in Italy gave Cupo a sense of connection with his Italian upbringing.

“The experience really made me a full-fledged Italian. I voted; paid taxes, really got a good sense of my Italian heritage. I greatly appreciated the fact that I was able to really embrace being Italian,” he explains.

Immediately after returning to Canada, Cupo started working on Bomb Girls, the second season of which aired on Global this past winter. He was offered the part of Marco Moretti, an Italian-Canadian materials controller working at a munitions factory in Toronto during World War II. During the series, Cupo’s character faces a number of difficulties simply because he is an Italian at a time when Italians were considered the enemy.

Although his character is from a different era, Cupo feels connected to him. “Every time they hand me a new script I’m so eager to see what’s going to happen to my own character,” he says. “I want justice for this character. I want to see him succeed.”

And Cupo knows very well that success comes after years of perseverance. His advice for anyone trying to achieve their dreams? “I think that there’s no such thing as fate. You create your fate. You have to make it happen. If you really want it and you proceed with honesty and integrity, you will achieve your goals. You’ve got to keep pushing.” It’s certainly working for him.

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ARTS & CULTURE

Western University

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Italian is alive, well and growing

By Stephanie Grella

Students can now feed their curiosity about anything Italian at Western University in London, Ont. In addition to having a thriving Italian student association, the school has recently expanded its Italian major program thanks to demand and growing enrollment.

“I

talian culture is an important building block to North American culture,” explains Luca Pocci, Assistant Professor in the Modern Languages department. “It is omnipresent in day-to-day life.”

The plan was made official in January after faculty spent a year and a half tailoring the revamped Italian major to best suit student needs. The courses, which will be offered at the beginning of fall 2013, were designed to attract students from a variety of academic backgrounds and include topics on the Italian-Canadian community, Rome, women in Italian culture, and Italian opera, among a host of others.

One particular course that has always sparked interest from students is The Introduction to Italian Culture: a combination of Italian history topics that has shaped and continues to influence art, theatre, politics, immigration, and more.

The class delves into Italy’s history, from the Renaissance in Florence to contemporary Italian cinema. “Our role as a department is trying to expand on other programs,” says Yuri Sangalli, Assistant Professor in the department. “We want students to look at us as sending them from one subject to another.”

As a way of extending lessons outside of the classroom, the department offers year-round exchanges and summer abroad programs in Italy. Students can immerse themselves in Italy’s language and culture in Verona, Siena, Florence,

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“Once you learn a language, it’s not just a question about words, but it’s the way you think about things,” says Cristina Caracchini, Assistant Professor in the department. “It’s not just to better understand Italian culture, but their own culture.”

And students who are not enrolled in this program still have an opportunity to get a sense of Italian culture on campus with the Canadian-Italian Awareness Organization (CIAO) Western. The Italian student association, which was established in 2009, has grown exponentially in members over the past four years.

“We’re about bringing together the Italian community through awareness, events, and socials,” says Alyssa DeAngelis, co-president of CIAO Western. “CIAO gives students a chance to unite with others who share a love for their culture and to remind students that there is a strong Canadian-Italian community here at Western.” From an intramural soccer team and briscola games to monthly Italian dinners and socials, CIAO strives to best represent Italian-Canadians at Western and welcomes anyone who is interested in Italy to join.

Dedication to teaching and sharing the many facets of Italy is the root of Western University’s active Italian community. “There is an internal perspective about any culture, but there are also clichés and biases,” says Caracchini. “We try to teach the Italian language and culture from both sides, having students thinking about things they have never thought about before.”

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Toronto JUNE-JULY 49-64_Layout 1 13-05-23 1:22 PM Page 55

ARTS & CULTURE

By David De Marco & Marcello Tarantino

St. Clare Roman Catholic Church celebrates 100 years This year marks the 100th Anniversary of St. Clare Roman Catholic Church, located on St. Clair Avenue in the heart of Corso Italia.

What started as a humble desire to create a new parish in the then outskirts of the city has grown into a vibrant parish that has answered the spiritual needs of its parishioners

In

1913, St. Clare’s first Pastor, Fr. Edward McCabe, oversaw the construction of the church. It was designed by architect Arthur W. Holmes in the Renaissance Revival style, and remains one of the few houses of worship in the entire city to be built in this manner. The cornerstone was laid by Archbishop Neil McNeil on Sunday, August 17 of that year and Mass was celebrated in the basement of the church until its completion.

In the late 1940s, the surrounding area of the church started to become predominantly Italian. As a result, a need for masses in Italian became essential. By 1959, Fr. Giuseppe Sbrocchi began to celebrate Italian Masses in the church hall and the new community embraced St. Clare Church more whole-heartedly. Soon, it became the pillar of the community, as the parishioners found a place where they could fully live out their faith and religious traditions.

After playing a crucial role in the church’s growth throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Fr. Mariano Polito was named Pastor in 1974. In fact, the splendid stained-glass window depicting The Prodigal Son is dedicated in his honour.

The ever-increasing influence of the Italian culture in the area eventually led to the church’s first Italian choir in 1976 under new Pastor, Fr. Giuseppe Dal Ferro. St. Clare continued to flourish throughout the 1980’s under the guidance of Pastors Fr. Ermidio Cremona and Fr. Antonio Sandre, who touched many people with their inspirational characters and wisdom.

In 1992, St. Clare was officially recognized as an historical building because of its architecture and its abundance of historical artifacts including an impressive selection of stained-glass windows, most notably the one depicting The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

It was realized by prolific Italian artist Guido Nincheri, who came to Canada in 1914 and completed more than 2,000 stained glass windows in over 100 churches across Ontario, Quebec, the Maritimes and New England. The other note worthy stained glass work is of the church’s patron saint, depicted in the two windows directly over the main altar as well as in a semi-circular one above the main entrance. The large clerestory windows have been dedicated to the memory of former pastors and parishioners, while the smaller ones portray the joyful and sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary.

In 1998, Fr. Ernesto De Ciccio became Pastor. He played an instrumental role in organizing and completing a major restoration of the entire church. Today, the magnifi-

cent painting of the Crucifixion is back in its original location above the altar and the ornate stenciling work has been beautifully restored to its former glory. On the east wall of the sanctuary, a vivid depiction of the Baptism of Christ serves as the backdrop for the baptismal area. The two side alcoves contain the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament and the Chapel of the Crucifix, both decorated with superb stencil work.

The present Pastor of St. Clare, Fr. Vito Marziliano, understands the importance of St. Clare and its 100 year history. “Upon entering the church, the faithful can feel the prayers that for the past century have been lifted up from these pews and these walls. The walls themselves tell of untold stories of all who over the years have found solace and comfort, strength and hope in this holy place.”

Over the last century, St. Clare has celebrated a plethora of marriages, comforted families and individuals in moments of challenge and sorrow, and rejoiced with thousands in welcoming new life into their families. It has and continues to be the heart and soul of its community.

In honour of St. Clare’s centenary anniversary, there will be a series of religious, social and cultural events, culminating with a gala celebration in October. The gala is a very important event as it will help raise funds that will facilitate in maintaining the church and keep it financially stable.

Sunday, August 11, 2013 – Feast of St. Clare Solemn Mass to be celebrated at noon to mark the beginning of the 100th Anniversary. The new statue of St. Clare will be unveiled. Followed by reception in church hall.

Sunday, September 8, 2013 – Feast of the Birth of Mary Mass to be presided by His Eminence Cardinal Collins. Blessing of the new statue of St. Clare. Reception to follow in the parish hall.

Friday, October 18, 2013 – 100 Year Anniversary Gala at the Liberty Grand Tickets for the gala are on sale now. Tickets cost $150 per person. Please see the contact information below to reserve a table or inquire about sponsorship levels: 416-654-7087 stclareparish@rogers.com www.stclareparish.ca

PA N O R A M I TA L I A . C O M

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EVENTS

Hats Off 2 Kidz Fundraising Gala

Photos by Cypress Photo Studio

Committee Members (from left): Angela Salerno, Maria Hughes, Anna Lombardo, Carm Rizzo, Rose Rizzo, Deborah Bianchi, Barbara Scrocco-Rizzo, Bianca Perro, Adriana Mandarino, Patty DeMarco-Caruso (missing from Committee photo Cristina Camilli and Livia Micoli)

May 3 marked the 9th annual Hats Off 2 Kidz Fundraising Gala for SickKids. This year’s event, which raised over $60,000, welcomed 550 guests at Paramount Conference and Event Centre in Vaughan. The gala is one of several events hosted by the 12 member committee of women in support of Leukemia Research at the Hospital for Sick Children and the SickKids Foundation, which has so far raised over $1,100,000. The annual gala is an evening filled with great food, entertainment, prizes, special guests and a live auction, with all proceeds directed to the foundation.

Deborah Bianchi, a childhood Leukemia survivor herself and president/founder of

Deborah Rizzo (Founder of Hats off 2 Kidz) and Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua

Steve Anthony (from CP24) who was the Master of Ceremonies (MC) for the evening.

Hats Off 2 Kid, said she started this committee to help give back to the hospital that saved her life. The title of the organization is a reference to empowering all the children who have lost their hair to chemotherapy treatments and wear hats or head covers. “We can all agree that the most important thing in life is health,” Bianchi said, “and it is great to see a community come together for a common good. We all benefit when we commit to improving the quality of health care.” (Laura Nesci) For additional information, please visit: www.hatsoff2kidz.com.

St. Clement Skate for ShareLife Photos by CENTO Photography

The first annual St. Clement Catholic Elementary School of Vaughan Family Skate and Hockey Night on April 19 was a success, raising $1,800 for ShareLife and attracting 300 participants. “[We] hope to make this an annual event for the school and community and we hope that our efforts are certainly an extension of our compassion to help people in need,” said Peter Morrone, the school’s principal. The event, which was conceived by Chris Egizii and Richard de Thomasis, both teachers at St. Clement, included a family skate, a student vs. staff hockey game, as well as a raffle and refreshments. Students were an integral part of the event from helping to create advertising posters and acting as Masters of Ceremonies.

ShareLife is a humanitarian relief agency that helps more than 40,000 children and young people every year through outreach programs.

(Laura Nesci)

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EVENTS

Ordine al Merito turns 25

The Board of Directors of The National Congress of Italian Canadians with past and present recipients and the Italian Consul Dott. Tullio Guma

More than 500 guests including Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne paid tribute to the 25th anniversary of the Ordine al Merito on May 10. The Ordine al Merito is awarded each year by the National Congress of Italian Canadians, Toronto.

“The annual presentation of the Ordine Al Merito and the Youth Achievement Award is an opportunity for our community to unite in recognition of the achievements of our fellow Italian Canadians,” said Michael Tibollo, president of the National Congress of Italian Canadians, Toronto.

The Ordine al Merito recipients: Sam Primucci and Ron D. Barbaro

The event, which was held at Primavera Hospitality and Convention Centre in Woodbridge, also included the presentation of the 2013 Ordine al Merito to Ron D. Barbaro and Sam Primucci, while Sara Dolcetti received the Youth Achievement Award.

In recognition of the 25th anniversary of the Ordine al Merito, a book was published featuring community leaders that have been honoured with the award.

(Rita Simonetta)

Vaughan in Motion for Cancer Care Photo by Guido Piraino Son Of Peter Inc. | Sensible Media & Technology Services

Vaughan in Motion presents a cheque for $45,500 to the Mackenzie Health Foundation for cancer care in Vaughan

This past April, Vaughan in Motion, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting cancer patients and their families, in the Vaughan community, has been working hard to raise funds for the Mackenzie Health Foundation for Cancer Care.

The organization kicked off their annual events with a flag raising ceremony on Tuesday, April 23 at Vaughan City Hall . The event, attended by Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua and Members of Council, marked April 22 -29 as Cancer Awareness Week.

A few days later, on April 28, Vaughan in Motion members, along with over 500 participants marched together inside of Vaughan Mills for the organization’s annual Walk to Cure Cancer. Participants enjoyed great exercise while kids were entertained

by Doo Doo the Clown and Reptilia Reptile Zoo & Education Facility. Vaughan in

Motion co-founder and president, Peter Badali, was delighted with the turnout, stating, “It was beautiful to see all the friends, family and nonni come out for the event.”

Badali confirmed that the Walk as well as the Vaughan in Motion’s annual Gala to Cure Cancer (April 5) raised $45, 500. The funds will support the Chemotherapy Unit in the Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital, as well as a new cancer care facility or programs at the new Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital.

Vaughan in Motion is still going strong — their annual Golf to Cure Cancer tournament is fast approaching on Thursday, June 13. The event will be held at Redcrest Cardinal Golf Club. For more information on the event and how to join, visit www.vaughaninmotion.com (Danila Di Croce)

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EVENTS

St. Elizabeth Catholic High School’s Regional Arts Program celebrates 10 years What a difference a decade makes. For the alumni, their families, staff and the community of St. Elizabeth Catholic High School’s Regional Arts Program (RAP), an inspiring 10 years culminated into a celebration of success at The Royalton Banquet Hall on Friday, May 10. With over 300 guests in attendance – including alumni such as actors Paula Brancati and Amanda Cordner; singers Christopher Dallo, Andrea DeBartolomeo and Paul Fracassi; and musicians Anthony Brancati, Michael Carbone and A.J Camuti Ing – the evening featured an antipasto bar, three-course meal, open bar, live and silent auctions, raffles, a band, live entertainment and DJ. This unique program began after the York Catholic District School Board realized how valuable enhanced courses in dance, drama, instrumental music, vocal music and visual arts would be to the many talented and creative students throughout the region.

“Research has shown that having arts programs in schools result in greater academic success and student management,” says RAP Vice Principal Fabian Walsh Regional Arts. “Graduates are prepared to pursue a variety of post-secondary options. The number of applicants has steadily increased each year and our strong academics and enhanced arts program guarantee the program’s continued success.” Now that’s something to celebrate!

(Andrea Lepore Querido)

From left: Paula Brancati, Alexandra Scaini, Michelle Janzen, Mara Fraccaro and Natalie Ciarallo.

Paola Brancati, school alumni and singer/actress

The Chocolate Ball Chocolate aficionados gathered at the 4th Annual “Choc ‘N’ Roll” Chocolate Ball on Friday May 10 to enjoy tantalizing appetizers, hearty entrees and heavenly desserts all au chocolat. The event, befitting the treat’s noted health advantages, was held in support of the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

“This is a unique opportunity to enjoy all things chocolate,” explains Nadia Cerelli, co-organizer of the event. “We provide a spread of wall-to-wall chocolate stations including a delicious sit down chocolate-infused dinner.”

Guests sampled a myriad of goodies created by various local and award-win-

ning chocolatiers — everything from the organic, dark variety imported from South America to edible works of art. Along with novel items such as chocolate pizza and risotto with white chocolate, guests also indulged in traditional crepes, waffles, and cupcakes.

The gala, which was hosted by Chateau Le Jardin Conference and Event Centre in Vaughan, included dance performances by The Dance Company and live entertainment by The Rock “N” Ray Michaels Retro Rockers. Guests brought home treats courtesy of door prizes, raffles and a silent auction. (Romina Monaco) Photo by Richard Emmanuel Studios

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Grammy Award winner Frankie Valli entertains the crowd at the 2013 River Ball in support of Humber River Hospital.

Oh, what a night indeed. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons came to town on May 9 as part of the River Gala, which helped raise $624,000 to build and equip the new Humber River Hospital (HRH). The revitalization is taking place at Keele Street and Wilson Avenue, and the result will be North America’s first fully digital hospital.

“The leading-edge technology in the new hospital will be the tools that will enable us to provide high quality, safe care to our community,” Dr. Rueben Devlin, HRH president and CEO, told the 850 guests.

The event, which was hosted by Paramount Conference & Event, also included the presentation of Humber River’s No Limits award to Frank Ciccolini Jr. for his dedicated and passionate volunteerism.

“Frank has given selflessly of his time and energy to our hospital, and for this we are grateful. Humber River Hospital is a better place for his vision, passion and infectious enthusiasm,” said Heather Hurst, HRH foundation president and CEO. The River Ball’s recent success is part of the Hospital Foundation’s ultimate goal to raise $225 million for the new state-of-the-art hospital. (Rita Simonetta) PA N O R A M I TA L I A . C O M

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EVENTS

City of Vaughan Mayor’s Gala 2013 2

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The city of Vaughan celebrated its annual Mayor’s Gala in style this year at the Paramount Conference and Event Venue on Thursday, May 2. The gala raised a total of over $700,000 and included a live auction for a dinner with Mayor Bevilacqua, which raised a record $300,000 for the Mackenzie Vaughan. All proceeds will benefit nonprofit and community organizations that provide essential services to the residents of Vaughan. The evening’s theme was “The Art of the Possible” and showcased made in Vaughan talent. It also served to highlight the tremendous improvements that are now underway all over the city of Vaughan, which include the construction of the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, the subway expansion to Highway 7, the extension of Highway 427, as well as the confirmation that the city will soon have its own hospital. “I am very proud of what we have been able to achieve in Vaughan, and the Mayor’s Gala is a celebration of our success,” said Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua. “This year’s theme speaks to the future of our community and I believe that the possibilities are truly endless.” The Mayor’s Gala is not only a celebration of the city’s achievements, but also a contributing factor in helping the community as a whole. The event serves as the city’s foremost annual fundraising event, and by all accounts, the evening was a great success. (David De Marco)

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SPORTS

By Adam Zara

FIFA CONFEDERATIONS CUP BRAZIL 2013 FIFA’s Confederations Cup has never been considered one of football’s great competitions, but if Italy’s dismal 2009 showing in South Africa is anything to go by, it does sometimes foreshadow performance in the following year’s World Cup.

he tournament acts as a practice run of sorts for the host nation of the forthcoming World Cup. It’s held every four years, one year prior to the World Cup, and uses half the stadia intended for the following year’s event.

It’s contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederations championships: the Euro Cup, the CONCACAF Cup, the African Nations Cup, the Copa America, the AFC Asian Cup, and the OFC Nations Cup. To bring the number of competing teams up to eight, the Confederations Cup also includes the previous FIFA World Cup winner and the host country. Since Spain currently holds both European and World Cup crowns, the runner-up of Euro 2012 (Italy) was next in

T

line to fill the remaining European spot.

Brazil’s 2013 Confederations Cup runs from June 15 to 30. The group stage is highlighted by Spain vs Uruguay on June 16 and a classic Italy vs Brazil match-up on June 22. The semi-final and final matches of the two-week long journey could potentially produce some awesome tilts between Italy and Spain, Brazil and Spain and a second meeting between Italy and Brazil, this time in the final match.

Again, the significance of the matches at hand can be debated, but no footy fan will be heard bemoaning the onset of some much needed international action during the dormant summer months.

GROUP A Brazil MATCH

DATE

Japan TIME

Italy

GROUP B Mexico

Spain

TEAMS

CITY

MATCH

DATE

Uruguay TIME

Tahiti TEAMS

Nigeria CITY

1

June 15 15:00

Brazil vs Japan

Brasilia

3

June 16 18:00 Spain vs Uruguay

2

June 16 15:00

Mexico vs Italy

Rio De Janeiro

4

June 17 15:00

Tahiti vs Nigeria

Belo Horizonte

5

June 19 15:00 Brazil vs Mexico

Fortaleza

7

June 20 15:00

Spain vs Tahiti

Rio De Janeiro

6

June 19 18:00

Italy vs Japan

Recife

8

June 20 18:00 Nigeria vs Uruguay

9

June 22 15:00

Italy vs Brazil

Salvador

10 June 22 15:00 Japan vs Mexico Belo Horizonte

*All kick-off times are EST

Winner A vs Runner-up B

Salvador

11 June 23 15:00 Nigeria vs Spain

Fortaleza

12 June 23 15:00 Uruguay vs Tahiti

Recife

SEMI-FINALS

SEMI-FINALS 13 June 26 15:00

Recife

14 June 27 15:00

Belo Horizonte

Winner B vs Runner-up A

Fortaleza

THIRD PLACE 15 June 30 12:00

Loser 13 vs Loser 14

Salvador

FINAL Match 16 June 30 18:00 Winner Match 13 vs Winner Match 14 Rio De Janeiro

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SPORTS

Lamborghini Miura

Photos and text by Alain Raymond

The 350GT was the response to Enzo Ferrari’s “challenge” and the start of the Lamborghini legend.

Lamborghini: Ferruccio’s Revenge “I build sports cars. I suggest you go back to your tractors.” Coming from Enzo Ferrari, this provocative response prompted Ferruccio Lamborghini to seek revenge by creating his own true grand touring sports car.

his legendary exchange is said to have taken place between the owner of Lamborghini Trattori located in Sant’Agata Bolognese and Maranello’s own Commendatore. On that fateful day, Ferruccio Lamborghini was complaining about the difficulty he had shifting the gearbox of his Ferrari 250 GT. Enzo did not tolerate criticism, and proud Ferruccio did not take lightly to Enzo’s offensive response and promised himself to teach the Commendatore a lesson he would not soon forget.

Thus started the Lamborghini saga with the unveiling, 50 years ago this year, of the prototype of the Lamborghini 350 GT at the Turin Motorshow, a car designed by the talented Giotto Bizzarini, creator of Ferrari’s 1.5 litre V12 engine.

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Dressed in stunning orange, the P400 hit the stage at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show to international acclaim, prompting movie stars and other ‘beautiful people’ to run for their cheque books. The car was nicknamed Miura in honour of Don Eduardo Miura, the famous fighting bull stock breeder. Since then, most Lamborghinis carry the name of a fighting bull – a testimony to Ferruccio’s fascination with the wild animal. As for the bull on the company logo, it refers to the Taurus, Ferruccio’s astrological sign.

Weighing only 980 kilos, the 432 cm long and 104 cm high Miura is ‘propelled’ by a 350 hp V12 allowing the diminutive yet stunning car to race from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.3 seconds and reach a top speed of 275 km/h. Some 47 years later, these figures are still awe-inspiring.

Proud as a raging bull The Lamborghini 350 GT prototype was hailed by the public, not so much for its controversial shape, but for the magnificence of its 360 horsepower V12 engine.

Noting this ambivalent response, Lamborghini went back to the drawing board and asked Carrozzeria Touring of Milan to create the production version of the car. The revised design, with its low, sleek profile, featuring the raging bull emblem on its hood, Lamborghini was unveiled Miura at the 1964 Geneva Motor Show. The public’s response was quite satisfying. As would be expected, Enzo Ferrari was not amused, noting along the way that this new Italian Gran Turismo car was equipped with an independent rear suspension whereas Maranello’s best were still carrying the antiquated rigid rear axle.

In 1966, the new Italian GT featured an enlarged 4-litre V12. All 247 units of the sleek and beautifully finished Lamborghini 400 GT were quickly sold. Ferruccio’s gamble was starting to pay off.

A visit to Automobili Lamborghini The Lamborghini factory is located in Sant’Agata Bolognese, in that tiny triangle between Bologna and Modena, fittingly called “Terra di Motori.” A museum was opened in 2001 to celebrate the new millennium and a new breed of supercars. The Lamborghini Murciélago was shown at the Museum first, against a backdrop of other precious Lamborghini treasures from the past, a collection which is nowadays admired by enthusiasts coming from all over the world.

Islero, Espada, Jarama, Countach, Urraco, Jalpa, Diablo, Murciélago and Gallardo are among the models shown in the two-floor museum, also featuring Lamborghini’s effort in racing, notably Formula 1.

The man who fathered the ‘raging bull’ is no more, but his dream and his gamble still live on.

Magnificent Miura Although it started with the 350 and 400 GT, the Lamborghini success story really took off with the divine Miura, considered by many as the first true supercar of the modern era.

Designed by young engineer Giampaolo Dallara, the Miura was code named P400 (P for posterior, and 400 for its 4-litre V12 located sideway in the rear, just behind the cockpit).

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PA N O R A M I TA L I A . C O M

Lamborghini Museum Via Modena, 12 I-40019 Sant’Agata Bolognese (BO) Monday to Friday (exc. Holidays) 10.00 am - 12.30 pm and 1.30 pm - 5.00 pm www.lamborghini.com

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SOME WORKS OF ART YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO TOUCH

LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO LP 560-4 This Italian masterpiece is not behind velvet ropes. So come closer and touch it. Then, feel a delightful tingle run all the way down your spine to your right foot. This time, art is definitely in the eye of the driver. The 2013 Gallardo LP 560-4 is here. Drive it now to be moved by beauty.

©2013 Automobili Lamborghini L.L.C. All rights reserved.

» Lamborghini Authorized Dealer Lamborghini Uptown Toronto 101 Auto Vaughan Drive Maple, ON L6A 4A1 905-417-1170 gtamaple.ca Lamborghini Toronto 740 Dupont Street Toronto, ON M6G 1Z6 416-530-1880 grandtouringautos.com

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