Tag Archives: Italian traditions
Capitone Fritto Posted by Serena on Dec 22, 2016
In Southern Italy the most traditional dish eaten for il cenone di Natale (Christmas eve meal) is il capitone fritto (fried eel). Despite the masculine name, il capitone is actually a fully mature female eel, which is much bigger than the male. The name capitone comes from the word ‘capa‘ (capo in Italian), meaning ‘head’…
Il Frassinicoltore Posted by Geoff on May 6, 2016
In my recent article, Manna From Italy, I posted a video of the frassinicoltore Giulio Gelardi. Originally I had intended to translate sections of the dialogue into English, but Serena was so taken by what the narrator had to say that she decided to transcribe the whole thing! (grazie Sere). So, here’s the plan: Below…
Manna From Italy Posted by Geoff on May 4, 2016
It would be a wild understatement to say that when I first moved to Lunigiana in Italy I encountered a ‘steep learning curve’. Apart from dealing with the many linguistic and cultural challenges, I also became aware that my new habitat held a vast array of flora and fauna pretty much unknown to me. Growing…
An Old Italian Springtime Recipe Posted by Serena on Apr 15, 2016
Spring is blooming all around us, re-awakening our senses: the birds are singing from dawn to dusk, the hills are painted in many shades of green, the fields are carpets of flowers, the air smells of mint, thyme and other wild herbs, our skin is caressed by the first warm sun and a fresh breeze…
Proud To Be Italian? Part – 2 Posted by Serena on Jan 28, 2016
In my last post Proud To Be Italian? Part – 1 mi sono sfogata abbastanza (I vented my frustration quite a bit), but I make no excuses, I’d be lying if I maintained the stereotypical fantasy of la bella Italia. There are, however, many aspects of Italian culture that I am proud of, and today…
A Huge Italian Bonfire – Part 2 Posted by Geoff on Jan 21, 2016
Previously in A Huge Italian Bonfire: Geoff and Serena are waiting on the bridge for the Falò di San Nicolò to be lit when … … all’improvviso, succede una cosa completamente inaspettata … suddenly, something completely unexpected happens … … out of the blackness behind the crowd looms a mysterious tubular object illuminated by a…
A Huge Italian Bonfire – Part 1 Posted by Geoff on Jan 20, 2016
Here’s an opportunity for you to practice your colloquial conversational vocabulary. A typical Geoff and Serena dialogue (with the arguments edited out of course!) Serena: Stasera c’è il falò di San Nicolò a Pontremoli, lo sapevi? Serena: did you know that this evening in Pontremoli there’s the falò of San Nicolò? Geoff: che cavolo è…