L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 24 L'Italo-Americano SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY B etween San Francisco and Palo Alto, the Ital- ian Community cele- brated female success and excellence with a week full of events during Women's History Month. On Wednesday 6th, Shelley Lindgren was announced as new Cavaliere dell'Ordine della Stella d'Italia (Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy) by Italian Consul General, Lorenzo Ortona. As an ambassador of Italian food and wine culture in the Bay Area of San Francisco, Shelley runs a restaurant named after the famous highway A16 - Autostrada Napoli- Canosa, also known as Autostrada dei Due Mari. Surrounded by friends and family, she was recog- nized for her passion and hard work in connecting Italy and California and supporting Italy's wine indus- try. BAIA, the Business Association Italy America, has put together an event on March 7th, bringing in the spotlight five Italian women living in the Bay Area and working in dif- ferent industries and roles. An en- gineer, a designer, a director, an entrepreneur, and a scientist were joined by journalist and writer Sheila Pierce Ortona for a candid chat around different topics, like work, family, career, and more. Over the weekend, starting on Women's Day, a group of seven SERENA PERFETTO Celebrating success, recognizing excellence, and raising money for a good cause for Women's History Month need a different way of organizing stuff. What seems to be a weakness is then a strength, don't you think? Women have a better ability of adapting to what happens around. In today's life, where it's requested to be resilient, women win because they are able to think of work, fam- ily, school, and grocery all to- gether. This means you need to be well organized, practical, and to not waste time. Today's experience here, what does it represent? Cooking is an act of love and pizza is to me the symbol of soli- darity and sharing. It's one of those dishes that people do not usually cook at home. We learned simple techniques and special tips. We re- ceived a warm welcome also at other restaurants, A16 allowed us to use their kitchen and raise money for La Cocina, and on Sun- day we will be at Terun in Palo Alto. Have you tried or will you try any pizza place in San Fran- cisco? I know there's always a discus- sion about who made pizza first, the Italians or the Americans? I love pizza anyways, I love to travel around the world and to try new dishes all the time. I don't look for Italian food abroad, especially in San Francisco where there is a con- stant fusion among cuisines, from Chinese to Japanese, to Mexican. And I love them all! pizzaiole (female pizza-makers) and TV host Francesca Romana Barberini introduced the Donne di Pizza - Donne di Cuore project to the local community. The group, born from the idea of friendship and the common will to help, con- sisted of Marina Orlandi, former pastry chef, and Giovanna Baratella, who opened together Pizzeria Slurp in Ferrara; Enrica Causa of the Rustica pizzeria in Galzignano Terme (Padua); Clau- dia Tosello, owner of Arcobaleno in Pettorazza Grimani (Rovigo); Eleonora Massaretti of Basilico Rosso pizzeria in Castelmassa (Rovigo); Paola Cappuccio, the Neapolitan of the group, from Pizza Verace pizzeria in Portici (Naples), and last but not least Pe- tra Antolini from Settimo Cielo in Pescantina (Verona). Francesca Romana Barberini has been the supporter of the group since its start and has been helping build connections, create opportunities, and give voice to these women and their abilities. Francesca is a TV and Radio Host and runs a daily show on Al- ice TV called ALICE CLUB, il club della Buona Tavola. There, everyone, from chefs to food blog- gers, from special guests to the au- dience, can share their passion and love for good food and cooking. Francesca cooks different recipes every day, while interacting with guests. She flew to the Bay Area for a few days for Donne di Pizza - Donne di Cuore events, that got full support from both the Italian Cultural Institute and the Consulate General of Italy. The food marathon unfolded into a two nights of pizza making: A16 Restaurant in San Francisco and Terun in Palo Alto hosted a night each dedicated to pizza, thanks to a special menu, and used part of the proceeds for a local non-profit organization, La Cocina. We talked to Francesca, soon after a cooking class at Bite Unite in San Francisco, where attendees learned and made their own pizza, while the Donne di Pizza mastered their skills. Francesca, what's happening this weekend? We are in the US to underline that making Pizza in Italy is no longer a male business only. Women are now making pizza, proving they are pretty good at it. We all know famous pizzaioli, but there are also some unknown tal- ented female pizzamakers, al- though not too many. These seven pizzaiole here are a good represen- tation of this new trend. Pizza to- day means redemption, commit- ment, and sometimes also a new life. Some are from a different field and reinvented themselves for this. They also come from differ- ent places in Italy… They do, and they represent the best you can find in Italy, from north to south. We wanted to tell a different story of Italy and Italian Women. They bring more attention to environment, the land, and the ingredients we use in the kitchen. How did this opportunity come to life? The opportunity came up when I was visiting San Francisco last year. I literally fell in love with the city. It's an interesting and vibrant place, very close to the European culture. It is also very open to new food experiences and cultures. When I came here, I was sure that Italy, its culinary story, and its pre- sent were well known here. In- stead, I realized there was lots to do and this idea was very exciting. I met with the Italian Consul Gen- eral, Lorenzo Ortona. He strongly believes that food can allow to tell more about Italy. I agreed on that. Francesca, tell us a bit more about the group. The group was born around the concept of exchanging ideas and tips and with the support of the Università della Pizza - La Scuola del Mulino. They wanted to be- come a real group of professionals who collaborate and offer their know-how to others. They all run their businesses, that's why they were willing to do more for others. Is there any difference be- tween a male and female pizza- maker? In Italy, women have always been the queens of the kitchen. Lately, some have left the kitchen to do something different. For in- stance, running a business in the food industry. Being a woman and an entrepreneur is not an easy thing. When you have kids, you Donne di Pizza with Italian Cultural Institute Director (Far left) and TV host Francesca Romana Barberini (Far right) - Credits_ Enrica Cavalli

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