L'Italo-Americano

LIFESTYLE FASHION FOOD ARTS DESIGN www.italoamericano.org 10 THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020 L'Italo-Americano T he bombs' rever- berating thunder b l e n d e d i n t o hellish harmony with the fighter p l a n e s r i p p i n g t h e s k i e s above. Crashes, blasts, and clenched-fist fear were the almost daily accompaniment to the rumblings of her fami- ly's empty stomachs. "I'd clutch Nonna Luisa's skirts while we made the sign of the cross and waited for the din to subside…even in the m i d s t o f t h e b o m b i n g s I would be anticipating…the pleasure that eating would bring. Nonna Luisa could transform even our plain stale bread into an elegant dish." "It's a small universe o f p e a c e , t h e c l e a r e s t proof of the ties of affec- tion and love that exist… " ~ Sophia Loren That girl and her WWII m e m o r i e s o f w a r f a r e a n d hunger would grow up to become one of the world's most beloved and revered actresses. Yet those early experiences with family and s u s t e n a n c e l e f t a f o r e v e r i m p r i n t o f d e e p l y f o r g e d bonds to the foods of her native Italy, to "certain indelible flavors that are still with me today." It was food that made everything better, prepared in miraculous ways by her nonna. It was food that marked any number of "firsts" in her life – her life- long friendship with Cary Grant cemented over lob- ster cocktail in Spain, the hidden secrets of bucatini alla Carbonara learned from the mountain people, while filming her Academy Award winner Two Women, or the delights of waterme- lon semifreddo, its secrets haltingly revealed to Sophia a n d R i c h a r d B u r t o n o n l y because of their celebrity. It was food partaken around the family table that always seemed to center an unsure world. B o r n S o p h i a V i l l a n i Scicolone in 1934 to her u n w e d m o t h e r R o m i l d a , Sophia Loren found her way to Italian film stardom by age 20, followed by inter- national recognition by 25. H e r o t h e r - w o r l d l y g o o d looks and ultra-glamorous appeal alone would've shot the young woman to celebri- ty status, but it was her abili- ty to relate to the humanity of her characters, to portray something within a story line that offered connection to the viewer, that clenched her immortalized spot as one of classic Hollywood's most a w a r d e d a n d e n d e a r i n g actresses. G e n e v a , S w i t z e r l a n d – 1 9 6 8 : t h e n o w m a r r i e d Sophia was expecting her long-awaited first child and had been advised to take complete bedrest. A self- declared prisoner out of love for her child, she willingly locked herself away for the majority of nine months in a luxury hotel. There was little to occupy her days; Sophia's mind centered on what com- forted her most – food. This rare gift of uninterrupted time not only resulted in a h e a l t h y s o n , b u t a l s o hatched the beginnings of her first cookbook. " Y o u m u s t b e c o n - vinced that cooking is an act of love, a gift, a way of sharing with others the little secrets – i pic- coli segreti – that are simmering on the burn- ers." C h i l d h o o d m e m o r i e s laced together with recollec- t i o n s o f p r e p a r i n g Neapolitan specialties at her m o t h e r a n d n o n n a ' s s i d e took shape as recipes and memories accumulated in a notebook. Recipes gathered on film locations throughout Europe, each holding a dear moment bound by the love of food, appeared, as well. In Cucina con Amore, Sophia's first cookbook, hit the shelves in 1971. Like a pot set on a robust flame, it quickly boiled over into a culinary success. By 1973, t h e c o o k b o o k h a d b e e n translated and published in 17 countries. Critics offered mixed reviews: some saw it as a "flashy, expensive gim- m i c k " r i d i n g o n t h e s e x appeal of a famous celebrity. Despite a camp of naysayers, Loren's cookbook was warm- ly welcomed, highlighting not only her authentically written recipes, but her gra- cious and friendly voice. The ample offerings of glossy, g l a m o u r o s p h o t o s o f t h e " s u p e r g o d d e s s " ( c r i t i c William Holden) wearing a variety of 1970's high fashion c e r t a i n l y a d d e d t o t h e appeal. A second cookbook fol- lowed, released almost three d e c a d e s l a t e r a n d t i t l e d Sophia Loren's Recipes a n d M e m o r i e s ( 1 9 9 8 ) . Relying upon a similar for- mula featuring engaging nar- rative, proven recipes (all from Italy in this version), and great photos, the book was met with much less pro- fessional scorn. A copy of this second version can still be easily found, but good luck getting your hands on the first, rarer edition for less than a handful of hundreds. A radiantly smiling, apron bedecked Sophia leans casu- ally over several dead fish and a couple of lemons on the cover of the oversized book, her welcoming stance enticing even the most hesi- tant to go ahead, pick up the book and open the pages, j o i n h e r i n t h e k i t c h e n . Sophia's early experiences with raw hunger seem to be a thread that weaves the sto- ries, memories, and recipes together. Yet throughout, she honors and expresses great love for her family and dear friends, each holding some s p e c i a l p l a c e i n h e r l o v e affair with the doings in a kitchen. H e r s t y l e i s w a r m , h e r words pleasant and informa- tive. Photos documenting her earliest days up through the publication of the book punctuate pages, each cap- tioned with personal words or thoughts or memories. By t h e e n d o f t h e c o o k b o o k memoir, a warmth of famil- iarity develops. Her down- home narratives cultivate a feeling of time spent at her side learning the secrets of the ritualistic Sunday dish of r a g ù a l l a N a p o l e t a n a o r n o w c o r r e c t l y t u t o r e d o n proper coupling of ingredi- ents for Neapolitan pizza d o u g h : " … e n e r g e t i c a l l y knead the dough, slamming it down from time to time. Bash and punch the dough o v e r a n d o v e r a g a i n a s t h o u g h i t w e r e y o u r o w n worst enemy, hammering it with clenched fists until it is soft and pliable." Italian wisdom, delec- t a b l e r e c i p e s , a n d a p e e k i n s i d e t h e t r u e h e a r t o f Sophia Loren await. "You should always think of your sauce before you pick your pasta." "In the Italian kitchen, vegetables hold a position of importance second only to pasta." " T h a t f i l m ( S c a n d a l i n Sorrento) was like a course at a university of fish cooking." "I adore pasta and eat it almost every day." "One of the best pieces of advice I can give you is to find a good fishmonger." " D o n ' t b e a s l a v e t o recipes…let your convictions, and above all, love, guide you." "But I want you to remem- ber that the kitchen, its envi- ronment and its ritual, is where the whole family is united." Sophia Loren has a special relationship with food and with cooking (Photo: Featureflash/Dreamstime) PAULA REYNOLDS Sophia Loren: her love affair in the kitchen

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