L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano C an food feed the soul and body? T h e a n s w e r t o t h i s s e e m i n g l y rhetorical ques- tion is a resounding yes! This i d e a i s s u p p o r t e d b y t h e n u m e r o u s f o o d a n d w i n e events that take place every- where, especially in places where culinary traditions are h i g h l y v a l u e d . I t i s w e l l known that when it comes to cuisine, Sicily is a natural reference point. The island's rich food culture is a blend of aromas, flavors, and friend- ships that create an extraor- dinary whole. So, why not celebrate these healthy habits of combining bodily pleasure with spiritual joy more often? In times like these, when many wars are ongoing and international relations are strained, why not celebrate a day of peace through food? Who better than representa- tives of foreign countries to t e s t i f y t o b r o t h e r h o o d t h r o u g h a d i s h ? W h y n o t unite the cultures, histories, and culinary traditions of dif- f e r e n t n a t i o n s i n a s i n g l e day? A single occasion where the respect for the people who represent these coun- t r i e s h e l p s t o s t r e n g t h e n b o n d s o f f r i e n d s h i p a n d diplomacy among them? Thanks to the Inner Wheel Q a r i n i s , t h e t h i r d a n n u a l Dish for Peace, Piatto per la Pace, a competition was held. It was hosted by t h e " D a n i l o D o l c i " H i g h School in Partinico and its Principal Gioacchino Chi- menti, and attended by the Honorary Consuls of Den- mark (Carolina Castellucci), Norway (Isabella Tagliavia), Portugal (Claudio Gallina Montana), and Andrea Mar- chione – Head of Fe.N.Co (National Federation of Hon- orary Consuls) District Sicily. It involved the "Danilo Dolci" students who prepared and presented a typical dish from the nations represented by the respective Honorary Con- suls. The event was organized by the Club members along with representatives from the Fidapa (Italian Federation of Women in Arts, Professions, and Business) of Palermo (Mondello) and Partinico. The panel of judges was notable: Chef Tony Lo Coco, P r e s i d e n t o f " L e S o s t e d i U l i s s e , " F e . N . C o H e a d Andrea Marchione, the Hon- orary Consuls of the three competing countries, Laura Lucaioli (Lieutenant Com- mander and Head of the Ter- rasini Maritime Office), Chef Giuseppe Carollo, Vincenzo Costa (Director of Confcom- m e r c i o S i c i l y ) , S a l v a t o r e Fiore (President of the Fed- eration of Agronomists and Foresters of Sicily), Maurizio Scaglione (President of the Red Tuna Academy), Rosario Seidita (Regional President of the Italian Chefs Federa- tion), and Roberto Vivaldi ( B a i l l i , P r e s i d e n t o f t h e Palermo Delegation of the World Gastronomic Brother- hood Chaine des Rotisseurs). This year, the star of the judging table was cod, a typ- ical dish in all three compet- ing nations. Groups of stu- d e n t s f r o m t h e i n s t i t u t e , using recipes provided by the respective consuls, prepared characteristic dishes from the three countries, accom- panied by a matching cock- tail. All dishes were made a c c o r d i n g t o t h e o r i g i n a l recipes and crafted by the students. In presenting the preparation of each dish, they also included a narrative of a tourist itinerary of the represented country. The winning nation, or rather the winning dish, was N o r w a y w i t h i t s C l i p f i s h . Nonetheless, all participants r e c e i v e d r e c o g n i t i o n . O n stage, along with the creators of the dishes and cocktails, the consuls, and the attend- ing city authorities, were the representatives of the Inner Wheel Club Qarinis: Presi- dent Francesca Tarantino, p a s t P r e s i d e n t M a r i o l i n a Frisella (who also received a recognition from Fe.N.Co for her constant commitment), Maria Teresa Cultrara, Mary Di Martino, and other distin- g u i s h e d m e m b e r s . A t t h e end, all attendees enjoyed a sumptuous buffet featuring the dishes prepared by the students. T h e c h o i c e o f c o d a n d stockfish was driven by the desire to enrich the competi- tion with history and convey a message of peace through d i a l o g u e a m o n g p e o p l e s . Food, as a cultural element, can be a powerful link. His- torically, in 1431, the Venet- ian nobleman Pietro Querini set sail with the medieval s h i p C o c c a Q u e r i n a f r o m Candia (now Crete) to the Flanders, carrying a load of M a l v a s i a w i n e . A s t o r m d i v e r t e d h i m t o N o r w a y , where only a few survived with the help of local fisher- men. Pietro Querini, upon returning to Venice with the remaining crew, not only s h a r e d t h e s t o r y o f t h e i r adventure with the Doge but also introduced stockfish, which became a staple in Venetian cuisine. The story of the Qarinis Club brings us to Carini, a t o w n i n t h e p r o v i n c e o f Palermo, located just under thirty kilometers away. Cari- ni stands as an example of resilience, demonstrating how people can overcome d i f f i c u l t i e s a n d f i n d t h e strength to rise again. Origi- nally named Iccara, Carini endured Saracen raids in the 8th and 9th centuries. It was later conquered by the Arabs, who already controlled west- ern Sicily. In 909, according to records from the Maram- ma of the Mother Church of Carini, Emir Mulei Almoad granted the survivors per- mission to rebuild their vil- lage at its current location, renaming it Qarinis. O n e o f C a r i n i ' s m o s t notable tales is the tragic story of the Baroness of Cari- ni, Donna Laura Lanza di Trabia. Married at the tender age of 14 to Don Vincenzo La Grua-Talamanca, who was just 16, she became a victim of femicide. In December 1563, her father, Don Cesare Lanza di Trabia, killed her after finding her in the arms of her lover, Ludovico Verna- gallo, a relative of her hus- band. Legend has it that her death was so violent that the bloody handprint she left on the wall remained for cen- t u r i e s . L o c a l s c l a i m e d t o have seen it until the mid- 20th century, when the care- taker, frustrated by the con- s t a n t i n f l u x o f t o u r i s t s s e e k i n g " m o r b i d " t h r i l l s , scraped the imprint off the wall. The widower quickly remarried and altered parts of the castle, especially those rooms that most reminded him of Donna Laura Lanza di Trabia, the Baroness of Cari- ni. TERESA DI FRESCO LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE Fostering peace and community in Sicily: the power of good food Caponata, one of Sicily's most beloved dishes (Photo: Nataliya Arzamasova/Dreamstime) and, bottom left, some of the students who participated to the event (Photo courtesy of Teresa Di Fresco)

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