L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2025 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano 2 L o n g b e f o r e i t s role was formal- ly acknowledged b y i n i t i a t i v e s s u c h a s t h e Week of Italian Cuisine in the World, Italian cooking had already been shaping cultural memory in quiet, meaningful ways. As someone prepared lunch, it produced a sensory imprint of taste and smell; as the kitchen filled with appetizing aromas, it offered the reassurance of food that comforts both body and mind. Italian cuisine: a tireless ambassador of culture and collective memory From the Editor When families gathered around the table, it reinforced the memory of shared moments. Even a simple trip to the s u p e r m a r k e t t o p i c k u p v e g e t a b l e s , m e a t , p a s t a , o r legumes could bring back dishes and precise recipes hand- ed down by grandparents and parents. Cooking, especially in Italy, is much more than a list of ingredients or a set of techniques; it is a cultural inheri- tance, a journey across centuries, landscapes, and family histories. Every dish carries a story. It holds the flavors of a place and preserves the memory of generations. Cooking often becomes the most tangible link between past and present, a bridge between the families we come from and the ones we build. Thinking of Italian cuisine immediately evokes grandparents' tables, where meals were prepared with care, resourcefulness, and few ingredients. The smell of freshly baked bread, pasta shaped by experienced hands: every gesture was meaningful, every recipe a cher- ished secret passed from one generation to the next. Ingredients themselves carry geography: mountain fla- vors, coastal influences, and local traditions. Pasta is the clearest example. Consider agnolotti, the Piedmontese specialty filled with meat and wrapped in thin dough; busiata trapanese, perfect with a rich ragù; the delicate sheets rolled out in Emilia-Romagna; or Sardinia's firm, rustic fregola. These are not simply pasta shapes; they express the identity of a region and the habits of its kitchens. Cuisine is also a way of staying connected to one's roots, because every product has a story: the long journey of tomatoes and potatoes, now staples of the Mediterranean diet despite having originated far from Italy; the creami- ness of buffalo mozzarella, a symbol of southern dairy tra- ditions; or basil, essential for Genoese pesto and the hall- mark scent of a Margherita pizza. Regional cuisines tell their own stories, too: a saffron- yellow risotto alla milanese evokes Lombardy's elegance, w h i l e o r e c c h i e t t e c o n l e c i m e d i r a p a t r a n s p o r t s u s instantly to Apulia, among trulli and centuries-old olive trees. Wine, of course, also plays its part. Italy's remark- able variety reflects the diversity of its territories: a good Chianti is much more than a red, it is an expression of care for the land, and each sip recalls the Tuscan hills. In a globalized world dominated by industrial, pre- cooked, and ultra-processed foods and where traditions risk fading, Italian cuisine retains its authenticity through a strong sense of identity. Families continue to pass down their culinary heritage while leaving room for creativity, allowing each cook to reinterpret a recipe without losing its heart. Through cooking, every meal becomes a chance to appreciate flavors, seasonal ingredients, and the benefits of a balanced diet, where conviviality and sharing come together naturally just like the layers of a baked lasagna, where fresh pasta, sauce, and béchamel come together in a warm mix of taste and memory. In this way, Italian cuisine acts as a daily ambassador of culture and historical memo- ry, reminding us of the true connection between flavors and emotions, roots and community. Simone Schiavinato, Editor Simone Schiavinato NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS P.O.BOX 6528, ALTADENA, CA 91003 Member of FUSIE (Federazione Unitaria Stampa Italianaall'Estero), COGITO L'Italo-Americano Please send correspondence to P.O. Box 40156 Pasadena CA 91114 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano Newspaper (a 501(c)(3) non- profit organization), www.italoamericano.org, is the largest and longest-running Italian news- paper in America, not to mention the cultural and news resource for all things Italian in the US. A bilingual newspaper which represents an historical landmark for the Italian American Communities in the West Coast and throughout the US. L'Italo-Americano benefits from subsidies by the Italian Government, Memberships and Donations intended to support and not interrupt a mission that began in 1908 to preserve and promote the Italian language and culture in the USA Periodicals postage paid at Monrovia, California 91016, and additional mailing offices. PUBLISHER Robert Barbera Grande Ufficiale EDITOR IN CHIEF Simone Schiavinato ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER Patrick Abbate EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Barbara Minafra COPY EDITOR Francesca Bezzone LOS ANGELES CONTRIBUTOR Silvia Nittoli SAN FRANCISCO CONTRIBUTOR Serena Perfetto SEATTLE CONTRIBUTOR Rita Cipalla CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mariella Radaelli, Matt Walker, Francesca Bezzone, Luca Ferrari, Stefano Carnevali, Paula Reynolds, Teresa Di Fresco Nicoletta Curradi, Generoso D'Agnese, Jessica S. Levy, Fabrizio Del Bimbo, Maria Gloria, Chuck Pecoraro, Anthony Di Renzo Serena Perfetto, Kenneth Scambray, Chiara D'Alessio, Luca Signorini, Giulia Franceschini © 2025 L'Italo-Americano Membership: One year $59 - Single copy $2.25 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to L'Italo Americano P.O. Box 40156 Pasadena CA 91114

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