L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2013 www.italoamericano.com 17 IAMLA to present Taste of Italy 2013 In the National Italian American Heritage Month, coinciding with the festivities surrounding Columbus Day, the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles (IAMLA) presents the 5th edition of Taste of Italy taking place on October 12, 2013 in Downtown Los Angeles. ulation, and one of the country's oldest. "Taste of Italy is a celebration of authentic Italian culture and the tremendous, yet often overlooked legacy of Italian Americans in the region", says Marianna Gatto, Executive Director of the IAMLA and his- The annual Taste of Italy event is held at the Pico House Taste of Italy is a renowned cultural-gastronomic event to benefit the IAMLA, featuring over 50 fine restaurants, 100 Italian and Californian wine varietals, celebrity chefs, cooking demonstrations, and live entertainment. Participating food purveyors will include Drago Centro, Café Firenze, Toscanova, Locanda Del Lago, Casa Nostra, Trattoria Neapolis, Il Fornaio, GROM, and Dominick's. Approximately 100 first-class wines will be served by different wineries and suppliers such as Casa Torelli, Le Vigne, Cantina Pizzolato, Terravino, Total Wine and More, Nuova Capelletta, and others. The entertainment will be provided by live performances of acclaimed traditional music ensemble Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino and Italian singers Maria Elena Infantino and Elisabetta Russo. Among the special guests will be celebrity chef Fabio Viviani, to conduct a cooking demonstration and sign copies of his new book Fabio's Italian Kitchen, and Actor Louis Lombardi who will introduce his recently launched gourmet food lineLombardi's Gourmet. Los Angeles is home to the nation's fifth largest Italian pop- torian. And the IAMLA President Paul Pagnone underlines: "The IAMLA and Taste of Italy provide an avenue through which people of all origins can come together to learn about the region's diverse history and experience Italian culture through the universal language of food." Proceeds from the event will support the activity of the Italian American Museum and the preservation – in collaboration with the Historic Italian Hall Foundation - of the building where it is hosted, as the Italian Hall is an important landmark listed in the National Register of Historic Places as one of the oldest remains of Los Angeles' Little Italy. The IAMLA, to re-open in 2014, will be a 21st century museum documenting the history and constant contributions of Italian Americans and Italians to Southern California as well as to the whole nation. Featuring interactive exhibits and educational programs, it will provide visitors of all ages and origins with a deep understanding of the complex, multi-cultural fabric of the United States of America. For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.italianhall.org or call (213) 485-8432. A standing ovation for the Los Angeles premiere of An American Tango – The Story of Veloz and Yolanda, presented by the State St Ballet of Santa Barbara on Saturday, September 21 at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica. Based on the true story of Frank Veloz and Yolanda Casazza - a "dark, lustrous Italian beauty" born in New York's Little Italy in 1908 -, the intense choreography, famous music and amazing costumes brought that golden era back to life. Veloz and Yolanda met by chance and became the greatest including the Academy Award winning "Pride of the Yankees" in 1942. Inspired by his idol Tony De Marco, Frank invented the steps of every dance they performed, and he also designed his wife's dance gowns displayed in the Broad Stage lobby. Frank and Yolanda's passionate but tormented romance was reflected in their dancing performances "as if each dance was their last." They were the first and only ballroom dance team to appear at the Carnegie Hall in NYC, and they held the attendance record Community Highlights A "Bit of Italy" to feed people in need St. Vincente Meals On Wheels is a non-profit organization committed to provide "nourishing meal daily with love to homebound seniors and seriously ill adults across Los Angeles." Founded in the '70s by Sister Alice Marie Quinn, it represents the largest privately-funded "meals on wheels" program in the US, preparing and delivering over 4,700 meals daily. Among other charity initiatives, MOW organized on Saturday, September 21 "Bit of Italy under the Stars", a fundraising dinner party hosted by John and Tina DeGirolamo (owner of Johnny's Auto Clinic) in Rancho Palos Verdes. The Italian-themed gourmet meal was prepared by chef Alessandro Serni from Terranea Resort, and the profits of the event were donated to the organization. Delicious Italian food and wine were even more enjoyable being meant for such a good cause. An American (Italian) Tango Antonio DeGirolamo, Tina DeGirolamo, John DeGirolamo with St. Vincent Meals on Wheels Founder and Executive Director Sr. Alice Marie Quinn - Photo credit John DeGirolamo Jr ballroom dance duo of the 1930s and 1940s, appearing on the cover of Life Magazine in 1939 as the "Greatest Dancing Couple." They made eight films together, at the Hollywood Bowl until the Beatle's concert in 1964 thanks to their memorable last dance in June 1948. A Greek-Roman banquet at The Getty Villa Imagine Italy without tomato sauce, France without French fries and Switzerland without chocolate. That was Europe before the Americas were discovered. Ancient Roman cuisine tasted very different, and dietary habits were influenced by the Greek culture and by political changes. During the culinary workshop "A Victorious Banquet" that took place on September 26 at the Getty Villa, the art historian and chef member of the Italian Academy of Cuisine Nancy DeLucia Real focused on the nutrition of Greek-Roman warriors and athletes. She led the participants in a tour including Greek and Roman artifacts reproducing competitions, battles, and heroic celebrations, and then guided them in the preparation of historic recipes. The festive meal after the workshop featured the meat stew garnished with apples and garum - a fermented fish sauce used in ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine cuisine that warriors enjoyed during victory banquets. Working as an educator at the Getty Museum for 11 years, Nancy Real developed a series of culinary classes linked to art and history, and in 2011 she founded the web-based food network The Kitchen Buzzz. Her next cooking class "A Day in the Middle Ages" will take place on Saturday, October 26 at the IIC.

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