L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2014 www.italoamericano.com L'Italo-Americano 5 The Contessa of Pasadena Pasadena is the home of Contessa Chocolate Collection where you can have a cup of espresso while you savor some Italian cuisine. The "Contessa" of Pasadena is Maria Luisa Fabbri who has been delighting customers for the past 15 years with her food and charm. She also owns Contessa Italian Home Collection which is a gift shop. At her places of business you're not just a customer, you're a friend visiting. These are the places to be if you want to travel to Italy by car. Maria Luisa Fabbri was born and raised in Florence. Once she came to Pasadena, she knew that the only way to truly satisfy her customers would be to directly import her products from Italy. At the tasting she held last month, I sampled a number of different desserts including pis- tachio cream, a chestnut spread, wild blueberries, and baked Kabocha squash on a Sicilian almond honey spread. These were just a few of the delectable treats offered. I was also given the opportunity to interview Ms. Fabbri to discover the true mean- ing behind Contessa Chocolate Collection. When asked how she keeps her Italian desserts healthy while not taking away from the flavor, the Contessa said, "Why are we assuming that healthy food is not delicious? I strongly believe healthy food can also be tasty. I can prove it as well." The signif- icance of her famous handcrafted pasta can be summed up like this: "Significance, integrity, and know-how. Pasta is a beautiful product. My product is done with basically two ingredients, top-notch wheat and water. The wheat grows in Tuscany and it takes 10 months to grow. Wheat gathers strength from the sun. Then all you need is water." Ms. STEPHANIE FRUSTACI Fabbri gave two pasta demon- strations on Saturday, October 11th. The first event, "A Taste of South Lake," was held in Pasadena and the second event, "A Taste of Italy," in Downtown Los Angeles. For the Contessa, it was her first time cooking her company's pasta in front of a large crowd. "I have the comfort of incredible ingredients." Her views on food and its cul- tural context are quite insightful. "When people come to this coun- try, the first thing they lose is the language. The last things they lose are Grandma's sauce and Grandma's pie. Proof that food is magic. It's not just edible, it's pleasantly edible. And food is such a bonding thing in any cul- ture." Ms. Fabbri won't serve her espresso in plastic cups. "Because nobody sane of mind would ask for a Merlot or a Pinot in a plastic cup. It's out of respect. Italians respect wine and Italians respect coffee. We would never insult coffee, or the cus- tomer, by serving it in a plastic cup." According to Ms. Fabbri, "Pasadena has so many things in common with home. Pasadena City Hall has been created and inspired by the Medici Chapel. Pasadena in a sense chose me and it has been beautiful ever since." Although there is no need for more reasons to visit Contessa Chocolate Collection, you can find more online at www.contes- sachocolates.com. Buon appeti- to! The Contessa of Pasadena, Luisa Fabbri

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