L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, APRIl 9, 2015 www.italoamericano.org 6 From Puglia With Love Valentina Cirasola arrived in the Bay Area from sunny Puglia sixteen years ago with a back- ground in Italian cultural tradi- t i o n s , o u t s t a n d i n g c o o k i n g knowledge, and years of experi- ence at NATO as an interna- tional interpreter. Her lifetime dream, however, was a career in interior design. Valentina combines her artistic career with her love for food, and her fascination for food in history. Over the last years she has published three b o o k s : t w o c o o k b o o k s – inspired by her homeland and her maternal grandmother, and a p u b l i c a t i o n t h a t p r o v i d e s readers with information about colors, home interiors, fashion and food: all subjects that are dear to her. What's more, she has her own show on Blog Talk Radio the first Thursday of each m o n t h c a l l e d V a l e n t i n a ' s Design Universe, during which s h e d i s c u s s e s d e s i g n , s t y l e , travel, and Italian culture. On April 12, 2015 she will hold an illustrated lecture about the "Wonders of Puglia" at the Museo Italo Americano in San Francisco. Not only will she present the region she loves and grew up in, but she will also e n t i c e t h e a u d i e n c e w i t h a mouthwatering tasting of tradi- tional Pugliese food and wine. V a l e n t i n a w a s g r a c i o u s enough to grant me an inter- view, in order to get to know her and her multifaceted activi- ties better. Valentina, let's start with your giving me some informa- tion about your origins I am a native of Bari, in the Italian region of Apulia, consid- ered the land of "green gold" – our delicious, peppery-tasting olive oil. I w a s b o r n t o a f a m i l y o f artists and food connoisseurs. N e e d l e s s t o s a y , f o o d i s t h e focus of my life and everyone in my family has developed a dis- c e r n i n g p a l a t e s t a r t i n g a t a young age. M y m o t h e r w a s a f a s h i o n designer and ran her tailor shop with the help of 20 collabora- t o r s . I h a v e a l w a y s b e e n i n t r i g u e d b y h e r w o r k a n d dreamed of doing it differently – maybe better – than she did. She used to say: "the needle is very short, but very heavy". It was her way of telling me to stay in school until I complete my university degree. I was pre- vented from becoming an artist, or going to a fashion school. C o n s e q u e n t l y I e n d e d u p a t t e n d i n g d i f f e r e n t t y p e s o f schools which led me to work in fields that held no interest for me. However, as soon as I had the opportunity of becoming a fashion designer, I took it and retrained to become one. You are a writer, a design- er, and a great cook. How do the three fields interact with one another? I consider food as fuel to my brain, therefore a necessity. It has been the focal point of my life. In fact, never have I eaten junk food, nor skipped meals. I don't take appointments during lunch hours and I don't eat at my desk, in front of the comput- er. I've learnt to observe the colors of food and the benefits each color brings to our health, and wrote about it in my book on the subject of colors: RED - A Voyage Into Colors. This was a book I needed under my belt to confirm my expertise as a designer. Colors have largely i n f l u e n c e d m y l i f e . I c a n attribute my positive energy to BIANCA FRIUNDI all colors I surround myself with. Colors are as important as water and sunlight; they can give headache or make some- one happy. They can make us l o o k o l d a n d w o r n o u t , o r youthful and energetic. When did you move to the Bay Area, and how did you f i n d i n s p i r a t i o n f o r y o u r design work and cookbook writing? I moved to the U.S.A. about 1 6 y e a r s a g o . T h e f i r s t f e w years were very difficult and I was traveling back and forth f r o m I t a l y a n y t i m e I c o u l d . Even now, whenever I have the chance, I'm happy to go back. I m m i g r a n t s c o m i n g t o t h i s country have the opportunity of growing into a better life if they work hard. After a while they adjust, while keeping and trea- s u r i n g a l l o f t h e t e a c h i n g s , beliefs, and traditions of their native country. I apply this concept to all of my activities. In April you will be in San Francisco to present your lat- est publications: Come mia nonna - A return to simplicity, and Sins of a Queen. Tell me briefly about them. B e i n g a n e w c o m e r i n t h e U . S . A . , I w a s o f t e n a s k e d which part of Italy I came from a n d , b e f o r e I c o u l d a n s w e r , p e o p l e a s s u m e d I w a s f r o m T u s c a n y o r M i l a n . M y b l u e eyes and blond hair made them t h i n k I w a s f r o m t h e N o r t h . Upon learning that I am from P u g l i a t h e y a p p e a r e d d i s a p - pointed, as if Puglia had no cul- ture, no value and nothing to offer or to visit. This was very irritating to me and I promised myself I would have written some books about my region at the earliest possible opportuni- ty: I was on a mission. It was important to me to let people know about my region, its good food and its benefits to health. When the last recession hit this country, I didn't want to lose m y m o m e n t u m , a n d m o v e d quickly on that decision: I start- ed pounding hard on my key- b o a r d a n d , i n t h r e e y e a r s , I wrote and published two cook- books and one design book. I then organized several events, s o m e t i m e s w i t h t h e h e l p o f local restaurants, to promote my publications. All the restau- rants that have allowed me to present my books in their facili- ties organized a special event related to Pugliese food follow- ing the recipes included in my book. Y o u a r e v e r y m u c h i n v o l v e d i n a c t i v i t i e s t h a t regard Italian communities. What is your latest project? My latest project involved the creation of the gateway arch f o r t h e n e w l y c r e a t e d L i t t l e Italy in San Jose, CA. For five years, I have been part of the design concept team that creat- ed the arch. On March 27, 2015 it was inaugurated with a spe- cial ceremony and all the peo- p l e w h o p a r t i c i p a t e d i n t h e making of the arch were award- ed with a beautiful plaque: I will definitely treasure mine for the years to come. It was my w a y o f s h o w i n g l o v e t o m y m o t h e r l a n d a n d k e e p i n g t h e flag of my culture, language and traditions up high. Website: www.valentinade- signs.com B l o g s : w w w . v a l e n t i n a e x - pressions.com Radio show: www.blogtalk radio.com - Valentina's Design Universe Lecture: www.sfmuseo.org /lectures Valentina Cirasola, native of Bari, is an interior designer and writer with a passion for her food and her culture 650.400.4747 AdeleDS@aol.com www.AdeleDS.com BRE# 00911740 Certied Trust, Probate and Estate Specialist Expert in preparation, promotion, and negotiation! SELLING HOMES THROUGHOUT THE BAY AREA Adele Della Santina "e Right Realtor makes all the difference."

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