Ciao e benvenuto a tutti! I am sure you are feeling full after the last two food-focused blogs, so I am storing the leftover food for thought in the fridge. Today, we shift our focus to a topic that is penetrating headlines: civic life. I mean, we cannot have RCL without the CL, right? Like in America, Italy’s political sphere is facing some turmoil. Just this week, Italy’s parliamentary election concluded with the unofficial victory of the first-ever female prime minister. Why is this controversial? To put it simply, many distrust her identity as a “right-wing” politician. Funny enough, Italians seem to be unable to escape oil, whether it be turmoil or olive oil. But before we get into all of that, let’s talk about how modern civic life started in Italy.

Certainly, you have all heard about Benito Mussolini and his ruthless governing. However, you may be wondering what happened before and after him. Things must have been alright—we wouldn’t have Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Barilla pasta if the big boot simply kicked the bucket. It all started in 1848, when King Charles Albert of Sardegna-Piemonte drafted a constitution and formed a bicameral parliament (basically 19^th century copy and paste). This system deserves some credit, as it remained in place until 1922 when it was replaced by the Fascists (dun-dun-dun). The notorious party of Mussolini disregarded the constitution set by the late king, yet they formed a sense of nationalism and strengthened industry. Despite this, the conclusion of World War II prompted the Italians to form a new government. And by process of referendum, the Italian Republic was formed, and a new constitution was drafted. Once again, the Italians seemed to steal a few pages from America’s book, with freedoms such as speech and press (20^th century copy and paste). However, what is most remarkable about this whole affair is that social tensions did not become unbearable. I think this shows us the power of homemade wine.

Ok, so we have our parliament and America-esque government. Let’s fast forward to 2022. It will come as no surprise to you that Italy has adopted modern political perspectives on gender, economics, and so on. Yet with this new wave of ideologies, it seems as of much of Italy’s national pride has diminished. The values of faith and family that make Italians special fail to resonate with the young population. This is what new prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, plans to revive in Italians. And while this sounds like a positive goal, many associate the new leader with fascism. What concerns many is Meloni’s intent to further Christian values. Not surprisingly, Italy is significantly less religious than before, so her agenda lives at the heart of political debate. Yet at this point, it is difficult to tell just how beneficial or harmful Meloni’s governing will be, especially among the riffraff of news outlets. As my Nonna always says, “dove c’è vita, c’è speranza.” Certainly, it is a new era in Italian politics, and there is much to look forward to. In bocca al lupo, Italia.

Resources:

Italy – Government and society | Britannica

U.S. media erupts over Italy’s first female prime minister with Mussolini comparisons: ‘Return of fascism’ | Fox News

Ciao a tutti! Welcome back to my blog on everything Italian. Today, we splurge yet again into Italian food. But this time, we will investigate a few dishes on the menu. You may be wondering why I am spending two blogs discussing food while various other topics can be explored. I’ll put it to you this way: food is a significant part of Italian culture, and it is as diverse as the student body of Penn State. If I did not cause you to salivate at least once in a blog about Italy, I would be referred to as an im-pasta. Speaking of which, let’s fork into one of my favorite pasta dishes: pasta carbonara.

I mean, just reading that name makes you feel more Italian. If you are an Olive Garden enthusiast, you may be wondering where the Fettuccini Alfredo is (c’mon, you really thought I would do you a disservice like that?). On this blog, we discuss real pasta. Now back to carbonara. For the pasta, this dish is traditionally served with long pasta, like spaghetti, linguine, or tonnarelli. As an Italian, however, one must dress the pasta with some sauce, otherwise sacrilege! Carbonara “sauce” is relatively simple, as it consists of guanciale (Italian bacon), egg yolks, salt, and pepper. One cuts and sautés the guanciale while boiling the pasta. It is essential that your spaghetti is al dente, a term describing a soft, slightly wet consistency that is ideal for serving. When those ingredients finish cooking, the final step entails beating the egg yolks, adding the salt and pepper, and pouring the mixture over the hot pasta and guanciale. Finally, garnish the meal with some grated cheese, and you have a masterpiece.

Pasta carbonara is a nationally adored staple of Italian cuisine. But if we were going to be basic, you would be reading this post fusilli reasons. Let’s instead grill up two quirky dishes: stufato di trippa and stigghiola. Stufato di trippa translates to tripe stew in English. Tripe may also sound like another language to you, as it is not commonly consumed in America. This eccentric cut of meat is part of a cow’s second stomach! If that doesn’t gross you out, its fecal matter-laced aroma certainly will. Despite its nasty description, however, tripe makes a killer stew. In rural towns, farmers sell the meat fresh, and Nonna’s to-die-for tomato broth combines with passion to form a culinary masterpiece. Who wouldn’t want that! Personally, I had my worries about this one. But let me tell you, do not let the tripe fool you—it is not nearly as disgusting as it sounds.

And to further the topic of odd Italian foods, prepare to stomach the stigghiola, one of my favorite Sicilian street foods. This is like nothing you will ever see: the stigghiola consists of chopped onions and parsley, wrapped in lamb intestines. Yup, you read it right. You are probably shocked right now, but trust me, eating intestines is normal. As a matter of fact, natural sausage casing is made from pork intestines. If you are still grossed out, think about eating hot dogs (which is something you may have done without cringing at all). Now you can realize that eating a stigghiola isn’t that bad. I’m running out of time, so I’ll leave you with this: Italian food, although partially familiarized to Americans, is truly diverse and holds more secrets than meets the eye.

Resources:

Gaia Masiero Contributor February 15, et al. “Classic Carbonara Recipe.” La Cucina Italiana, 15 Feb. 2022, https://www.lacucinaitaliana.com/italian-food/how-to-cook/how-to-make-original-carbonara?refresh_ce=.

Ciao e benvenuto a tutti! I hope you are ready to give the boot to boredom, because today kicks off the start of my Italian passion blog. Over the next few uploads, we will learn about some interesting quirks of Italian culture, society, food, and much more! Today, we will get a little flavor by discussing food. Now, I am sure many of you have eaten at Olive Garden, Carrabba’s, and your small-town pizza joint before, but we are going to put that experience on the chopping block! Why? I will tell you this: Olive Garden is to Italian cuisine as Rutgers is to skillful football. But before we dive into a pool of Italian dishes, let’s talk meal structure.

You may be thinking, “Well, this can’t be too complicated, between breakfast, lunch, and dinner.” Wrong. The proper Italian meal is by no means simple, and I too thought the same way until only a few years ago. To start, I will list the basic phases, respectively: l’aperitivo, l’antipasto, il primo, il secondo, il contorno, il dolce, caffè, e digestivo. If I thoroughly dissected all of these, I would be biting off more than I could chew in a blog post. Let’s instead boil this down: l’aperitivo and il digestivo involve consuming liquors, l’antipasto is the appetizer round, il primo, secondo, and contorno are the main courses (go figure), and caffè and dolce are dessert. Some of you may be confused as to why Italians consume alcohol before and after meals. In essence, it is traditionally believed that the alcohol prepares the stomach to digest, but speaking from experience, l’aperitivo and il digestivo are not as widespread as the rest of the steps. Consider this like another form of “pre-gaming,” if that is your thing.

Hopefully you will find l’antipasto more appetizing. This part of the Italian meal more closely mirrors an American appetizer, as you consume charcuterie elements, bread, and vegetables. On the other hand, the main course is a whole different animal­ (or rather three). First, Il primo usually consists of a pasta, stew, or rice dish. Shortly–too shortly–after, il secondo is dished out and normally contains a meat or fish, along with il contorno, a salad or vegetable side. As an American, managing the three courses is a task that can be like building a billion dollars in wealth. For comparison, imagine entering a high-quality version of the commons’ dining halls and filling three plates and a bowl on your tray. At this point in the meal, you probably endure intense nausea and bloating, but you must not forget the most important part: dessert! On most occasions, il caffè and il dolce are merged into a grand finale. And despite your fullness, you persevere to finish a miniscule ten cookies and two cups of potent espresso.

If you were to ask me how Italians could eat so much twice a day (breakfast is not a huge meal), I could not tell you. The fact of the matter is this: In Italy, you do not consume the food; rather, the food consumes you. If you would like to learn more about specific dishes, stay tuned for the next blog post. Ci sentiamo presto!

Resource:

“The Classic Italian Meal Structure.” Learn Italian Online Free, http://www.speakitalian.org/the-classic-italian-meal-structure.html.

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