East Hanover Italian American Club Honoring Columbus Day - Interviews with Cake Boss & Alicia Vitarelli

The East Hanover Italian American Club is honoring Columbus Day with a weekend-long celebration.

On Friday, October 8, EHIAC will hold its traditional Columbus Day Dinner Dance honoring noteworthy Italian Americans. The EHIAC Italian festival starts on Saturday, October 9, at Lurker Park in East Hanover. The weekend is capped off with one of the biggest Columbus Day parades in the state of New Jersey on Sunday, October 10.

For more information, log onto http://www.EHIAC.com.

As they do every year, the East Hanover Italian American Club recognizes standout citizens in the Italian-American community. Buddy "Cake Boss" Valastro has been tapped as Italian-American Man of the Year. News 12 New Jersey's Alicia Vitarelli get this year's honor as Italian-American Women of the Year.

Lisa Marie Latino, head of Long Shot Productions (http://www.longshotproductions.tv) interviewed Buddy and Alicia about this prestigious award.

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Rick Steves - Rome, Italy: Ancient Wonders

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In Memory Of Those Lost On September 11, 2001 -

Its been nine years already since the attacks on 9/11; seems like it was yesterday. We can pray for peace and support those who lost a loved one. Sending prayers and support to victims families and friends of September 11th.

You can still help the families of the victims of 9/11 by donating to Families of September 11 click here:

http://www.familiesofseptember11.org/donate.aspx Tweet

Jovanotti: Baciami Ancora

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On What Italian-Americans Can Teach You About Personal Finance: 10 Tips

This article was provided by guest writer and friend of Italian American Girl, Vincent Scordo. Vincent is the creator of Scordo.com an Italian American site which aims to inform and entertain readers on how to live the Italian way! Specifically, Scordo focuses on food, recipes, products with an Italian bent, saving money, home and garden tips, and how to
advice.

Here is an excerpt of his guest article:

Both of my parents were born in Southern Italy where unemployment is high and quality of life is superb. My mother, A., made it to the 7th grade and my father, T., received the equivalent of a technical high school diploma. Both of my parents immigrated to the US in 1975 and are currently debt free, own their own two-family home, and have plenty of cash in savings. They are, in many ways, leading the American dream - by not adopting the principles of American consumerism.

The lessons below may be be described as "old school" and overly simplistic, but the hard truth is that each tip works! And, moreover, are used frequently by recent immigrants to the United States (and are often forgotten by the 2nd or 3rd generation):


Tip 1: "Save like you have no job and 6 mouths to feed."
For my parents, saving was akin to a religion. They didn't save 10 or 20 percent of their paycheck; rather they saved close to half of their take home pay. I suspect the urge to save is an instinctual feeling for many recent immigrants who arrive in a new country with no job and no home. The ability to save such a large percentage of what they made was dependent on controlling how much they spent each week. If you live well below your means you can save a large percentage of your weekly income.

Read the rest of Scordo's article here:

On What Italian-Americans Can Teach You About Personal Finance: 10 Tips

Photo: Copyright of Vincent Scordo Tweet

Patrizio Buanne - Italian Singer Gives An Exclusive Interview As He Embarks On His US Tour & New Album Release

Patrizio Buanne; his incredibly sultry voice and wonderful Italian demeanor, makes him one of the most unforgettable singers today. Patrizio's singing has been compared to the best, like Tom Jones and Julio Iglesias. He's a younger generation singing standards with an incredible passion and presence you can only experience while listening to one of his songs or seeing him in concert. He spent this last year touring the world singing classic Italian standards (not opera)and some of his original and newer music, which is set for release on a new album in 2011.

We had the opportunity to sit down with Patrizio and get a little conversation going about some of the more important things. Read Patrizio's interview below:


Q: I think what sets you aside from many artists is the fact that you have such a distinctive voice, as a child did you realize you had a special talent for singing?

Thank you very much-I personally only realized that I had some talent and interest for singing when I sang along in the original key that the artist recorded the tune and everybody who heard me doing that, asked me to sing another song-even though I only subconsciously sang along while playing with my toys at the age of 4 years when my parents recorded their LP’s onto cassettes to be later played in our restaurant. I was around 10 years old when I sang in public and 12 when I had my first official performance in front an audience. When I was a teenage I was more interested in forming a band or look out for talent competitions than going every weekend to a disco.

Q: It seems as if you were brought up with the best of both worlds. How has your cultural up ringing affected your musical career and style?


Singing was always very natural in our home. While my mother would cook in the kitchen she would sing loud and my father the same while shaving or generally when we went for a drive-playing music loud in the car and we would all sing loud. My parents were both very passionate about music, even though none of them could play an instrument. Every week my father would bring home the latest releases of Italian hits or simply play old classics and traditional Neapolitan songs pointing out that the music once upon a time was better. Well, in fact I was not as amazed for a long time with what was played on a regular basis in the 80s and 90s on the radio, so I naturally was influenced by standards or later I discovered also the American Rock’n’Roll music of the 50s and 60s.

Q: You’ve become a major musical influence in the genre of “standards,” which salutes major singers such as Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra, what are your hopes for this type of music and do you think it has a place with younger generations?


I believe that we humans learn on a daily basis about each other and our cultural boundaries, that explains why now in the 21st century we realized that good music is timeless and it has quality while other things are on one side contemporary and fashionable but on the other side trends and counter trends invented by the music industry. All the electronic music is getting back again to real instrumentation. Music is culture and culture is here to share-it brings us together. You can feel the difference when something is “real.” A good record can move you and make you move. I like all sort of music genres as long as they are performed credible to the strength and are honest. There are a lot of talented young people out there, but sometimes I have the impression that the industry is afraid to build them up, as this would mean “RESPONSIBILITY” instead they are looking for some one hit wonder and quick money-THAT is why we are not making any music history. I am at a stage of my life and career where I do not care what others do or people say, but I simply do what I feel and interact with my fans and team. I consider myself though I must say fortunate that my mindset and taste is not so eccentric that I have to be commercialist. I guess that is what attracts a lot of young people to encourage to do what they really feel. Yes, I agree music once was better –but my motto is: music will be better tomorrow.

Q: Your career is taking off and your last albums were a huge success, what are your plans for the next album and what inspires you to sing, create and or write your music?


“Never change the recipe of success” that was the thought when I started recording my new album. So it is basically a continuation of what people know about me but this time I wanted to upgrade my work and level, by employing a known producer and recruiting a stronger team that would give me the chance to record at the Capitol building in L.A and to work with the best musicians that can be. It is also very important for me to sing more of original material, simply because I believe that it is about time to share new songs rather than just making them your own. My actual producer has worked with big artist such as Celine Dion , Michael Jackson, Barbara Streisand or Frank Sinatra, but is also responsible for the great sound and success of my young colleagues the Canadian singer Michael Buble or Josh Groban. My inspirations are people and my environment as well as my upbringing. I mean topics that are important to talk about. Love, friends and of course the sound that I have in my veins. Dolce Vita Italiana. This time it is a bit more relaxed. It is “making you feel good” record.

Q: With your new album, what types of songs will we hear and why?

Romantic ballads, uptempo fun songs and cool anecdotes.

Q: You’ve achieved amazing success around the world, what do you want to see for your career here in the United States?

I am a person that never expects anything. The less you expect the better and bigger the surprise is. Of course I have been working very hard to make this new record a worldwide hit album that can also cause a stir in the US. I believe that the US is the entertainment capital of the world, so having some sort of respected recognition would mean a lot to me and my family. At the same time I am happy with every smile and applause people give me where ever I am in the world. People are people, I treat everybody the same. And I am certainly looking forward to be back in Australia, South Africa, the UK, Europe and of course the US playing some wonderful shows.

Q: What kind of influence do you think your Italian background brings to your music and presence as an artist?

Well, it is the melody, the stories, the lifestyle, the upbringing that creates a person. No matter if one has an Italian name or not or if someone loves pasta or not. Being Italian is a culture not just a nationality. Like any other culture is. I don’t know what influence my Italian upbringing brings to music and presence as an artist, it probably just feels different and comes across different if you compare it to other artists. If you even compare it with classic Italian music such as Bocelli or Pavarotti it is different. It is like a wine that was grown in a different environment. The audience chooses which vibes they like. Is it Latin, is it country western, Italian or oriental or R’N B-? If you like a Mediterranean, romantic feeling than you're right with my music and persona. You chose the right dressing for your salad.

Q: How important is it to you as someone with an Italian background to preserve our culture and maintain our traditions?

I am Austrian (Vienna) born to Italian parents (from Naples). Austria is a neighboring country to Italy, so it is relatively close in distance (only 300 Miles to the border)and also culture. I was raised between these two “homes” and it was never really important to me to preserve anything as I was not brought up far away like in the US, Canada or Australia, where the culture is totally different. But when I noticed that people love my culture and still know very little about it. I started to put a compilation of my favorite Italian songs together and wanted to introduce these to the non-Italians as I found it quite disturbing that people would consider Italian music only opera or songs like Volare. It is like saying our food is only pizza and pasta. Did you know that the hit song “You don’t have to say you love me” is actually called “Io che non vivo?” Or that "A man with out love” is called “Quando m’ innamoro?” and that Enrico Caruso recorded all the traditional folk songs that were sung by fishermen or the ladies who did the washing, with orchestras and they became classics.

Also, I hate the fact to be compared with a character from the Sopranos or the Godfather. See that was important to me. Italy is more than that. It is time to move on and explain that. The Italians all over the word call me “The ambassador of the Italian Dolce Vita” and yes, I will maintain what I can not help giving up. I am myself-an Italian boy.

Q: You’ve sang with so many amazing artists through the years and performed for enormous audiences, who would you like to do a duet and or collaborate with and where would you like to perform as your dream location?

With Celine Dion at the Madison square garden in New York.

Q: Lastly, what are you plans for another USA tour and when can we expect to see your new album in stores?

I will be back in the US every now and then when there is a show booked by the local promoters, but the big tour that goes hand in hand with the release of my new album; as I am currently promoting my album in Australia, South Africa, Asia and of course Europe. Be patient and check out my album, learn the songs and sing along when I am back to perform in your city, ciao, ciao!


Grazie Mille to Patrizio Buanne for this wonderful interview and to his management team for coordinating! Thank you!

For more on Patrizio Buanne:
http://www.patrizio.tv/


SEE Patrizio in concert : (I'll be there too!)
Count Basie Theatre-- Red Bank, NJ - Click For Concert Info
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"Who Do You Think You Are?" - NBC Show On Discovering Your Ancestry

This is one of the most amazing shows on television right now, its called: "Who Do You Think You Are?" It features today's famous celebrities and takes them on a historical journey back to their ancestral roots. In partnership with Ancestory.com the show has proven to be one of the most riveting and interesting on TV today.

As a first generation Italian American, I find the connection to discovering more about your background totally fascinating and to add there is such historical significance which makes this show all the more compelling. It airs Friday nights at 8 p.m. on NBC.

Watch this episode with Susan Sarandon as her journey takes her back to Italy. Amazing.

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Italian American Upcoming Events

August 8th- Tuscan Dinner -- hosted by Center for Italian and Italian American Culture Dinner at 1:30 pm Make reservations $65 per person -- Bedminister, NJ
RSVP by August 4th: call 973 571-1995 or info@ciiacofnj.org

August 16th- Recording artist, composer, producer, entrepreneur – Italian born Canadian and New York City resident, Micheal Castaldo performs in Washington D.C. ---Get event details here: http://www.michealcastaldo.com/tour.html

August 20th- NIAF An Evening on the Jersey Shore with Gov. Chris Christie in Farmingdale, NJ http://bit.ly/9O6KMW

September 9th- Hoboken Italian Festival - Get event details here

September 12th-Ferragosto 2010 - The Best Italian Festival in New York Event details- Event details:

September 16th-26th San Gennaro Feast in Little Italy, NY
http://www.sangennaro.org/

October 12th- Columbus Day Parade- Event details (will be updated) http://www.columbuscitizensfd.org/columbus.shtml

If you have an event you would like listed here on IAG, please email me to be included.

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Making Jars of Sauce - What it really means to an Italian American..

OK, so now you're saying.. what is she talking about? Now there's a meaning to a jar of sauce? Well, actually yes-- there is. This weekend, I ended up picking tomatoes from my father's garden and making jars of sauce. He's in Italy right now, so in order for the tomatoes not to go to waste, my brother and I teamed up for a little quality sauce time.

One of my fans on the Italian American Girl Facebook fan site, said, "You really keep with traditions." It got me thinking, I do what I have to do because its second nature to me to just see that the tomatoes are grown and the logical thing to do is make jars of sauce. But, this is because its part of my family tradition, our family tradition. Really, I posted the picture of the jars on my Facebook page and all of my friends were saying, "who the hell even does that anymore?" Its a lost tradition for many Italian Americans to make sauce or wine, but one thing remains constant in my family, we keep up the traditions.

That jar of sauce means more than a good sauce for a great meal sometime in the future, but instead it means I cultivated and preserved one more element of my Italian upbringing. Its true even if you go to Italy you don't find many younger generations partaking in this type of tradition unless you go Rome and South. So, it is rare but a gem. That sauce is my love, my family, my identity and my culture.

I posted last year about making the sauce, and it almost seems the meaning with each year gets deeper and deeper. It might be sauce or gravy to you, but in the end its the valuable meaning that becomes common.

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Italian American Girl - Where Have I Been?

Its been a while, yes I dropped off the map a little from my Italian American Girl duties on line, but never in real life. I've had a lot of challenges lately with life, career and everyday happenings. Thank God, nothing terrible but the usual. The "usual" in my life includes the Italian American upbringing, I don't know I was having a discussion with my sister the other day and asking-- do people think the way we do or is it because of our upbringing? I know I can't function without my family and we all collectively make decisions and know that what we decide always affects the family. Yes, the family.

Its funny, I go back on some of my old posts and see what I've written or talked about when it comes to stereotypes, struggles and the daily task of fitting into Americanized cultural traditions and no matter how much time passes; I realize these things are always a challenge and never change. You can't forget who you are or where you come from.

I am so consumed with work and my daily life that sometimes I feel like the outside world wants you to forget about your cultural upbringing and I struggle with this hard core. Understanding American-isms is part of everyday, but at times I know those "isms" are the very thing that could easily erase who I am. I can't have a conversation with anyone without talking about my culture or how the way I was brought up influences my social mannerisms or how I engage with others. Does anyone else think about this?

Wow, so the ultimate question is, "Where have I been?" I'm here just looking in and listening. I want to regroup, re-energize and come back strong on Italian American Girl.

You, the readers of IAG, have made this blog so successful and the next step has arrived, I want more!

I love that saying, "Love what you do and never work a day in your life." That most certainly applies to the Italian American Girl site.

Get ready!

Love-
Italian American Girl

Margaret

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3 places in Italy you've never heard of !

Of course, casual tourists or frequent fliers will advise you to visit Florence in Tuscany, Ravello in Amalfi and of course, Rome. However, it’s unlikely any of them will have you whip out your passport for Sarteano, Nerano or Praiano and all of these gems are worthy of any travel through Italy.

1. Sarteano – is a small comune in the Tuscan Hills just outside Radicofani, situated in the province of Siena. There are numerous agritourismos in the area, affording the tourist a true Italian experience with Nonna’s cooking in the kitchen. The picturesque villages of Cortona, Montepulciano and Montalcino are all within a short car ride and the nearby train station in Chiusi provides alternate transportation for day trips to Siena and Florence.

The area is rich in Etrusan archaeology, much of which has now been relocated to The Archaeological Civic Museum of Sarteano. By the way, the Museo is housed in a 16th century palazzo. Yes, there is a lot of history in this one small village.

For those seeking a spa break, the mineral waters which flow through this area have been soothing the tired muscles of weary travelers for centuries and there are several spas nearby, including several in San Casciano dei Bagni, such as Fonte Verde, which offers outdoor thermal, mineral-enriched pools.

2. Nerano – is a tiny fishing village in Massa Lubrense, located between Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. It derives its name from the Emperor Tiberio Nerone, who would spend his summers on the nearby island of Capri.

It is accessible by climbing or driving through the hills of olive groves and a car does make your journey easier, although travelers may catch a local Sita bus from any of the major destinations such as Sorrento, Sant’Agnello or Meta. The beach in Marina del Cantone is lovely and picturesque but quite rocky. Don’t expect to find the white sand beaches of the eastern shores of the United States. Without a sunchair in Nerano, your day will be a lumpy one, for sure.

3. Praiano – is also a small fishing village along the Amalfi Coast. It is so small that cars drive on the sidewalks because people walk in the streets. It is situated between Positano and Amalfi.

Believe it or not, as small as Praiano is, there is a disco quite popular during the summer, L’Africana, along with the typical tourist sites of the Church of St. Gennaro on the sea and the Green Grotto, the poor step-child to the area’s more popular Blue Grotto on Capri.

There are numerous bed and breakfasts, as well as larger hotels, in the area and a handful of restaurants along the rocky beach, with one of the best being Trattoria Armandino.

Italy is a treasure trove of history, archaeology and seaside splendor for dreamy tourists who don’t mind wandering off the beaten path.

Lisa Fantino is an award-winning journalist and attorney and the creative force behind Wanderlust Women Travel™ and Wanderlust Weddings™. She also writes travel features for MNUI Travel Insurance and blogs as Lady Litigator™.

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Rick Steves : Travels To Milan and Lake Como

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Happy Memorial Day -- Thank You To All Service Men & Women

In Honor of All Veterans & Active Service Men and Women Who Risk Their Lives Everyday For Our Freedom!

I Thank You! Tweet

Italian American, Serena Palumbo Competes in THE NEXT FOOD NETWORK STAR

Food Network’s number one series, The Next Food Network Star, returns this June 6th with the most exciting and intense season to date. Shot in Los Angeles on a brand-new studio set, season six follows 12 hopefuls competing for the ultimate dream job: his or her own Food Network show.

This time around one of the contestants is one of our very own. Serena Palumbo, 31 a New York corporate attorney and former ballerina. She taught herself how to prepare food with unusual ingredients while growing up in southern Italy. She currently hosts an online instructional cooking show, “Cooking in Manhattan,” on YouTube and believes the cooking process should be simple and healthy.

Italian American celebrity chef, Giada De Laurentiis, kicks off the show with a two-hour premiere Sunday, June 6th at 9pm ET/PT as finalists get a taste of Hollywood with a trip to Paramount Studios and a six-course lunch for L.A.’s biggest celebrity chef, Wolfgang Puck.

We sat down with Serena to find out more about her Italian American life and culinary expertise.


You’ve been selected as a contender for the Food Network’s very successful show, “THE NEXT FOOD NETWORK STAR,” how big of an honor is this for you?

Being selected to be one of the 12 finalists on season six of The Next Food Network Star was a big honor! I have been a fan of the show since I moved from Italy to the US in 2004 and I followed every season. Just the fact of meeting Bobby Flay, Susie Fogelson and Bob Tuschman, the selection committee is fantastic and this season is really full of surprises, starting with the fact that it takes place in Los Angeles! It is a very exciting adventure and I cannot wait to see the premiere Sunday June 6th at 9PM ET/PT.

First things first! Where in Italy is your family from and could you tell us a little bit about your cultural/ culinary background?

I was born near Salerno, in Southern Italy and I have spent all my summers on the Amalfi Coast – there is no better culinary background, believe me, being Italian and from the South! I do not have a culinary training, as a matter of fact I am an attorney in New York and I am the in-house counsel for one of the biggest Italian Banks operating in North America. But I have seen all the women in my family cooking all my life and they taught me pretty much everything I know about food. Add to the family tradition the fact that I love to travel and eat new dishes and I am pretty fearless when it comes to experimenting in the kitchen and you understand why I am not afraid of the competition!

As an Italian American, do you feel a strong connection to the culinary arts and do you think there’s a fine distinction between Italian and Italian American cooking?

The common denominator is the same flavor combination. I really love Italian food in every way shape or form. My culture defines me so deeply that it really does not matter who is cooking and whether the person lives in Italy or learned from their “nonna” [grandma] like me: if there is respect for the flavors and the ingredients of Italian cuisine, I will surely appreciate the dish!

On the show, what types of dishes do you think you’ll be motivated to create? Italian dishes or do you have a love for other cultural flavors?

My inspiration is usually the Mediterranean diet. I am very fond of Italian flavors but I also love experimenting, so I will probably come up with dishes that have Spanish, Greek and Moroccan influences as well. I have a couple of aces up my sleeve - I am going to make my mother proud of all the hours we spent together in the kitchen when I was a child.

As you progress your culinary career, do you feel that expressing your known cultural background as an Italian American is an important factor to your success?

Being Italian or Italian American in the culinary world means having discerning taste, refined palate and respect for the ingredients and the traditions. I will definitely use these aspects to prove that my skills, innate in an Italian, can overcome the lack of proper culinary education: what I cannot do with knife skills I can do with the taste buds!

With the success of other celebrity Italian American chefs from Food Network, what skills and characteristics will make you stand out?

Cooking is the most important outlet for my creativity. I am a corporate attorney by trade and as such, I do not really have a creative job (actually it would not be appropriate to be creative in my day job), so I convey all my creativity in the kitchen. I love to create new recipes, sometimes tailored to my friends’ requests and needs, and I love to teach people how to cook. I started my very own homemade webisodes about homemade food called “Cooking in Manhattan” and I cannot describe how great it is when one of my viewers drops me a line to say that the recipe was a success!

Who is your favorite celebrity Italian American chef and why?

My favorite Italian American Chefs are Giada De Laurentiis because she is the “Grace Kelly” of Italian food and Mario Batali because his food is honest, rustic and delicious!

Lastly, the show; THE NEXT FOOD NETWORK STAR premieres this summer, June 6th on Food Network—why should the Italian American audience watch? What can they expect from you as their representing Italian American?

I hope the Italian American community will root for me because I am Italian, of course, but also because I believe I represent the real hard-working Italians and Italian Americans that succeed on the basis of their own merits and strength. These are the real Italian and Italian Americans, strong willed, creative, hardworking and charming people who are pursuing their American dream. Sadly they have not been very well represented on television recently. I want to show America what we are really made of!

I would like to thank the Food Network and Serena for this interview! Grazie Serena!

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Happy Easter ~ Buona Pasqua A Tutti !!!

Happy Easter To Everyone e Buona Pasqua.

May your day be filled health and happiness. I made biscotti this morning with my mother. Then its off to church, then we come back and eat again. Have a wonderful day.

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