Italian American Girl Team Wishes You A Happy New Year - Buon Anno!

Happy New Year to all the readers of the Italian American Girl site. Best wishes for a healthy and prosperous New Year! Here's to 2011! A great year on the horizon.

Baci!~~

Margaret

Tweet

Italian Canadian Singer MARCO CALLIARI RETURNS TO NYC FOR APAP 2011 CONFERENCE APPEARANCES

A Canadian singer-songwriter whose music is a personal exploration of the Italian diaspora and its folklore, Montreal’s Marco Calliari rings in 2011 with a New York City return at The Living Room on Friday, January 7, 2011 at 8:00pm.

The concert doubles as a special open-to-the-public APAP Conference Showcase for the Quebec-based artist. Following 2009 Gotham sets at Joe’s Pub and (Le) Poisson Rouge, Calliari will serve up a US preview of his new album of original compositions “Al Faro Est” (At the Eastern Lighthouse), which was released in Canada in the Fall of 2010.

During the Summer of 2010 a remix of an earlier Calliari track “L’Americano” by Montreal DJ MC Mario became the surprise international dance sensation “We No Speak Americano”, racking up over 1 Million YouTube views and debuting in the Top 40 of the UK Pop Charts. A polished performer on the live circuit in North America and Europe, Calliari has shared the stage with top flight Italian artists such as Zucchero, Carmen Consoli, Vinicio Capossela and Peppe Voltarelli.

Fri. 1/7/11 The Living Room
154 Ludlow Street (between Stanton & Rivington)
Concert @ 8:00 PM
Tickets: FREE
Info.: http://www.livingroomny.com/artist/marco-calliari
or (212) 533-7237

Saturday 1/8, 8:30 pm at Zebulon in Williamsburg :http://zebuloncafeconcert.com/?p=899

Marco Calliari will make 2 further appearances open to APAP badge holders at the NY Hilton Hotel’s Sutton Room on Friday 1/7/11 at Midnight and Sunday 1/9/11 at 9:30pm.

Tweet

Italian American Girl: Photo of The Day : Life Size Nativity

This photo was actually taken outside of a church here in New Jersey.. it was just so beautiful I had to share. Buon Natale. Tweet

Italian American Girl : Photo of the Day - Fontana Di Trevi - Rome, Italy

Tweet

Rick Steves' European Christmas: Italy

Tweet

Making Italian Knot Cookies -

It's been a family affair here lately at Italian American Girl. Last week my mother made Italian Stuffoli, this week I took the opportunity to film my sister, Maria and niece making Italian knot cookies. We only do these projects once a year and I wanted to share the process with you.

Tweet

How To Make Italian Christmas Struffoli

Here is a video of my mother making Italian Struffoli, she's very camera shy so I couldn't really feature too much of her. LOL. As you will notice we married the shots and video together just to give you an idea of the process. I will post the recipe as well.

Tweet

A Tribute To The Greatest Italian American Singer & Entertainer - FRANK SINATRA

In honor of Frank Sinatra's 95th birthday today December 12th --we honor him as one of the greatest Italian American singers/performers that ever lived.


Tweet

Italian Cooking- Cookies & Sweets-- Traditional Recipe Talk This Sunday - December 12 at 8:00 pm

Join me this Sunday -- December 12th for a hosted chat in the Italian American Girl group on Facebook, where we will be talking about traditional recipes for dinner and desserts. What are you making for Christmas Eve? The traditional seven fishes. Did your grandmother pass down the recipe for making zepole?

These traditions are slowly get lost in our Italian American community, let's work together for a little chat this Sunday at 8:00 pm and talk traditional Italian recipes.

Everyone is invited including all Italian American aficionados in the culinary arts, I encourage you to join the discussion so you can share you expertise.

To join the group you must be on Facebook:
ItalianAmericanGirl@groups.facebook.com Tweet

New Italian American Museum Proposed for New York City

I recently just read in the New York Times about third generation Italian American Joseph Grano Jr., who recently began raising capital with investors for a new Italian American Museum in New York. Now, as you know there's an Italian American Museum already located in Little Italy, New York. The existing museum is definitely low key with no modern day amenities but a wonderful contribution and landmark to our Italian American community in New York City.

The proposed idea for the new museum would include an amphitheater, private rooms, exhibit galleries and much more-- the location would be a 124-year-old Victorian pier in Lower Manhattan.

I love the idea and hopefully the reality of a new cultural landmark celebrating Italian Americans in New York. This is a great example of someone in the right position utilizing his social and monetary capital to memorialize and educate younger Italian American generations.

Once the museum is built and at full capacity, I would like to see the museum being integrated into Italian education programs throughout the country. Now a days, "build it and they will come" isn't enough. We have to be sure just because it looks good on paper that Italian Americans are really getting the education and a use for the museum. It can't be a billion dollar boys club where private parties and Italian American cliques are the only people involved with it, there needs to be a sense of community. The Italian American community at times can be very divided here in the tri-state area. Being or knowing particular people always seem to get you in the right doors and such-- but to be honest its such a turn off and really takes away from learning the traditions and history of Italian Americans. I witness this constantly within the online social media circles, as Italian Americans we need to be more united and deliver consistent messaging, whether via a blog post or building a million dollar museum.

For more on the New York Times Article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/nyregion/08about.html


Tweet

In Loving Memory of My Italian American Dog - Gigi

It's with great sadness that I share the news of my beloved dog Gigi passing today. I'm absolutely heart broken. She was the best dog anyone could ask for and just an amazing animal. She literally was a member of the family and understood both Italian and English. To her credit she was bilingual. There is something to be said about my dog, she was loyal, there for me whenever I needed her and just the best companion. I'm going to miss her. Sharing this with everyone some how makes me feel better to let you all know what an amazing dog Gigi was and how a pet can really improve your life. I love you GIGI. Tweet

Claudio Baglioni -E tu

Tweet

The Italian American Thanksgiving

I will start off by saying, Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Thanksgiving a true American holiday and one of those holidays that were never quite 100% the traditional Americana. Growing up in my house as a first generation Italian American child, we definitely struggled with adopting American traditions, because my parents just weren't versed in the traditions as we know them today.

I remember being in elementary school and learning about the true story of the pilgrims and why Americans celebrated with a day off and a big turkey feast. My mother learned from our neighbors that you were supposed to buy a turkey and make all sorts of things like yams, cranberry, stuffing.. all things that are not really Italian. So, to assimilate and take on the American holiday, my mother cooked the turkey, made the stuffing and presented the cranberry. This was really foreign to my parents. Our Italian American Thanksgiving would consist of stuffed mushrooms, lasagna, pasta, olives and more a la Italiana menu.

Make no mistake we are all Americans, celebrating a great tradition but at the same time Thanksgiving became a combined holiday of traditions just so we as Italian Americans could relate to it as well. I would imagine other ethnic cultures have experienced this as well when originating parents or grandparents did not grow up in America; therefore having to learn the traditions of the American holidays. As I write this or sit at the table and prepare for the holiday meals, I often wonder do other Italian Americans feel this way..? Or is harder from a first generation perspective because we literally learn, assimilate and practice as we go? Food for thought? I'd love to hear your opinions and or thoughts. Tweet

Tuscany, Italy: Rustic Slow Food

Tweet

Italian American, Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta Receives Medal of Honor

A proud moment for the Italian American community and any American. Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta is the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War. Giunta served in Afghanistan.

Tweet