This week on The Italian Radio Hour - The Many Miracles of Household Saints with Martina Savoca Guay. 1993 - Household Saints by Nancy Savoca comes out. But there is one person, who has been on the set the entire time who will never get to see the movie until much later in her life because of a series of events, including all the good elements of the movie been destroyed: Martina Savoca Guay, Nancy's daughter. Nancy Savoca was pregnant of Martina during the entire shooting of the movie and now Martina, takes the camera in her hands and gifts us with a wonderful documentary "The Many Miracles o ..read more

This week on The Italian Radio Hour - Have you ever wondered what a rice sommelier does? Could you exactly tell how many different types of rice are out there and what they are used for? Last but not least, what is the name of a very famous rice variety that was born by breeding a Californian rice variety and an Italian one? (Thank you America! ) Listen to our episode to become a rice expert too and learn the steps to make an excellent risotto! Valentina Masotti is considered one of Italy’s most respected food authorities, She is both a certified Rice Sommelier and Wine Sommelier, has publishe ..read more

This week on The Italian Radio Hour - Both food and fashion are central to our daily lives. They speak to people’s most basic needs while also expressing our individual and cultural identities. The exhibition Food & Fashion at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York explores how food themes and motifs are used to comment on critical topics from luxury, gender, and consumerism to sustainability, social activism, and body politics. Food has influenced fashion design from the eighteenth-century to today. So while the connection between the two genres is hardly new – think of woven pom ..read more

This week on The Italian Radio Hour - we welcome back food historian, one of America's foremost experts on Italian cuisine, Francine Segan to indulge in a conversation about CHOCOLATE. Francine brings a wealth of knowledge about food traditions in Italy that one hour together is never enough. She has also graciously shared the recipe of TORTA TENERINA (see below), and a "Friends and Family discount of 15% OFF any Venchi Chocolate online orders by going to their website and entering coupon: venchi4francine. www.us.venchi.com TORTA TENERINA Moist Chocolate Cake of Emilia-Romagna Serves 8 This, v ..read more

This week on The Italian Radio Hour: "Crossings": Autobiographical Writing for people of Italian origin with Prof. Rita Cavigioli. Are you an American with Italian origins who has spent significant time in Italy, not only for tourism, but might have family, friends in Italy or have worked or studied in Italy? Have you always wanted to capture in writing your life, their lives, the what ifs, the nostalgia, the opportunities, the memories, the connections, the stories but not necessarily know where to start? In this week's episode, we speak with Rita Cavigioli, Professor Emerita of Italian Studi ..read more

Today, on The Italian Radio Hour: Discovering Contemporary Theater by Italians of African Descent. Link to video interview: https://youtu.be/3uQXbbp7RSc An interesting conversation with Mauritian playwright Nalini Vidoolah Mootoosamy, Margherita Laera (translator & Senior Lecturer in Drama and Theatre, University of Kent, Cantenbury), and Laura Caparrotti, Founder of Kairos Italy Theater to discuss stories, challenges, and opportunities (cultural and linguistic) that surround these productions. If you are in the NY area, NYU Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò, on Friday will host both a panel di ..read more

This week on The Italian Radio Hour: The Barber of Seville explained!In conversation with Samuele Bozzolla as we bring to you most famous areas and anecdotes of this opera buffa by Rossini.- Did you know that The Barber of Seville was a huge fiasco when it made its debut?- Did you know that Rossini completed two operas every year for 19 consecutive years?- Did you know that when the tenor, Manuel Garzia, was supposed to start his second aria of the first act, playing the guitar himself, all of the cords snapped?Well, thank goodness, none of these incidents occurred in the wonderful rendition o ..read more

This week on The Italian Radio Hour - "Denominazione di Origine Inventata" with Prof. Alberto Grandi. The title of the book "Denomination of Invented Origin" is in net contrast with one of Italy's most recognizable food & wine classification of food or wines (DOP - Denominazione di Origine Protetta (literally “Protected Designation of Origin). Prof. Grandi debunks the many myths around the provenance and the origin of many of ingredients and recipes that Italians hold dear to their hearts. "Carbonara is an American recipe, Tortellini were filled with chicken, Queen Margherita probably neve ..read more

This week on The Italian Radio Hour - In conversation with young Italian author from Abruzzo Domenico Cornacchia, Frank Di Piero (from Keeping it Real with Frankie D), and Emily Cipriani Marchetti on a topic that means so much to all of us, "roots" who is also the English title of Domenico's book (in Italian: RESTO QUI). Roots by Domenico Cornacchia aims to preserve a culture that has been passed down orally for centuries before sources of information disappears. Starting from Emily, she shared the importance about her own exploring, researching and documenting those stories, memories, and mem ..read more

This week on The Italian Radio Hour - The Delmonico Way; Sublime Entertaining & Legendary Recipes from the Restaurant that Made New York! Bring glamour and style into your home, featuring stories, ideas for entertaining, and seventy-five recipes from the Tuccis, the family that ran Delmonico’s in its golden era. Located in the heart of Wall Street, Delmonico’s from 1827 to today continues to shape New York City’s restaurant scene. Under the original ownership of The Delmonico Brothers, Pietro and Giovanni, Delmonico’s introduced the first farm-to-table concept, à la carte dining—complete w ..read more