Italian Embassy Event: Bicentennial Celebration of Carlo Botta's "Storia della Guerra dell'Indipendenza d'America"

On Wednesday, September 30, at 6:30pm, the Italian Embassy is hosting a Bicentennial Celebration of Carlo Botta's "Storia della Guerra dell'Indipendenza d'America."

It's a joint event by the Italian Cultural Institute, the Embassy's Education Office, the National Counsel of Research of the Institute of the History of Mediterranean Europe, the Fondazione Rubettino and the Liceo Classico con Liceo Internazionale.

A panel discussion will feature the following experts:

• Prof. Ugo Cardinale, Director, Liceo Classico Statale e Internazionale
• Prof. Luca Codignola-Bo, Director, Instituto di Storia dell'Europa Mediterranea of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche and the Universita' di Genova.
• Dr. Maurice Jackson, Associate Professor, Department of History, Georgetown University
• Dr. Giacinto Marra, General Secretary, Fondazione Rubbettino
  

Carlo Botta was an Italian historian who began his career as a surgeon and later served in the French army under Napoleon Bonaparte. He used the American Revolution as a way to discuss his views on European politics, particularly contrasting George Washington with Napoleon to demonstrate how the United States was able to win its freedom and keep it while the French were not.

For more information and to make a reservation, click the title of this post to get to the event's website.

Adriana Trigani Book Signing Tonight!

Adriana Trigani lovers alert: The Italian American author and diva will be at Borders in Baileys Crossroads TONIGHT to promote her latest book release Viola in Reel Life at 7:30 p.m. The event will feature a meet and greet with the best selling author, presentation and book signing. Rumor has it that a sequel to Very Valentine is slated for release in February 2010 and the debut of the Big Stone Gap movie is coming soon. Stay tuned for an exclusive interview with author Adriana Trigani and www.ciaoDC.com in October 2009 available for e-subscribers only.

Book Cover Photo by Timothy Stephensen

Event Information: 5871 Crossroads Center Way, Baileys Crossroads, VA. Book signing at 7:30 p.m.

Viva Italia Car Show in Baltimore this Sunday

The fifth Annual Viva Italia Concours D'Elegance will have its debut this Sunday, September 27th from 10-4 in Harbor East, Baltimore. Experience the elegance and power of the sleek and racy Ferrari and Alfa Romeo displayed in a dynamic street-festival atmosphere with local food, entertainment and upscale shopping. Among the entertainment is our friend Sgt. 1st class Antonio Giuliano, who will be singing the Italian National Anthem. Other Italian American entertainers will include comedian and WBAL commentator, Larry Noto as Master of Ceremonies.

Rain or Shine, this event is free and open to the public. Donations are being accepted to benefit The Children's Guild, a non-profit that provides educational and therapeutic programs and services for young people with severe and emotional behavoir disorders.

Winner of Euro Sampler Gift Basket!

Congratulations to e-mail subscriber M. Meyer. You are the winner of the Colavita Euro Sampler Gift Basket! Thank you to all of the new subscribers that signed up for the ciaodc.com e-club yesterday at the Villa Rosa festival. What an amazing day it was. The sweet aromas of pizza, roasted chicken, calzone and pasta; the sounds of Frank Sinatra; and the intimacy of old friends and family talking, eating and laughing together filled the air with the spirit of Italy. And yummy to that Dolci Gelati -- we can always count on our friend Chef Gianluigi to serve the best gelato in town. We can hardly wait for next year. Benvenuti a CiaoDC.com!

CiaoDC.com at 47th Annual Villa Rosa Festival

Buon Giorno!

We're gearing up this morning to go to the 47th Annual Villa Rosa Festival in Mithellville, MD (my birth town). With a special tribute to the nursing home's Father Anthony. He's turning 87! He looks amazing. This festival is very close to my heart as my family and I have been going since I was three years old. It was at this feast that I first discovered the pride of the Italian culture. Crowds of family and friends dancing the tarantella, eating the delcious homemade rigatoni and pizza. Playing games and wearing our "Kiss me I'm Italian" tee shirts. The beautiful grounds of Villa Rosa invite a festive mood to the annual celebration and the simplicity of the event symbolizes the authenticity of our remarkable culture.

CiaoDC.com will be among the crowd this year giving away a fabulous Euro Gourmet Gift Basket courtesy of Colavita. So stop by our table and say "Ciao!" For my family, this year's festa will bring new meaning as the celebration is viewed by our newest additon, 2-month old Giuliana Maria. May the tradition continue. Buona Festa!

Cooking Classes with Chef Roberto Donna

Chef Donna has just released his cooking class schedule for September, so we're posting it here with all the details if anyone's interested.

ALL CLASSES INCLUDE: Apron, Recipes, 5-Course Lunch/Dinner & Wine

FRIDAY & SATURDAY EVENING CLASSES: Weekend Dinner Date @ 7:30pm - $160/person

Evening menu topic is "Five-Course Regional": each course featuring cuisines from a different region in Italy

Friday: September 11th, September 18th
Saturday: September 12th, September 19th

SATURDAY & SUNDAY AFTERNOON CLASSES:12:00pm - $140 per person

Saturday: September 12th - A Taste of Rome & Tuscany - New Recipes!
Sunday: September 20th - Sicily & Southern Italy - New Recipes!

RESERVATIONS are Mandatory: Please call Nancy at 202-257-0168, Mon - Sat. 11AM-8PM, or Email requests to rdclasses@aol.com
*All reservations are final; payment is due upon registering and space is limited so cancellations will result in charge of the full amount of the class.
*Classes are held at Chef Donna's private residence in Virginia and may be canceled if an insufficient number of reservations are made, or at the Chef's sole discretion.

**If there's a menu topic that you are interested in and do not see above, please call Nancy to arrange your request.**

New Ristoranti

Just wanted to alert everyone to 2 new Italian restaurants that have opened in the last few weeks.

The first one is Kora, on Crystal Dr. in Crystal City, in the former Roberto Donna's Bebo space. Run by Morou and Heather Ouattara who brought us Farrah Olivia, Kora bills itself as serving "trattoria style Italian fare." I don't know about anyone else, but I always found some of the best food in Italy at trattorias, or trattorie, as the Italians would say.

The second new spot is Toscana Cafe at 2nd and F Sts. NE, just around the corner from Union Station. Right around the corner from the national headquarters of the Sons of Italy, Toscana Cafe is in the old Banducci's space and seems to be following a similar model - freshly made Italian favorites to go or eat in if you're lucky enough to get one of the few tables.

I'll be checking them both out soon and reporting back on their authenticity promptly.

A presto!