Jazz Event at the Embassy of Italy

On Tuesday, February 12th, the Italian Embassy kick off its 2019 musical season with "Women Who Jazz," an event featuring female jazz vocalist Ada Montellanico.  She and her T Quartet will present Tencology, a "musical journey" that puts a jazz twist on classical music.  The event will also feature musicians Enrico Zanisi, Jacopo Ferrazza, and Alessandro Paternesi.

Event Details

February 12th, 6pm

The Embassy of Italy

3000 Whitehaven Street NW

The concert will also be broadcast live by WPFW 89.3 FM

CiaoDC Chats with Author/Chef Amy Riolo on Keeping Our Traditions Alive!

Keeping our traditions alive are mastered by Award-Winning, Best-Selling Author, Chef, Television Personality, Cuisine and Culture Expert, Columnist and Mediterranean Diet Advocate, Amy Riolo in her most recent book release, “Creating a Cookbook: How to Write, Publish, and Promote Your Culinary Philosophy.”  Amy shares the process of writing, promoting and publishing a cookbook; her journey from the kitchen to the mother land; and where ciaodc followers can tour Italy and cook Italian with Amy.  Listen here to join the conversation.

Italian Sensory Experience Tours offered to CiaoDC followers at a $200 discount.  Please send CIAODC2019 code here for discount.

ORDER BOOK HERE.

"Everything important, pleasant and good happened in the kitchen."  

Amy Riolo, Award-Winning, Best-Selling Author, Chef, Television Personality, Cuisine and Culture Expert, Columnist and Mediterranean Diet Advocate

NOIAW Honors "Three Wise Women" Tomorrow Night

Tomorrow night, the Greater Washington, D.C. Region of the National Organization of Italian American Women will host their annual ceremony honoring "Three Wise Women."  The honorees are:

Andrea Giacometti, MD

Neuroradiologist of the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group

Eve Grimaldi

Dean of Students of the Georgetown Visitation Girls’ Preparatory School

Lynn Sorbara, PhD 

Program Director & Researcher of the National Cancer Institute

NOIAW's mission is to connect women of Italian heritage, celebrate the achievements of women of Italian ancestry, and empower women's education.  To learn more about the event and NOIAW, visit http://www.noiaw.org/mission/.  

Writer and Humorist, Celeste L. Behe to Appear at Sons of Italy Event January 13th

Join the Montgomery County, Maryland Order Sons of Italy in America (OSIA) lodge event on Sunday, January 13 with guest speaker writer & humorist Celeste L. Behe information is below.

5 pm to 7:15 pm.  at St. Patrick’s Catholic School on 4101 Norbeck Road in Rockville, MD 20853.  The event will take place in the school cafeteria.  Note: The school is to the right of the church.

It’s the farthest building from the church. For more information: Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/Montgomery-County-Maryland-Sons-of-Italy/

Guest speaker:

Writer & humorist Celeste L. Behe will share her experiences growing up in the Belmont Section of the Bronx ("Bronx's Little Italy").

Celeste is a humorist whose life experiences have taught her to locate the laughs in the most trying of situations.  After all, Celeste has nine kids and no dishwasher.  What’s more, she started homeschooling 28 years ago and has stuck with it through 10,619 laundry loads in a home where “smells and bells” means that dinner is burnt and the smoke alarm is ringing. Celeste is also a Bronx-born Calabrese with a penchant for nostalgia. She loves to share stories of her upbringing in the Bronx’s “Little Italy,” and will do so at the drop of a… zeppola into hot oil. 

Inspired by such unlikely muses as a pan of coffee ice, a gold charm bracelet, and a petrified fish named Peter, Celeste’s tales are fond testaments to faith, family, and heritage. 

In her scant free time, Celeste writes for Catholic Digest, the National Catholic Register, and Today’s Catholic Teacher, and is also a contributor to the Catholic Mom’s Prayer Companion (Ave Maria Press, 2016). She was a featured presenter in the 2015 and 2018 Catholic Conferences 4 Moms, and has been a guest on both the Son Rise Morning Show and Register Radio.

Celeste has also formed a speaking apostolate called “A Perpetual Jubilee,” which aims to show that there is nothing as joyful as the Catholic life.  The apostolate takes its name from the words of St. Theophane Venard: "Be merry, really merry.  The life of a true Christian should be a perpetual jubilee, a prelude to the festivals of eternity." 

Food & drinks will be served.There will be Italian and English conversation.

All are welcome including children.  You don’t have to be a Sons of Italy member to attend.

Free parking.  Sons of Italy news will be discussed before Celeste’s presentation.  Membership forms will be available.

The Order Sons of Italy in America® (OSIA) is the largest and oldest national organization for men and women of Italian heritage in the United States.

Founded in 1905 as a mutual aid society for the early Italian immigrants, today OSIA has hundreds of thousands of family members located in all fifty states and the District of Columbia, making it the leading service and advocacy organization for the nation's estimated 26 million people of Italian descent.

Its missions include encouraging the study of Italian language and culture in American schools and universities; preserving Italian American traditions, culture, history and heritage; and promoting closer cultural relations between the United States and Italy.

The Sons of Italy Foundation® (SIF) has given more than $105,000,000 to scholarships, medical research, disaster relief, cultural preservation and other special projects.

These include the Alzheimer's Association, Cooley's Anemia Foundation, Hurricane Andrew relief, Assisi earthquake relief and the National Law Enforcement Officers' Memorial.

Women have always shared equal rights with men in OSIA, and women make up about 50% of OSIA membership.

Women have held leadership positions at all levels, including state president, national trustee, national vice president and national president.

OSIA is for people of any gender, age, religion and profession.

Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/Montgomery-County-Maryland-Sons-of-Italy/

La Festa dei 7 Pesci at San Lorenzo Ristorante

"The Feast of the 7 Fishes" is one of the most cherished Italian-American traditions.  Because seafood is so abundant in Italy and Catholicism encourages abstinence from meat on the eve of some religious holidays, dining on 7 types of fish (or two types of fish prepared 7 different ways) became a Christmas Eve tradition.  Although not widely celebrated in Italy, this custom dates back to early 20th-century America, when Italian immigrants in the United States wanted to pay tribute to their homeland, and is still carried on by Italian-American families today.   

This year, San Lorenzo Ristorante will honor this Italian-American ritual.  The restaurant is offering a pre-fixed menu on December 23rd and 24th for those who want to take part in this tradition. The menu is listed below, featuring many dishes that will make their debut during this event. Click here to reserve now! 

LA FESTA DEI SETTE PESCI (FEAST OF THE 7 FISHES)

Sunday, December 23

Monday, December 24

4 COURSE ~ $65 per person

ANTIPASTI (choice of)

ZUPPA DI ASTICE

Lobster Bisque, Bay Scallops, Fregola, Sherry, Chives

POLIPO

Grilled Octopus, Shaved Fennel, Artichoke, Fingerling Potatoes, Pancetta Vinaigrette

TONNO

Tuna Carpaccio, Blood Orange, Hearts of Palm, Osetra Caviar

PASTA (choice of)

RAVIOLI DI ASTICE

Maine Lobster, Roasted Fennel, Ginger, Lobster Jus

CHITARRA

Manila Clams, Squash Blossoms, White Wine, Calabrese Peppers

RISOTTO DI GRANCHIO

Lump Crab, Burrata, Chives, Black Garlic Aioli

SECONDI (choice of)

BRANZINO

Sea Bass, Baby Vegetables, Roasted Tomatoes, Olives, Acqua Pazza

SALMONE

Salmon, Asparagus, Shaved Beets, Basil Crema, Crushed Potatoes

CAPESANTE

Scallops, Sunchokes Purée, Baby Kale, Prosciutto, Parsley Pesto

DOLCI (choice of)

TORTA CAPRESE

Traditional Italian Dark Chocolate and Nut Holiday Cake, Whipped Mascarpone, Cranberry-Orange Coulis

TORTA DI RICOTTA e EGGNOG

Nutmeg and brandy-infused Ricotta Cheesecake, Caramel Sauce, Butter Cookie

SORBETTO

Sorbet of the Day served with Italian Wafer Cookie

Italian-American Celebrity Chef/TV Host Pioneer, Mary Ann Esposito Chats with CiaoDC on Her Lifelong Food Adventures in Italy!

CiaoDC Publisher, Alyssa Ciccone, chats with friend, Celebrity Chef/TV-Host and renowned author, Mary Ann Esposito on being the pioneer of Italian TV food shows; a family business; and her love letter to Italy, Ciao Italia: My Lifelong Food Adventures in Italy!  Be a part of the conversation here.

"Food is the glue of every family."
-Mary Ann Esposito, Italian Celebrity Chef/TV Host/Renowned Author

CiaoDC followers will receive an autographed book at a 10% discount!  Purchase your order here. use promo code CIAODC.

Enjoy Mary Ann's delicious "Deconstructed Cannoli" recipe below.  Learn the story behind this recipe in her book and CiaoDC Chat. 


Here is an unconventional way to make cannoli without having to wrap dough around a tubular form. Instead of wrapping the dough around a tubular form, roll and cut the dough into round disks and fry them. Sandwich the rich ricotta filling between the disks.

Deconstructed Cannoli

Cannoli Decostruiti

Serves 8

Ricotta Cheese Filling

1-1/2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese, well drained*

3- tablespoons Confectioners sugar

2- teaspoons cinnamon

½ -cup heavy cream

1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped semi sweet chocolate

½- cup natural pistachio nuts, minced

1 cup whipped cream

Cannoli Dough

1-cup unbleached all purpose flour

1-tablespoon sugar

1-tablespoon butter

4 to 5 tablespoons Marsala wine

To fry

2 cups vegetable oil

Colored sugar sprinkles

Confectioners' sugar

In a bowl, whip the cheese, sugar, cinnamon and heavy cream and beat together until smooth. Stir in half the chocolate and half the nuts and cover and refrigerate.

To make the dough, place the flour in a bowl or food processor. Add the butter and sugar and mix with a fork or process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Slowly add the wine and process until a ball of dough forms. Add additional wine if the dough appears too dry. It should be soft but not sticky. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth, about 3 minutes. Wrap the dough and refrigerate it for 45 minutes.

Place the chilled dough on a floured work surface and divide in half. Work with one piece of dough at a time; keep the remaining dough covered. Roll the dough out into a very thin long rectangle about 14 inches long and 4 inches wide, either by hand or using a pasta machine set to the highest setting. Cut the dough into 3-inch circles. Place them on a towel lined baking sheet.

Heat the vegetable oil to 375ºF. n a heavy-duty pot and fry the disks a few at a time until golden brown. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain them on absorbent paper. Cool to room temperature.

To serve, lay one disk on an individual dessert plate and spread about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta filing over the disk. Top with a second disk and spread 2 more tablespoons of the ricotta mixture. Top with third disk and add a doll-up of whipped cream and sprinkle the cream with a few of the reserved nuts and chocolate. Dust with confectioners' sugar over the top

Serve at once.

·       It is difficult to find sheep’s milk ricotta but if you can, use it.

Recipe from CIAO ITALIA (My Lifelong Food Adventures in Italy) Mary Ann Esposito

Pizza Workshop at Pizza University

Pizza University is hosting a Global Pizza Workshop on December 12th, from 6:30-9:30pm.  This workshop will show students how to combine "traditional inspiration and gourmet innovations," teaching about the history of Neapolitan pizza, wine-and-pizza pairing, and more! 

Tickets must be purchased by tomorrow, December 5th.  Click here to RSVP!