Panoram Italia Montreal April/May 2016

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THE ITALIAN-CANADIAN MAGAZINE MAILED TO HOMES IN THE GREATER MONTREAL AND OTTAWA AREAS

LIVING ITALIAN STYLE

BEST OF

ITALIAN

FOOD AND

DINING

VOYAGE EN COVER: CHEF GRAZIELLA BATTISTA ONE OF US • UNA DI NOI • UNE D’ENTRE NOUS APRIL / MAY 2016 • VOL.11 • NO.2

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O Cart

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• Quartz or granite counter tops in both kitchens and bathrooms • 145 condominiums, ranging from 900 sq. ft. to over 2,500 sq. ft., including 10 two-storey penthouses • Price range from 249,000$ to 1M$ plus taxes

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• Car wash service on site • (3) minutes walking distance to Cartier Metro station • Individual lockers and bicycle racks • Gas lines for cooking stoves and fireplace available for Penthouses

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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APRIL / MAY 2016 Vol. 11 NO. 2 PUBLISHER’S NOTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 EDITORIAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

EXECUTIVE

UNITAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

PUBLISHER AND EDITOR Tony Zara

LIFE & PEOPLE

EDITORIAL

Story of My Dad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Dr. Kevin Petrecca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 The Honourable Rita de Santis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Young Engineer Amanda Colella. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

ITALIAN FOOD & DINING

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Culinary Renaissance – The evolution of Italian cuisine in Montreal. . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Chef Joe Mercuri. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Joe’s Sardines alla Mercuri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Chef Graziella Batista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Graziella’s Agnolotti di Stracchino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Chef Michele Forgione . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Michele’s Pine Nut Tart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Best of Italian Food and Dining 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Pal Di Iulio TORONTO MANAGING EDITOR Rita Simonetta

MONTREAL MANAGING EDITOR & WEB MANAGER Gabriel Riel-Salvatore BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & COMMUNITY AFFAIRS Carole Gagliardi EDITORIAL INTERN Vittoria Zorfini

ITALIAN TRANSLATOR Claudia Buscemi Prestigiacomo PROOFREADERS Rossana Bruzzone Marie-Hélène L. Papillon Aurélie Ptito

ART DEPARTMENT

LIVING ITALIAN STYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

ART DIRECTION David Ferreira Gabriel Riel-Salvatore

FASHION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

GRAPHIC DESIGN David Ferreira

LIVING ITALIAN STYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

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DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Adam Zara

PHOTOGRAPHY Vincenzo D’Alto Fahri Yavuz

ADVERTISING

DESIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Terry Marziliano Anthony Zara

LIGURIA

CONTRIBUTORS

Genova – Gateway to the Italian Riviera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Did You Know? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 7 Must-See Sights Around Genova . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Genova, from a City of Immigration to a City of Migration 56 History of Genova’s Football Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Genova’s Pesto World Championship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Savoureuse Ligurie – Sept spécialités à ne pas manquer 62 Pesto Genovese Recipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

ARTS & CULTURE Photographer Vincenzo Pietropaolo’s Ritual . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Intervista a Albano Carissi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 The Lovissimo Angelo Finaldi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Joey Saputo • Brigitte Nardella • Agata De Santis • Sara Germanotta Sabrina Marandola • Julie Aubé • Antonio D’Alfonso• Sal Difalco • Alessia Sara Domanico • Dante Di Iulio • Sarah Mastroianni • Claudia Buscemi Prestigiacomo Francesca Spizzirri • Vittoria Zorfini • Chef Adrea Della Gatta Padre Nicola Di Narzo • Pasquale Artuso • Jesper Storgaard Jensen

9300 Henri-Bourassa West, suite 100, Montreal, Québec H4S 1L5 Tel.: 514 337-7870 I Fax: 514 337-6180 or by e-mail at: info@panoramitalia.com Legal deposit - Bibliothèque nationale du Québec / National Library of Canada - ISSN: 1916-6389 Distribution par / by

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EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 SPORTS The Giro d’Italia – A Remarkable Ride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Gran Gala Molisano 2016 Special guests: Paolo Di Laura Frattura, Pesident of Molise Region and a delegation of mayors from our many Molisan villages.

Date: May 7, 2016

Appuntamento: 7 maggio, 2016

Dear friends,

Cari amici,

I

ppartengo a quel gruppo sempre più ristretto di persone che hanno attraversato il fatale Atlantico spearando in una vita migliore. Eravamo una giovane famiglia di quattro persone. I miei genitori veramente giovani, mio fratello più piccolo ed io salimmo a bordo della Vulcania, una nave a malapena un quarto delle dimensioni di una moderna nave da crociera, lasciammo alle nostre spalle tutto quello che conoscevamo. Avevamo solo una vaga idea di che cosa aspettarci, ma eravamo sicuramente preparati per le sfide future da quando siamo stati tutti motivati a raggiungere il successo. I sogni sono diventati obiettivi e il duro lavoro ha dato i suoi frutti. Le famiglie sono cresciute e piano piano abbiamo guadagnato il giusto posto nel panorama canadese.

Questa, in estrema sintesi, è la storia di milioni di giovani famiglie italiane che hanno lasciato la patria all'indomani della Seconda Guerra Mondiale.

Today, fifty-plus years and three generations after the last big wave of us came, we are at a crossroads. There are those who still have a strong attachment to their Italian heritage, traditions and language, and there are others that have simply decided to let it take a backseat.

A “

Oggi, a oltre cinquant'anni e tre generazioni dall'ultima grande ondata di quelli di noi che sono partiti, siamo ad un bivio. Ci sono coloro che ancora sono fortemente legati al proprio patrimonio culturale, alle tradizioni e alla lingua, altri invece che semplicemente hanno deciso di lasciare tutto questo in secondo piano.

“

belong to that ever-diminishing group of people who made that fateful crossing of the Atlantic hoping for a better life. We were a young family of four. My very young parents, little brother and I embarked on the Vulcania, a vessel barely a quarter the size of a modern cruise ship, leaving all that we knew behind. We had a vague idea of what was in store, but we were surely prepared for the challenges ahead since we were all motivated to succeed. Dreams turned into goals and hard work produced results. Families grew and slowly we earned our proper place in the Canadian landscape. This, in a nutshell, is the story of millions of young Italian families who left the motherland in the aftermath of the Second World War.

“

Ospiti speciali: Paolo Di Laura Frattura, presidente della Regione Molise e una delegazione di sindaci delle nostre diversi città molisane.

“

Today, fifty-plus years and three generations after the last big wave of us came, we are at a crossroads. There are those who still have a strong attachment to their Italian heritage, traditions and language, and there are others that have simply decided to let it take a backseat. The former want to keep it alive; the latter are just content with taking what they need from it. The former are more likely to visit their place of origin when going to Italy; the latter will be more attracted to other parts of Italy just like any other tourist would.

Regardless of which of the two best describes you, I sincerely believe that we all love what Italy represents to us, and that in some way, it shapes who we are.

Whatever our differences, I think we can all agree that we would not be who we are without the “Italian” in us.

The Federazione delle Associazioni Molisane del Quebec, of which I am the president, is one of the many cultural entities in Montreal working tirelessly to preserve and perpetuate our culture for current and future generations. With this goal in mind, we believe that keeping and strengthening our ties with Italy and in particular our region of origin is an important component of this process. For this reason, and under the guise of our annual Gran Gala Molisano, we have invited all the mayors of our Molisan villages, as well as the president of our region, Paolo di Laura Frattura, to attend. The president has very graciously accepted, as well as many mayors. We will advise you through other channels if your particular mayor will be coming.

Our Italian “cousins” are showing an amazing interest in working with us for our mutual interest. Their goal is to promote tourism and trade; ours is cultural.

All will be discussed in a conference, which will be held two days prior to the gala.

It is the responsibility of the federation and all the 20 or so associations to ensure the success of the gala and the conference. As president, I am asking you to participate in great numbers, especially those that would not normally do so. Last year’s gala was fun for all generations in attendance, and I can assure you that this year’s will be just as memorable. Portate i vostri amici e le vostre famiglie, e faremo una bellissima figura!

Oggi, a oltre cinquant'anni e tre generazioni dall'ultima grande ondata di quelli di noi che sono partiti, siamo ad un bivio. Ci sono coloro che ancora sono fortemente legati al proprio patrimonio culturale, alle tradizioni e alla lingua, altri invece che semplicemente hanno deciso di lasciare tutto questo in secondo piano. I primi vogliono mantenere in vita questo patrimonio, gli altri si accontentano di attingere ad esso quando ne hanno bisogno. Alcuni, quando vanno in Italia, sono più propensi a visitare i loro luoghi di origine, altri saranno invece più attratti da altre parti dell'Italia come qualsiasi altro turista.

Indipendentemente da quale delle due parti ci descrive meglio, credo sinceramente che tutti noi amiamo quello che l'Italia rappresenta per noi, e che, in qualche modo, ci ha reso quello siamo. Nonostante le nostre differenze, io penso che siamo tutti d'accordo che non saremmo quello che siamo senza "l'italiano" che è in noi.

La Federazione delle Associazioni Molisane del Quebec, di cui sono il presidente, è uno dei tanti centri culturali a Montreal che lavora instancabilmente per preservare e mantenere la nostra cultura per le generazioni di oggi e quelle future. Con questo obiettivo in mente, noi crediamo che mantenere e rafforzare i nostri legami con l'Italia, e in particolare modo con la nostra regione di origine, è un importante componente di questo processo. Per questa ragione, e con l’occasione del nostro annuale Gran Gala Molisano, abbiamo invitato tutti i sindaci dei paesi del Molise, così come il presidente della nostra regione, Paolo di Laura Frattura. Il presidente ha accettato molto gentilmente, così come molti altri sindaci. Vi informeremo se il vostro sindaco verrà attraverso altri canali. I nostri "cugini italiani" stanno mostrano grande interesse nel lavorare con noi per il nostro reciproco interesse. Il loro obiettivo è la promozione del turismo e del commercio; il nostro obiettivo è invece di tipo culturale. Si discuterà di tutto questo durante la conferenza stampa che si terrà due giorni prima del gala. È responsabilità della federazione e delle 20 associazioni, o poco più, la riuscita del gala e della conferenza. Come presidente, vi chiedo di partecipare in gran numero, mi rivolgo specialmente a coloro che normalmente non lo fanno.

Il gala dello scorso anno è stato divertente per tutte le generazioni presenti, e posso assicurarvi che quest'anno sarà altrettanto memorabile. Portate i vostri amici e le vostre famiglie, e faremo una bellissima figura!

To reserve your table please contact me at 514-941-2370 Best regards, Tony Zara, Publisher

Per prenotare il vostro tavolo vi prego di contattarmi al 514-941-2370 I migliori saluti, Tony Zara, Editore

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EDITORIAL

Amarcord My

first editorial in Panoram Italia brought me many letters of congratulations, suggestions and story pitches – all very positive and encouraging. Grazie.

The letters were from grade school, high school, university friends and many others who I had not seen or heard from regularly in the past 30 years. Some sent me more than just auguri and suggestions but also included photos taken 40 and 50 years ago when we all had hair, darker hair and were certainly thinner.

AMARCORD! These photos and words brought a smile to my lips, but in some cases, also captured the zeitgeist of our generation, our times, our la bella gioventù!

The following generations also have stories to tell about their youth and aspirations, as well as the tribulations and sometimes humorous scenarios involved in growing up Italian-Canadian. After sharing these photos at an editorial meeting, they convinced Panoram Italia to commence a new section in

the June/July 2016 edition entitled AMARCORD. This Romagnolo expression was made famous by Federico Fellini’s 1973 coming of age movie of the same name.

How can you, our readers, participate? Send us your photos taken prior to 2000. They should tell a bigger story than your parents’ wedding, your baptism, graduation or shaking hands with a powerful politician or famous stars. These are all certainly most important occasions and memorable life events, but we want to try to go beyond the personal to photos that tell the story of the greater community’s social or historical experiences. For instance, attending festas and picnics, taking Italian language or Canadian citizenship classes, creating lavish backyard gardens, gathering for World Cup celebrations, making peppers, pomodori and sausage memories with the nonni, strolling in Little Italy, a eureka moment, or other occasions that capture a place in time.

I encourage you to participate. These are your stories, your magazine.

Pal Di Iulio Associate Editor

LIFE IN A SNAPSHOT: To participate in AMARCORD, simply send us an email at info@panoramitalia.com, which includes a high resolution scanned photo and anaccompanying story about it (100 words maximum). The picture and text should reflect an experience, event, moment or highlight that captures the spirit of what it means to be Italian-Canadian. Deadline: May 2, 2016. Make sure to include your full name. If your picture and story are chosen, they will be published in the June/July edition of Panoram Italia.

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UNITAS

Community Chat Change is greater than fear As the great author George Bernard Shaw wrote, “Progress is impossible ear and change have gone hand in hand since the without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change beginning of human consciousness. The main anything.” We must not be stubborn in the face of progress. Remember that obstacle to the discovery and use of fire, which great things happen when we are willing to step outside the box. To me, forever changed the progress of human civilization, was UNITAS represents that very step. UNITAS is a courageous frontline man’s fear to come close to the element, to approach the of community leaders that will look fear dead in the eye and dismiss it. strange source of heat, to tackle this untamed resource.

We can be a community that Once mankind understands the merits of overcame this progress and the value in fear, so many UNITAS is a courageous frontline of comstanding together rather than innovations become possible. munity leaders that will look fear dead in the holding on to the way things It is human nature to fall into eye and dismiss it. We can be a community used to be. comfort zones. We enjoy our lives the When man overcame fear way they are and tolerate the less-thanthat understands the merits of progress and and discovered fire, the flame of desirable aspects because in many the value in standing together rather than that discovery spread across cases we consider them better than the the globe. Do you know why? unknown. Often, we prefer not to take holding on to the way things used to be. a leap of faith because we worry about Because of the greatest tool our whether we are making the wrong species has ever benefited from: decision.What if the place where we land is worse off than where we started? human collaboration. We must unite. We must share. We must not be afraid In making fear-based decisions we tend to believe that we are preserving because greatness occurs at the very intersection of fear and inspiration. the status quo, but, in fact, this attitude of complacency will have the opposite effect. No great civilization, no long-lasting community, has survived by Sincerely, Italian-Canadian Community making the safe choices. The Roman Empire fell because it was holding on too Joey Saputo Foundation of Quebec President tightly to what it once was, rather than looking for ways to progress. Let’s not Insieme per la nostra comunità joey@fcciq.com make the same mistake.

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LIFE & PEOPLE

It wasn’t the prettiest goal I scored. But it might have been the most important

By Brigitte Nardella Originally published in The Globe and Mail

S

ports highlights are so much fun to watch – all those hand-of-God goals, the bend-it-like-Beckhams, the spin-o-ramas, the Hail Mary passes. It’s poetry in motion, partners executing choreographed moves with strength and grace. When I juggle a soccer ball, I sometimes come close to a Zen-like state, feeling, just for a fraction of a second, that total self-awareness in space, effortless balance, kinetic poise. But sometimes, all that really matters is to put the ball in the net.

I once found a photo of my grandfather, Giuseppe Nardella, as a young man on a horse. Or more precisely, a photo of him hovering over a horse, defying gravity in a parallel dismount worthy of an Olympic gymnast. At 21, he was in complete control of his body, strong and agile, with enough gumption to spare to look right into the camera with the cocky assurance of youth.

As far as I could remember back to my childhood, my grandfather had always been ill. He was in and out of hospitals regularly (angina attacks, mostly). He had a slow, deliberate walk, a dry sense of humour and a vintage 1962 Chrysler in mint condition.

In his impoverished youth during the First World War, he was taken out of school at an early age to work in the fields, like most boys in the Italian village of San Marco in Lamis. For days on end, the boys would sleep in empty watering troughs, staying warm under makeshift burlap covers, surviving on bread and water and occasionally sneaking away to eat a raw egg or onion without getting caught. Truth be told, his later military service was probably the first time he experienced the comforts of being properly housed, fed and clothed.

Giuseppe moved to Canada in 1927, the second of four brothers to make the trip to Montreal. His father, Michele, had come earlier on a reconnaissance trip and deemed the new country full of opportunity. Over a period of years, as quickly as Michele could raise the money, he brought his four sons here, one at a time. Once they were all settled, he returned to Italy.

Giuseppe never again saw his parents, his four sisters, or Italy. He seemed at peace with that. The old country had represented nothing but poverty and hardship. Canada was the promised land where he and his brothers could work hard, earn a wage and build a better life. Giuseppe built his own home, brick by brick, every night after putting in long hours at the quarry.

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His move to Canada hadn’t been easy; there were quotas on Italian immigrants and he had to first spend time in another Commonwealth country, Australia. His ocean voyage to Vancouver nearly killed him. Years later, in his fractured French, he would tell us about the unsanitary conditions on the ship, the seasickness and the men who jumped overboard when they could no longer endure. When he couldn’t find the right words, his voice would trail off, and the silence spoke volumes.

He had four grandchildren – all girls – and we were precious to him.

When I was 4, my wrist was crushed when I accidentally stuck my hand out from the back seat just as my mom was closing the car door. There was blood, and some shrieking, as my aunt drove us to the nearest hospital.

Giuseppe was worried sick when he heard the news and paced the floor all night, according to my grandmother. Apparently, he didn’t sleep a wink, even after I was home safe and sound, bandaged up but relatively unscathed.

We saw my grandparents every Sunday for dinner, always at their home.

But one hot summer night, when I was 11, they came to our house. I can’t remember why they drove to Boucherville on a weeknight – that 1962 Chrysler didn’t venture to the suburbs all that often – but I remember feeling a bit of extra pressure knowing that Giuseppe would be coming to the park with my dad to watch my soccer game.

I don’t know what my grandfather thought at the time; perhaps the old Italian man in him was perplexed that preteen girls were keen to play this macho sport. But I like to think he was proud that I was playing soccer rather than North American sports such as hockey or baseball.

Perhaps, while watching me and my teammates on the field, he drifted back to his youth, nostalgic for the time when he could run and jump with carefree ease. And although it was definitely not as graceful as his equestrian prowess, I’m glad he saw that it was me who buried a rebound in a frantic goalmouth scramble, clinching the 1-0 victory in the dying moments.

When we got home after the game, my grandmother nodded approvingly when told of the victory and my role in it: “Il va bien dormir ce soir” (“he’ll sleep well tonight”), she said quietly.

It wasn’t the prettiest goal I ever scored. But it might have been the most important.

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LIFE & PEOPLE

Dr. Kevin Petrecca Revolutionizing brain cancer surgery

By Agata De Santis

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The problem is clear to understand.

How to remove the cancer while keeping the functioning brain intact

Wow indeed.

Petrecca’s clinical practice is devoted exclusively to brain cancers, which has allowed him to become a leading expert in the disease. The married father of three completed his research training and medical studies at McGill University, followed by a fellowship in Seattle.

He joined the Neuro in 2007 and is now the Chief of the Department of Neurosurgery at the hospital and Associate Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University. Last year alone, Petrecca operated on 195 brain tumours. “The problem is clear to understand. How to remove the cancer while keeping the functioning brain intact,” Petrecca explains. “An MRI shows the general contour of the cancer mass, but during surgery one cannot exactly locate where the cancer ends and where the good tissue starts – it is a gradient.

Now, with experience one gets a good sense, but there is always a doubt,” he continues. “The MRI is what we use to tell people if they have cancer, and how much cancer there is. Yet it’s an inferior method, but it’s all we have,” he continues. “This probe is better than an MRI. Our probe tells you with 97% accuracy if there’s cancer.”

To the naked eye, the probe that Petrecca and his team have created seems almost too simple to be real. But the small hand-held device is revolutionary in its application and accuracy. The technology behind its conception is also extraordinary. Recent advances in nanofabrication that allow for smaller devices and for detection at the molecular level are why this probe is even possible.

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How does it work?

The probe uses a century-old detection technique called the Raman effect, a change in the wavelength of light that occurs when a light beam is deflected by molecules. Before now, a Raman probe was in the form of a large cumbersome – and expensive – machine. The new spectroscopy probe fits in the palm of the hand.

During the actual surgery, doctors simply have to touch the brain tissue with the hand-held instrument, and in 0.2 seconds it will indicate if there are any cancer cells in that tissue. Using laser technology to measure light scattered from molecules, the probe uses the light as a spectroscopic signal, interpreting the information about the molecular makeup of the tissue it just touched.

A surgeon will now be able to remove not only tumour masses that are visible to the naked eye, but also single cancer cells that could have eventually developed into recurrences. This in turn means a more successful surgery and a better survival rate for patients.

Last year, after two years of research and successful tests on patients with grade two, three and four gliomas – the most common type of brain cancer and one of the most devastating of human malignancies – Petrecca and Dr. Frédéric Leblond, Professor in Engineering Physics at Polytechnique Montréal, published their findings in Science Translational Medicine. Their study received international attention and praise.

Before the probe is available on the market, there are a couple of hurdles to conquer. The team is presently awaiting approval from the Food and Drug Administration, which can be a long process for medical devices. On the practical side, the team is raising funds to start actual production.

Petrecca is confident that in the near future the hand-held probe will be an affordable life-saving device for hospitals big and small. “We built this probe to be very user-friendly. Wherever you are, not just the big hospitals, you can use it. That was always our intent,” he explains.

Despite all the attention, Petrecca remains refreshingly humble. “We’re no different than any other profession. If the passion is there, you do it. And when you love it, it’s not work.”

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In

today’s celebrity-obsessed society, where one can become a household name despite lack of any real talent or accomplishment, it is easy to become cynical about the future of our culture. But a sit-down with a neurosurgeon who is changing how brain cancer is treated can make any pessimist a believer again.

Not only does Dr. Kevin Petrecca remove cancerous tumours in the brain for a living, he and a collaborative team of doctors, researchers and engineers from the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (the “Neuro”), McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre, (MUHC) as well as Polytechnique Montréal, have created a hand-held probe that allows neurosurgeons to detect brain cancer cells in real time during surgery.

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LIFE & PEOPLE

By Sabrina Marandola

Quebec’s first Italian-born female minister

W

hen Rita de Santis stood in the National Assembly to be sworn in as a new Quebec cabinet minister, she made it a point to say her full name, loudly and proudly, in Italian. “Rita Lucia Casanova de Santis.”

She said it as she stood before Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard and her fellow MNAs, even though she has always been known by her colleagues as Rita de Santis.

But in late January, on the day before being officially sworn in as the province’s new Minister responsible for Access to Information and the Reform of Democratic Institutions, de Santis decided she would use her full name at the public ceremony. “My entire life, since I was seven years old, I always signed Rita L.C. de Santis. I used the initials,” de Santis says, explaining that Casanova is her mother’s family name. “I’m extremely proud of my heritage: where I come from, where my parents are from, what my history has been for a long time before I actually came into this world,” de Santis, 61, says.

De Santis was born in Italy in the town of Palmoli, in the province of Chieti in Abruzzo. She immigrated to Canada with her family at the age of four. This makes de Santis the first woman born in Italy to be named a Quebec cabinet 22

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minister. “I was born in Italy; however, if people ask me what I am, I always say I am a Quebecer. I am a Canadian of Italian origin,” de Santis says. “I think that once you adopt a country it is your obligation to become part of that country...and so it was my obligation to become a Quebecer, a Canadian.

It was a responsibility which I fully assumed.”

Raised by her Italian parents, de Santis went to LaSalle Catholic High School and went on to graduate with honours from McGill with a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry. Four years later, in 1980, de Santis got another Bachelor’s degree – this one in Law. She was admitted to the Quebec Bar in 1981. By 1989, she and her colleague Maryse Bertrand were the first two women to become partners in the firm Phillips & Vineberg (today known as Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg).

By 2009, de Santis was recognized as one of Canada’s “Top 100 Most Powerful Women” by Canada’s Women’s Executive Network before entering the world of politics.

Through it all, Rita Lucia Casanova de Santis’ Italian roots always ran deep, so on that day she was sworn in as a cabinet minister, she wanted to send the message to those watching that it’s OK to show those roots with

Photography by Vincenzo D’Alto

Rita de Santis

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LIFE & PEOPLE

“

De Santis is calling on the government to review the nomination process for candidates. “If we’re going to include people from other communities, and people in the Italian community, we need to look beyond the usual suspects.

The way to do that is to make sure that the nomination process is more open,” she says. “Remember that if you want change, you have to look at who sits on these selection committees because it is human nature to search for people that resemble us. Therefore if your selection committee is homogenous, it won’t look to diversity.”

And de Santis is clear – her objective is not just to see more people of Italian origin in office, but more people from all communities. “My role is to ensure that we represent the diversity that Quebec is in the National Assembly and that we include that diversity in everything that’s done.

To me diversity is diversity in its largest sense: It’s male/female, black, white, purple and green. It’s of Italian origin, or Maghrebin origin, Polish origin, African origin.

It’s young and old, and it’s also different ideas because you need diversity of opinion. So whenever I am fighting for diversity, I fight for it in its largest sense,” she says. “I have been blessed because I am of Italian origin and of course there is a little part in my heart that will favour that forever, but I really fight for the whole thing.”

De Santis says that, as a brand new minister, her next step is to take control of her ministry. She will also continue to work closely with people in her riding, whom she has represented for nearly 4 years. “My prime responsibility is my riding and I want to be very close to people in the riding,” she says, adding that many of her constituents are immigrants from the Haitian and Maghrebin communities who face challenges such as discrimination, integration and finding employment. “I want to be able to ensure that I can live up to the expectations of others,” de Santis says. “The only promise I ever make is that I will try to do my best – and that’s a promise that I can keep.”

By 2009, de Santis was recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women.

“

pride. “I’m not afraid to stand up and say that I’m of Italian origin. I’m very proud.

I find that in the last few years, the comments regarding our community have been less than favourable and that makes me upset, because I recognize that in our community there is a lot of excellence whether in the arts, whether in medicine, whether in the law, whether in entrepreneurship.”

De Santis says the best way to overcome negative stereotypes surrounding the Italian community is to have “our own community celebrating excellence...Tooting the horns of the people in the community who have done well and who are doing well,” according to de Santis, who adds that the celebration must not only be within the Italian community. “It has to be a celebration at large so that the whole Quebec community knows what our contribution is to Quebec. It’s true we were builders and constructors, but now we’ve gone beyond that. So let’s celebrate it.”

Since de Santis was elected into the National Assembly in 2012 as Liberal MNA for Bourassa-Sauvé (a riding representing citizens in and around Montreal North), she’s worked to highlight the accomplishments of Italian-Quebecers.

She stood up one day after hearing the government name companies such as CGI and Bombardier as ‘fleurons Québécois’ (jewels of Quebec). “I stood up and said, ‘You know, to hell with it. Where’s Saputo in there? If there is a fleuron Québécois that never got any grants or subsidies and has put Quebec on the map, it’s the Saputo family,’” de Santis recalls, adding that the premier acknowledged her point. “Since January, whenever he’s talking about les fleurons Québécois, Couillard always includes Saputo. He’s recognized that people here have to start looking outside what is seen as ‘pure laine.’ We’re all part of this.”

That’s one of the reasons why she says she’d like to see more people from the Italian community participate in politics. “There aren’t enough people who are coming forward. You have to make your own opportunities,” de Santis says.

“One must never be afraid to stand up and speak, because sometimes people may not agree with you, but other times people will.”

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LIFE & PEOPLE

Amanda Colella-Centazzo A rising star in the world of bioengineering

By Agata De Santis fter spending the last three years studying how different endovascular stents are used in the treatment of arterial disease and their effects on the body for her Masters degree in engineering, Amanda Colella-Centazzo decided she needed a break.

The 26-year-old Italian-Montrealer’s idea of a break was a contract with the R&D department of one of Europe’s leading biomedical engineering companies.

Colella-Centazzo is currently in Germany on a six-month contract for Stryker Trauma. “I wanted to take a short break from academia, to get some work experience, broaden my knowledge. For three years I had been doing research in blood flow analysis. That is my passion. I’m at Stryker to try something different,” Colella-Centazzo explains.

Colella-Centazzo has a Bachelor of Engineering from McGill University.

Last year, she completed her Masters degree in Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Her Master’s thesis research focuses on the fluid dynamic implications of endovascular stents in the treatment of arterial disease. A stent is a tube that is placed inside a clotted blood vessel in order to re-establish proper blood flow. But there are secondary issues that arise from the placement of a foreign object – the stent – inside a blood vessel.

Colella-Centazzo’s research involves getting a better understanding of the flow disturbances caused by the stent. The work included the creation of a fake artery in order to both study and visualize the effect of various stents. These experiments provided a basis for further research into stent design as well as a method to better select the appropriate stent dimensions for each unique patient and situation.

“Stents come in stock sizes and they just look at your x-rays and pick a stent off a shelf. It’s not patient-specific. So we made some determinations about what kind of sizing would be better. The end goal is to make a device that reduces the negative impact that we are seeing right now,” Colella-Centazzo explains.

Her six-month contract has also given Colella-Centazzo a chance to see how things are done on the other side of the pond, that is, in the private sector.

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“They expect to see a product, they expect to see money. It’s why I wanted to do this contract – to see how it’s done outside of academia,” she explains.

Colella-Centazzo is now at a crucial point in her career. She needs to decide if she will continue in academia or go into the private sector. “I don’t know if I will go and work for a company that already makes stents. Do I go back to academia? Complete my PhD and have my own lab? I definitely love being a mentor and having a mentor.”

Pursuing her PhD would mean another four years of study. “I always knew what I wanted to do, even in high school. I loved math, I loved science.

I never questioned mechanical engineering, I knew that was right for me.

My dad was in construction and he showed me the building side of things.

My family, they are all builders, they all do things with their hands,” Colella-Centazzo comments.

The percentage of women who enter the field of engineering is still surprisingly low. On average, women make up only 17% of the student base. “That percentage is even lower in mechanical engineering, and a bit higher in biomedical engineering. In academia, we definitely talk about it often. There are not many women in top positions,” Colella-Centazzo admits.

She was pleasantly surprised to discover that her boss at Stryker Trauma would be a woman. “It was the first time I saw a woman in a high position in my field. It was exciting to see that in engineering.”

Colella-Centazzo adds that both Dalhousie University and Stryker Trauma are organizing events specifically aimed at encouraging young female students to consider a career in engineering.

And as the clock ticks on deciding private versus academia, ColellaCentazzo is pondering all her options. “It’s uncertain and scary at times. But I feel like all the roads are open to me, and that is an amazing feeling to have so many options. I cannot complain,” she comments. “I know I want to be a bioengineer in the most classic way. I consider myself a scientist first.”

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Photography by Vincenzo D’Alto

ITALIAN FOOD & DINING

Culinary Renaissance Mercuri Restaurant

The evolution of Italian cuisine in Montreal L’evoluzione della cucina italiana a Montreal L’évolution de la cuisine italienne à Montréal

By Sara Germanotta

Montreal’s culinary scene has changed drastically in the last decade, and when it comes to the city’s Italian restaurants, there is a veritable revolution happening.

La scena culinaria di Montreal è cambiata radicalmente negli ultimi dieci anni, e per quanto riguarda i ristoranti italiani della città, è in atto una vera e propria rivoluzione.

La scène gastronomique montréalaise s’est radicalement transformée ces dernières années, en particulier les restaurants italiens, qui vivent en ce moment une véritable révolution.

C

iversi chef di tutta la città stanno ridefinendo la cucina italo-canadese con particolare attenzione alla semplicità e all’autenticità. L’era della parmigiana di pollo stragrassa e della pasta condita fino all’estremo è finita. Molti chef stanno puntando oggi su piatti a base di ingredienti locali e freschi prodotti con tecniche senza tempo.

Lesley Chesterman, critico di ristoranti e di cibo per The Montreal Gazette, spiega che è un momento emozionante per la cucina italiana. “Quando ho iniziato a recensire i ristoranti 18 anni fa, la ristorazione italiana faceva rima con camerieri in smoking e carte dei vini costosissime e prevedibili. Per quanto riguarda il cibo, pensate alle penne alla gigi, alle scallopine di vitello, e all’immancabile tiramisù per dessert”, spiega Chesterman. “Ora, stiamo vedendo un rinnovato interesse per la produzione di autentici piatti italiani, con chef che fanno tutto da zero, dalla mortadella alla pasta ai cannoli.”

nombreux chefs aux commandes de brigades des quatre coins de la ville sont en train de redéfinir la cuisine italo-canadienne en misant sur deux ingrédients gagnants : la simplicité et l’authenticité. L’époque du poulet parmesan riche à souhait et des pâtes nappées de sauce à gogo est désormais révolue.

Plusieurs maîtres queux optent plutôt ces tempsci pour des plats tablant sur des produits frais et locaux préparés suivant une technique éprouvée.

Lesley Chesterman, critique et chroniqueuse gastronomique à The Montreal Gazette, n’hésite pas à dire que la cuisine italienne traverse actuellement une période fort excitante. « Au début de ma carrière il y a 18 ans, restauration italienne rimait avec serveurs en smoking et cartes des vins prévisibles et hors de prix. Côté menu, pensez penne alla gigi, escalopes de veau et l’immanquable tiramisu pour dessert », se rap-

hefs in kitchens across the city are redefining Italian-Canadian cuisine with a focus on simplicity and authenticity. The era of greasy chicken parm and over-sauced pastas is over; in its place many chefs are creating dishes based on fresh, local ingredients and timeless techniques.

Lesley Chesterman is the fine-dining critic and food columnist for The Montreal Gazette. She says it’s an exciting time for Italian cuisine. “When I began reviewing restaurants 18 years ago, Italian restaurants meant tuxedoed waiters and overpriced wine lists filled with predictable bottles sold at exorbitant prices. As for the food, think penne gigi, a long list of veal scallopinis, and the dreaded tiramisu for dessert,” explains Chesterman. “Now we’re seeing a renewed interest in producing authentic Italian dishes, with chefs making everything from mortadella to pasta to cannoli from scratch.”

Chesterman says local chefs such as Michele 26

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De

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ITALIAN FOOD & DINING Forgione of Impasto, Michele Mercuri of Le Serpent and Joe Mercuri of Mercuri Montreal are putting Italian-Canadian cuisine back on the radar. She says all three of these Italian-Canadian chefs trained and worked in kitchens that focused on French cooking techniques. They are now taking these skills and making culinary magic in their own kitchens. “These chefs are using their experience to produce contemporary Italian cuisine, which remains modern without sacrificing authenticity,” she explains “And in the true spirit of Italian cooking, they also place the emphasis on ingredients, using the best local produce available.”

A glance at the menus of these eateries is enough to confirm that times have definitely changed; the folks at Impasto serve Quebec-made mozzarella di bufala alongside smoked lentils and salsa verde in one of their dishes; Le Serpent has a foie gras parfait and BBQ duck on their menu. It’s a far cry from the stereotypical food you’d expect to find at most traditional red-checkered-tablecloth Italian joints.

But it’s all good in the eyes of Marie-Claude Di Lillo, a freelance writer and columnist for the Huffington Post Québec who has written extensively

Chesterman afferma che chef locali come Michele Forgione di Impasto, Michele Mercuri di Le Serpent e Joe Mercuri di Mercuri Montreal stanno portando la cucina italo-canadese di nuovo in primo piano. Lei dice che tutti e tre questi chef italo-canadesi hanno studiato le tecniche francesi oltre a lavorare nei ristoranti promuovendo una cucina d’oltralpe. Ora stanno proponendo quanto imparato, con grande successo, nelle loro cucine.”

“Questi chef usano la loro esperienza per produrre una cucina italiana contemporanea, che rimanga moderna senza sacrificare l’autenticità,” ci spiega.

“E nel vero spirito della cucina italiana, hanno anche posto l’accento sugli ingredienti, utilizzando i migliori prodotti locali disponibili ".

Uno sguardo ai menù di questi ristoranti è sufficiente per confermare che i tempi sono decisamente cambiati. Da Impasto, in uno dei loro piatti, servono mozzarella di bufala made in Québec accanto a lenticchie affumicate e salsa verde. Le Serpent ha sul menu un parfait di foie gras e papera in salsa barbecue. Siamo lontani dal cibo che ci si aspetta di trovare nelle classiche trattorie italiane!

Ma va tutto bene agli occhi di Marie-Claude Di Lillo, una giornalista freelance al Huffington Post Photography by Vincenzo D’Alto

Goat cheese gnocchi with diced pancetta and grilled shiitake mushrooms, Mercuri Restaurant

about Montreal’s food scene. “Montreal is going through the same Italian culinary renaissance that happened in New York’s Greenwich Village years ago.

It gives me goose bumps because there is something extraordinary happening with the young chefs in this city,” says Di Lillo. The proof is that 23 restaurants from Montreal are featured on this year’s list of the country’s 100 best eateries according to Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants.

De Lillo describes a landscape where restaurateurs are shedding the stodgy style of traditional Italian-Canadian eateries and embracing a more informal, rustic spirit. “Chef Nick De Palma is a great example of this,” she explains. “It’s in line with the hipster trend – very genuine, trattoria-style food.” Di Lillo has noticed a great deal of substance behind these young chefs, despite their trendy beards and tattoos. “They use a lot of restraint and the focus is entirely on the food and technique. Restaurants like Trattoria Luciano and Impasto appear so unassuming, yet once you walk in it’s clear something amazing is going on there.”

Di Lillo also says that chefs such as Graziella Battista and Stefano Faita also seamlessly merge their “Italianità” with their identity as born and bred Quebecers. “These younger chefs stick together and influence each other. They’re more open to 28

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Québec, che ha scritto molto sulla scena culinaria a Montreal. “Montreal sta attraversando la stessa rinascita culinaria italiana che è accaduta nel Greenwich Village di New York anni fa. Mi fa venire la pelle d’oca perché sta accadendo qualcosa di straordinario con i giovani chef in questa città”, dice Di Lillo. Lo dimostra il fatto che 23 locali di Montréal si ritrovano quest’anno sulla lista dei cento migliori ristoranti del paese secondo Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants.

Di Lillo descrive un milieu in cui i ristoratori lasciano lo stile pesante dei tradizionali ristoranti italo-canadesi e abbracciano uno stile più informale e rustico. “Lo Chef Nick De Palma rappresenta bene questa svolta in linea con la tendenza hipster orientata su un cibo molto genuino in stile trattoria”, spiega Di Lillo. Nota comunque una grande qualità dietro questi giovani chef, nonostante le loro barbe e tatuaggi alla moda. “Impiegano molta moderazione e l’attenzione è interamente incentrata sul cibo e sulla tecnica. Ristoranti come Trattoria Luciano e Impasto appaiono così modesti, ma una volta entrati è chiaro che stia accadendo qualcosa di straordinario.”

Di Lillo dice che chef come Graziella Battista e Stefano Faita hanno fuso insieme la loro “italianità” con la loro identità di nati e cresciuti in Québec. “Gli chef più giovani sono a contatto e si influenzano a

pelle-t-elle. « Aujourd’hui, on assiste à un regain d’intérêt dans l’art d’apprêter des mets italiens grâce à des chefs qui confectionnent leurs propres spécialités, de la mortadelle en passant par les pâtes et les cannoli. » Chesterman explique que des chefs comme Michele Forgione, chez Impasto, Michele Mercuri, au Serpent, et Joe Mercuri, chez Mercuri Montréal, contribuent à remettre la cuisine italienne au goût du jour. Elle affirme que ces trois chefs italo-canadiens ont tous suivi une formation en cuisine française en plus d’avoir travaillé dans des établissements faisant la promotion de la gastronomie de l’Hexagone. Et ils mettent maintenant cette expérience à profit avec brio dans leur propre cuisine. « Ces chefs utilisent leur bagage pour concocter une cuisine italienne contemporaine sans jamais rogner sur l’authenticité », assure-t-elle. « Et selon l’esprit même de la cuisine italienne, ils accordent énormément d’importance aux ingrédients et utilisent les meilleurs produits locaux disponibles. » Un coup d’œil à l’ardoise de ces établissements suffit pour confirmer que les temps ont bien changé. Chez Impasto, on sert un plat composé de mozzarella di bufala accompagnée de lentilles fumées et de salsa verde. Et Le Serpent propose un parfait de foie gras et du canard BBQ sur son menu. Nous voilà loin des classiques surannés auxquels on s’attend dans la plupart des bistrots italiens traditionnels!

Rien de mal à cela, selon Marie-Claude Di Lillo, une journaliste qui pige pour le Huffington Post Québec et qui a abondamment écrit sur le milieu gastronomique montréalais. « La ville traverse actuellement la même renaissance culinaire qu’a vécue le Greenwich Village à New York, il y a déjà quelque temps. Ça me donne la chair de poule, car il se passe vraiment quelque chose d’extraordinaire dans le monde des chefs à Montréal. » La preuve en est que 23 restaurants montréalais se retrouvent cette année sur la liste des cent meilleurs établissements gastronomiques au pays selon le Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants.

Di Lillo décrit un milieu où les restaurateurs délaissent de plus en plus le style guindé traditionnellement associé aux restaurants italocanadiens pour adopter un côté plus informel et rustique. « Le chef Nick De Palma représente bien ce virage, qui va dans le sens du courant hipster axé sur une bouffe authentique de style trattoria », explique Di Lillo. Elle dit retrouver beaucoup de profondeur chez ces jeunes chefs, malgré leurs barbes et leurs tatouages à la mode. « On travaille avec beaucoup de retenue, et l’accent est entièrement mis sur la nourriture et la technique. Des restaurants comme la Trattoria Luciano et Impasto, modestes en apparence, ont pourtant de quoi surprendre. » Di Lillo affirme aussi que des chefs comme Graziella Battista et Stefano Faita marient sans gêne leur « italianité » à leur identité locale. « Les jeunes chefs se serrent les coudes et s’influencent les uns les autres. Ils sont plus ouverts à l’idée de redéfinir la cuisine italienne et n’hésitent pas à repousser les barrières associées aux termes “italien”, “québécois” ou “canadien”. » Le chef Pasquale Vari, professeur de cuisine italienne à l’Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ), remarque lui aussi un tournant dans la façon dont plusieurs chefs montréalais abordent la cuisine italienne. « La cuisine italienne actuellement servie en ville ressemble étroitement

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ITALIAN FOOD & DINING English article continued redefining what Italian cuisine is, and pushing the boundaries of what it means to be Italian, Quebecois, Canadian.”

Pasquale Vari is an Italian-trained professional chef and instructor at l’Institut de Tourisme et d’Hôtellerie du Quebec (ITHQ). He’s noticed a definite shift in the way a number of Montreal chefs are approaching Italian food. “The Italian cuisine being produced in town right now is very close to what you’ll find in Italy. We see chefs using more local ingredients and learning how to properly preserve ingredients so that they can be used when they’re not in season,” explains Vari. “People are taking the peppers and eggplants that are locally grown and preserving them in August to be used in the months when we don’t have access to these vegetables. That’s the Italian method of eating that people are starting to adapt here.”

La Presse food columnist Marie-Claude Lortie is also singing the praises of many of Montreal’s Italian chefs. Lortie is a Quebecoise who fell in love with cooking, and Italian cuisine in particular, when she was a young girl. She remembers asking her parents to celebrate her 11th birthday at Vito’s – an Italian restaurant on Côte-des-Neiges that was considered an institution in the city. “It was the first time I was eating at a restaurant alone with my friends and I’ll never forget the lasagna I had,” remembers Lortie. “And then they had a dessert called Zuppa Inglese. It was really old school Italian.”

Lortie, who has travelled extensively throughout Italy and is fluent in Italian, says she’s amazed at the transformation in Montreal’s Italian food scene. Lortie singles out Emma Cardarelli of Nora Gray and Graziella Battista of Graziella as chefs who are elevating Italian cooking in the city. “Graziella is the essence of elegance. Her restaurant is very discreet and refined,” explains Lortie. “Emma used to work at Joe Beef and now she’s opened her own place and she’s working her magic there.”

Lortie says the biggest transformation she’s noticed in Montreal’s Italian restaurants has as much to do with chefs’ approach and attitude towards cooking as it does with the actual products on the plate. “It’s about feeding people, pleasing people, upholding traditions. It’s really grounded, amazing cooking. It’s not about winning contests or being the top chef in the world. It’s really about making good food with the tradition and precision and the love that will honour the products put forward on the table.”

Seguito dell’articolo in italiano vicenda. Sono più aperti a ridefinire ciò che è la cucina italiana, spostando i confini di ciò che significa essere italiani, quebecchesi o canadesi”.

Pasquale Vari, professore di cucina italiana presso l’Institut de Tourisme et d'Hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ), ha notato anche lui un cambiamento definitivo nel modo in cui un certo numero di chef di Montreal si stanno avvicinando al cibo italiano. “La cucina italiana prodotta in città in questo momento è molto vicina a ciò che troverete in Italia. Vediamo chef che usano prodotti locali e che imparano a conservare correttamente gli ingredienti in modo che possano essere utilizzati quando non sono di stagione,” spiega Vari. “Trasformano i peperoni e le melanzane che vengono coltivati localmente e li conservano ad agosto per poi utilizzarli nei mesi in cui non abbiamo queste verdure. Questo è il metodo di mangiare italiano che le persone iniziano ad adottare qui.”

L’editorialista culinario di La Presse, Marie-Claude Lortie, canta anche lei le lodi di molti chef italiani di Montreal. Questa Quebecoise si innamorò della cucina, e in particolare della cucina italiana, quando era una ragazzina. Ricorda che chiese ai suoi genitori di festeggiare il suo 11° compleanno da Vito – un ristorante italiano sulla Côte-des-Neiges che è era considerato un’istituzione in città. “Era la prima volta che mangiavo in un ristorante da sola con i miei amici e non dimenticherò mai le lasagne che ho gustato”, ricorda Lortie. “E poi avevano un dessert chiamato Zuppa Inglese. Era un classico menu italiano.”

Lortie, che ha visitato l’Italia in lungo e in largo e parla correntemente l’italiano, dice di essere stupita della trasformazione della cucina italiana nella scena di Montreal in questi ultimi anni. Per Lortie, gli chef che stanno portando ad un livello superiore la cucina italiana in città, sono, Emma Cardarelli di Nora Gray e Graziella Battista di Graziella. “Graziella è l’essenza dell’eleganza. Il suo ristorante è davvero discreto e raffinato,” spiega Lortie. “Emma ha iniziato a lavorare da Joe Beef ed ora ha aperto il suo locale e lì sta realizzando la sua magia.”

La più grande trasformazione che Lortie ha notato nei ristoranti italiani a Montreal, ha molto a che fare con l’approccio e l’atteggiamento degli chef verso la cucina e la qualità dei prodotti che mettono nei loro piatti. “Si tratta di nutrire le persone, di far piacere alle persone, confermando le tradizioni. Si basa davvero tutto su una cucina autentica. Non è questione di vincere concorsi o di essere il miglior chef del mondo. Si tratta piuttosto di fare della buona cucina con la tradizione e la precisione e l’amore che faranno onore ai piatti portati in tavola.”

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ITALIAN FOOD & DINING

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Nick De Palma, owner of Inferno Restaurant

Aujourd’hui, on assiste à un regain d’intérêt dans l’art d’apprêter des mets italiens grâce à des chefs qui confectionnent leurs propres spécialités, de la mortadelle en passant par les pâtes et les cannoli.

«

Suite de l’article en français

à ce que l’on retrouve en Italie. Les chefs utilisent davantage d’ingrédients locaux et apprennent à bien les conserver afin de pouvoir les utiliser toute l’année », explique Vari. « Ils transforment les poivrons et les aubergines cultivés localement au mois d’août pour s’en servir pendant l’hiver. On intègre les façons de faire associées au mode d’alimentation italien traditionnel. » Marie-Claude Lortie, critique gastronomique à La Presse, abonde dans le même sens que ses collègues. Cette Québécoise vit depuis toujours une histoire d’amour avec la nourriture en général et la cuisine italienne en particulier. Elle se souvient avoir demandé à ses parents de célébrer son 11e anniversaire chez Vito, un restaurant italien de l’avenue Côte-des-Neiges et une véritable institution à l’époque. « C’était la première fois que j’allais seule au restaurant avec mes amis. Je n’oublierai jamais la lasagne que j’ai mangée ce jour-là », se remémore-t-elle. « Puis on nous a servi une zuppa inglese pour dessert. C’était vraiment le menu italien classique. » Lortie, qui a abondamment visité l’Italie et qui maîtrise même l’italien, s’enthousiasme de la transformation qu’a vécue le milieu de la gastronomie italienne à Montréal ces dernières années. Elle cite en exemples Emma Cardarelli, du Nora Gray, et Graziella Battista, du Restaurant Graziella, des chefs qui selon elle contribuent à élever la cuisine italienne à un niveau supérieur. « Graziella représente l’essence même de l’élégance. Son restaurant est très discret et raffiné », note Lortie. « Emma, quant à elle, travaillait chez Joe Beef et gère maintenant son propre établissement, où sa magie opère. » Selon Lortie, le changement le plus important qu’on remarque dans les restaurants italiens de Montréal touche à la fois l’approche et l’attitude des chefs face à la cuisine et à la qualité des produits qu’ils mettent dans leurs assiettes. « Tout tourne autour de l’objectif de nourrir les gens, de leur faire plaisir et de maintenir les traditions vivantes. Cela donne une cuisine admirable et profondément authentique – et cela n’a rien à voir avec le désir de remporter des concours ou de trôner au sommet des palmarès gastronomiques. Ça consiste en somme à faire de la bonne bouffe en suivant avec précision les traditions, tout en cultivant un profond amour pour les produits proposés sur la table. » PANORAMITALIA.COM

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ITALIAN FOOD & DINING

One of the most complex dishes to me is pasta al pomodoro. Because if it’s so simple with four ingredients, why can’t I go into every corner place that makes it and have a delicious one?

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Joe Mercuri

Cooking up “Modern Montreal” cuisine

By Sabrina Marandola

If

you ever have the pleasure of meeting Joe Mercuri, the odds are you’ll see him donning his trademark bandana and dark blue mechanics suit.

The chef ’s wardrobe is intentional and thought-out – just like everything else he does when he’s in the kitchen or running his restaurant, Mercuri, in Montreal’s Griffintown neighbourhood. “I think I’m part artist and I’m part mechanic,” says Mercuri, one of Montreal’s – and Canada’s – most well-known Italian-Canadian chefs. “If I plated everything and I put it out, then I’m an artist.

But I’m working with a team so you have to have the mechanics behind it. That’s why I started wearing the blue mechanic [suit] about 20 years ago.”

Mercuri’s journey in the restaurant business started when he was just a teenager. That 13-year-old boy, who didn’t know how to cook, never dreamed he would become a chef. “I never cooked at home…but I was growing up in an Italian household where my mom really upkept the philosophy of Italian food,” says Mercuri, who credits his Calabrese mother for heavily influencing his talent and passion for cooking. “To this day, she still uses everything seasonal, fresh, made in-house. So I was picking up this database without knowing it.”

At 13, Mercuri started working as a bus boy, a waiter, a dishwasher, and everything else in between – but never in the kitchen.

By the mid-1990s, he opened his own café. Money was tight so instead of hiring a chef, Mercuri decided he’d give cooking a shot – despite others’ scepticism. “I told my best friend at the time, ‘You know what? I’m going to cook.’ He said, ‘What? I’ve known you for 18 years. You’ve never even made me any food.”

Mercuri whipped up a salad and some sandwiches, and from that moment on, those who knew him best were sold. “He freaked. He said, ‘I’ve known you my whole life and you have this talent?!’”

It wasn’t long after that when Mercuri knew he wanted to make cooking his profession. He remembers the exact moment he made the decision. He got his hands on world-renowned chef Charlie Trotter’s cookbook. “I remember the sun hitting my face and I’m opening this book and I was like, ‘Wow’… It was instant,” Mercuri recalls. “That was the moment I decided I was going to sell the café and go to cooking school. And then my journey began,” It was a journey filled with long hours and a lot of work – even unpaid work. While he was in cooking school, Mercuri knew he wanted to work in Montreal’s hottest spot. At the time, that was Mediterraneo. The problem was that there were no part-time jobs in the kitchen. “So I used to go in for free. I used to work Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 1 a.m. for a whole year for free…I gave myself an apprenticeship.” It paid off because when he graduated from culinary school, he was hired. “I think that’s what’s missing in our profession today. Everybody wants to be (American celebrity chef and TV personality) Bobby Flay, but nobody wants to put in the hours.”

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Mercuri moved on to work at Lucca and Cube, where he worked for French chef Claude Pelletier. It all pushed Mercuri to evolve into a chef with “an Italian philosophy and French technique.”

In 2003, he opened his own restaurant, Brontë. One year later, it was crowned the “Best New Restaurant in Canada” by En Route Magazine. “I was getting 250 calls a day for reservations,” Mercuri says.

After seven successful years, Mercuri closed the acclaimed Brontë to open up another restaurant, which is now split into two sections: Mercuri and Mercuri Montreal Grill. It’s where Mercuri offers his customers a cuisine he calls “Modern Montreal.” “We make everything from our bread to our ice cream here. We don’t buy anything except for the raw product,” Mercuri says.

While his cooking philosophy is “100 per cent Italian,” – that is, cooking with products in your surroundings – Mercuri stops short of calling his actual cuisine Italian because he uses local products – not products from Italy. “I don’t do any classic recipes. I use ingredients from across the board. Why? Because they’re here,” he explains. “Italian food is about your surroundings. It’s about what’s best. So obviously if I’m in Montreal, which is a mosaic, I’ll use soy sauce.

I’ll use black vinegar. I’ll use curry, or smoked paprika…My heart is always on the streets of Montreal. I am a chef from the city.”

But don’t think this city chef doesn’t have a love for the countryside. He says he owes his success to farmers such as Lino Birri of Birri Inc. – a family business at Marché Jean-Talon, which supplies fresh produce to restaurants all over the Montreal area. “A great chef said once, ‘A chef who gets the best produce is the best chef ’ … I always tell people Lino Birri is my God. Without him, I wouldn’t be able to cook,” Mercuri says, adding that his Italian upbringing – which included traditions such as making tomato sauce at home – taught him to respect nature and showed him just what it takes to produce quality dishes. “To me all food is complex. One of the most complex dishes to me is pasta al pomodoro. Because if it’s so simple with four ingredients, why can’t I go into every corner place that makes it and have a delicious one? There’s a recipe – a complexity – that people don’t see. Nobody looks at the labour that goes into the ingredients on the plate,” he argues, adding, “we used to pick the tomatoes in the summer, in the heat. Then we line them on the garage floor till they’re perfectly ripened. Then we pick them and put them in batches to store perfect tomatoes for the winter. So, is there anything easy about that? It’s major, intense labour and passion. That’s work!” he says. “Good food does not come easy.”

Still, Mercuri could never see himself doing anything else. With so many accomplishments under his bandana, when asked what he plans to do next, he doesn’t hesitate: “I’ll be cooking.”

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ITALIAN FOOD & DINING

s ’ e o J

Ingredients • 16 small sardines • 280 g carrots, peeled and finely sliced • 90 g sliced French shallot • 15 g butter • 20 g olive oil • 3 cups vegetable stock

Sardines alla Mercuri (Serves 3 to 4)

Garnishes • 90 g shallot, sliced into fine rings, pickled in 2 tbsp. of sweet white wine vinegar • 60 g finely chopped black olives, dehydrated in an oven (place on a baking pan at 140°C overnight) • 14 g small capers • 130 g lemon juice • 60 g celery cut in 2 inch pieces and peeled into ribbons.

Cover in water and refrigerate for 1hr till curly • Salt flakes to taste

For carrot puree

Photography by Vincenzo D’Alto

Place the olive oil and butter in a pan. Then add the shallots and sauté till translucent. Add the carrots and cover with vegetable stock. Simmer till fork tender and then place in blender and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Fillet 16 small sardines lengthwise and marinade in 5 tbsp. of olive oil. Very lightly flour and then fry fish in a hot pan for 30 seconds. Season with salt.

For serving Place a spoonful of the puree on your plate. Lay the seared sardines flat on the plate on top of the puree.

Place the shallots, capers, olive and celery curls over the sardines. Garnish the sardines with olive oil, salt flakes and lemon juice. Enjoy.

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Photography by Vincenzo D’Alto

ITALIAN FOOD & DINING

Graziella

Battista Paying respect to her roots in every dish

By Sabrina Marandola

G

raziella Battista’s most vivid childhood memories all have one thing in common: they include family and food. “The table was very important…We had a lot of family gatherings and many festive meals,” recalls Battista, who was born and raised in Montreal by her Italian parents. Her mother, from Calabria – who Battista says is an excellent cook – and her father, from Campobasso, always made sure she was involved. “I grew up with both my parents processing food – we would make our own salami,” says Battista. “I was always involved in the kitchen. I was five or six years old, rolling gnocchi on the table. I remember that very clearly.”

That love of food and family led Battista to develop a real knack in the kitchen while she was growing up. While studying in Business and Economics, she got a part-time job working with a caterer. “It was easy for me to understand that job,” Battista says. She understood the food business so well that she quickly

“

Be creative, but respect your product. That’s what Italian cuisine is to me.

“

discovered she not only had the skill set for it, but also the passion. “At a certain point in your life, you start to determine your interests. What drives you? I was in my 20s when I took the plunge.”

Battista decided to open her very own restaurant. It was an Italian “simple trattoria-style” restaurant called Il Sole on St. Laurent Boulevard. She opened in the mid-1990s, just before that area on The Main boomed. “At the time, we were only three restaurants there…Then the whole area just boomed. They were incredible years.”

Battista remembers people lining up outside to get a table. At the time, Battista was not working in the kitchen. “I hired a cook. We worked on the menus together…and then I decided, ‘I’m going in the kitchen!’”

A self-taught chef, she developed her technique. She then travelled to Italy to complete cooking stages in Emilia Romagna. She got to learn from some master chefs such as Vincenzo Camerucci and Antonio Calò.

Battista says Calò’s philosophy had a major influence on her growth as a chef and her approach to Italian cooking. “His philosophy was, ‘If you pick this domain, do it right or do something else.’ Italian cooking is about using fresh products, respecting the products and respecting the authenticity of that recipe,” Battista says. “Be creative, but respect your product. That’s what Italian cuisine is to me.”

After 13 years at Il Sole, she was approached by a couple from France who wanted to buy her restaurant. “It was not for sale, but I went for it. I told myself, ‘Everything happens for a reason.’” She sold the restaurant.

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That same year, she was approached by Cucchiaio d’argento, a book considered a “Bible” in the food industry, which features recipes from some of the world’s greatest chefs. The book has been sold in Italy since 1950. In 2006, it was being published in French for the first time. Battista was the first, and only, Canadian chef who was ever included in the prestigious, world-wide selling book.“I was honoured. I’m proud for all Italians in Canada to have my name in that ‘Bible’ next to some of the greatest chefs on the planet.”

A couple of years after that accomplishment, she opened her own restaurant again, this time named after her.

For years now, Graziella restaurant in Old Montreal continues to wow food lovers and food critics alike, many saying that a meal there conjures up the emotions and flavours of eating a meal in the old country. “That’s a success for me because that’s what I’ve been trying to do for a long time. My mom cooked only Italian, and I’m trying to do my best to reproduce the Italian flavour.”

Battista’s mission now is to keep cooking, and pass it on. “I did not do this by myself. The Graziella team is what makes us. We are forging a family of values and transmitting our work,” says Battista. “It’s very rewarding because you want to transmit what you’ve learned. It has to continue, and it has to continue to be done properly.”

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ITALIAN FOOD & DINING

Gr

s ’ a l l e i az

Ingredients

Agnolotti di Stracchino (Serves 6 to 8)

Pasta • 500 g flour • 6 eggs • 13 g salt Filling • 400 g stracchino • 320 g ricotta

• 1 pinch of nutmeg • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley • 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs • Salt and pepper to taste Sauce Serve with either tomato sauce or a sage-infused butter sauce

Directions In a stand mixer, combine all the ingredients for the dough. Cover and let rest (about 30 minutes). Mix all the ingredients for the filling into a smooth paste.

Take one quarter of the dough, roll it into an oblong shape and flatten it roughly using a rolling pin. Feed dough into your pasta maker, using the thickest pasta setting first, before gradually decreasing the setting until the desired thickness is achieved: a sheet of lasagna.

Using a pastry bag, place approximately one teaspoon of stuffing every two centimetres in a horizontal line on your pasta sheet. Then fold top of pasta sheet down to bottom end and press firmly to seal between each dab of stuffing. Using a knife, cut between each mound of stuffing. You can cook them immediately in boiling, lightly salted water.

If you want to cook them in a few hours, then sprinkle with a little flour, spread evenly, cover with a clean cloth and refrigerate. To save them for a later date, spread evenly, seal and freeze.

Cooking Cook ravioli in boiling, lightly salted water (around 3 minutes). Add them to the sauce, preferably preheated. Add Parmigiano and serve immediately.

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ITALIAN FOOD & DINING

Roots kitchen

By Sara Germanotta

M

ichele Forgione remembers rushing home from school as an eight-yearold boy so he and his older brother could surprise their mom with homecooked suppers. But these brothers were making more than grilled cheese and canned soup. They made cavatelli. From scratch. “We would take the flour and the water and we would mix it to make a dough. Then we would roll it out, cut it up, and then with our fingers we would cavare – make the actual shape of the cavatelli,” explains Forgione.

“My brother was in charge of making the tomato sauce cause he was older than I was.”

Today, Forgione is one of a handful of A-list chefs who are elevating Montreal’s restaurant scene with their own take on Italian cuisine. As executive chef and co-owner of Impasto, Pizzeria Gema and Chez Tousignant, Forgione is on a mission to change the way people think about Italian food. He says he is striving to capture the spirit of Italian cuisine while using local ingredients. “We take what’s in season in Quebec and we give it an Italian spin. We don’t fuss around with our ingredients too much; we let the ingredient shine. If fiddleheads are in season, we might just serve them with some olive oil and a little lemon zest. We treat the ingredient properly and let it be the star of the show.”

But Forgione, with two decades of cooking experience under his belt, is the real star. The 39-year-old, who trained as a pastry chef at l’Institut de Tourisme et d’Hôtellerie du Quebec (ITHQ), has worked in some of the best hotel kitchens in the city – including Hôtel Nelligan, Le Crystal and Loew’s Hotel Vogue.

Despite his impressive résumé, Forgione says he learned a lot of what he needed to know about cooking in the kitchens, cantinas and backyard gardens of his childhood. “Being from an Italian family, food was everywhere,” he explains. “We made our own cheese, our own cold cuts, our own tomato sauce.

I was always keen to participate and learn.”

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Forgione, whose family is from Avellino in the Campania region of southern Italy, says he remembers summers spent helping his Nonno Michele take care of his backyard garden. “Every year, I would help him fold the fig trees into the ground and bring the herbs inside before the first frost,” recalls Forgione. “It was my favourite job because I was so fascinated by how the fig trees would survive the harsh winter months.”

Forgione says his Nonno Michele, who recently celebrated his 83rd birthday, is fiercely proud of his giardino. The elder Forgione’s Saint-Leonard garden was even featured on an episode of the Radio-Canada program Des kiwis et des hommes. Forgione says Nonno Michele is equally proud of his grandson’s success: “He feels that he accomplished something by teaching me his traditions. He gets pretty emotional about it,” says the chef.

Forgione has also built a strong friendship and business partnership with fellow Montreal chef, Stefano Faita. The partners have opened three restaurants in the last three years in Montreal. This camaraderie is just one example of how the new generation of chefs in this city support and respect each other.

“Everyone is distinct but we see each other quite often and we help each other out. At the end of the day, we’re all friends and we’re all passionate about what we do.”

There are also new projects on the horizon for Forgione. The restaurateur says he is currently co-authoring a book about the history of Montreal’s Italian community. “This is a very important project for me and I hope our people like it when it’s published,” says Forgione, who has been speaking with local historians and wading through archives at Casa d’Italia to collect information for the book. He says it’s a labour of love: “I go to bed at 2 a.m. every morning and I get up at 6 a.m. and I love it. I look forward to waking up every morning”.

Despite his impressive résumé, Forgione says he learned a lot of what he needed to know about cooking in the kitchens, cantinas and backyard gardens of his childhood.

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Photography by Vincenzo D’Alto

Michele Forgione

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ITALIAN FOOD & DINING

s ’ e l e h c i M

Pine Nut Tart (Makes one 10-inch tart, 8 servings)

Photography by Julie Perreault

Ingredients

To make the sweet tart crust

To make the custard

For the sweet tart crust • 2 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour • 1/3 cup granulated sugar • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder • Freshly grated zest of 1 lemon or 1 small orange • 3/4 cup (1 ½ sticks/6 ounces) unsalted butter, cold, cut into ¼-inch cubes • 1 large egg • 1 large egg yolk • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract • 1/4 cup heavy cream • A few drops ice water, if necessary

Place the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and citrus zest in the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times to combine the dry ingredients. Add all of the cold, cubed butter to the bowl and pulse to process the mixture until it is sandy and there are no visible lumps of butter.

Place the honey, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and stir to combine them. Add the butter, place the saucepan over medium-high heat, and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Remove the saucepan from the heat and transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl; allow it to cool for 20 minutes. Whisk in the heavy cream, followed by the egg and egg yolk.

For the custard • 2/3 cup honey • 1/2 cup granulated sugar • 1 tsp. kosher salt • 1 cup (2 sticks/8 ounces) unsalted butter • 1/2 cup heavy cream • 1 large egg • 1 large egg yolk • 1 1/4 cups pine nuts

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and heavy cream. Add the wet ingredients to the food processor and pulse 3 or 4 times, or until the dough comes together. If necessary, add some ice water, a few drops at a time, to make the dough come together.

Remove the dough from the food processor and work it out with your hands to even out any dry and wet spots. Form the dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill until firm, 1 to 2 hours, before rolling it out. You can also freeze the dough, well wrapped, for up to 2 months.

On a floured board, roll the tart dough into an 11-inch circle 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 10-inch tart pan with fluted sides and a removable bottom by rolling the dough around the pin like a carpet and then unrolling it onto the pan.

Press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan, then trim it so it is flush with the top of the pan. Chill the tart shell while you make the filling.

Preheat the oven to 325°F and position a rack in the center.

Distribute the pine nuts evenly over the bottom of the tart shell and pour the custard into the shell until it reaches the top of the crust. Place the tart on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake for 3055 minutes, or until both the crust and the filling have turned light golden brown and the custard is set but slightly jiggly.

Allow the tart to cool completely on a rack before carefully removing the sides of the pan.

Serve the tart while slightly warm, or cool it and serve at room temperature.

Wrapped in plastic, leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for a few days.

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ITALIAN FOOD & DINING

Toronto’s Top Chef

By Rita Simonetta

MONTREAL 4881 Boul. St-Laurent 514.849.8133 38

PANORAMITALIA.COM

LAVAL 1750 Boul. Le Corbusier 450.934.1590

Kitchens made in Italy with love! fellinidesigns.com

Photography by Giulio Muratori

Rob Gentile

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ITALIAN FOOD & DINING

H

e’s Toronto’s most acclaimed chef, applauded for ushering in a new them through classic techniques is the heart and soul of Italian food. philosophy to Italian food that has sparked a passionate following “My passion is to be connected to the traditions in Italy and integrate that throughout the city from other chefs, restaurant critics and food lovers. here,” he shares.

Even British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver praised him back in 2011, calling him a And with all those elements in check, Gentile is able to unleash his creativ“humble genius.” ity. Seriously, this isn’t your zio’s penne alla vodka. Take Buca’s bigoli dish, which The humble genius in question is Rob Gentile. At only 36 years old, he is made from duck egg pasta, duck offal ragu, Venetian spices, mascarpone and is at the top of his culinary game, thanks to his inventive and authentic basil. “Our role [as chefs] is important because we have the ability to influence approach to Italian cuisine. people, and that’s a significant part of my job,” he explains.

“It’s all about showcasing the best seasonal ingredients. When they are Always in pursuit of the authentic, Gentile is proud that all of Buca’s in season, you don’t have to do much to them to make them taste great,” pasta dishes and salumi are made in-house. The restaurant even produces its explains Gentile, who is the executive chef at Buca restaurant, on King Street own vinegar from Ontario Concord grapes.

West, one of Toronto’s hottest restaurants.

This pursuit for quality ingredients, home-based produce and madeIn addition to Buca, Gentile and the King Street Food Company are also from-scratch culinary fare is becoming more popular among chefs at behind the success of Bar Buca and Buca Yorkville. The accolades keep Toronto’s Italian restaurants. “And it isn’t just Italian chefs,” Gentile points coming for the trio – according to a recent Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants out, adding that the essential factor to making stand-out Italian food is phimagazine ranking, Buca took third place and was Hogtown’s top-scoring losophy rather than cultural background. “I really like what Kris restaurant, while Bar Buca and Buca Yorkville were also recognized.

Schlotzhauer has produced at Enoteca Sociale. He has done an excellent job But this massive popularity of cultivating a really nice menu. and admiration doesn’t seem to With James Senton taking over fluster Gentile, whose calm disfor Kris, I’m sure the food will I enjoyed experiencing different tastes position never wavers as he examcontinue to be outstanding.” whether it was the Italian food always on ines the fresh produce that just The GTA’s newfound awarearrived at Buca, speaks with his ness of Italian cuisine is a welcome the table at family gatherings, or trying the staff and then prepares to rush off change for Gentile, who credits his different spices and flavours of food from to his Yorkville restaurant. “I start love for cooking to being raised in my days early in the morning and an Italian family in Toronto that other cultures. Home is where my inspiraend late at night,” he says. valued food. He recalls that his Gentile’s steadfast commitmother, who hails from Lazio, and tion and love of food came from. ment to fresh ingredients is on his father, born in Abruzzo, were display at all three restaurants, fond of preserving and curing, where the menu varies to reflect the seasonality of products. In fact, the while his grandmother’s garden was an endless bounty of fruits and vegetables menu changes each day at Buca. Gentile notes that nowadays the general that found their way to the dinner table. public is more knowledgeable about how this attention to detail makes all the This opportunity to observe how a dish was created from its inception difference. “A lot more people are choosing to buy ingredients when they’re to the final product left an indelible mark on the chef. “I’ve known ever since in season. Consumers are asking questions and they are purchasing based on I was a little boy that food was what fascinated me most. I was interested in the answers they are getting. It’s the mentality of people that is changing.” being in my grandmother’s garden and in the kitchen learning how to roll For Gentile, optimal ingredients are a result of their origins. That’s why out gnocchi. I enjoyed experiencing different tastes whether it was the Italian he relies on local farmers for his produce. “Things are changing because food always on the table at family gatherings, or trying the different spices there are a lot of very passionate farmers that are doing incredible things and flavours of food from other cultures. Home is where my inspiration and locally. There are a lot of amazing ingredients that are coming out of Ontario love of food came from.” and Quebec. A lot of traditional Canadian products are making their way to That inspiration and love for food would gain strength and shape the surface so we are learning more about our country. That’s fantastic.” during his schooling at George Brown College’s culinary program, and then At Buca, the salsicce ciociare, as well as lonza and coppa on offer are while training under chef Mark McEwan at North 44. made from pasture-fed pork procured from a Southwestern Ontario familyThey all served as significant learning experiences, says Gentile, adding he owned farm, while the pecorino Toscano cheese hails from a dairy farm in is still eagerly soaking up more information to this day. His more than a dozen Stratford, Ontario. And there are plenty of made-in-Italy staples, such as trips to Italy have provided him with methods and ideas he then showcases at Piave cheese from Venice or gorgonzola from Lombardy. his restaurants. Gentile was there last summer and plans to return soon. “It’s a Gentile says using premium, locally sourced products and transforming continuous process,” he says. “As a chef you never stop learning.”

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ITALIAN FOOD & DINING

Montreal’s Best of Italian Food & Dining Montreal is world-class city with cuisine to match. Food lovers have an abundant amount of choices to satisfy their every taste, whether it’s that perfect slice of pizza, mouth-watering pasta dish or cannoli and espresso to cap off a great meal. That’s why Panoram Italia asked you, our readers, to tell us your top choices for where to find the Best of Italian Food & Dining.

o s s e r p s E Best

(tie)

1. Caffè San Simeon 2. Café Milano

y r e k a B n a i l a t I t Bes 1. Pâtisserie Alati

1. Pâtisserie Alati-Caserta

3. Café Olimpico

3. Les Délices Lafrenaie

4. Caffè Italia

4. Pâtisserie San Marco

5. Ciociaro Sports Bar & Grill

5. Pâtisserie St-Martin Honorable mentions: Pâtisserie Lasalle, Pâtisserie San Pietro

o n i n a P Best 1. Café Milano

a z z i P t s Be 1. Bottega

6. Artigiani

2. Ciociaro Sports Bar & Grill

2. Gema

7. La Bella Italiana

3. Caffè Italia

3. Elio

8. Da Bologna

4. Joe’s Panini

4. Il Pranzetto

9. Il Piatto Pieno

5. Panino Pazzo

5. Taglio de Roma

10. Pomodoro

Honorable mention: Momesso

h s i D a t s a P t s e B

a t t e h c r o Best P 1. Porchetta

1. Pasta Casareccia

6. Il Pranzetto

2. Impasto

7. Artigiani

2. Boucherie Marchigiani

3. Da Emma

8. Lucca

3. Boucherie Cotto Crudo

4. Il Piatto Pieno

9. Fresco

4. Le Cochon Caché

5. Hostaria

10. Il Puntino

5. Ciociaro Sports Bar & Grill Honorable mention: Boucherie Tranzo

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WEDDING & PERSONALIZED CAKES

BAKERY • DELI COUNTER • CATERING • CAKES FOR ALL OCCASIONS

Proudly serving our community for over 25 years 2495, boul. St-Martin East Duvernay, Laval 450-629-6202

2500, Av. De l’esplanade Mascouche, Quebec 450-474-0477

2000, boul. René-Laennec Vimont, Laval 450-629-5115

w w w. p a tis s eries tma rt in . co m

10494, boul. Perras R.D.P., Montreal 514-678-1571

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ITALIAN FOOD & DINING

o t a l e G t s Be

t s i l e n i W n a i l a t I Best

2. Chez Vincenzo

2. Da Emma

3. La Bella Italiana

3. Hostaria

4. Pile ou Glace

4. Le Muscadin

5. Gelateria Pierino

5. Da Vinci

Honorable mentions: 2 Sorelle Gelato, Dolce Vita

Honorable mention: Il Puntino

1. Roberto

e r o t S y r e c o r G n a i l a t I t s e B

1. Buonanotte

1. Milano Fruiterie

2. Importation Berchicci 3. L’InterMarché 4. Pasta Casareccia

p o h S t a e M n a i l a t I t s e B 5. EuroMarché

1. Boucherie AGA

2. Milano Fruiterie

f e h C n a i l a t I t s e B 1. Michele Forgione

6. Fabrizio Caprioli

2. Graziella Battista

7. Davide Bazzali

3. Roberto Stabile

8. Joe Mercuri

4. Stefano Faita

9. Renato Ferrante

5. Emma Risa

10. Danny Smiles

3. Marché Zinman 4. Boucherie Mimmo 5. Capitol Butcher Honorable mentions: United Seafood, Chez Vito

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t n a r u a t s e R n a i l a Best It 1. Da Emma

6. Il Pranzetto

2. Il Piatto Pieno

7. La Verità

3. Pasta Casareccia

8. Fresco

4. Impasto

9. Artigiani

5. Hostaria

10. Primo e Secondo

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LIVING ITALIAN STYLE

Go to panoramitalia.com and click on “Living Italian Style” to submit your profile!

Photos by Vincenzo D’Alto

Piero Corrado Ciampoli

Sabrina Cannucci

Nickname: Baristello Occupation: Barista at Caffe San Simeon & Baristello Consulting Age: 40 Generation: Second Dad from: Cantalupo nel Sannio, Isernia, Molise Mom from: Pachino, Siracusa, Sicilia Raised in: St-Michel Speaks: Italian, French & English

Nickname: Cannooch Occupation: Auditor at KPMG LLP and CPA Candidate at John Molson School of Business Age: 23 Generation: Third Dad’s side from: Pesaro e Urbino, Marche Mom’s side from: Campodipietra and Toro, Campobasso, Molise Raised in: St. Leonard and Laval Speaks: English, French and Italian

Who do you speak Italian to?

Family, friends, customers and...the ladies!

Passion: Coffee, coffee and coffee, photography, graphic design, discovering the city & Montreal’s food scene.

Goal in life: Developing a brand & culture called Baristello What’s your typical lunch?

Tuna avocado sandwich with a hint of chili pepper Your best dish: Rigatoni with fresh tomato sauce, topped with cold ricotta, crushed pepper, olive oil and lots of ‘amore’.

Best Italian Neighhourhood: Little Italy, in and around San Simeon and friends.

Your favourite ItalianCanadian expression: 44

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“Maaaa yeahhh!”

Main difference between first generation and second/third: We share the same ideas equally, but displayed in different manners.

Who is your role model?

My father “Papà Pino” Most important family value: Loyalty, trust & love. Keep your family & friends close.

What does Panoram Italia represent to you? Sharing old and new traditions while preserving and keeping the culture alive.

Best memory growing up Italian-Canadian: Luckily growing up with both of my grandparents and learning so much from their past and history.

Who do you speak Italian to?

My nonni, zii and zie Passion: Food, travel and hot yoga Goal in life: A long and prosperous marriage, healthy children and a beautiful house with a really big kitchen and closet.

What’s your typical lunch?

Salads, with the occasional side order of a Junior McChicken.

Your best dish: My stuffed peppers-under Nonna’s supervision.

Your favourite ItalianCanadian expression: “Fatti gli affari tuoi.”

Main difference between first generation and second/third: The first generation never wants to go eat dinner at a restaurant, but the second and third generations do.

Who is your role model?

My Nonna Donatina Most important family value: Loyalty Do you identify as ItalianCanadian or Canadian-Italian?

Italian-Canadian definitely, and I get reminded by my friends all the time.

What does Panoram Italia represent to you? It represents a platform for the Italian community in Montreal to enrich their understanding of the culture and to be inspired to learn more about it.

Best memory growing up Italian-Canadian: Watching my Nonno taking care of his giardino and making homemade wine.

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Makeup by: Jennifer Low

Stephanie Dugre Nickname: Ella Occupation: Founder & Designer of Ella Dugre Jewelry Age: 28 Generation: Third Dad’s side from: Chicoutimi, QC Mom’s side from: Vinchiaturo, Campobasso, Molise Raised in: Montreal Speaks: English, French, Italian Who do you speak Italian to?

My grandmother and friends from Italy Passion: Ella Dugre ;) Goal in life: To inspire others through my own work.

What’s your typical lunch? I don’t really have a typical lunch – I grab food on the go most days!

Your best dish: My mom’s cheese risotto and rigatoni Bolognese Your favourite ItalianCanadian expression: “Fammi vedere chi sono i tuoi amici e ti diro chi sei.”

Main difference between first generation and second/third: The fluency of the Italian language and original Italian recipes – may the second / third generation continue to

LIVING ITALIAN STYLE

Location: Mercuri Restaurant

pay homage to and carry on the traditions that the first generation taught us so we can pass them on.

Who is your role model?

My father Most important family value: Getting together with family to celebrate occasions and enjoying endless amounts of food.

What does Panoram Italia represent to you? It represents our community coming together (both old and young) and keeping in touch through this great platform.

Best memory growing up Italian-Canadian: Never wanting to leave my family members’ houses at the end of the night as my cousins and I just wanted to spend more time together!

Laura Verbich Nickname: Lauri Occupation: Full-time Beachbody Coach & self-love, confidence, wellness & lifestyle coach Age: 26 Generation: Third Dad’s side from: Trieste, Friuli Venezia Guilia Mom’s side from: Sant’Elia, Campobasso, Molise Raised in: East End Montreal Speaks: English, Italian, French Who do you speak Italian to?

Only when I travel to Italy – all of my grandparents learned French and English. But I make more of an effort now.

Passion: Self-exploration, travelling because it opens up my heart, and helping others find a way to heal their minds, bodies and souls!

Goal in life: To be unconditionally happy, 98% of the time.

What’s your typical lunch? A big green salad or a nice plate of potatoes, tofu and sautéed veggies.

Your best dish: I am passionately a vegan foodie and I can make anything taste divine! In my humble opinion.

Your favourite ItalianCanadian expression: “BOH!”

Main difference between first generation and second/third: My life runs majorly on WiFi and I even make a living online – but the first generation didn’t have that.

Who is your role model?

Rachel Brathen, a yogi/ hippie/writer/Swedish magical human!

Most important family value: I think we really value FUN, laughter and learning in my family! Always keep having fun while learning!

Do you identify as ItalianCanadian or Canadian-Italian?

Italian-Canadian, sicuro!

Best memory growing up Italian-Canadian: Sunday after church at Nonna’s for pasta!

PANORAMITALIA.COM

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FASHION

Panama on my mind “

“

It can take up to four months to make the best ‘Montecristi’ and eight months to realize a perfect one.

The story and the glory behind summer’s most iconic hat

By Alessia Sara Domanico

W

hile most trends inevitably become fads or end up in museum displays, hats have had much more success when it comes to enduring the test of time.

Fascinators have made a decided comeback since the nuptials of Will & Kate and French berets have gone from anarchist to bookshop chic, but I would argue that the Panama is without a doubt the most iconic style to sport come summer time.

Travel friendly for its light weight and design, it’s been donned over time by the likes of Napoleon, J.P. Morgan, Katherine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, Selena Gomez and Pitbull.

The style was first introduced beyond its native Ecuador in the 16th century when explorers aboard trade ships would bring back “Panama Montecristi" souvenirs rolled up in their luggage. It became universally popular when it was debuted at the Paris World Expo in 1855. You’ll see it seaside, poolside and on the patio, and you’ll definitely see plenty of them at the airport – a proud emblem of the “I am on vacation” uniform.

We spoke to the Italian house of Borsalino, expert hatmakers since 1857 from Alessandria, 46

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“

“

FASHION

the longer the braiding process, the more valuable the Panama.

Italy, to learn about the history under the hat and how one of today’s best Panamas is made.

It can take up to four months to make the best ‘Montecristi’ and eight months to realize a perfect one. Borsalino sources the raw toquilla fiber (a tall, lightweight green plant belonging to the palm family) used to make the Panama from plantations located on the lower slopes of western Ecuador. The plant is transformed into straw by cutting it at the base of the stem before it matures. This releases its soft layers until what remains is a bundle of silky ribbons of straw. These are then boiled and air dried for one or two days, away from direct sunlight.

The straw is then washed once more and placed on a clay plate where it is smoked with sulphur. This gives the straw its typical ivory color. The filaments of straw are then braided.

Rule of thumb: the longer the braiding process, the more valuable the Panama.

The application of a black cloth band around the base of the crown in the 19th century is just about the only change the Panama has seen to its DNA, adding that touch of elegance. Hat’s off to a classic!

6873, Plaza St-Hubert Montréal, Québec 514.276.1360 www.italmoda.ca PANORAMITALIA.COM

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DESIGN

Loungette Serralunga

Operation: Giardino The Made in Italy tools to transform your garden into a masterpiece

By Alessia Sara Domanico

T

hings are heating up and it’s finally time to get outside and enjoy summer, and most importantly, summer in your backyard. For the next few months this space becomes your hideaway, your own personal oasis. So why not deck it out properly and make it feel as though you’ve escaped to the patio of a Tuscan villa? It can be done and here’s a little inspiration from a few Italian specialists to get you on your way…

Obviously we need to start setting the scene with that classic painted ceramic that is so typical of an idyllic Italian terrace. The Tuscan company Leoncini from the hilltop town of San Gimignano specializes in handpainted and inlaid table tops and pottery. Table tops in volcanic stone or stone with terracotta inlays can be custom ordered online, while their signature hand-painted artistic pottery (vases, pots, trays, bowls, plates, cups, jars) and ceramic tableware depict those summertime motifs of lemons, sunflowers, cypress trees, grapes, countryside vistas, and the list goes on.

For something more modern and definitely different, look to Serralunga, a creative manufacturer of modern outdoor furniture. The company specializes in design objects, such as outdoor lighting and contemporary furniture. They launch their new collections in collaboration with a series of designers each year at the famous Salone del Mobile – a furniture design exhibition in Milan. For 2016, they are proposing outdoor objects that act to both decorate and illuminate, such as the tall Florida outdoor lamp, made of solid cement and waterproof fabric that reinterprets the classic column. The Honey instead is a rechargeable, portable, waterproof and UV-ray resistant LED lantern with a leather handle that can easily be Leoncini garden tables

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DESIGN picked up and moved around your garden. Moving on to your shrubs and hedges we turn to Falci for gardening tools from curved sickle blades to pruners. Established by a union of local blacksmiths in Piedmont in 1921, the company has grown to become a leader in the gardening tools sector, reputed for maintaining its traditional artisanal method. The products are of a high quality and this has made the brand a reference point for professional agriculture. Due Cigni is another Made in Italy brand that specializes in the sharp stuff from shears to professional saws, gardening knives and billhooks. Its outpost is based in Maniago, FriuliVenezia Giulia, a city famous for its tradition of knife-making. Designed by top technicians, their wares are made using high quality steel and are manufactured by expert workers, all on a high-tech production line.

Honey lanterns Serralunga

Florida lamp Serralunga

Learn more: Leoncini: www.leoncini-italy.com Serralunga pots are available at select shops in Toronto and Montreal: www.serralunga.com Falci: www.falcitools.com Due Cigni products are available online through a Canadian distributor: www.duecignicutlery.it

Falci

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LIGURIA

Genova Genova Panoramica notturna, ph Merlo Fotografia

Gateway to the Italian Riviera Porte d’entrée de la Riviera italienne

By Francesca Spizzirri

Sail away to this historical Italian port city whose labyrinth of ancient lanes lead visitors to rich architectural landmarks, UNESCO World Heritage museums, fantastic food and some of the world’s most picturesque fishing villages. ucked between the Ligurian Sea and the Apennine Mountains, Genova is a fascinating place known as the gateway to the posh Italian Riviera and the dreamy Cinque Terre – a series of vividly painted, postcardworthy fishing villages on Italy’s Northwestern coast. However, the capital of Liguria – a maritime republic that wielded enormous power in the Middle Ages – is more than its legendary port and coastline. Here you will find a city of ancient traditions, bustling with inspiring sites that beckon to be explored.

Genova is Italy’s sixth largest city and home to an impressive eighty palaces, built during the city’s “Golden Age” by the most prominent Genovese families. These 16th and 18th century noble Renaissance and Baroque style residences have been awarded two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Palazzi dei Rolli and Strade Nuove del Centro Storico. The lavish dwellings of the Via Garibaldi (Strade Nuove) are among the earliest examples of citizen-involved urban planning. Three of these palazzi – Palazzo Bianco, Palazzo Doria-Tursi and Palazzo Rosso – now comprise the Musei di Strada Nuova which house incredible collections of art, including works by Filippino Lippi, Rubens and Veronese. Other palaces showcase art exhibitions, while some operate as upscale shops and government offices. At

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Voguez en direction de cette ville portuaire du nord de l’Italie dont les venelles labyrinthiques vous guideront vers les somptueux palais de son centre historique, des musées inscrits à la liste du patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO, une gastronomie fantastique et des villages de pêcheurs parmi les plus pittoresques au monde. nclavée entre la mer de Ligurie et la chaîne de montagnes des Apennins, Gênes est un endroit fascinant. C’est aussi la porte d’entrée de la Riviera italienne et des envoûtantes Cinque Terre, chapelet de villages de pêcheurs aux bâtiments bariolés dignes des plus jolies cartes postales.

L’attrait de la capitale de la Ligurie, une puissante république maritime du Moyen Âge, dépasse de loin son port légendaire et son littoral enchanteur. La ville possède un riche patrimoine et regorge de sites intéressants à découvrir.

Sixième ville en importance d’Italie, Gênes compte 80 palais fastueux construits pendant l’âge d’or des grandes familles génoises. Ces résidences aristocratiques des XVIe et XVIIe siècles, de styles Renaissance et baroque, ont été classées au patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO (les fameuses Strade Nuove et le système des palais des Rolli).

Les luxueuses demeures de la via Garibaldi (Strade Nuove) figurent parmi les premiers exemples de planification urbaine citoyenne. Trois de ces palais, le Palazzo Bianco, le Palazzo Doria-Tursi et le Palazzo Rosso, composent les Musei di Strada Nuova et détiennent des collections d’art comprenant des œuvres de Filippino Lippi, de Rubens et de Véronèse. Certains palais présentent des exposi-

E

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LIGURIA Palazzo Bianco, board the ascensore panoramico (panoramic elevator) up to the roof to take in the breathtaking views.

Genova’s compact Centro Storico is bound by the ancient city gates Porta Vacca and Porta Soprana. Inside is a labyrinth of narrow caruggi (laneways) that open onto ancient squares where you are sure to experience truly enchanting moments. Though not the largest historic centre in Italy, it does house the highest density of historic buildings in the country. At its heart, off Via San Lorenzo, lies the magnificent Cattedrale di San Lorenzo; the black and white striped marble cathedral holds the remains of Saint John the Baptist and is a patchwork of styles from Gothic to Renaissance that reflects its many restorations over the centuries.

Riomaggiore (Cinque Terre), Agenzia Regionale In Liguria

tions de toutes sortes, alors que d’autres servent de bureaux ou de vitrines pour des magasins haut de gamme. Ne manquez pas de prendre l’ascensore panoramico (ascenseur panoramique) dans le Palazzo Bianco pour monter jusqu’à son toit, qui offre une vue spectaculaire sur la ville.

Le centre historique de Gênes est dense et se rattache aux anciennes portes de la ville : la porta Vacca et la porta Soprana. Il est composé d’un ensemble d’étroits carruggi (ruelles) qui s’ouvrent sur des places publiques au caractère évocateur.

Bien que ce ne soit pas le plus grand centre historique d’Italie, il accueille la plus importante concentration de bâtiments historiques au pays. En son cœur, près de la via San Lorenzo, trône la magnifique cathédrale San Lorenzo, reconnaissable par sa façade rayée de marbre noir et blanc. Le Dôme, qui conserve les cendres de Saint

Balbi Street, Agenzia Regionale In Liguria

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LIGURIA

Panorama Port of Genova, Agenzia Regionale In Liguria

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Genova is Italy’s sixth largest city and home to an impressive eighty palaces, built during the city’s “Golden Age” by the most prominent Genovese families.

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Along Corso Italia – the city’s elegant seaside promenade – you will find the revitalized Porto Antico (Old Port) and the Aquarium of Genova, one of the city’s proudest attractions and the largest exhibition of aquatic biodiversity in Europe. At nearby Bigo, board a rotating lift inspired by shipyard cranes that offers 360° aerial views over the harbour. It was designed by local star architect, Renzo Piano, who also built the Bolla, a glass bubble that houses a small ecosystem of tropical animals and plants. Afterwards, sit back with an aperitivo in hand and savour the moment.

Continue east along Corso Italia until you arrive at the ancient Borgo of Boccadasse, a charming old fishing village with colourful houses and boats that line its scenic pebbled shores. At day’s end, watch the sunset and then go enjoy the catch of the day at any one of the many delicious seafood restaurants.

Built into the mountainside overlooking the harbour, Genova is best admired from above. For incredible panoramic views of the Gulf and Riviera, climb the 365 steps to the top of the Lanterna (Genova’s lighthouse). Or, head up the ancient towers of the Barbarossa walls and be rewarded with spectacular mountain views. On the popular terrace of Castelletto, reached by a century-old lift that ascends from Piazza Portello, watch the harbour light up at night. With so many inspiring sites, this fascinating city overlooking the harbour will provide you with many unforgettable moments.

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Jean-Baptiste, affiche un ensemble de styles architecturaux Renaissance et gothique qui attestent de ses diverses restaurations au fil du temps.

La cuisine génoise est une des meilleures d’Italie. L’omniprésent pesto, la délicieuse focaccia et le poisson frais se retrouvent sur la plupart des menus des cafés et restaurants dispersés dans les ruelles médiévales du centre historique.

Savourez un gelato en vous promenant le long des monuments anciens, des églises et des botteghe historiques (boutiques d’artisans), qui vendent de tout, des confiseries aux antiquités. Une partie de l’aventure réside dans le fait de ne pas savoir sur quoi l’on va tomber !

Au pied de la porta Soprana, une visite de la maison d’enfance du célèbre explorateur Christophe Colomb s’impose. Les musées consacrés à l’auteurcompositeur-interprète Fabrizio De Andre et à la période du Risorgimento, ce dernier logé dans la résidence privée de Giuseppe Mazzini (personnage clé de l’unification de l’Italie), sont aussi à découvrir.

En flânant dans les rues pavées, n’hésitez pas à lever les yeux afin d’admirer les nombreuses arcades ainsi que les remarquables niches votives offertes à la cité par les anciennes guildes pour illuminer la ville.

Une balade sous les arcades de la via XX Settembre vous donnera rendezvous avec les plus grands noms de la mode, qui ont ici pignon sur rue dans d’impressionnants bâtiments enjolivés de piliers romanesques ou de façades art nouveau. Les trottoirs de l’avenue, faits de mosaïques, mènent directement à la piazza De Ferrari, au centre-ville. La fameuse fontaine de ce square impressionnant est un lieu privilégié pour observer les gens ou s’émouvoir devant de formidables édifices tels que le Palazzo Borsa, le Teatro Carlo Felice et le palais des Doges.

Le long du Corso Italia – l’élégante promenade de bord de mer de la ville –, vous trouverez le porto antico (le vieux port), récemment rénové, et l’aquarium, une des attractions les plus appréciées de Gênes, qui abrite la plus importante biodiversité aquatique d’Europe.

ville en importance d’Italie, “ Sixième Gênes compte 80 palais fastueux

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Genovese dishes are some of Italy’s finest. Its omnipresent pesto, delicious focaccia and fresh fish can be found on the menus of the lively cafes and restaurants tucked away in its medieval backstreets. Enjoy gelato as you stroll past monuments, hidden churches and historic botteghe (artisan shops) selling anything from delicious confectionary to beautiful antiques. Part of the adventure is in not knowing what you will stumble upon!

At the foot of Porta Soprana, visit the childhood home of the legendary explorer Christopher Columbus. Two museums dedicated to Genova’s famed citizens are the Gianni Tasso Museum, celebrating Italian singer-songwriter, Fabrizio De Andre; the other is the Museo del Risorgimento that is housed in the residence of Giuseppe Mazzini; it recounts the life and times of this important protagonist in the unification of Italy.

As you wander through the cobblestone streets, be sure to lift your gaze to admire the many arches throughout and the beautiful votive niches donated by ancient guilds to illuminate the city streets. A stroll under the arcades along the magnificent Via XX Settembre will reveal an array of brand-name designer stores and local boutiques lined by impressive Romanesque pillars, Art Nouveau facades and mosaic sidewalks that lead to Piazza De Ferrari in the city centre. The square’s famous fountain is the ideal place to people watch, or marvel at glorious buildings, among them Palazzo Borsa, Teatro Carlo Felice and the Doge’s Palace.

construits pendant l’âge d’or des grandes familles génoises.

Non loin de là, dans le Bigo, montez à bord de la grue rotative inspirée des grues des chantiers navals et offrant une vue à 360 degrés sur le port et ses environs. Cette grue a été conçue par l’architecte vedette Renzo Piano, aussi à l’origine de la Bolla, une bulle de verre qui accueille un petit écosystème d’animaux et de plantes tropicales.

Détendez-vous ensuite, un aperitivo à la main, et savourez le moment.

Continuez vers l’est le long du Corso Italia jusqu’à l’ancien borgo de Boccadasse, un charmant village de pêcheurs aux maisons colorées et aux bateaux de pêche amarrés le long de la berge de cailloux. À la fin de la journée, admirez le coucher de soleil, puis allez savourer le poisson du jour dans un des bons restaurants de fruits de mer de l’endroit.

Construite sur une paroi montagneuse surplombant son port, Gênes s’apprécie surtout de haut. Pour une vue panoramique incroyable sur le golfe et la Riviera, montez les 365 marches qui mènent au sommet de la Lanterna, le phare de Gênes, ou rendez-vous aux tours des murs de Barbarossa, et vos efforts seront récompensés par une vue spectaculaire sur les montagnes avoisinantes. Sur la populaire terrasse du Castelletto, accessible par un funiculaire centenaire qu’on prend piazza Portello, regardez le port s’illuminer tranquillement au coucher du soleil.

Riche d’autant de sites aussi inspirants, cette ville fascinante et son port centenaire vous réservent des moments inoubliables.

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LIGURIA

Genova – Did You Know?

By Rita Simonetta

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hances are you’ve got a pair of “blu di Genova” hanging in your closet, or just as likely, you’re wearing them as you read this. The “blu di Genova,” more commonly known as “blue jeans,” is a fashion staple that was born in Genova. Several years ago, art historians found what they consider to be the first depiction of denim in an Italian painting from the 17th century. Although the artist remains anonymous, he’s been heralded as “the master of the blue jeans” for always including this article of clothing in his paintings of the Genovese working class. This latest finding lends additional credence to the theory that the city is the originator of the ubiquitous, famous and practical pair of jeans. Earlier records noted that Genovese sailors in the 1600s sported jeans because they were sturdy enough to withstand the rigors of the sea.

But perhaps Italy’s most eminent ambassador of denim is Giuseppe Garibaldi, who along with his fighters, donned red shirts and the “blu di Genova” while unifying Italy.

Cross-cultural coffee Legend has it that Giuseppe Verdi, in-between composing famous operas such as La Traviata, sat at Klaingut cafe, where he sipped for hours as he contemplated ideas and feverishly scribbled musical scores.

Centuries later, the popular coffee shop is still brewing. Klaingut, which opened its doors in 1826, is named after two Swiss entrepreneurial brothers who wanted to treat Italians to coffee, desserts and drinks rooted in their beloved Switzerland. As centuries

These darn street numbers!

Giuseppe Verdi Pity the poor, unsuspecting tourist to Genova who is left scratching his head, shuffling through maps, doublechecking his GPS and soliciting information from locals all in hopes of figuring out those darn street addresses. That’s because Genova has a quirky way of passed, the coffee place changed The Barber Shop identifying its street numbers: those in black denote hands countless times. Over a decade main entrances of buildings while those in red are ago, the coffee shop resumed its The first depiction of denim in an assigned to commercial buildings. And just to make Italian painting from the 17th century theme of sibling ownership when it things more challenging for the uninitiated, the same was revamped by two Italian brothers. street numbers of two different colours do not follow each other and can be sevNowadays, locals and visitors can often be spotted at the popular tourist attraction eral blocks apart. But perhaps the most peculiar thing of all is learning that the enjoying Swiss coffee blends and butter cookies that are best accompanied by the Genovese actually devised this system as a way to simplify addresses in the city! opening notes to Verdi’s La Traviata.

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7

Must-See Sights Around Genova

Vernazza (Cinque Terre), Agenzia Regionale In Liguria

By Francesca Spizzirri

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he coastal city of Genova contains so much beauty and photo-worthy landmarks that the only challenge is figuring out what to visit. To help you out, here are seven must-see sights around Genova.

Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno It is not often that a cemetery makes it onto a tourist map, but the Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno is a must-see! Located on a hillside in the district of Staglieno of Genova, it is one of the largest cemeteries in Europe. The cemetery, which opened in 1851, was designed by one of the city’s most famed architects, Carlo Barabino, in a Neo-Classical style. Its close ties to the rise of the Realist art movement of the time attracted many renowned Italian artists, among them Bistolfi, Ximenes, Messina, and Canonica. The cemetery’s expansive grounds house monasteries, garden paths and a reproduction of Rome’s famous Pantheon. A walk through its passageways will reveal monuments, tombs and exquisite monumental sculptures for which it is famed.

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Porta Soprana and the Proud Independence of Genova Genova’s Centro Storico is bound by antique walls that have defended the city since the 9th century. The Mura (walls) have been expanded and renamed throughout the centuries and originally comprised of four gates and four towers. Today, only Porta dei Vacca and Porta Soprana (also known as Porta Sant’Andrea) remain. The main entrance, Porta Soprana, is magnificently preserved and serves as a symbol of the Proud Maritime Republic whose seven centuries of freedom (1096-1815) can be summed up in a series of traditional monikers; “Superb One” and “The Mistress of the Seas” among them. Climb its ancient staircase to the top of the two towers and take in the magnificent cityscape. Behind the Mura, stroll the meandering caruggi (laneways) into the historic centre and be drawn by its old-world allure.

The Parks and Museums of Nervi Not far from the buzz of the city lies the quaint seaside suburb of Nervi, famed for its mile-long Passeggiata Anita Garibaldi, a cliff side promenade, and its 300 acres

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LIGURIA of parks and beautifully gardened villas. Within this landscape of exceptional beauty are some of Genova’s most prominent museums - Modern Art Gallery, Frugone Collections Museum, Wolfsoniana and Giannettino Luxoro Museum – housed in magnificent villas. This wonderful union of art and nature has led to the creation of the Nervi Museum hub. Art lovers can admire an impressive collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures and other artifacts from the 19th and 20th centuries.

visit the Cinque Terre is along the picturesque walking and hiking trails that connect you from one village to the next. Sit back and marvel at the rugged cliffs and terraced vineyards above a sea of blue. It is a favourite among travellers and for obvious reasons. Full of historic charm, Cinque Terre is home to scenic harbours with colourful fishing boats, steep winding streets, quaint restaurants serving fresh food and wine, inviting piazzas and some of the most incredible sunsets you will ever witness.

Photo by Gino Cianci

Old Port and Aquarium A stroll along Corso Italia, Genova’s seaside promenade, leads to the old harbour (Porto Antico) that is home to some of the city’s biggest attractions. It is also a great place to sip an aperitivo, enjoy a gelato, dine on delicious seafood, take a swim or go ice skating – the list of fun activities is endless! The old port was redesigned in 1992 by local architect Renzo Piano to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ discovery of the New World. Piano is the visionary behind the Bigo, a rotating lift inspired by shipyard cranes that offers 360° aerial views over the harbour, as well as the Bolla, a glass bubble that houses a small ecosystem of tropical animals and plants. The harbour’s star attraction is the Aquarium of Genova that welcomes over one million visitors every year. It is the largest exhibition of aquatic biodiversity in Europe, with 71 tanks housing over 15,000 animals belonging to 400 species, all set against the magnificent backdrop of the Gulf of Genova.

The Italian Riviera Santa Margherita Ligure Southeast of Genova, between Rapallo and Portofino, Santa Margherita was an ancient fisherman’s village until it was transformed into an international resort destination in the late 19th century. Enjoy the day strolling along its palm-laden promenade or basking in the sun. In the late afternoon, watch local fishermen return with the day’s catch, and then head over to the local fish market where their wares are sold – a daily ritual for hundreds of years! End your day with a delicious seafood meal at one of the quaint trattorias that line its shores. Other interesting sites include the 17th-century Baroque church of Santa Margherita and the 16th-century castle. Santa Margherita’s many hotels, restaurants and shops make it a great base for exploring The Riviera.

Portofino, Foto ENIT

Portofino One of the most romantic and photogenic places on earth, Portofino is the perfect day trip from Genova. This glamourous resort town has long been a favourite stomping ground of the rich and famous with their impressive yachts docked along the picturesque harbour. Positioned on a promontory, Portofino is filled with colourful terraces and pastel-coloured waterfront homes. Explore the town at your leisure while strolling past designer boutiques and sipping fancy cocktails in the legendary square – you never know who you might see! Above the village sits Castello Brown, a 16th-century medieval castle with a lovely garden and panoramic views. On your way there, be sure to visit the Sanctuary of San Giorgio.

Half a century later, Portofino continues to charm.

The Cinque Terre The most prized possession of the Italian Rivera is a series of five old fishing villages suspended between land and sea in a vibrant array of colour. The Cinque Terre – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – consists of the villages of Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. This sun-drenched coastline can only be reached by boat or train. Upon your arrival, a wonderful way to

Museo di Palazzo Reale Galleria degli Specchi, Foto Comune di Genova

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Genova da città di emigrazione a città di migrazione Genova - 1895. P. Maldotti sulla nave con gli emigrati Archivio SER Roma

By Vittoria Zorfini

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rande potenza marittima nel medioevo, Genova si trasforma nel ’800 nel trampolino di lancio dei poveri braccianti italiani che sognavano la “Merica”. Oggi la città di Colombo è invece diventata il punto di arrivo per i nuovi migranti venuti dall’oriente. Primo piano sul porto ligure che ha trasformato profondamente l’Italia e gli italiani.

Il grande mutamento di Genova avviene nei primi anni del XIX secolo quando i contadini del meridione, spinti dalla fame e dalla povertà, tentano il grande sogno americano. L’emigrazione di questo periodo dà un forte impulso alla crescita del porto ligure, che diventa un importante scalo internazionale. Nel periodo che va dal 1861 al 1875, gli storici hanno stimato che 2 milioni di persone si sono recate nella città ligure per salpare verso il Nuovo Mondo (fonte MEM Memoria e Migrazioni).

Nel porto di Genova, dal 1876 al 1901, si concentra il 61% delle partenze oceaniche, con una media annua di 73.960 imbarchi (Storia dell’emigrazione italiana, 2001). Nel 1913 si registra l’apice dei flussi transoceanici: 209.835 le partenze da Napoli, 138.166 da Genova e 62.745 da Palermo.

Questo flusso enorme di persone ha inciso profondamente sulla città ligure che ne ha ricavato forti benefici. Proprio a cavallo tra ’800 e ’900 l’economia marittima scopre una fonte di guadagno nel ‘traffico’ di merci e passeggeri e anche l’armatoria italiana ne trae giovamento. Questa è infatti l’epoca dei grandi transatlantici come il Duilio e la nave gemella Giulio Cesare. In particolare con la costruzione del Rex e del Conte di Savoia, l’Italia possiede i più grandi transatlantici mai visti. Il Conte di Savoia è stato riprodotto nel celebre film Amarcord di Federico Fellini.

Se da una parte l’Italia sfoggia la sua ricchezza, dall’altro lato c’è una buona parte di italiani che si prepara a partire per terre lontane, ma il viaggio non comincia sulla nave, ha inizio molto prima.

“Gli emigranti giungono in città in treni speciali o piroscafi costieri e si accampano lungo la calata, lungo le vie che circondano il porto. Stanno immobili sotto il sole e la pioggia ad attendere il proprio turno. Il quadro è sempre lo stesso”, scrive I’llustrazione Italiana, un giornale italiano dell’epoca.

Arrivati a Genova, i migranti potevano aspettare l’imbarco per giorni e i più poveri restavano per strada o sui moli. Per loro non esistevano strutture di accoglienza e di riparo.

Nelle stazioni marittime gli emigranti erano sottoposti a visite mediche e venivano controllati i loro bagagli. Non di rado alcuni precipitavano in mare durante la ressa per salire a bordo e di conseguenza morivano annegati. Infatti, in quel periodo gli armatori facevano salire a bordo quante più persone possibile 56

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LIGURIA senza neanche rispettare lo spazio minimo di 2 metri cubi a persona.

Un ufficiale della marina scriveva: “Qualcuna di queste vecchie navi ricorda i vascelli medievali stipati di schiavi”. Le difficili condizioni in cui si viaggiava in terza classe portavano spesso a decessi prematuri.

Solo nel 1901, venne imposto un blando controllo sul numero dei passeggeri, ma le stive della terza classe continuarono comunque ad essere piene.

Genova era divisa tra il lusso e la povertà. Da una parte la terza classe era costretta a dormire per strada. Dall’altro lato c’era invece la cosidetta prima classe che aspettava la partenza nella Stazione Marittima di Ponte dei Mille. Venne ultimata nel 1930 ed era famosa per i suoi saloni in cui era possibile incontrare importanti personalità come Harry Truman, Orson Welles, Igor Stravinsky, Anthony Quinn, Winston Churchill, Hernest Hemingway, Elia Kazan.

Oggi Genova è di nuovo diventata il centro di un cambiamento epocale che segna l’Italia, evidenziando ancora una volta forte divario tra ricchi e poveri. Il nuovo fenomeno dell’immigrazione extra comunitaria sta cambiando in particolare la città ligure.

Ora Genova non è più il punto di partenza di una volta ma è diventata il punto di arrivo per nuove popolazioni provenienti dal Corno d’Africa e dall’Africa Sub-sahariana. La città ligure rimane quindi al centro dei flussi migratori. Basti pensare che oramai a Genova quasi un cittadino su dieci è straniero, come si legge dai dati forniti dalla Direzione di statistica del Comune e al Centro Studi

Medi. Il numero di immigrati stranieri registrati all’anagrafe genovese è passato da 6.182 (1993-1997), a 32.705 (1998-2012). Questo ci dimostra come ancora oggi Genova rimane una città di passaggio e un testimone d’eccezione della storia dell’emigrazione e dell’immigrazione in Italia.

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Genoa fans in Piazza Ferrari, 2007

The Lighthouse for the Development of Calcio

By Dante Di Iulio or centuries Genova’s lanterna (lighthouse) has guided ships into the Italy, the teams that have become legend are Juventus, Inter and Milan, but if harbour of this city on the northwest coast of Italy, making it an obvious you speak instead about fandom, it is the Gradinata Nord of the Marassi that choice to describe the meeting of the country’s oldest club, Genoa is legend.”

Cricket and Football Club (GCFC), and one of its youngest, UC Sampdoria.

While Spensley guided Genoa C.F.C. to victory, his leadership and vision The Genoa Cricket and Football Club began in 1893 thanks to British inspired several Genovesi during their emigration to Argentina. Boca Juniors, officials. Three years later, an Englishman named James Richardson Spensley who until most recently shared the accolade of the team with the most internaarrived in Genova to ply his medical trade, caring for English sailors passing tional titles in the world, was established in 1905 in Buenos Aires by Esteban through the city’s ports. Joining the club, Spensley brought the footballing Baglietto, Alfredo Scarpatti, Santiago Sana and brothers Juan and Teodoro section to prominence, and in 1898 he organized Italy’s first official game Farenga. Just like the founding members, Boca fans are known as Los Xeneizes between Genoa and Football Club Torinese. Although Genoa lost, the match – the Genovesi. The Superclásico against their rivals River Plate is regarded served as a catalyst for the creation as one of the best derbies in the of the Italian Football Federation world, and like their cousins’ and the birth of the first-ever derby della lanterna, is always the If you speak about trophies in Italy, the Italian football championship. most important game of the year. teams that have become legend are Genoa would go on to win La Boca district of Buenos the first-ever Italian champiAires is ensconced in blue and Juventus, Inter and Milan, but if you speak onship, but Spensley helped yellow making it clear that the adapt the English game to suit its fierce, unwavering pride of Boca instead about fandom, it is the Gradinata adopted nation. fans is definitely a Genovese Nord of the Marassi that is legend. characteristic that has been At the insistence of the inherited and instilled through Englishman, the club opened its the generations. doors to Italians, both to play and Lonely Planet labels Italy’s largest and most important seaport as become members. Although they introduced a quota system to protect the “indefatigably contradictory, full at once of grandeur, squalor, sparkling light English – Italians were not allowed to make up over half of the total and deep shade.” While Genova offers a gateway to the Italian Riviera and the membership – the Genoa Cricket and Football Club could now truly be rest of Italy, it is clear that the city itself has had a profound impact on its considered an Italian team. This laid the foundations for the club to immigrants and emigrants. Similar to the lighthouse that has guided ships into dominate early Italian football winning a further five consecutive titles. the harbour for centuries, its citizens’ guiding vision was instrumental in the While Genoa has not maintained its early dominance over the past century, journalist Marco Liguori stresses, “If you speak about trophies in development of a pastime that stirs up passion and emotion like an angry sea.

F

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Genova’s Pesto World Championships Primo piano sui Campionati Mondiali di Pesto a Genova Text and photos by Jesper Storgaard Jensen

T

he competitors stand in long rows, shoulder to shoulder, slightly bent over.

They range from high-school girls to pensioners. With fierce determination they grip their pestles to crush the ingredients into mortars. Parmigiano cheese is grated, olive oil is added and so are handfuls of pine nuts in an attempt to find the right flavour and texture. At the same time, basil leaves fill the air.

Since 2007, Genova’s Palazzo Ducale has hosted the Pesto World Championships. Under the palazzo’s frescoed ceilings, 100 participants have 45 minutes and seven ingredients to conquer the championship title. Half of the 100 competitors hail from Liguria. A quarter is selected from the rest of Italy, and the remaining quarter comes from abroad.

Sergio di Paolo, the vice chairman of the Palafittini, a Genova-based cultural-gastronomic association, says that this unusual competition was inspired by a dinner party he had with friends a few years ago. “At one point we started to speak about food and traditions. One of us still made pesto in the good old-fashioned way – with all the ingredients mixed together in a mortar and crushed with a pestle. People from Genova know very well that this is the best way – indeed, the only way – to make real pesto. We all agreed that this tradition was in danger of being completely forgotten, and that we had to do something to preserve it.”

The term “pesto” comes from the Italian verb pestare, which means to crush, thrust, pound or step on. The first mention of pesto in a cookbook was in Giovanni Battista Ratto’s La Cuciniera Genovese (The Genovese Kitchen), published in 1863, which at that time was considered to be the most comprehensive cookbook of Genoese and Ligurian cuisine. Ratto’s recipe made use of both olive oil and melted butter and a small part of water” to make the pesto more fluid,” as he wrote. Throughout the years, pesto recipes have undergone several changes. For instance, a Dutch cheese was used in an earlier version and was then replaced by a Sardinian pecorino cheese. Pine nuts were a later addition since many older recipes actually made use of hazelnuts. And it was only at a relatively advanced stage that basil was utilized. In fact, some earlier pesto recipes rely on parsley instead, which is perceived as a kind of gastronomic sacrilege to true pesto aficionados.

The thirty judges at the Pesto World Championships range from chefs, foodies, cookbook authors, and historians specialized in local gastronomy.

They are either from Genova or the Liguria region. Teams of ten competitors are assigned three judges, and only one of these competitors will be selected for the afternoon’s final battle. As the judges walk around to observe the work at 60

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concorrenti sono in una lunga fila, spalla a spalla, un po’ piegati. Il range va dalle ragazze liceali ai pensionati. Con accanita determinazione essi hanno preso i loro pestelli per schiacciare gli ingredienti nei mortai. Il parmigiano è grattugiato, l’olio d’oliva è stato aggiunto e così anche una manciata di pinoli nel tentativo di trovare il giusto sapore e consistenza.

Fin dal 2007, il Palazzo Ducale di Genova ospita i Campionati Mondiali di Pesto al mortaio. Sotto i soffitti affrescati del palazzo, 100 partecipanti hanno 45 minuti e 7 ingredienti per conquistare il titolo di campione del mondo. La metà dei 100 concorrenti proviene dalla Liguria. Un quarto è selezionato dal resto dell’Italia ed il rimanente quarto viene dall’estero, tra cui il Canada.

Sergio Di Paolo, il vice presidente di Palafittini, un’associazione gastronomica e culturale con sede a Genova, dice che questa insolita competizione è stata ispirata da una cena avuta con i suoi amici qualche anno fa. “Ad un certo punto abbiamo cominciato a parlare di cibo e tradizioni. Uno di noi fa ancora il pesto alla buona vecchia maniera, con gli ingredienti mescolati nel mortaio e schiacciati con il pestello. Le persone di Genova sanno molto bene che questa è il miglior modo – proprio l’unico modo – per fare il vero pesto. “Eravamo tutti d’accordo che questa tradizione rischiasse di essere completamente dimenticata, e che dovevamo fare qualcosa per preservarla”.

Il termine “pesto” deriva dal verbo italiano pestare, che significa schiacciare, spingere, battere o calpestare. La prima menzione del pesto in un libro di cucina era ne La Cuciniera Genovese di Giovanni Battista Ratto pubblicato nel 1863, che a quel tempo era considerato il libro di cucina più completo di Genova e della Liguria. Nella ricetta di Ratto vengono usati sia l’olio d’oliva sia il burro fuso e una piccola parte d’acqua “per rendere il pesto più fluido”, come scritto.

Nel corso degli anni, le ricette del pesto hanno subito diverse modifiche.

Precedentemente, è stato usato un formaggio svizzero e sostituito poi da un pecorino sardo. I pinoli sono stati un’aggiunta successiva dal momento che molte vecchie ricette in effetti facevano uso di nocciole. E solo in un momento successivo è stato utilizzato il basilico. Infatti, alcune ricette precedenti si basavano sul prezzemolo, cosa che è considerata come una sorta di sacrilegio gastronomico per i veri affezionati del pesto.

I trenta giudici ai Campionati Mondiali di pesto vanno da chef, buongustai, autori di libri di cucina e storici specializzati nella gastronomia locale. Essi vengono sia da Genova che dalla regione Liguria.

Alla squadra di dieci concorrenti vengono assegnati tre giudici, e solo uno di questi sfidanti verrà scelto per la battaglia finale del pomeriggio. Mentre i

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LIGURIA hand, they have severe looks on their faces. This competition is deadly serious! giudici camminano intorno per osservare le varie fasi di lavoro, hanno uno “Pesto is indeed part of our identity… Everyone knows that when we say pesto, sguardo severo sui loro volti. Questa competizione è estremamente seria! we are in Liguria!” explains di Paolo. “In many Genoese families the “Il Pesto è davvero una parte della nostra identità. Tutti sanno che quando grandparents teach their grandchildren how to make the best pesto.” dici pesto, siamo in Liguria!” spiega Di Paolo. “In molte famiglie genovesi i Only ten competitors make it to the final round. The great hall of the nonni insegnano ai loro nipoti come preparare il pesto migliore”.

Palazzo Ducale is full of excited Solo dieci concorrenti partecipano onlookers. Food bloggers take notes alla fase finale. La grande sala del Palazzo while photographers step on one Ducale è piena di spettatori impazienti. another’s toes trying to find the best I blogger prendono appunti, mentre i angle in anticipation of the moment fotografi si pestano le dita dei piedi per everyone has been waiting for. trovare l’angolo migliore in attesa del And finally, the winner of the momento che tutti stavano aspettando.

2014 edition is announced. Alfonsina E finalmente, viene annunciato il Trucco, an 85-year-old resident of vincitore dell’edizione 2014. Alfonsina Genova, looks slightly dazed as she Trucco, ottantacinquenne residente a is presented with the trophy. The Genova, sembra leggermente stordita famous Golden Pestle with its grafted quando le si presentano con il trofeo. Il 22 K gold belt, has a value of around famoso Pestello d’Oro, adornato con una 2,000 Euro. fascia d’oro di 22K, ha un valore di circa Trucco explains to the press that 2,000 Euro. she began making pesto at the age Trucco spiega alla stampa di aver of 10. What’s her secret? “Pine nuts, cominciato a fare il pesto all’età di 10 basil leaves and the two types of anni. Qual è il segreto? “Pinoli, foglie di cheese are the first ingredients I basilico e due tipi di formaggio sono i start to crush,” she says. “It’s only in a primi ingredienti” dice. “Solo in una fase Pesto World Championships’ Golden Pestle subsequent phase that I begin to add successiva comincio ad aggiungere l’olio olive oil. I prefer the basil that grows wild in the sun as opposed to greenhouse d’oliva. Preferisco il basilico che cresce con il sole piuttosto che al basilico di basil, which does not have the same intense flavour.” Not surprisingly she serra, che non ha lo stesso intenso sapore”. Non sorprende che lei ci suggerisca suggests that the pesto is served with a typical Ligurian pasta, for example, di servire il pesto con una tipica pasta ligure, per esempio, trenette o trofie o trenette or trofie or as part of a lasagna. come condimento della lasagna.

Buon appetito!

Buon appetito!

The upcoming Pesto World Championships takes place on April 16 in Genova. For more information, visit www.pestochampionship.it

*Certaines conditions s’appliquent, Visiter www.lexim.ca pour plus d’info.

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Savoureuse Ligurie Sept spécialités à ne pas manquer Texte et photo par Julie Aubé 1. Focaccia Déjeuner, dîner, collation, fin de soirée... tous les moments sont bons pour croquer dans une focaccia (fougasse) à peine sortie du four ! La plus classique est faite de farine, d’huile d’olive extra vierge locale, de sel, de levure de bière et d’eau. Puis, place aux variantes : oignons, sauge, tomates, charcuteries, olives, oignons, pommes de terre, romarin, etc. Parmi ces déclinaisons, il ne faut pas manquer la focaccia di Recco, gourmande à souhait, qui compte un étage de fromage de type stracchino, frais et moelleux, entre deux couches de pâte. À Gênes, près de la station Brignole, le panificio focacceria Mario prépare toutes ces focaccie de façon absolument délicieuse.

2. Farinata et panissa La farinata, symbole de la cuisine populaire ligurienne, est une sorte de galette à base de farine de pois chiche, d’eau et d’huile, cuite dans un grand plat en cuivre, qui est à son meilleur lorsque dégustée bien chaude à la sortie du four à bois : sa surface est alors dorée et croustillante tandis que l’intérieur demeure moelleux.

Ce classique, nature ou aromatisé (oignons, fromage, champignons…), se déguste dans les sciamadde, les petits restaurants qui servent de la friture de rue, nombreux sous les arcades du port de Gênes.

La panissa est un autre type de friture de rue à base de farine de pois chiche préparée cette fois en une sorte de polenta ferme généralement taillée en en gros bâtonnets à frire. Ce sont en quelque sorte les frites liguriennes, parfois nappées d’huile et de citron ! La panissa peut aussi être servie en sandwich.

3. Tartes salées Il existe plusieurs variations sur le thème de la tarte salée (torta salata) en Ligurie : épinards, artichauts, bette, courge et plus encore. Un incontournable est la torta pasqualina, traditionnellement préparée à Pâques, mais facile à trouver aujourd’hui à l’année dans plusieurs focacceria et boulangeries (dont bon nombre au Mercato orientale de Gênes). Cette tourte est remplie de bette (et/ou d’épinards et/ou d’artichauts), d’herbes, d’œuf et d’un type de ricotta régionale, le tout enrobé

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de plusieurs couches très fines de pâte feuilletée. L’histoire veut qu’elle en compte 33, pour rappeler la vie sur terre du Christ. Quant aux œufs, ils représenteraient la renaissance. Un plat à la fois symbolique et savoureux !

4. Fritures de poissons Sans grande surprise, on constate que la mer est en vedette dans la cuisine de cette région qui compte tellement de kilomètres de littoral. Il ne faut pas manquer d’y déguster un cornet de friture mixte de petits poissons et fruits de mer, qu’on trouve généralement dans les ports. On ajoute quelques friscieu, des beignets aux petits poissons et aux herbes, et une salade de poulpe. Les anchois sont abondants et apprêtés de façons variées et rafraîchissantes : outre les salés, on en trouve des marinés à l’huile d’olive et au citron (un régal), frits, farcis et plus encore.

5. Pansotti à la sauce aux noix Si tout le monde connaît le pesto genovese, peu de gens ont déjà goûté la salsa di noci. Cette sauce ligurienne est faite de noix pilées et servie sur un type de gros raviolis (souvent farcis aux herbes et au fromage) appelés pansotti. Un plat savoureux et unique à découvrir.

6. Pandolce Non sans un air de famille avec le panettone, le pandolce ligurien est un pain sucré qui renferme du beurre, des noix, des fruits secs et confits, une touche d’anis et une note d’eau de fleur d’oranger ou de bergamote. Une recette vieille de quelques centaines d’années, populaire à la période de Noël, bien qu’on puisse la savourer à l’année.

7. Panera À Gênes, on s’offre une panera, soit un semifreddo typiquement génois au café. Sa texture est plus crémeuse que celle du gelato au café puisque de la crème fouettée entre dans la recette.

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LIGURIA

Recipe by Andrea Della Gatta, President of the Genoese Pesto Consortium Ingredients (Serves 5 – 6) Ingredienti (per 5 – 6 persone)

Instructions

• 1 bunch (about 50 g) D.O.P. Genovese basil or small leaf basil 1 mazzetto di basilico genovese D.O.P. o di basilico a foglia piccola (50 g circa)

Pick leaves, wash and gently pat dry. Then mix all ingredients in a food processor on low speed, adding the garlic only at the end to prevent it from overpowering other flavours (heat accelerates its oxidation process). Finally, slowly pour in a thin layer of oil.

Pesto sauce using a food processor

• 6 tbsp. (90 g) Parmigiano Reggiano (preferably aged 36 months) 6 cucchiai (90 g) di Parmigiano Reggiano (preferibilmente stagionato 36 mesi) • 2 tbsp. (30 g) Pecorino Sardo (preferably aged 15 months) 2 cucchiai (30 g) di Pecorino Sardo (preferibilmente stagionato 15 mesi) • 1 tbsp. (15 g) pine nuts (preferably from the Mediterranean areas) 1 cucchiaio (15 g) di pinoli freschi (preferibilmente di provenienza mediterranea) • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped 2 spicchi di aglio

Pesto sauce using a mortar. Tradition recommends...

Put peeled garlic in a mortar. Using a pestle, crush it along with some coarse salt until you obtain a creamy sauce. Do the same with the pine nuts. Then add basil leaves, and mash (without pounding) for a while, with light circular movements until you obtain a smooth mixture. Add the grated cheeses and lastly pour in a thin layer of oil.

Istruzioni

Il pesto nel tritatutto

• A pinch of coarse salt Una presa di sale grosso • 5 tbsp. (50 ml) extra virgin olive oil (preferably D.O. P. from the Italian Riviera) 5 cucchiai (50 ml) di olio extra-vergine (preferibilmente D.O.P proveniente dalla Riviera Ligure)

Staccare le foglie di basilico, lavarle e asciugarle con delicatezza, poi tritare gli ingredienti nel tritatutto a velocità bassa. Aggiungere l’aglio pestato solo alla fine per evitare che sovrasti gli altri sapori (il calore ne accelera l’ossidazione). Infine, versare l’olio a filo.

Il pesto nel mortaio. La tradizione raccomanda…

Tools Food processor or marble mortar and a wooden pestle Utensili Tritatutto o mortaio di marmo con pestello in legno

Mettere l’aglio già pelato nel mortaio e, usando il pestello, pestarlo con qualche grano di sale grosso fino ad ottenere una poltiglia. Fare altrettanto con i pinoli.

Quindi unire il basilico, e schiacciare (senza più pestare), a lungo e con movimenti roteatori, sino ad ottenere un composto omogeneo. Per finire, aggiungere i formaggi grattugiati e, continuando a mescolare, l’olio versato a filo.

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Photography by Jesper Storgaard Jensen

Pesto Genovese

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ARTS & CULTURE

Unique Visual Record of Italian-Canadians Photographer Vincenzo Pietropaolo’s captures evolution of community and traditions

By Sal Difalco ll photographs are memento mori,” wrote the late Susan Sontag.

While a photograph may freeze a moment in time, it nevertheless serves to remind us of life’s mutability. Perhaps no recent collection of photographs shows “time’s relentless melt” as poignantly and intimately as Vincenzo Pietropaolo’s latest undertaking, Ritual, a chronicle of Toronto’s renowned Good Friday procession.

Born in the town of Maierato, Calabria, in 1951, Pietropaolo immigrated to Toronto at the age of 11 and grew up on Euclid Avenue close to College

“A

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Street, a main thoroughfare of the annual procession. “I started taking photos of it in 1969, first as a bit of an outsider.” He watched it evolve from humble beginnings into the spectacle it is today, with its statues and dirges and live actors in Biblical tableaux vivants. “The procession actually started in 1962 at St. Agnes on Dundas and Grace Streets,” Pietropaolo says. Behind a fake wall, a statue of Jesus was discovered, provenance unknown. The statue was restored, a priest blessed it, and despite worries about its illegality, the procession took place on Plymouth Avenue, a lane way off Dundas Street.

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ARTS & CULTURE “Five hundred people showed up!” Pietropaolo exclaims. “So it was here to stay, whatever the city’s objections. Eventually the parish moved to St Francis of Assisi.”

Ostensibly commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the procession, an act of near subversion in the straight-laced Toronto of 1962, has become an integral part of the city’s street life, drawing thousands every year to partake in an event that is equal parts spiritual and cultural celebration and, with its Roman soldiers in full regalia and the bound mock-Jesus, pure street theatre.

The 150 photographs in the large format book represent a retrospective collection that spans a period of 46 years. “They were culled from some 20,000 images,” Pietropaolo says. “Approximately half are in black and white, and half in colour, and include analogue and digital images reflecting the change in technology during this time.” He admits that organizing pre-digital and digital images taken with different cameras into a coherent story proved daunting. Nevertheless the result may be Pietropaolo’s most haunting work yet.

Best known perhaps for his humane and socially conscious photograph collections Not Paved With Gold, Harvest Pilgrims and Invisible No More, Pietropaolo sees the procession not only as an affirmation of the ItalianCanadian community but also as an expression of working-class culture. “It’s striking,” he says, “how people I’d photographed in factories or workplaces often showed up in the procession photos.”

While Pietropaolo started as an outsider, the images he captured became more and more penetrating as the process evolved and he built a rapport with his subjects. “No zoom lens,” he says. “All wide angle lenses which means you have to get up close and personal. I related to these people and built a deep trust with them that allowed greater intimacy.”

The photographs of Ritual document the relentless passage of time but also the evolution of a community. “It’s something reflected in the changing fashions,” Pietropaolo says, “in the renovated houses and updated storefronts and shops. In the body language. Men used to wear jackets and ties to the event. Now it’s more relaxed. And everybody used to smoke!”

Pietropaolo points out the Toronto procession’s uniqueness. “It’s different from Italian processions, which are local and tied to specific villages and parishes, often devoted to a single patron saint. In Toronto, the procession is far more inclusive and generalized, an amalgam of different Italian traditions. Here Italians come in numbers to affirm their cultural roots and influence, and not only from Toronto but from surrounding cities like Hamilton, Buffalo, St. Catharines, and even from Italy.”

He recounts the story of a group from Genova who came to the procession in 1997 with an 18th century baroque sculpture of the crucifixion. “This was a particularly elaborate participation,” Pietropaolo recalls with a chuckle. “It consisted of the life-sized National Heritage sculpture carried by one man with a special shoulder harness and another man ahead lifting Hydro lines with a pole and two attendant men flanking him in case of a stumble.”

In response to the idea that photographs remind us of our mortality, Pietropaolo has a philosophical response. “My own ritual as a photographer observes people transforming, changing, coming, going. Fashions have changed, the shops are very different, the faces change, and yet year after year the same event occurs. So there is change, but also continuity.”

Pietropaolo is hoping to publish Ritual by October 2016. To that end, he is running a crowdfunding campaign. To support the publication of the book, please visit www.vincepietropaolo.com to secure a signed, pre-release copy of Ritual.

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ARTS & CULTURE

Albano Carrisi Un artista “così lontano eppur così vicino” Claudia Buscemi-Prestigiacomo

A

lbano Carrisi, in arte Al Bano, è nato a Cellino San Marco (Puglia) nel 1943. Sin dalla prima canzone di successo nel 1967, Nel Sole, la sua notorietà si è diffusa nel mondo come cantante, attore, imprenditore nell’industria vinicola e presentatore. Per ultima, gli è stata affidata la conduzione di Così lontani, Così vicini, una trasmissione seguita ed apprezzata dalla comunità italo-canadese. Il programma riunisce familiari le cui vite hanno preso direzioni diverse. L’obiettivo è quello di aiutare le persone a rimettere insieme quei rami dell’albero genealogico recisi da un destino avverso. Peraltro, la separazione ha spesso portato i protagonisti in paesi lontani.

Incontro con un artista “così lontano eppur così vicino”.

Panoram Italia: Così lontani, Così vicini tratta dei temi molto delicati: famiglia, affetti, perdita, ricongiungimento. Cosa le resta di un lavoro che, in realtà, sembra più un’esperienza umana?

Al Bano: Non è un lavoro. Tutto ciò che faccio deve piacermi. In qualche modo deve appartenermi. Da piccolino ho vissuto il dramma di un fratello e di una sorella di mio padre trasferitisi in Argentina. In pratica, l’unico contatto, in un’epoca in cui i legami familiari erano più forti, erano le lettere. Saranno state 6-7 l’anno. Quando ne arrivava una, era una specie di messaggero di Sant’Antonio: lì a leggere, parola per parola. Ciò faceva crescere la voglia di vederli e conoscerli. Ci vollero quarant’anni prima che ritornassero a Cellino. Ciò che faccio adesso, fa rivivere il mio passato. Ma la cosa bella è poter dare alla gente la possibilità di incontrarsi. Non è una trasmissione triste. Al contrario, è qualcosa che porta gioia nelle loro vite. Rivivo il passato e la gioia di dire di aver acceso speranze ormai spente.

PI: Nonostante l’enorme successo, lei rimane una persona alla mano. Come mai?

AB: Perché cambiare? Un albero di pero non diventerà mai un albero di fico. Io mi sento un albero di pero.

PI: È la sua prima volta a Toronto?

AB: Vengo a Toronto dal 1968. Qui, in una chiesa su Dufferin, il 21 aprile del 1974, giorno del suo primo compleanno, ho battezzato mio figlio Yari. Mi piaceva l’idea. A Toronto e in Canada sono venuto tantissime volte. Ho fatto parecchi concerti e nel 1984, anno in cui Romina Power ed io abbiamo vinto il Festival di Sanremo con Ci sarà, ho anche inaugurato il Roy Thomson Hall. Gli italiani mi volevano ed io venivo.

PI: Dati i suoi molti interessi, si direbbe che abbia una personalità eclettica. È così?

AB: Mi sento un uomo rinascimentale perché, come molti nel Rinascimento, non mi limito a un solo mestiere. L’importante è che ci sia sempre passione in ciò che si fa.

PI: Il vino rientra tra queste passioni?

AB: È una passione nata in famiglia. I miei erano contadini ed ovviamente facevamo il vino. Quando sono partito per Milano e dopo aver compreso quanto sacrificio ci fosse dietro, dissi a mio padre che sarei tornato per realizzare una cantina con il suo nome. Lui si mise a ridere, ma io no. Nel 1973, mi presentai con una bottiglia dedicata a lui, Don Carmelo, orgoglioso della promessa fatta e mantenuta.

PI: Avverte come una responsabilità il fatto di essere così amato dalla comunità italiana all’estero?

AB: Non mi pongo tante domande. Vivo come vivo. Se piaccio, bene. Se non piaccio, pazienza. So che su un palcoscenico o nella vita – altro tipo di palcoscenico – vivo tutto con grande intensità, con amore, con responsabilità e passione. Può piacere e può non piacere. Se non piace, vado comunque avanti.

PI: Si cimenterà in progetti diversi?

AB: Voglio costruire un teatro nella zona in cui vivo e voglio dedicare un film a mia madre intitolato: “Con gli occhi del cuore.” Non perché sia mia madre, ma perché, con tutto ciò che ha vissuto, ho capito che appartiene a quella che si definirebbe “una razza in via di estinzione.” Adesso che ha 93 anni, sento di dover imprimere la sua vita su una pellicola perché tutto ciò che ha fatto merita di essere portato alla ribalta. Un film in cui verranno fuori la sua grande passione e umanità, il suo forte senso della realtà e quel sapore antico di vivere che non si è mai contaminato.

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ARTS & CULTURE

Angelo Finaldi

By Antonio D’Alfonso

F

ar from being the quiet type, musician and songwriter Angelo Finaldi is a baroque speaker. His voice is audibly grounded in Mediterranean culture yet his ideas are overtly North American.

Panoram Italia: You were born in 1949 in postwar Naples. Can you describe what life was like?

Angelo Finaldi: Serenity, peace and neo-realism. It was a glorious moment. I was fortunate to be born from a well-to-do family: the Finaldis – bankers and landowners who had made their wealth in Argentina. And there were the Furinos, my mother’s family – humble, dignified, generous peasants. My father was an entertainer, a job sneered upon by the rest of his upper-class family.

Century-old decency, inflexibility, and relentlessness led directly to a family feud. We all followed my father to Canada.

PI: Your beginnings in the 1960s into songwriting came about with the famous tune, “Québécois, Nous sommes des Québécois,” from the band Révolution Française, which turned out to be a quasi national anthem for nationalists of the province. How do you explain that?

AF: Its original title was “America, God Bless America.” And it was written in English, of course. Though I went to French-language school, I grew up in the English-language music milieu with artists like Gino Vannelli, Joey Vannelli, their dad Signore Vannelli, and so many other bands made up primarily of Italians, who performed at weddings and other festivities. The song was then rewritten in French and grew into a protest song. The tune was quite a sensation in 1969. We even opened for The Doors at the Forum de Montréal, in September of that same year, and The Who a year later. The Saint-Jean-Baptiste organization used the song in its public manifestations (parades, rallies, demonstrations). The Parti Québécois was in its infancy. The hit pulled me right into Montreal’s French-language show business.

PI: Was there a definite demarcation between the French- and Englishlanguage music business in the 1960s-’70s as there is today?

AF: In 1960-’70s the French-Quebecois were basically translating and interpreting English-language hits. You also had the “troubadours” (the chansonniers) and a very strong Quebecois folklore presence. But that all changed when Robert Charlebois went electric. He changed things around and French-language pop music from Quebec started to grow into something special. The Anglophones had their own scene. There was folk, pop, rock, and of course jazz.

There was a clear linguistic demarcation between French and English artists even though they produced a similar kind of music.

PI: You also delved into film scoring and most recently in modern Neapolitan compositions?

AF: I composed music scores for documentaries at the National Film Board of Canada, some on the internment of Italians in Canada during the Second World War (Nicola Zavaglia’s Mandolins and Barbed Wires). I also worked on

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Zavaglia’s Meditteraneo per sempre, in which my daughter Coco Finaldi sings Neapolitan tunes. In 2009, Coco and I released an album called Wop Pow Wow: a fusion of “wop music” (because I’m a wop and not really an Italian) with some Native influences. We released another album together called Desoriented Voyage. The album is sung in a variety of languages: Native, French, English, Italian and Neapolitan dialect.

PI: You use the word “wop” to define yourself. Why use such a derogatory term? How has your Italian/American identity coloured your sense of being an artist and composer?

AF: I have a “Forever Italiano” tattoo. I was born in Italy and spent ten years of my life in Naples. Yet, after fifty-six years in North America, I’m no longer an Italian like those living in Italy today. I don’t have a clue about what is actually unfolding in that country. Nor are Italians in Italy interested in an Italian like myself. They keep repeating that we are like they were in the 1960s. Being a wop is a source of pride. North American Italians speak an assortment of languages and brandish urban and suburban peculiarities. Whatever negative connotations the term has acquired (insulting, ugliness, ignorance, etc.), I turn them inside out and pull out the proud, inventive, fun-loving, colourful, intelligent, humanistic nature of Italians in America. As far as music goes, it is hard to escape from the melodic world one comes from. Like food, one carries a spice from the old country and sprinkles it on the ingredients one finds here.

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ADVICE

I detti popolari e la Bibbia...

Nicola Di Narzo egendo il titolo vi Una frase molto frequente: “non fare sarete posti sicuraagli altri quello che non vorresti fosse fatto mente la domana te” trova origini in molte religioni e viene da: che c’entra la Bibbia detta in diversi modi nella Bibbia, ma con i detti popolari? La possiamo sicuramente trovare un’analogia Bibbia è purtroppo con il secondo grande comandamento sconosciuta da molti e datoci da Gesù che dice : "Amerai il prossimo viene poco frequentata, tuo come te stesso." (Mt. 22, 37-40). ma ci sono molti passi, Capita a volte di trovarci in situazioni alcune storie ed anche detti che vengono in cui non vogliamo prendere decisioni e utilizzati spesso nel nostro quotidiano senza diciamo spesso: “Me ne lavo le mani”. che ce ne accorgiamo o, magari, senza che ne Questa espressione trae la sua origine dalla conosciamo l’origine. storia della condanna di Gesù nei vangeli.

Siamo ormai abituati a sentire espressioni Egli si ritrova infatti davanti a Ponzio Pilato come “porgi l’altra guancia” (Vangelo di Luca 6, ed è giudicato colpevole dal popolo ebreo.

27-38), “non rubare” o “non uccidere” (i dieci Ponzio Pilato, non essendo d’accordo con le comandamenti), “occhio per occhio”, “dente accuse e non considerando Gesù reo, cerca per dente” (Antico Testamento : Lv. 24, 19,20). di convincere il popolo della sua innocenO anche riferimenti a diversi miracoli di Gesù za, ma non riuscendo, procede con la concome l’acqua trasformata in vino, la moltiplidanna e dice la famosa frase : “Me ne lavo cazione dei pani, la risurrezione dei morti etc. le mani”. Lavarsi le mani è allora diventato Ponzio Pilato lavandosi le mani raffigurato con un Ma ci sono altri modi di dire più sottili un modo di dire utilizzato quando prefericappello ebraico. Salterio di Liegi, XIII secolo che usiamo senza neanche accorgercene. In amo rimanere fuori da cer te situazioni. questo senso, uno degli appellativi più comuni Penserete che non c’è niente di nuovo sotto che sentiamo spesso in modo scherzoso e affettuoso o anche talvolta in modo il sole? Ebbene, avete ragione, perché anche questa frase deve la sua origine offensivo, è “lazzarone”. Il dizionario ci indica che questa parola fa riferimento a dalla Bibbia nel libro di Qoelet (Qoelet 1, 10) anche se un po’ diversa: “Al una persona che non lavora e si dedica a una vita senza responsabilità, ma perché mondo non c’è nulla di nuovo.” Di chi ha una pazienza esemplare diremmo aggiungere un accrescitivo al nome Lazzaro? E perché proprio Lazzaro? che ha la pazienza di Giobbe! Dio lo metteva alla prova, lo faceva sentire Nel Vangelo di Luca (16, 19,31), troviamo una storia conosciuta come “la come se lo avesse abbandonato, ma Giobbe non perdeva mai la fiducia in lui. parabola del Ricco e del mendicante Lazzaro”. In questa storia Lazzaro è il Vale la pena leggere la sua storia... Magari per consolarsi un po’... mendicante che chiede l’elemosina e che si accontenterebbe anche solo delle Davanti a situazioni come quelle di Giobbe o a circostanze sorprendenti o briciole che cadono dal tavolo del ricco, ma senza successo. Dio farà poi scioccanti, possiamo “rimanere di sasso o di sale”... Anche questa espressione giustizia e il ricco non potrà entrare nel regno di Dio mentre Lazzaro sì. Questa la troviamo nella Bibbia, nel libro della Genesi capitolo 9’ versetti 23 e nota parabola avrà sicuramente aiutato a chiamare “lazzarone” chiunque si seguenti. In questa storia, l’angelo di Dio dice a Lot e alla sua famiglia di fa mendicante o magari furbo nel fare soldi e che sembra trarre profitto dia scappare dalla città di Sodoma e Gomorra perché Dio le avrebbe distrutte.. situazioni ambigue. l`unico avvertimento è di non voltarsi mai , ma la moglie incuriosita da Rimanendo nell’ordine degli appellativi, troviamo il “beniamino”. Oltre ad quello che succede guarda indietro e diventa di sale. essere un nome, questa parola viene spesso utilizzata per indicare il Potrei citarvi altri mille modi di dire di uso comune, che abbiamo favorito, il cocco di mamma oppure il preferito della classe etc. Perché ereditato direttamente dalla Bibbia, ma per oggi mi fermo qui... Leggendo la Beniamino? Nella Bibbia, troviamo la storia di Beniamino nella Genesi (Gn, 35, Bibbia rimarreste stupiti da quante citazioni usiamo quotidianamente senza 16sg). Egli era infatti il prediletto di suo padre Giacobbe, l’ultimo di dodici accorgercene, così come trovereste anche saggezza e conforto. Vi lascio con fratelli. Vi sono dunque storie correlate a certi appellativi che utilizziamo, ma ci questa frase: chi cerca trova e chi scruta la Parola cercando il suo volto, lo sono anche espressioni che appartengono al nostro quotidiano che trovano troverà senz’altro. origini bibliche.

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ADVICE

Separazione o Comunione dei beni?

Questo è il dilemma!

Il

Codice Civile italiano del 1942 disponeva all’art. 159 che il regime matrimoniale legale dei coniugi, applicabile cioè in mancanza di apposita convenzione matrimoniale, era quello della “separazione dei beni”.

Pasquale Artuso La riforma del 20 settembre 1975 ha ribaltato tale impostazione, prevedendo la “comunione dei beni” come regime legale, qualora non vi fosse una diversa convenzione stipulata a norma dell’art. 162 cod.civ.it.

La nuova disciplina ha trovato applicazione automatica soltanto per le coppie sposatesi dopo l’entrata in vigore della legge di riforma succitata, mentre una norma transitoria (art. 228 della legge 19-5-1975 n.

151) ha previsto un periodo di pendenza di due anni, con decorrenza dalla data di pubblicazione sulla Gazzetta Ufficiale delle Repubblica Italiana, prorogato, successivamente, sino al 15 gennaio 1978, nel quale uno dei coniugi o entrambi potevano manifestare una volontà contraria in un atto pubblico, ricevuto da un notaio o da un ufficiale dello stato civile del luogo in cui era stato celebrato il matrimonio o presso un qualsivoglia consolato italiano nel mondo, per mezzo di annotazione sui registri deputati a tale incombenza.

Nicola e Beatrice convolarono a nozze, nel lontano 1968, nella città di Roma, senza aver

stipulato alcuna convenzione matrimoniale, pertanto in regime di “separazione dei beni”.

Nel 1970, insieme alle loro figlie, Flaminia e Virginia, emigrarono in Canada, dove coronarono il loro sogno di successo e fortuna in questo grande ed ospitale Paese. Nel 2014, Nicola, nel frattempo divenuto uno dei più grandi imprenditori edili nazionali, s’innamora della bellissima e giovanissima Brigitte, sua segretaria personale, al che, Beatrice reagisce con collera e sdegno, dichiarando una guerra legale al marito Nicola.

A prescindere dai beni oggetto del patrimonio familiare, che sono, per legge, suddivisi a metà, Nicola è proprietario esclusivo di beni immobili, per un controvalore di circa 122.000.000,00 di dollari.

Gli avvocati di Beatrice ritengono che, in virtù della legge italiana, i due coniugi siano sottoposti al regime matrimoniale della “comunione dei beni”, non avendo la coppia apportato modifiche al proprio “status”, nei tempi previsti dalla legge (termine di scadenza 15 gennaio 1978) e, conseguentemente, la loro cliente può vantare un diritto di proprietà, corrispondente al 50%, sul valore immobiliare summenzionato. Al contrario, i legali di Nicola, rappresentato dal nostro studio, confutano tale tesi, affermando che il nuovo regime matrimoniale italiano del 1975 (comunione dei beni) non riguarda i soggetti emigrati prima di tale data, e ciò in virtù di uno dei principi legali informatori dell’ordinamento giuridico canadese e quebecchese in particolare, che sancisce la

cosiddetta “Teoria della pietrificazione”, per cui una coppia che emigra in Canada, reca con sé anche il suo regime matrimoniale vigente al momento dell’espatrio, senza che vengano assolutamente considerate, giuridicamente, eventuali modifiche successive al suddetto regime apportate dal sistema legislativo straniero disciplinante il loro matrimonio.

Nicola, alla luce di quanto evidenziato, potrà dormire sonni tranquilli……. con la sua Brigitte.

Questa rubrica legale contiene un’informazione giuridica generale e non sostituisce i consigli di un avvocato, che terrà conto delle particolarità del vostro caso.

Lo studio legale Pasquale Artuso ringrazia il Notaio Damiana Cavallaro per la sua collaborazione e si avvale di corrispondenti in tutte le regioni d’Italia, coordinati dallo Studio Fallerini.

Pasquale Artuso Avvocato di Fiducia Consolato Generale d’Italia Caroline Francoeur Avvocatessa Valérie Carrier Avvocatessa

T.: 514.259.7090

Julie Therrien Avvocatessa

Natasha Scarano Avvocatessa

Steven Campese Avvocato

Pierre Fugère Avvocato - diritto criminale e penale

Mathieu Di Lullo Avvocato

Joseph W. Allen Avvocato dal 1976 diritto dell’immigrazione

F.:514.256.6907 artmars@securenet.net

Complexe Le Baron, 6020, rue Jean-Talon Est, bureau 630 Montréal (Québec) Canada H1S 3B1

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EVENTS

Des Gens et des Événements People and Events Vous connaissez des gens d’exception ou des événements qui méritent d’être connus ?

Carole Gagliardi

carole.gagliardi@panoramitalia.com

Simona Barbieri, un style taillé sur mesure Peu de gens connaissent Carpi, cette magnifique ville médiévale d’ÉmilieRomagne, située non loin de Modène, dans le nord de l’Italie, et reconnue comme un important centre de la mode et du design. Ce n’est pas un hasard si Simona Barbieri, l’une des créatrices de mode les plus en vue en Italie, y a élu domicile. On y rencontre d’ailleurs certains des plus prestigieux fabricants de produits de luxe, concepteurs de textiles fabriqués à la main et artisans spécialisés en broderie et dentelle au pays.

Depuis que Barbieri a fréquenté l’école de conception et de dessin de mode et terminé sa formation professionnelle en design, la couture et la création de patrons sont rapidement devenues ses passions. « Enfant, j’adorais travailler avec les surplus de tissus de ma mère », raconte-t-elle. Elle maîtrise aujourd’hui parfaitement les rouages de son métier, de la conception à la production. « Je suis privilégiée, car mon père m’a encouragée dans mon choix de carrière. Il m’a permis de trouver mon premier emploi à Modène, dans une petite usine comprenant différentes sections où on nous initiait au tissage et à la coupe. Je passais l’heure du lunch à mettre mes connaissances en pratique. » Au début des années 1980, elle fait la rencontre de Tiziano Sgarbi, son partenaire d’affaires, qui lui a permis de développer sa créativité.

Simona Barbieri adore les tricots et a su définir un style féminin unique, romantique et sexy, voire quelque peu frivole, dont la griffe Twin-Set (une combinaison de son cardigan et de son jersey) est devenue la marque de commerce.

Femme d’une grande discrétion, la créatrice italienne fuit les mondanités et les entrevues pour mieux se consacrer à sa passion. Au chahut, elle préfère le calme. Selon elle, « il est essentiel d’avoir une grande connaissance de l’histoire, de la mode et des arts afin de concevoir et de créer des collections originales et un style facilement identifiable ».

La collection Twin-Set Simona Barbieri compte aussi une gamme de vêtements absolument adorables pour les nouveau-nés, les enfants et les jeunes filles. Barbieri conçoit également des ceintures, des sacs à main, des chaussures, des bottes et de la lingerie fine.

Les 40 boutiques Twin-Set Simona Barbieri, réparties autour du globe, se sont récemment refait une beauté. Un décor camaïeu dans les tons de blanc et de crème a été choisi pour mieux mettre en valeur chacune des pièces de la créatrice italienne. La boutique phare Twin-Set Simona Barbieri de Montréal (la seule en Amérique du Nord) n’y échappe pas, et vous convie à une expérience taillée sur mesure.

Twin-Set Simona Barbieri Montréal : 1070, rue Sherbrooke Ouest à Montréal. www.twinset.ca

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Danny Maciocia : viser l’excellence !

Oui, absolument, et tout ce que mes parents m’ont appris, je l’enseigne à mes enfants. Ma femme est d’origine portugaise et nous encourageons l’étude des langues à la maison. On oublie facilement d’où viennent nos parents et ce qu’ils ont vécu. Il ne faut pas oublier leur histoire : c’est le fondement de ce que nous sommes devenus.

Comment votre passion pour les sports s’est-elle d’abord manifestée ?

J’ai toujours aimé les sports. J’étais et je suis encore un fan de soccer ! Je suis un lève-tôt et chaque matin, je consulte le Corriere dello Sport. Toutefois, à 16 ans, j’ai eu un véritable coup de foudre pour le football. J’adorais jouer pour l’équipe de l’école Laurier MacDonald, où j’étudiais. Je me suis rapidement dirigé vers la fonction d’entraîneur parce que j’ai eu une importante opération à la mâchoire et les médecins m’ont recommandé d’éviter tout sport de contact.

Danny Maciocia s’est illustré comme entraîneur-chef dans la Ligue canadienne de football (LCF), avec les Eskimos d’Edmonton. En 2014, il a permis aux Carabins de remporter la première Coupe Vanier de leur histoire, devenant du coup le premier entraîneur-chef et le premier Québécois à avoir gagné la Coupe Grey et la Coupe Vanier. Entretien avec la Personnalité de l’année de L’Association des gens d’affaires et professionnels italo-canadiens du Québec (CIBPA) 2016.

Cette reconnaissance de la part de votre communauté est-elle importante pour vous ?

C’était indéniablement une surprise pour moi et un honneur qu’une organisation de ma communauté m’accorde une telle reconnaissance. Je suis profondément touché, et lorsque je prendrai ma retraite, je crois que j’aurai tout le temps et le recul nécessaires pour poser un regard sur ma carrière et apprécier tous ces moments. J’ai la citoyenneté italienne, je vais souvent en Italie, un pays que j’adore, et je me sens proche de mes origines italiennes.

Vous êtes né et avez grandi à Saint-Léonard. Êtes-vous un homme attaché aux traditions ?

Quelles sont selon vous les qualités d’un bon entraîneur ?

Je crois qu’être un bon entraîneur, c’est avant tout avoir la capacité de communiquer et d’avoir de l’empathie. C’est avoir l’habileté de convaincre l’autre qu’il a tout pour réussir. Il y a beaucoup de gens qui ne donnent que leur 50 %.

L’entraîneur doit être capable d’aller chercher l’autre 50 %. Ces principes de renforcement positif, je les applique aussi à la maison auprès de mes filles. C’est par cette recherche de l’excellence qu’on devient de meilleurs individus et de meilleurs joueurs de football.

Comment envisagez-vous l’avenir ?

Je ne sais pas très bien. J’ai perdu mon frère il y a six ans. Il avait 39 ans, et à la suite de son décès, j’ai appris qu’il faut vivre un jour à la fois. Chaque jour, j’espère contribuer à améliorer la vie de quelqu’un. J’essaie d'avoir un impact positif sur au moins une personne. Je m’estime privilégié et je veux me pousser pour devenir toujours meilleur. Lorsque je prendrai ma retraite, j’aimerais demeurer actif dans mon domaine, et peut-être devenir entraîneur d’une équipe de foot et vivre à Bergamo. Cet hommage que la CIBPA m’a rendu me touche profondément, et je lui en serai à jamais reconnaissant.

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SALON DEAUVILLE SPA Le 16 février dernier l’équipe de Panoram Italia a invité clients et amis à une soirée de networking organisée au Salon Deauville Spa à Montréal, à l’occasion de la parution de l’édition Février/Mars.

Malgré une température plus que maussade, les nombreux invités ont joui d’un service exceptionnel de la part du Salon Deauville. Manucures, mises en pli, coupes de cheveux et maquillage ont été offerts gratuitement. Ce cocktail est l’un des événements annuels organisés par Panoram Italia dans le cadre de la série Événements corporatifs.

Merci à nos commanditaires : MAISON BIRKS, LES CHAUSSURES BROWNS, LE RESTAURANT SALMIGONDIS, LA BOUTIQUE ITALMODA ET LE GROUPE PMG et L’ÉQUIPE DU SALON DEAUVILLE SPA.

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Nicola Ciccone, le saltimbanque « Je suis un saltimbanque, un poète un peu voyou éperdu de liberté ! » C’est ainsi que se définit l’auteur-compositeur-interprète d’origine italienne Nicola Ciccone. À l’occasion du lancement de son récent album Esprit Libre, exclusivement en français, je me suis entretenue avec cet artiste d’exception.

Votre nouvel album s’intitule Esprit Libre. Est-ce ainsi que vous vous définissez ?

Je dirais que c’est ainsi qu’on me décrit, a free spirit, que j’ai traduit en français. Je trouve que cela correspond à la quête de l’album, la quête de la liberté. Oui, je suis un esprit libre, un saltimbanque, je vis dans mes valises. Oui, cela me résume bien.

Vous chantez votre peine de la perte de votre père, votre quête d’amour, la solitude à deux… Êtes-vous un homme triste, un romantique déçu ?

Non, je ne suis pas déçu. Bien sûr, quand je chante à mon père, cette chanson en est une de circonstance. Il s’agit d’un événement tragique survenu dans ma vie, mais je ne suis pas amer ni déçu, et quand je chante l’amour, je le chante comme je le perçois en 2016. On vit l’amour de façon beaucoup plus individualiste qu’il y a 15 ans. Cela dit, dans cet album il y a aussi des chansons très festives. Je ris de l’infidélité, je parle de la dolce vita… Je crois être plus qu’une seule émotion, je vis des états parfois positifs et parfois je suis en réflexion. Les émotions tristes, il est vrai, font de belles chansons, mais cela prend un tout pour produire un album.

Formidables Femmes d’Espoir - Women Of Hope Photo: Andrew Monia Photography

Vous avez commencé votre carrière en 1999 et depuis, vous avez accumulé les nominations : interprète de l’année, chanson de l’année, album de l’année. Ces reconnaissances sont-elles importantes pour vous ?

Je suis encore un artiste émergent, j’aimerais continuer ma carrière et chanter encore très longtemps. Lorsque je fais un album, c’est un prétexte pour aller vers l’autre, et quand l’autre est présent et attentif, cela me nourrit énormément. Je fais ce métier pour moi, pour le plaisir, par passion pour la musique. La plus belle façon de vivre, c’e st d’écrire. Mon but, c’est de faire une fête, mais il reste que c’est le signe extérieur de la créativité. Produire un CD est un geste créatif personnel, c’est un des aspects du saltimbanque.

Le nouveau spectacle Esprit Libre de Nicola Ciccone se tiendra au Gesù, le jeudi 15 décembre 2016 à 20 h. www.nicolaciccone.com

Bas de vignette : De g. à dr. Patrizia Marsillo, Domenica Giambattista, Grace Lovero, Milene Bento, Yolanda Matowski- Di Schiavi lors du 9e Gala de février dernier à la salle de réception Le Crystal.

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(514) 376-4482 deminicodentaire.com

Au début des années 2000, Domenica Giambattista a perdu sa grande amie, sa mère et ensuite son père des suites d’un cancer. La perte de ces êtres chers l’a profondément affectée. « Je suis tombée en dépression profonde. Je ne savais comment m’en sortir. La disparition de ces trois personnes importantes de ma vie, c’était trop. J’ai véritablement perdu les pédales pendant quelques années. Puis en 2007, je me suis reprise et j’ai compris que je devais agir. J’ai approché des amies en leur disant ‘Les filles, que diriez-vous si nous organisions une soirée dansante pour la recherche sur le cancer ?’ Elles ont répondu présentes ! Le premier événement a été organisé à Montréal, au Buffet Antique. Malgré le peu d’expérience que nous avions, cela a fonctionné. » Depuis, le regroupement FEMMES D’ESPOIR a pris du gallon et organise annuellement une soirée pour célébrer la vie. Le groupe est composé principalement de femmes mûres, toutes bénévoles. L’an dernier, Patrizia Marsillo, une jeune maman de 34 ans, s’est jointe au groupe. « Sa présence est une bouffée de fraîcheur, de jeunesse et de dynamisme. » Quant à Patrizia elle raconte « Je me suis impliquée parce que je veux faire une différence dans la vie des gens.

Je veux aider ces femmes formidables à accomplir la mission qu’elles se sont données, surtout pour le dixième Gala en 2017. » Femmes d’Espoir/Women of Hope est un organisme à but non lucratif dont les profits sont entièrement versés à la Société canadienne pour le cancer. À ce jour plus de 300 000$ ont été amassés. info@femmesdespoir.com/www.womenofhope.ca

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Stage 3 of the Giro d'Italia 2015, near Rapallo, province of Genoa, in Liguria, northern Italy

The Giro d’Italia A remarkable ride down memory lane

By Jesper Storgaard Jensen Photos courtesy of the Giro d'Italia historic archive

T

his year, The Netherlands will have the honour of opening the 99th edition of the Giro d’Italia race on May 6 in the small Dutch city of Apeldoorn. The final sprint will take place on May 29, in Turin, 3,383 kilometres away. A total of 22 cycling teams and 198 riders will soon embark on a new chapter in a bicycle saga that is more than 100 years old. And in all that time, the Giro d’Italia has given rise to many memorable events and memories.

The beginning It was 2:53 in the early morning of May 13, 1909 when 127 riders took off in the very first edition of the Giro d’Italia. The number of stages was eight, the length of the first competition was 2,448 kilometres and every second day was dedicated to restitution. Forty-nine riders managed to complete the race, and when the legendary Giro d’Italia director Armando Cougnet asked the winner, Luigi Ganna (who worked as a bricklayer), how he felt having won the race, Ganna replied in a rather laconic way with his Lombardy accent: “me brusa tanto el cu” (“I have a terrible pain in my behind!”).

Seen in an historic light, the first edition of the Giro d’Italia was a redemption of the beauty of speed. Exactly 50 years earlier, in 1869, Milan’s mayor, Giulio Belinzaghi, had banned the use of the bike in Milan, explaining that it created panic among the city’s pedestrians. By 1909, speed was highly fashionable and the athletes who practiced it were a source of great fascination.

The first and only woman In 1924 the pink jersey worn by riders was symbolic for the only female participant to take part in the Giro d’Italia: Alfonsina Morini. Initially, her participation caused some embarrassment to race organizers, who weren’t used to mixing sport with the topic of gender equality. However, Morini soon became so popular that in an article in the Gazzetta dello Sport, journalist Silvio Zambaldi wrote: “After just two stages Alfonsina’s popularity has risen to PANORAMITALIA.COM

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SPORTS incredible heights.

Along the GenoaFlorence route you could constantly hear people ask, ‘When will she pass by?’ ‘Is she left behind?’ Is she still in the race?’ ” Not in one single stage did Morini finish last in Àthe rankings.

However, on a stage that led to Perugia, she faced huge problems due to the cold and rain. She crashed several times, hurting her knee and arrived in Perugia past the time limit. According to regulations she should have been excluded, but due to her popularity, she was allowed to continue as an “external participant.”

When she arrived in Milan in the final stage, she was completely exhausted but satisfied.

The legend: Alfredo Binda The first legend of the Giro d’Italia was Alfredo Binda. He became the first repeat winner and won in 1925, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1933. The organization considered his supremacy in the years from 1927 to 1929 so frustrating that in 1930 Binda was paid 22,500 lire – the same amount that went to that year’s winner – not to participate! Throughout the Giro d’Italia’s history, only two other riders, Italian Fausto Coppi and Belgian Eddy Merckx, have been able to step into Binda’s footsteps as five-time Giro winners.

Silvie Di Pietro Branch Director Knowledge First Financial Inc. (514)-337-6980 silvie.dipietro@kff-pfs.ca 78

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Bartali and Coppi

The Black Jersey In the years 1946-1951, the Giro seemed to celebrate the famous slogan “bad publicity is better than no publicity,” with a prize awarded to the worst rider (Maglia Nera, The Black Jersey). The last rider could look forward to wine, cheese, salamis, and a cash prize of 60,000 lire (about 1,800 Euro today). The trick was to get the worst overall time without breaking the time limit of each stage, and to do this, the riders had to be equipped with a combination of imagination and lack of shame.

Luigi Malabrocca was a rider who had plenty of both. Once, he even sat in a hotel bathroom for a full hour before he was thrown out. The Black Jersey was named after soccer player Giuseppe Tozzetti who from 1924-31 played for the Casale club, which used a black jersey with a white star. In 1926 he participated in the Giro as an external participant, wearing Casale’s jersey. Tozzetti became popular due to his antics: before every stage he arrived in a taxi, jumped nimbly on his bike, and rode energetically only to take an extended lunch break at a trattoria along the route. He only lasted for three stages. The Black Jersey came to an end in 1951 when many of the serious riders complained that the spectacle undermined the race’s professional integrity.

Bartali and Coppi Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi were of a completely different caliber than the infamous Black Jersey winners. Bartali was nicknamed “il pio” (the pious) and “l'intramontabile” (the immortal), due to his strong Catholic faith and the fact that he never gave up. He won the Giro three times and the Tour de France twice in the years from 1936 to 1948, while Coppi, perhaps the strongest Italian rider ever, captured five Giros, two Tour de France championships and won various first rankings in classics like Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix between 1940 and 1952. The rivalry between the two riders in the post Second World War period was so intense that it nearly split Italy in two parts: ardent supporters of Bartali (known as Bartaliani) and those who rooted for Coppi (Coppiani). Together, Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi are considered national treasures of Italy’s cycling history.

The 2016 edition of the Giro d’Italia takes place from May 6 – May 28 from Apeldoorn in Holland to Turin in Italy.

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