FEATURES

from The Foothills Focus - Zone 2 - 12.22.2021

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Pomodoro swimming in Italian tradition

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

Foothills Focus Executive Editor

Viola Tagliaferri and her husband, Federico Venturini, of Pomodoro Italian Grill and Seafood, will show foodies how Christmas Eve is celebrated in their home country with the Feast of the Seven Fishes.

The Cave Creek restaurant’s $70 per person menu includes frittura di calamari e gamberi (fried calamari and shrimp); mousse di baccalà su crostini di polenta (salt cod mousse on polenta crostini); polpo grigliato e verdure (grilled octopus and vegetables); cozze e vongole saltate (sautéed mussels and clams); seven pesci cioppino (seven fishes cioppino) and ravioli aragosta o salmone Mediterraneo (ravioli lobster or Mediterranean salmon).

“It’s a tradition in Italy to have a big fish dinner with family and friends,” said Tagliaferri, the head chef.

“The menu will be a mix of appetizers, plus a choice of entrée. It’s a simple menu: many different fishes cooked different ways. It’s an Italian tradition and people who know about it are interested to come. We are excited.”

This is Pomodoro’s third year serving the Christmas Eve meal. Tagliaferri pre-

The grilled salmon that is part of the Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes special from Chef Viola Tagliaferri of Pomodoro Italian Grill and Seafood. (Photo by David Minton) see FEAST Page 16

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Chef Viola Tagliaferri of Pomodoro Italian Grill and Seafood plates the grilled octopus with vegetables that is part of their Feast of the Seven Fishes for Christmas Eve. (Photo by David

FEAST From Page 15

viously held a special dinner for friends and family at the couple’s other restaurant, Pizzicata Ristorante Pizzeria in Carefree.

“It was a little more like family and friends,” she said about the Pizzicata offering.

“His family was over for Christmas, so we invited customers who became friends. It was a traditional dinner, all together, and it was very nice.”

For New Year’s Eve, Pomodoro will stick with family traditions and an expanded menu.

“I’m going to do something with lentils,” she said. “It’s good luck in Italy for the new year.”

Venturini and Tagliaferri moved from Gualdo Tadino, Italy to the Valley in December 2018. Pomodoro was opened in 2020, featuring the couple’s deep-rooted Italian heritage and authentic hospitality. It’s pure Italy, from the dining experience to the imported Italian ingredients to the cocktail menu and decor.

Prior to the couple moving to the Vallley in 2018, Venturini visited Arizona to gauge the culture, economy and small business landscape.

During one of his trips, he met Phil Igneri, who visited the couple for a summer in Italy. The three forged a partnership over family farm tours. In 2019, the trio opened Pizzicata and a year later, Pomodoro joined the family, offering elevated Italian cuisine. Tagliaferri’s Pomodoro menu boasts authentic Italian pasta dishes and land and sea (terre e mare) family recipes.

Staying with tradition, Tagliaferri uses olive oil from her family’s olive farm, cured meats from Italy and local in-season vegetables.

Complementing the food is an extensive beverage program helmed by bar manager Roman Khomoutinnikov. The menu features a fine wine list with more than 70% from Italy.

“Most of the menu is from central Italy,” Tagliaferri said about the food. “Sometimes we do a wine-tasting dinner, and we go from the south to the north to

Minton)

Christmas: when God came near

CHURCH COMMUNITY CONNECTION Pastor Ed Delph

Foothills Focus Columnist

Let me introduce you to a friend of mine, Dr. Ted Baehr. He is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Movieguide and a respected movie critic. Dr. Baehr comes from a Hollywood family. Both his father and his grandfather starred in major movies and television series.

Last November, I heard Dr. Baehr speak about the elements required in every great movie or book. Here’s a summary of some of what he shared with the audience. Read on. You will like this.

First, you need a premise. The premise is the idea behind the movie or book. The premise is, “Where you’re going and why you’re going there. You give a premise and then fulfill the premise.” Then you need a plot. The plot is, “How you’re going to get there.” The plot is the vehicle to communicate the idea or premise. And the process of arriving at the premises should be painful or challenging.

The plot consists of characters, dialogue, themes, and the setting or backdrop of the movie or book. Characters are, “Who goes there and whom they meet.” Themes are the interactions between characters along the way that meet. The setting is where the plot happens and includes both music and spectacle. And a good movie, a story or a book always has a starting point and an ending point.

Being a writer of sorts, I thought about Dr. Baehr’s speech. And by the time you read this article, it will be Christmas Eve. So, let’s apply those elements to the first Christmas.

Talk about intrigue. The first Christmas was full of possibilities for a full-length drama. The first Christmas was the stuff that movie directors and producers scan the horizon for. Only this time, there was no fantasy but plenty of spectacles. It was for real, for all people, for all time. This time, the author, director and producer is God, the Great I Am, The Lord of all creation.

Consider the setting and backdrop. The times were tough. The dark night and straggling confusion added to the drama. The oppressive Roman government decreed that everyone in Israel return home to their birth cities for tax registration. Most likely, that would mean higher taxes. So, the roads were filled with people going to and from their birth cities. There was bedlam in Bethlehem. And there was no room in Bethlehem’s numerous inns.

The characters were angels from heaven who introduced a new hit song to shepherds on the side of a hill at night. That was impressive. But it only gets better. One very pregnant teenager and her betrothed who had never had sex were journeying to his birthplace called Bethlehem. There would be consequences of the worst sort from Rome if they didn’t. To top it all off, she was getting ready to deliver the child, and the donkey on which she rode didn’t come with shock absorbers. When they finally arrived, the expectant mother was in labor, and the only place in Bethlehem for them to stay was in a stable.

Now the stage was set, the starting point was established, the angels’ spectacle was over the top, and the music concert, although numerically small, was heavenly. Amid this drama, the main character Jesus was born. Now all is calm, and all is bright. There was a pause for us to catch our breath. But unthinkable events and characters were on their way.

Enter the good guys (Magi from the east) and the villain (Herod). You know the story. Kings from the east came to Jerusalem, led by a star so evident that you couldn’t miss it. They asked, “Where is the King of the Jews, that we may worship him?” King Herod and all of Jerusalem panicked. What does this mean? At Herod’s request, the Jewish chief priests looked at Scripture prophecy and determined the birthplace of Christ was Bethlehem. Herod sent the Magi to Bethlehem and asked them to inform him when they found Jesus so He could also worship. Sure enough, the star reappeared and led them to the Christ-child. They gave him gifts fit for a king. After that, the Magi were warned not to report back to Herod in a dream.

Then God’s angel appears to Joseph and says, “Get up. Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt. Stay until further notice. Herod is on the hunt for this child and wants to kill him.” So Joseph did as he was told.

When he realized that the Magi had not reported to him, Herod flew into a rage. He ordered the murder of every little boy in the Bethlehem area, 2 years old and under. The conclusion of the first Christmas was when the angel appeared again to Joseph and announced that Herod was dead and for him to re-enter Israel.

That was a fantastic event. It has all the elements that Dr. Baehr mentioned. But what is the premise

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FEAST From Page 16

try to discover different kitchens.

“But we’re always really attached to traditional food. I like to keep it traditional, so when people come in, they feel like they are in Italy. It’s not modified. Everything comes from family recipes.”

Family meals and tradition are important to Tagliaferri and Venturini. Her grandmother strived to find quality ingredients, meat and fish. When the meal was served in her hometown of Gubbio, Italy, the family took their time, enjoying each other’s company.

“It’s nice when I see people who enjoy the food and they leave the restaurant happy,” Tagliaferri said about Pomodoro.

“They have a good time around the table with good food and wine. We’re giving them a good time. In the U.S., people don’t really take that much time to sit at a table with family and friends and just enjoy the meal — no rush.

“I think we are trying to give them that kind of experience. I had a big family. Between cousins, uncles, parents, aunts and us five children, there were at least 25 people. It’s like a small restaurant there.”

Pomodoro’s menu continually evolves, based on customer requests. Tagliaferri removed filet mignon from the menu because of rising costs and her desire not to overcharge customers. When guests asked for its return, she obliged. The veal chop parmigiana, which was once housed on the menu, is now on the list of specials.

“We have extra specials so people can try different things,” Tagliaferri said. “Of course, it depends on what I find at the market at a reasonable price. It’s hard to find things. They’re expensive and hard to find. Sometimes it’s a challenge.”

Six months ago, Tagliaferri began serving infused pasta and fettuccine. The options include fettuccine infused with tomatoes and garlic, served with lobster meat, lobster tail and marinara sauce; parsley- and lemon-infused linguini served with pesto and shrimp; and fettuccine infused with mushrooms and rosemary and served with mushrooms and cherry tomatoes in a creamy sauce.

“Some will eat the pasta with just butter and parmesan,” she said. “You can taste the ingredients, and the color looks very nice on the plate.”

From top, seven fishes cioppino, sautèed mussels and clams, fried calamari and shrimp, salt cod mousse on polenta crostini and grilled octopus with vegetables that is part of the Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes special from Chef Viola Tagliaferri of Pomodoro Italian

Grill and Seafood. (Photo by David Minton)

DELPH From Page 18

behind the first Christmas? What is God trying to reveal to us? Biblically, I think there are three crucial things in the first Christmas.

First, God reveals to us; sin separates us from God and each other. Sin is just missing God’s best for us. When our desires lead us, we don’t make things better; we make them worse. And we get stuck, “…in sin and error pining.” God doesn’t want us separated from Him or each other.

Second, God reveals to us, “Here is what you look like, what you do, without Me.” You become a type of Herod. Herods love being in control. Herods will do anything to be in control, even killing young children or anything that has to do with God.

Last and most important, God says, “We don’t have to be separated. I became flesh so that you know what I’m like. Christ is the way for you to rejoin Me.” There is a way back to God, and that is through God Himself. You don’t have to be a frightened Herod.

So, there you go, why not have your first Christmas this Christmas by receiving Christ into your heart? God just came near to you.

Ed Delph is a noted author of 10 books, as well as a pastor, teacher, former business owner and speaker. He has traveled extensively, having been to more than 100 countries. He is president of NationStrategy, a nonprofit organization involved in uplifting and transforming communities worldwide. For more information, see nationstrategy. com. He may be contacted at nationstrategy@cs.com. Ravioli lobster, served on pink vodka sauce that is part of the Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes special from Chef Viola Tagliaferri of Pomodoro Italian Grill and Seafood. (Photo by David

Minton)

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