Della Lingua Italiana

Newsletter (Bacheca) Volume 21– No. 6 Jan-Feb., 2019

Pres Message Il messaggio del presidente:

Dear members: Cari membri, As we approach the New Year I want to wish all of you Con l'occasione del nuovo anno, faccio gli auguri a voi e and your families the very best wishes for a happy and famiglie di un prospero 2019. prosperous 2019. I know for sure that many of us will So già che molti di noi dovranno affrontare risoluzioni e have to face new challenging resolutions and testing situazioni alquanto complicate con altrettante difficili situations. Let’s dig deep and hold strong, meeting and soluzioni, cerchiamo quindi, nella nostra profondità, di overcoming them head on .At the same time let us make aggrappare a testa alta ogni avversità. it a point to enjoy all the happy and meaningful moments Nel medesimo tempo facciamo in modo di godere tutti i that will likewise bring us immense satisfaction and momenti felici e significativi che ci porteranno immense laughter. As I mentioned in earlier messages, we will soddisfazioni ed allegria. continue to bring to you varied and interesting Serata Come già menzionato, continueremo a presentarvi con programs as well as specific events that will surely serate interessanti ed eventi che sicuramente metteranno in enhance our Italian traditions and customs. Looking back risalto la cultura e tradizioni italiane. In riguardo all'ultimo to our last event, the Festa di Natale, I can proudly say evento: la Festa di Natale, sono orgoglioso di dire che è that it turned out to be a huge success and therefore I want stato un grande successo, ringrazio tutti per il vostro to thank all for their support and attendance in spite of the appoggio nonostante siate stati molto occupati con le feste very busy Christmas season. The generous donations in natalizie. Grazie per la vostra generosità di varie offerte, the form of varied gifts and food certificates were warmly cibo prelibato e buoni regalo. Specialmente i squisitissimi welcomed. Not to mention, the truly outstanding and dolci preparati da voi tutti per la nostra Tavola di Dolci. super delicious offerings of cakes, and pies Nel momento in cui leggerete questa mia, le classi di adorning our Dolci Table. By the time you read this, our italiano avranno cominciato, sicuramente gli studenti non Italian language classes will have already started and I’m vedranno l'ora di imparare cose nuove e interessanti. Molti sure all our students are looking forward to another di loro viaggeranno con noi in Italia ad aprile e potranno learning adventure, this second half of the year. Many of così approfondire gli studi delle regioni che visiteranno. them will be traveling with us on our April trip to Un ringraziamento particolare a Anna e Nancy per la loro and deepening their knowledge of all the Italian regions dedizione al programma scolastico. Il collegamento con that we will be visiting. Another special thanks goes out to Rowan College a Burlington County continua a progredire Anna and Nancy ,for their assiduous dedication to our e sicuramente si rivelerà un tentativo fruttuoso e school programs. Our association with the Rowan College appagante. Rimanete in contatto per ulteriori eventi in at Burlington County continues to grow and will prove a queste sedi. fruitful and fulfilling endeavor ,so stay tuned for more Ogni suggerimento per migliorare qualsiasi aspetto del possible events at this venue. Any suggestions for club sono sempre apprezzati, cerchiamo di rimanere improvement by you all with regard to any aspects positivi e sforziamoci di raggiungere tutti i nostri obiettivi. regarding our Club, are very appreciated . Let us start on a In conclusione, continuate a sostenere il club e diffondete good note and strive to accomplish all the goals we have parola con i vostri amici in modo che possano unirsi a noi set for ourselves and the Club. In closing , please per aumentare l'appartenenza e condividere le nostre continue to support our Club and try to spread the word to attività. Infine, speriamo che il tempo invernale sia molto others so that they may join us toward increasing our mite ! membership and sharing special moments together. Lastly, a very special wish for mild winter weather! Che Dio benedica l'America, l'Italia è tutti noi. May God bless America, Italy and us all ! Gregorio 1 Gregorio

PERSON of the YEAR prepared foods bordered the birds - chicken cutlets, “polpette,” and “peperoni ripieni” – perfect for The Amici Board has decided to quick preparation after a day of touring. As I ogled Honor a member of the club who has contributed to these alluring offerings, a bit of chatter coming the community or the Amici Della Lingua Italiana from my left caught my attention. A small group of club at our October Serata, Italian Heritage Month. tourists on a foodie excursion were attempting to Nominations will be accepted from any club member name the items in a neighboring case. The butcher, in good standing. overhearing their conversation, quickly corrected Criteria: their misidentification of the organ meats. 1) Active member of the club in good standing. Reaching into the case, he retrieved two large hunks of organ meat, held them together, and 2) Makes outstanding contributions to the Italian- chanted, “il cuore, il cuore.” The bin behind that American community which had held the halved bovine heart contained and or to the Amici Club. sliced liver, another held a plastic bag stuffed with

tendons, and next to those bins were two containing 3) Members’ service promotes the what appeared to be thick, flesh-toned, haphazardly Italian culture and heritage. folded rubbery blankets, smooth on one side and

4) Written nominations accepted from any member honey-combed or carpet-like on the other. Tripe. I in good standing by August 31 of said year. couldn’t even begin to fathom how one would order “tripe for two,” let alone how to cook it. I’ll take 5) Presentation to the Board for final review and two chicken cutlets, thank you. I’m forced by my vote will commence by the monthly October Board travelling partner, my sister who is an equestrian, to Meeting. bypass the “carne equina,” although some dried horse sausage looked appetizing. At the end of the 6) The award does not necessarily have to be given aisle, two fish venders artfully displayed the day’s annually. catch in ice-filled Styrofoam boxes and decorative baskets. Even though I could identify most of the Effective January 1, 2019 fish, I’d rarely seen such an extensive variety of crustaceans and mollusks with their arms, legs, This honor will be in lieu of the annual Mother/Father of antennae, tentacles, and eyes intact. Since the the Year awards previously given in years past. invention of the Nobel Prize worthy squid cleaning Motioned/Accepted - the Amici Board machine in the 1980s, I’ve needed to do little more than slice and dice tubes and tentacles to recreate Festa Di Natale 2018 my mother’s mouthwatering seafood dishes. While the unprocessed, as-they-swim-in-the-sea offerings seemed to guarantee the seafood’s

freshness, I settled for a tuna steak that I could

quickly pan fry. As my purchase was being wrapped, I tried not to look into the eye – the one facing skyward – or stare at the gaping mouth of the enormous tuna that was now missing two-thirds of itself. I prayed a silent thanks for the life that had been sacrificed to sustain my own, grabbed my parcel, and headed for the . Having quickly selected bread and , I exited the market to begin the short walk to the apartment that had become my home away from home. A small box truck was parked at the curb. I didn’t notice any markings on the truck, perhaps because I was immediately distracted by the clattering of the 2

Lucky in Love commemorative, and richly symbolically. It is perhaps by Sue Nanfeldt the simplicity of this favor that lead to its decline in usage as contemporary couples abandoned old-fashioned I remember attending so many weddings as a child, in the tradition for more unique and trendy thank you gifts for era when children could attend because receptions were their guests. But as with fashion, vinyl records, movie simple events hosted in ordinary neighborhood banquet remakes, and milk in glass bottles, classic vintage items and trends predictably resurface, although often with a halls with decent food and live bands and could be paid for without taking out a second mortgage. There was no modern twist. And so it is with bomboniere and confetti, wedding planner offering a plethora of options or which was the thank you favor at my son and daughter-in- Pinterest packed with alluring ideas. All weddings were law’s bridal shower. Five confetti in a small stemless somewhat similar. The format was predictable, from the wine glass personalized with their names, wedding date, modest entrance of the bridal party and bride and groom, and the phrase “Lucky in Love.” to the first dance, and the father/daughter dance, usually to Daddy’s Little Girl. There was no cocktail hour. A NON PARLI ITALIANO simple dinner was served with pitchers of soda on the Italian is the fastest dying language in the US tables and a slice of wedding cake for . Although Submitted by Vera Agarwal these characteristics could probably describe any wedding of that era, some items that seemed to my young mind As they say in Italian, Cosi va il mondo. For our US readers, common at a wedding were indeed common only because hardly any of whom speak the language anymore, let me they had their origins in Italian tradition. translate: “So the world goes.” At my family’s weddings, after the meal, the bride would visit her guests table by table, carrying a white satin From 2001 to 2017, the number of Americans speaking pouch, la borsa, into which the guests would unabashedly Italian at home dropped from almost 900,000 to just over 550,000, an incredible 38% reduction in just 16 years. place la busta, the envelope with a card expressing well Among languages with at least 100,000 US speakers in 2001, wishes for a happy future and a cash gift to help the no language saw a larger decrease, in either absolute or young couple establish themselves financially as they left percentage terms—though Hungarian was close by the homes of their childhoods to establish for the first percentage. The data is from the US Census. time an independent household. Tacky by today’s standard of gift registries and creatively themed baskets Fastest declining languages spoken at home in the US or boxes positioned in a lobby or corner of the reception room where guests can discreetly place their financial Language 2001 2017 Change donations, the Italian American bride’s table rounds and satin bag reflected the simplistic understanding of hard working immigrants who, through their own struggles, Italian 893,000 554,000 -38% shared an understanding of the practicalities of life and the utility of cold hard cash. In addition to the useful tradition of la busta, another icon Hungarian 104,000 64,000 -38% of Italian American weddings was le bomboniere with confetti. Italian confetti are not the small bits of colorful paper thrown in celebration, but are small sugar coated almonds wrapped in tulle and tied with a ribbon German 1,203,000 905,000 -25% personalized with the couple's names and wedding date. Sometimes attached was a small ceramic knickknack. The hard, thick outer shell of sugar over the slightly bitter Greek 341,000 269,000 -21% almond represented the wish that the couple’s life together would be more sweet than bitter, and the number of confetti in the bomboniere also had significance. Typically there were five, one each for health, wealth, Polish 604,000 512,000 -15% happiness, children, and a long life. Simple, inexpensive,

French 1,349,000 1,185,000 -12%

The rapid decline of Italian in the US is due to two major factors. The first one is very simple. There are many fewer Italian- 3 born residents of the US today. The population fell from about 530,000 in 2001 to under 400,000 in 2017. This with 15 employees who make an average 6,000 pizzelle a explains about 40% of the fall in Italian speakers. The lack day. There these sweets, or "i dolci" in Italian, are being of migration to the US is largely due to the increasing traditionally made from sifted flour, fresh eggs, sugar, baking prosperity of Italy across second half of the 20th century— powder, vegetable oil and natural flavorings, especially anise. while US GDP per person was almost double that of Italy in They are pressed in irons in keeping with what owner 1960, it is only about 50% greater today. Also, free Tom Whitman says is the company motto of his other Del movement within the EU made migrating to the UK, Buono's bakery businesses: “ 'Quality is How We Roll,' or in another rich English-speaking country, more appealing this case, how they press.''“It’s very old-school like our than going to the US. The number of Italians grew by bakery, but with high production and we only use high- almost 70,000 in the UK from 2000 to 2017. The other quality ingredients — nothing artificial,” says owner Tom 60% of the fall is mostly accounted for by assimilation. Whitman, who also owns Del Buono’s Bakery and factory in From 1930 to 1970, there were more foreign-born residents Haddon Heights and its retail outlets in Marlton and Stratford. of the US from Italy than any other country. As these All sell the Heights factory breads and rolls and also the immigrants die and their descendants start families in which pizzelle, biscotti chocolate-covered and pound cake they speak primarily English, the number of Italian speakers made at the Bellmawr plant. “My employees do this work dwindles further. The number of German speakers in the US with care and put love into it.” Subsequent to buying the is falling for similar reasons. Though Italian is in decline, bakery three years ago from Nino Del Buono, Whitman due to an increase in immigrants from Asia and Latin purchased the privately owned pizzelle company in America, the number of Americans that speak a language Bellmawr, which traditionally had been supplying its besides English at home is rising. Just 11% of US citizens products to the bakery in Haddon Heights and to its two other spoke another language at home in 1980, compared to 22% retail outlets. “I wanted to expand our pizzelle sales, but they in 2016. As my colleague Ananya Bhattacharya points out, couldn’t supply me with enough, so I bought the company Italian Classes 2015-2016 Schedule 2015 the increase in the number of speakers of South Asian and added employees and pizzelle irons,” Whitman Sep. 15 Registration 7:00 to 8:30 PM languages, like Telugu, is more than making up for the loss exp lained. The licorice-like anise seed or anise oil is the Sep. 22 Registration/Class 7:00 to 8:30 PM of Italian. traditional flavor although vanilla, lemon and other flavors Sep. 29 ADLI Serata Italiana –Dinner By Dan KopfNovember 30, 2018 later evolved. This fall the factory made seven flavors that Oct. 6 Class 7:00 to 8:30 PM include almond, lemon, chocolate, vanilla and the seasonal Oct. 13 Class 7:00 to 8:30 Italian Heritage pumpkin. “But by far, our best seller is the anise,” Whitman celebration The Ancient Pizelle by Carol Comegno Oct. 20 Class 7:00 to 8:30 quickly added as he led a tour of the small factory. An Oct. 27 ADLI Serata Italiana Dinner intense anise aroma from the oil flavoring used in the Nov. 3 Class 7:00 to 8:30 PM One of the world’s ancient Christmas cookies is still popular today the Italian pizzelle, a flat waffle with production permeates every nook and cranny of the Bellmawr Nov. 10 Class 7:00 to 8:30 PM factory, which has no conveyer belts or fancy pressing Nov. 17 Cooking Class 6:30 to 9:00 PM snowflake or other delicate, double-sided designs. Nov. 24 ADLI Serata Italiana – Dinner In the U.S. they are traditionally round but some carry a machinery. Workers form their own assembly line around large tables and a wall of irons for handling the ingredient Thanksgiving lacy, scalloped edge. They can be eaten several ways — Dec. 1 Class 7:00 to 8:30 PM plain or with powered sugar, rolled into shells for mixing, pouring, pressing, trimming of the warm cookies’ Dec. 8 Class 7:00 to 8:30 PM when freshly made and still warm or as a sweet sandwich lacy edges, stacking and packaging. Factory manager Cheryl Dec. 16 Celebrations of Christmas with jelly, ricotta cream or ice cream or between two Hauske works right alongside chief baker Victor Regino and Traditions the other employees as part of the team. “We take care in 2016 of the delicate cookies. Pizzelle originated centuries ago in Jan. 12 Class 7:00 to 8:30 PM the region of south-central Italy, according to 19th- making a great product and we take pride in what we do,” she said. After an employee drops batter into the two molds of Jan. 19 Class 7:00 to 8:30 PM century Italian historian Giuseppe Tassini, and are still Jan. 26 ADLI Serata Italiana - Dinner each iron from a bag, another worker follows him or common in the neighboring regions of (formerly part Feb. 2 Class 7:00 to 8:30 PM of Abruzzo) and Lazio, home of Rome. Some say their her down the line to close each iron lid. A pizzelle cooks in Feb. 9 Class 7:00 to 9:00 PM heritage can be traced to a similar Roman sweet dating to the just about a minute. Usually only one employee wields the Feb. 16 Class 7:00 to 8:30 PM pizzelle trimmer, banging it down over three warm pizzelle at Feb 23 ADLI Serata Italiana - Dinner 8th century and called crustule or crustulum. Mar. 1 Class 7:00 to 8:30 PM Also known by the names ferratelle or cancelle, pizzelle time after they are removed from the irons and tossed onto the production table with spatulas. Del Buono’s uses its own Mar. 8 Class 7:00 to 8:30 PM means little and comes from the Italian word “pizze,” Mar. 15 Cooking Class 6:30 to 9:00 PM meaning round or flat. Some people pronounce the cookie pizzelle recipe, but also makes the cookies for other Mar. 22 Class 7:00 to 8:30 PM name “pizzell,” using the old-school Abruzzo dialect and companies, such as Cento Fine Foods, a South Jersey-based Mar. 29 ADLI Pasquetta Dinner dropping the final vowel “e” (piz-zell-a). Regardless of what company that supplies its own pizzelle recipe to Del Buono’s Apr. 5 Class 7:00 to 8:30 PM to make them for its Little Gina’s Pizzelle subsidiary. Apr. 12 Class 7:00 to 8:30 PM people call them, Italians and non-Italians alike have their Apr. 19 Class 7:00 to 8:30 PM preference for a particular flavor and how they like their Pizzelle were first made centuries ago and one at a time using a long-handled, double iron held over a stove or flame and Apr. 26 ADLI Serata Italiana – Dinner cookie pressed – either very thin and light as a snowflake or May 3 Class 7:00 to 8:30 thicker and more crispy. That is why devoted pizzelle turned over for even browning on both sides. By the 20th May 10 Class 7:00 to 9:00 devotees usually prefer to make them at home instead of century the introduction of the two-waffle, electric pizzelle May 17 Last day 7:00 to 8:30– Please come buying a national manufacturer's brand at a supermarket. iron made the job easier. Another South Jersey food to receive your Certificate business, Valente’s Italian Specialties, a new retail food and Certificates of Completion will be given to However, there are a few Italian businesses that make them food-related products store at 7 Kings Court just off Kings students that had a 70% attendance rate locally. Tucked away in a nondescript building with no name on Browning Road in Bellmawr is Del Buono’s Highway in downtown Haddonfield, makes anise, vanilla and Pizzelle Company, an unautomated, hands-on operation 4 chocolate-hazelnut (Nutella) pizzelle for the Christmas holiday.

- The store also carries both the electric and old-fashioned, hand-held irons. “Nostalgia is big part of our store and we try to bring the old-world feel here. Pizzelle and many of the foods we sell we had growing up. They were made by my January Birthdays 19-Loretta Breslin nonna (grandmother) and then by my mother,” said Marcello 4-Sandy Paglione 10-Ernelio Giudici De Feo, whose mom was from a Valente family in Bisenti, 6-George Villano 20-Michael Judge Abruzzo. “We always had pizzelle at the Easter and 10-Johanna Green 21-Anna DeCristofaro Christmas holidays. A lot of our customers have Italian roots 12-Brian Massimi 23-Antonio Patalano and have been asking for them,” said the owner, who also 12-Linda Rinaldi brings his Italian fare to the Rittenhouse Farmers Market in 25-Barbara Sprowl Philadelphia on Saturdays. To DeFeo, making pizzelle by 13-John Gibson 29-Francesca Rocco hand is “certainly a labor of love for something that takes 15-Yasuko Candelieri 30-Angela Petrarca about three seconds to eat.” He also remembers having pizzelle at Italian weddings, often sprinkled with Special Speaker Theresa Avallone grew up in an Italian confectioner’s powdered sugar and “confetti,” white candy- neighborhood in South Philadelphia, but she was always coated almonds. “It’s a bit of heresy to stray from anise, but better known as Frankie’s sister. Frankie became a singer, as kids we liked the vanilla flavor because we would make teen idol and then film star in the 1950s and 1960s who had sandwiches with them using Nutella spread. Del Buono’s changed his name slightly to become known as Frankie pizzelle also are sold at food stores, such as McFarlan’s Avalon. His song, “Venus” is one of the best known of the Market at 27 S. Centre St. in” Merchantville and 741 Haddon 50s era and he appeared in many movies, including with John Avenue in Collingswood, which bakes many of its but Wayne, Ray Milland and in a series of beach party movies not pizzelle or biscotti. “They are nice to eat around the with former Disney mouseketeer Annette Funicello. Theresa holiday, but we order them all year long because they are very eventually married to become Theresa Belfiore, moved to popular with our customers as old-fashioned, local baked Cherry Hill and started a successful tomato canning business goods you can’t find enough of,” said Wendy Sheriff, in South Jersey with her son Stephen, a business which her MacFarlan’s grocery manager, who orders them from Del famous brother helps to promote. Come to the Jan. 29 serata Buono’s. Even her 86-year-old, non-Italian father started dinner at 6:30 p.m. at Casamari in Burlington Township and making pizzelle after he worked as a painter with an Italian find out what life was like with young Frankie, who now lives paper hanger who introduced him to them 45 years ago. Her in California, and how and why she started her crushed dad fills tin cans with them and gives them as gifts to friends tomato business. She donates part of the sales revenue to a at Christmas. McFarlan’s customer Gregory Campana nonprofit organization. Theresa’s tomatoes are sold retail at frequently comes into the store looking for the Italian waffle South Jersey food stores, but she will have cans for sale at the wafers to arrive. He prefers the thicker Del Buono’s pizzelle serata. and biscotti because he says they have a stronger flavor and aroma. A local painter and wallpaper hanger who operates his own business, Campana also enjoys sharing his pizzelle with strangers. “When I buy them in the morning, I walk across the street to the café and hand them out to all the diners to have with their breakfast or coffee.” Joseph Paglione, who was born in Capracotta, Molise, and owns Paglione Clothing men's store in Burlington City, always makes his own at home, preferring the treat as thin as a lace doily. Paglione brings them to his store to hand out to customers and he always has on hand as well because, he says, pizzelle and coffee are "perfect together," Reach Carol Comegno: @carolcomegno; 856-486-2473; ccomegno@gannettnj,com

Membership Renewals will be arriving in your mailboxes soon. PLEASE complete Italian and remit dues for your club membership. Class Festa Membership cards will be distributed at Di Natale February Serata, February language classes or via mail.

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Jan.29, 2019 6:30PM Sharp Casamari’s Italian Traditions 710 Sunset Rd., Burlington Township, NJ (609) 387-7333

Music By Mikolko Special Speaker Theresa Avallone

Menu -Salad

1)Seafood Cioppino (Shrimp,Mussels,Clams,Calamari,Scallops,Fresh Cod) served with Crostini

2)Veal Parm with Angel Hair

3) with Chicken

-House Dessert

Contact: Debra Vombrack 609-261-4951 or [email protected]

“Please leave your name, Telephone number, Choice of Dinner,

and the number of attendees on the voice message.”

Reservations by Friday, Jan 25, 2019

$28 per person (Cash only )

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DellaLingua Italiana

Jan.-Feb, 2019 Grazie Mille The Festa di Natale was a wonderful party. We shared Plenty of food, delicious , music and dancing Visit us on Facebook: to Italian songs all evening. A special thanks to our generous donors for the gift basket items: Vera Agarwal, https://www.facebook.com Diane & Vince Bonanno, Delia Kane, Giorgio /amiciclubburl Save the Date Buongiovanni, Aldo Marcozzi, Enrico & Carol Calabrese, Susan Nanfeldt, Mario & Anna Chuliver, Anthony & Pamela D’Errico, Joe & Peggy Jan. 29 Serata *Please check out our Paglione, Pat Smarrito, Debra Vombrack, Don & Elise Feb. 26 Serata Tretola, and George Villano & Rosemary DiYenno. To BRAND NEW

the members of the Festa di Natale committee; Anthony D’Errico, Roberto Durante, Susan Nanfeldt, Laurie : WEBSITE Strucke, and Giorgio Buongiovanni a deep gratitude for http://www.amiciclub all your assistance in making a beautiful night a shining success. ofburlco.com/ Debra Vombrack-Festa di Natale Coordinator By Gregory A.

Candelieri Jr.

From: ADLI Stamp PO Box 1221 Burlington , NJ 08016

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