INSIDE: Three Famous Italian Libraries 5 Help for Mobility Challenged Train Travelers 6 Making Mosaics in Rome 7 All photos by Jerome Levine All photos by New Puglia Resort 8 Malatestiana Library Linda Park Lyons Linda Park Giovanni serves dinner Visit Europe’s dream of First Public Library ® in Cesena f you’re a lover of books and libraries like I am, you’ll get a I rush stepping inside what is said to be the first public and monastic library in Europe, Istituzione Biblioteca Malatestiana or the Volume 11, Issue 1 www.dreamofitaly.com February 2012 Malatestiana Library. The experience ITALY is made even more remarkable when you learn that despite wars and Home Food: natural disasters, the building, furnishings and manuscripts have all Dinner with the Locals remained virtually untouched since the structure was built in the middle had been trying to attend a homes for lovingly prepared meals of the 15th century. I Home Food meal at a private featuring traditional regional recipes home in Italy since I first learned of the (usually passed down through the On a recent road trip along the Via organization in the winter of 2005. families of the cesarini) and local Emilia (the ancient Roman road that Somehow the stars never aligned until ingredients. “Home Food’s mission is runs from Rimini to Piacenza), my this past fall when a dinner in Florence based on the idea that good traditional husband and I had the opportunity to fit perfectly in my food can be a tool to build up and visit an abundance of impressive schedule. And may I say, preserve a culture,” fortresses, castles and churches in a it was worth the wait… says director Cristina land that is rich with layers of history. Fortini. It is a unique But when we stopped to tour the Preserving a Food opportunity to connect small town of Cesena, near the center Culture with local Italians (most of the province of Emilia-Romagna, we speak fluent English) chanced upon the Malatestiana Home Food is non-profit and enjoy an incredible Library, an unexpected gem at the cultural association that Lyons Linda Park meal. foot of the verdant Appenine seeks to protect and Mountains. promote Italy’s gastronomic heritage. It I had been receiving the Home Food was founded by Egeria Di Nallo, a emails with their schedule of meals The local tourist office provided the sociologist at the University of (mostly dinners but sometimes assistance of a delightful English Bologna, and is supported in part by lunches) for the coming months. Home interpreter, Nicoletta Spinolo, who the Italian Ministry of Agriculture. A Food has 20 to 25 meals planned each accompanied us on the short walk network of guest cooks (cesarini — month during the summer, fewer at along cobbled streets to the Basilica meaning “little Caesars”) welcome other times of the year. Though there Domenica Malatesta Novella, which Italians and foreigners alike into their continued on page 2 continued on page 4 Home Food has 10,000 members. Home Food continued from page 1 “Therefore, to the question that asks b him from where his passion for cooking Giovanni’s was born, he answers: ‘Like everything ITALIAN in life, it originates from love.’” PEAR CAKE are now cesarini in many parts of Italy, They escort us into the colorful, the most popular offerings are in antiques-and painting-filled Bologna, Rome and Tuscany. living/dining room where a fire is blazing in the fireplace, and two other I chose a dinner called “The cooking: a Home Food guests, newlyweds Linda passion born from love, like anything and Richard Parks from Dallas, are else in life…with Giovanni in waiting. As we gather around Florence” and paid online for both a Giovanni’s table topped with Asian- required membership in inspired, antique plates Home Food and the and stemware, I pick up dinner. Fortini contacted the evening’s program Ingredients me to find out if my and menu sitting next to February 2012 2.2 lbs pears mother (who would be my plate and read a bit 2 3 eggs joining me) and I had why Giovanni is our 7 tbsp butter any food allergies, as she host tonight: 1 cup flour could make sure ½ cup sugar Giovanni accommodated “Everything started Linda Park Lyons Linda Park vanilla-flavored sugar us. A few weeks ahead, many years ago when, 1 dose yeast she sent me Giovanni’s almost aged thirty, he 1 glass milk full name, address and decided to leave his Directions phone numbers. home in the province, in www.dreamofitaly.com his native city of Carrara, Mix and whisk all the ingredients Dinner in Florence that had become too together in a bowl. much narrow to end Pour the mixture into a baking When the night of the there his exploration of pan previously greased dinner arrives, I admit life, and to arrive in and sprinkled that I’m a bit nervous. I’ve traveled to Firenze, a city of wide breath. Here, with flour. Italy dozens of times and been to many firstly he became a student of a small Italian homes, so I am surprised by this private school of restoration, Top with the peeled pears feeling and should encourage others supporting himself in a rented flat by cut into quarters. not to miss a Home Food dinner just doing his previous job, and then he also Put pan into oven and bake because it might be a little out of your met people who changed and enriched at 340 degrees Fahrenheit comfort zone. As we walk through the his new life. In fact, an artisan friend of for 40 minutes. door of Giovanni’s apartment into his his preciously taught him and the book-lined entrance hall, all nerves figure of a French woman initiated him Once the cake is baked and fade with a warm welcome by into the cooking. Therefore, to the taken out of the oven, sprinkle Giovanni, a tall, older, bearded question that asks him from where his the vanilla-flavored sugar gentleman, and his friend, Jacques, passion for cooking was born, he over it in as a garnish. both of whom speak impeccable answers: ‘Like everything in life, it English. originates from love.’” Home Food now offers co The selection process for a cesarina Ferragosto which was recently released Marsala wine and also brings out (female ) or cesarino (male) is rigorous with subtitles in the U.S.) and places to Pernigotti chocolates. Mama mia! and administered by the director and visit in Italy. an admission committee. At the But Giovanni has saved the best suggestion of a friend, Giovanni Our main course is scamerita, a cut of surprise for last. He walks into another contacted Home Food. Fortini pork between the neck and shoulder. part of his apartment and returns with interviewed him on the phone about He tells us how he has baked the a framed work of art as a present for his love of food and then came to scamerita for two hours in white wine, newlyweds Richard and Linda. It is an Florence for an in-person meeting. olive oil, whole garlic and rosemary. image painted on glass, a copy of a Along with other members of the The sides are spinach as well as wine- mosaic found in Pompeii showing admission committee, Fortini visited soaked pears. The pear theme Ulysses and Penelope in “conjugal Giovanni’s home for a meal, evaluating continues with homemade pear sorbet affection.” Not wanting to leave me the setting, the menu, how he cooked and a pear tart. Giovanni serves sweet out, he goes inside and returns with a and interacted with the guests. He similar but smaller piece of a gold bird passed a most difficult test. painted on glass. All of us are touched and thrilled to have something lasting Tuscan Culinary Treasures with which to remember this convivial night. Our traditional Tuscan dinner begins with crostini di fegatini (chicken liver on € bread) which Giovanni prepares in his 1 = $1.32 at press time unique way, as more of a pate with capers, garlic and some Pecorino February 2012 cheese. As we sip a local red, Giovanni dream of 3 retreats to the kitchen and returns with ® a piping hot platter of testaroli topped h with pesto. Testaroli is a simple, ancient ITALY pasta made with flour, water and salt The Details Kathleen A. McCabe (no eggs) that is popular in Giovanni’s Editor and Publisher hometown of Carrara, but hard to find Home Food here in Florence. Copy Editor: Stephen J. McCabe Via Broccaindossa, 41 Design: Leaird Designs www.dreamofitaly.com Bologna www.leaird-designs.com Our conversation is just as appetizing (39) 051 220727 as the food. We learn more about Dream of Italy, the subscription travel newsletter cover- www.homefood.it ing Italian travel and culture, is published 10 times a Giovanni’s friend, Jacques, who is a year. Delivery by mail is $99 in the U.S. and Canada and librarian at Palazzo Strozzi and also $109 abroad. An Internet subscription (downloadable Register on the website to receive teaches Italian film classes to American PDFs) costs $79 per year. Subscriptions include online a monthly email of the next month’s access to over 85 back issues and regular e-mail updates. students at Middlebury College’s scheduled meals around Italy. Three ways to subscribe: study abroad program in Florence. 1. Send a check to Dream of Italy, P.O. Box 2025, Since the schedule is only released Linda and Richard share tales from Denver, CO 80201 a month ahead of time, if you are 2.