Goodbye my Friends

Three years ago, when I was driving to my Aunt’s house, I saw something that opened the Italian-Canadian flood gates of my mind. Memories of happy days with cousins and friends came flooding back to me, and after spending time with Zia, I rushed home to write them all down as a tribute to my Italian-Canadian roots.  While writing out my memories, one particular thought hit me like a thunderbolt.  The era I had grown up in—that early-immigrant culture—was gone. Those of us who were born to immigrant parents are not who our parents were, and many of our parents have transformed over the years, adapting new ways and a new culture (though I’m willing to bet most of our moms still use rags rather than Swiffing the dust away.) Ma che Swiffer?! Ma per piacere! Much of the good times and hilarity I remember was rooted in our frugal roots.  Learning to live on less and making the most of what we had— whether or not it was tomato season— was a religion that few of us practice anymore.

But back to the story I first wrote in 2009. I tried to peddle Growing up Italian-Canadian and what to do about it to Toronto’s major newspapers and a few national Canadian magazines but got the va via response instead.  More attempts and rejection letters later, I filed the story away and forgot all about it. Only when a friend asked about its outcome a year later did I decide to take another look at it and publish it myself. And so this blog was born. 

  

The past 10 months have been fun and nostalgic and I thank all of you for reading my stories. I am deeply grateful to have had you as followers. I hadn’t planned on leaving you so soon, but I have an opportunity to take on more responsibility in the work I love to do and I’m going to go for it. If I keep blogging while taking on this increased work load, I'll be a regular Joe Pesce before long. And since I've learned my limits at this point in my life, I've decided my stories must end here. I’m glad I had a chance to contribute a portion of my Italian-Canadian memories, and delighted that I had any followers at all! I hope you’ll revisit these pages when you’re feeling a bit nostalgic, or look up other sources that pay tribute to our roots.  

Vincenzo Pietropaolo’s powerful and moving photo-documentary book Not Paved with Gold is one I revisit every now and then. I’m so happy to have it in my personal library and highly recommend it. The Italian-Canadian Museum in Vaughan provides a wonderful tribute to a time and culture that’s slowly slipping away. And if you like to travel and love history, you may want to visit the Canadian Museum of Immigration in Halifax. Just last week, I met someone who told me he's planning a family pilgrimage to Pier 21. He and his parents emigrated to Canada when he was 10 and he wants to go back with his kids to look up some history there. How cool is that?  Check out www.pier21/ca

Time has changed many of our traditions but there’s one I’m planning to keep as long as I’m able. Come fall, you’ll find me at my favorite farm knee-deep in perfect bushels of tomatoes and sweet red peppers. I’ll select a few for the trunk of my car, then chat with the owner while we work our way over to the vegetable stand to select a few eggplants, zucchini and other gifts from the earth. Maybe I’ll see you there.


Thanks again everyone! Arrivederci e tante belle cose.

Happy Canada Day!

This is the week to reminisce about our roots and be thankful for all we have here.  While many of us will sing or hear our national anthem on Friday, there's another song I think of at this time of year called Che Sara by I Ricchi e Poveri.  Do you remember that tune from the early 70s?  It's a song about someone who decides to leave their hilltop village because it's almost lifeless. Their friends have all moved away and, as they decide to follow the same path, they wonder what the future holds for them.  Many artists have released this beautiful, very moving song over the years and I've provided a link here if you want to hear Patrizio Buanne's version. 
www.youtube.com/watch?v=beto8VDWgN0
Sponsored by his Zia who had emigrated to Canada in 1928, my dad sailed for Halifax from Sicily in 1951.  He took the Nea Hellas-- a Greek-owned passenger steam ship, leaving his hometown of Trapani where he owned and managed a movie theater after the war.  No one had money to go to the movies anymore, and there were no jobs to be found.  The rebuilding of Europe was moving at a snail's pace, so he took what little money he had and bought a one-way ticket to Canada.  Final destination?  Toronto.  His first job assignment would be to remove tins of baked bread from ovens in a downtown bread factory.


My mom left her hometown of Sora (53 miles south of Rome) and sailed on the Conte Biancamano in 1953. Half her family had left two years before; the rest would follow two years afterward.  The bombing that had taken place in and around Rome had devastated much of central Italy. My mother's family lost almost everything they had. They were one of many who decided to start a new life overseas. She found work quickly as one of hundreds of seamstress workers in Toronto's garment district.  She was only 16.


Like millions of other immigrants around the world, my parents brought their culture with them and adopted some of the new.  Those of us who are children of immigrants shared in their often painful struggle, understand why outrageous humor is often necessary to survive it, and rejoice in their resilient spirits.


We have much to celebrate!  In honor of Canada Day, I have made a red-and-white Tiramisu. Mine is a low-fat version as I've learned a bit about this dessert over the years!  Many of the traditional Tiramisu recipes are heavy with mascarpone making one wonder if they shouldn't really be called Tiramigiu (meaning you get a slice of drag-me-down dessert instead of an end of the meal pick-me-up). 

When I first started making Tiramisu,  I followed the full-mascarpone version.  Eventually I cut the fat by half; then by a third, and finally I eliminated the mascarpone altogether.  I find the lower-fat version tastes just as good, but you may not agree.  If that's the case, you may want to alter it further or go back to using mascarpone.  There is no question about it-- it tastes buonissimo!  To give your taste buds a maximum treat, this dessert needs to refrigerate for 24 hours before serving. Here is what you'll need to make it:


One 300g container of extra-smooth ricotta
One 650g container of vanilla yogurt
One 5.3 oz package of lady finger biscuits
One 8 oz package of whipping cream
A full square of semi-sweet baker's chocolate
A little strong coffee (about 4 oz)
A dash of rum (about 1/2 tbsp)
Slivered almonds and fresh raspberries

Brew your coffee and let cool slightly.  In the meantime,  mix ricotta and yogurt together in a large bowl.  After they're fully blended, pour one-third of this mixture into a second bowl.  Melt chocolate and add to this second container.

Pour your coffee into a third container and mix with rum.  Dip both sides of your lady fingers into the mixture.  This is a quick dip; don't let them soak.  Place your dipped lady fingers at the bottom of your container.  (I cut mine to fit my glass bowl but you may not need to do this if your serving bowl has a wider base.)  Add some of the white ricotta-yogurt mix on top, followed by a handful of slivered almonds and some berries.  Keep working in layers in this way, reserving the chocolate mixture for the middle of your dessert.  Next, whip up your cream. Add sugar to taste.  Top your Tiramisu with whipped cream and finish with berries. If you prefer, add more slivered almonds as well.  Serves 6 to 8. 

Accompany this sweet treat with strong espresso or iced caffelatte... depending on the temperature of the day.  This summer is turning out to be much cooler than usual so who knows what highs or lows we can expect by Friday?  Buon Divertimento!  Happy celebrating!  Hook up your music; I hope you have a great time.  Here's the second part of my playlist; some of my all-time favourites  and what we'll be listening to this Canada Day.


Italian-Canadian Summer Playlist (Part 2)
1.  Che Sara-  I Ricchi e Poveri
2.  Heart of Gold-  Neil Young
3.  Gigi l'Amoroso-  Dalida
4.  I Get By with a Little Help from My Friends-  The Beatles
5.  O Sole Mio-  Luciano Pavarotti
6.  I'll be There-  Michael Jackson
7.  Mambo Italiano-  Rosemary Clooney
8. I Believe in You-  Amanda Marshall
9. Arrivederci Roma-  Robertino Loretti
10.  Share the Land-  the Guess Who
If you have any immigrant stories to share, check out the Italian-Canadian Museum.  Here is the link: www.italiancanadianmuseum.com  Let's safeguard this piece of history for our families.


As a final note, I just learned that I Ricchi e Poveri will be performing a the CHIN international picnic this coming weekend!  Check performance times at: www.scotiabankchinpicnic.com  Guess where I'll be on Saturday night?!