Barbara Goldfield
Old Friends and Lost Traditions: La Befana dei Vigili
Sant'Agata de' Goti, CampaniaIt is a well-known fact that Italians love children; they are unconditionally loved and coddled by brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and nonni. Maybe this explains the penchant for good food, wine and big family gatherings in this country: it keeps people young at heart. No Christmas is complete without a visit from the Befana, the… (more)
Pizza, Pane & Pignata
Sant'Agata de' Goti, CampaniaThe pignata, seemingly straight out of Geppetto’s workshop in Pinocchio, is a ceramic pot that comes in various sizes. It has an adorable tubby body with two stout handles attached lopsidedly to the jug. Facing away from the fire, they never get hot even after hours in the red-hot embers… very clever. Many people have… (more)
Have I Made Myself Unclear?
ItalyIf there is one thing that really has my knickers in a twist, it’s that after 50 years in Italy there’s something that continues to cause confusion as time flies by. So I’ve decided, with your help, to solve the broccoli/broccoletti dilemma once and for all. First up are broccoletti aka cime di rapa, rapini… (more)
Yours Trulli
Alberobello, PugliaI recently spent five glorious days revisiting Puglia and one of the places I enjoyed most was Alberobello. That is the beauty of travelling in Italy: once is never enough! This was my third visit to the UNESCO world heritage site, and I could focus less on the quaint and irresistible charm of the round… (more)
Everything’s Coming Up Roses…
Sant'Agata de' Goti, CampaniaSorry, but I’m a sucker for springtime. After forty-five years of city life in Rome, the last six in the country have been an enchanting encounter with the seasons and the discovery of the bounty that each one brings. First it was the wisterias and now it’s the roses. Gertrude Stein’s “Rose is a rose… (more)
The ‘Giro’ Sweeps S. Agata
Sant'Agata de' Goti, CampaniaThe Giro d’Italia (pronounced Jee-row) is a long distance road bicycle race that has been one of Italy’s most passionately-loved sports events since 1909. Lasting three weeks, it covers the length of the country, starting in Torino, progressing down the boot to Sicily and then back up to Milan. The cyclist who maintains the best… (more)
Stella’s Pastiera
Sant'Agata de' Goti, Campania(cont’d from here…) Without a doubt, grano (literally “grain”, i.e. durum wheat) is the characteristic ingredient of this recipe. If you have the time and feel up to the challenge, here’s how you cook the grano from scratch: soak 250 gr of dried durum wheat in cold water for three days, changing it regularly. Rinse… (more)
Wow Those Wisterias!
As I was walking along Sant’Agata’s sunny ‘panoramica’ and basking in the delicious warmth of the longer days, I marveled at the explosion of greens, yellows, whites and pinks coursing through the countryside that, until a week ago, had seemed dead to the world. I rounded the homeward bend, and while keeping an eye on… (more)
Spring’s Secret Agent
Sant'Agata de' Goti, CampaniaThe other day I was walking by the pharmacy in my little town of S. Agata dè Goti. It is run by the Viola family and I was surprised to see a long line of women waiting to enter the door. What was going on? Had there been a sudden epidemic or an accident of… (more)
A Passion for Presepe
Sant'Agata de Goti, CampaniaIt’s that time of year again and we’ve already started the countdown towards Christmas. In America, there are advent calendars and people sing the Twelve Days of Christmas. In Italy, in cities all around the country, families are foraging through stuffy closets, garages and cellars. They are looking for certain old boxes wrapped with tape… (more)
The Sweet-Talking Star of the Sannio
Sant'Agata dei GotiStella means star. Stella Ricci is the premier baker and chocolatier of the Sannio and a very entertaining woman. I had the opportunity to watch her give a fascinating lecture/demonstration on the making of Babà and Sfogliatelle, two of the many pastries that are now legendary in Campania. Babà are Campania’s version of cupcakes. Made… (more)
San Pasquale
Airola, CampaniaS. Pasquale is the patron saint of fertility, wealth and abundance. The citizens of Airola are particularly devoted to him as he is considered the protector of women and animals! Born in Spain in 1540 the saint’s surname, Baylon, means a person who likes dancing and is derived from the Spanish word bailar. The story narrates… (more)
Mamma: More than a Mother
ItalyAlthough the lifestyle of italian families is rapidly changing, la mamma, particularly in the South, is more than a person, she’s an all-embracing concept. To her daughters she is a source of information, a co-conspirator and a friend. Mamma gets her daughter through the minefields of growing up, social interactions, boys and marriage. When her… (more)
Between a Rock and a Hard Place: S. Lucia in Sassinoro
Sassinoro, CampaniaA narrow road leads towards the tiny, secluded sanctuary of S. Lucia in Sassinoro in the province of Benevento. Like with many holy places, a legend surrounds this unusual sanctuary. It began in the spring of 1600 as a shepherd’s tale. A large number of sheep had been mysteriously disappearing and just as mysteriously reappearing… (more)
The Fable of the Ruzzola
Pontelandolfo, CampaniaThe tiny town of Pontelandolfo is notable for an unusual tournament known as the Ruzzola del Formaggio (here and here) that takes place during Carnevale. Ruzzolare means to tumble, and what is tumbled here are large forms of cheese! A long time ago in the Middle Ages, the wealthy Baron of Pontelandolfo had a passion… (more)
A wedding at Sassinoro
Sassinoro, CampaniaWhile admiring the inside of the church of S. Lucia in Sassinoro, my host Giovanna pointed out the last-minute preparations being made for a wedding that was to take place shortly. As we headed back into the dappled sunlight my eyes were drawn to a strange apparition standing on the far side of the churchyard,… (more)
Lifestyles of the Rich and Infamous
Torre Annunziata, CampaniaWhen asked, “Which archaeological site should I visit, Pompeii or Herculaneum?” I will inevitably answer, “Go to Oplontis!” The patrician villa excavated under the modern town of Torre Annunziata belonged to the Emperor Nero, famous for his appreciation of music and the arts, but more so for his cruelty. The villa was home to his… (more)
Chessboard of Titans
San Giorgio la Molara, CampaniaWhile on a heritage tour with an Italian-American family who had come to meet their Italian relatives, we spent some time in their family’s ancestral tiny hilltop village of San Giorgio la Molara in the province of Benevento. This is a vast farming region of rolling hills and an immense checker-board effect is created by… (more)
Elections, Present and Past
Sant'Agata dei Goti“Under every stone lurks a politician,” wrote Aristophanes is 410 B.C. This was certainly the case in the recent administrative elections in our town. This year three candidates were running for the office of mayor in Sant’Agata, each with a roster of eligible officers which meant that practically everybody in town was running for something… (more)
Abbey in the Cave II
Cava de' TirreniContinued from part I… Close to a thousand years ago, the “Abbey” was nothing but Alferius Pappacarbone’s cave dwelling! A nobleman from Salerno, he became a Benedictine monk in order to live out his life as a hermit. But he was called back to Salerno by Prince Guaimarius to head the monasteries in the principality.… (more)
The Abbey in the Cave
Cava de' TirreniAnna introduced me to a jovial-looking, rotund monk with a broad smile, “This is Don Gennaro, he is the exorcist for southern Italy.” I found myself shaking hands with a man who looked like Friar Tuck. But after a day full of wonders, should this have come as a surprise? At first glance the Benedictine… (more)
Incredible Edible…Weeds
Sant'Agata de' GotiCaterina was carrying two big plastic bags. I asked her what they were and discovered that she was taking some greens to an elderly lady living down the road. In one bag were the ubiquitous broccoletti (broccoli raab). In the other was… a heap of weeds. In the first warm days of early spring Caterina’s… (more)
A Party for Everyone but the Pig
CampaniaIn December we look forward to visiting with extended families and eating wonderful seasonal recipes. Then it’s time to greet the new year with spumante, panettone, cotechino e lenticchie. And finally presents and candy-coal are bought to stuff the children’s stockings for la Befana. After this prolonged food orgy, a kind of lagging fatigue sets… (more)
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