Recycling... the old way: barrels and gates!

Do you know how our elders recycled their old wooden barrels?

This is an old wine press that we have in the cellar of Villa Mimma. It is made of wooden slats kept together by metal ribbons.
The wooden slats were used in the wood-burning aga and fire-stoves in the households while the metal ribbons were used to build gates!

This is the front gate of Villa Mimma and it was made using the metal from old barrels.

I've been to Villa Mimma many many times in my life and it was only last April (08) that my Mum told me this fascinating story. So armed with my camera I went in the cellar hunting for barrels and took some fab pictures of a few samples. Then I moved onto the gate.

Taking a closer look, you can see the holes of the original nails and the battered metal that was straightened to make the gate!

You never stop learning!

Cold April by the fire!

We have just come back from a visit to Villa Mimma, from the 12th to the 21st of April. The weather was still quite chilly and rainy, so the kitchen and living areas of Villa Mimma were still warmed up by the old stoves.

Waking up in the morning and lighting up the fires is always magical: the scent of the wood burning, the crackling noise of the flames and the heat that comes from the "terracotta" stove or the old aga in the kitchen are something really special of this old mansion in Treville that I have always loved.

The children are fascinated by this world that is quite far from our everyday life and are following "Nonna Paola" and "Nonno Alberto" with sticks and pieces of papers hoping to be given the chance to be helpful.

And how much fun it is helping "zio Andrea" loading the trolley to refill the stock of logs for the evening. How lucky we are to be able to experience this lifestyle!

Easter Monday: "Pasquetta"

I love Easter Monday in Italy. After a day (Easter) spent at home with the family, with a long meal of many courses, "Pasquetta" (Easter Monday) is a day for gatherings and doing things with friends.

When I used to live at the Cinque Terre, about 25 years ago :-(, my Dad used to run the church choir and we had a heavy schedule of performances from Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday. So when Easter Monday came, it was a lovely day of "freedom" that we spent going off somewhere with many friends and families for a pic-nick.

This meant that everybody cooked something to share, like cakes and quiches, and we either walked to a sunny spot on the cliffs or we drove to the inland and found a lovely grass area where we could spend the day organising games and having a good lough. A guitar was never left behind so singing all sorts of traditional and pop songs was also part of the fun! Grandparents and grandchildren were joining in - no exclusions.

I must admit, I haven't done this for ages, but it is a lovely way to spend Pasquetta and many people still do so, going off with friends and organising relaxing trips to the countryside.

Online Italian Recipes

Many of my friends ask me about food and "real" Italian recipes, so I have decided to publish a few online as time allows.
I normally jot down a few instructions on pieces of papers but in this way they are online for all :-)
So, if you are a keen cook and wish to see what my suggestions are, please visit my recipes, on my personal blog designed with the Web&Blog technology! Fantastic!

Women's day - La festa della donna

The 8th of March is not far away and Italy recognises that it is the International Women's Day. Thanks to slowtrav.com community, I just discovered its historical origins and I have been humbled by the significance of this day, that I have certainly underestimated in the past.

Today, I doubt that generally people know where "La festa della donna" started from.

According to Wikipedia:

International Women's Day (IWD) is marked on March 8 every year. It is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women.

If you continue reading, the website gives the historical origins of this commemoration:

The first IWD was observed on 28 February 1909 in the United States following a declaration by the Socialist Party of America.

The idea of having an international women's day was first put forward at the turn of the 20th century amid rapid world industrialization and economic expansion that led to protests over working conditions. By urban legend, women from clothing and textile factories staged one such protest on 8 March 1857 in New York City. The garment workers were protesting what they saw as very poor working conditions and low wages. The protesters were attacked and dispersed by police. These women established their first labor union in the same month two years later.

More protests followed on 8 March in subsequent years, most notably in 1908 when 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. In 1910 the first international women's conference was held in Copenhagen and an 'International Women's Day' was established, which was submitted by the important German Socialist Clara Zetkin. The following year, IWD was marked by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. However, soon thereafter, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City killed over 140 garment workers. A lack of safety measures was blamed for the high death toll. Furthermore, on the eve of World War I, women across Europe held peace rallies on 8 March 1913. In the West, International Women's Day was commemorated during the 1910s and 1920s, but dwindled. It was revived by the rise of feminism in the 1960s.

It is a tradition in Italy to give a yellow mimosa to women on the 8th of March. It is a beautiful scented flower, theat is in bloom early in Spring. Unfortunately this day si now becoming a celebration like Valentine's day, and the social and political reasons behind its historical origin are often forgotten.

Attedning a wedding: advice

I read various threads on slowtrav.com about attending a wedding in Italy and what it is "proper" and what is not. Things are evolving and differ between regions but here is my advice:

OUTFIT: Although it is becoming more popular to get married in the afternoon with evening reception, morning ceremonies are still very popular. I would never wear a black or white dress at a morning wedding, nor in the evening, unless specifically requested. You may ask and people may do it, but it is considered "tacky".

GIFT: Wedding lists ("Lista nozze" ) are quite popular and they are the easiest way to please the bride and groom without worrying about what you can get them. The amount of money that you spend is totally up to you. There is no fashion and there is no link to what the wedding reception costs at all. If you are travelling from abroad and attending an Italian wedding, a token from your Country may be the best idea. Consider that your Italian friends will know that you are committing quite a bit of money to attend the wedding in terms of travel arrangements, so they won't expect you to go OTT - unless you can afford it!

TOASTS: Italian wedding receptions do not evolve around a specific scheme, like in England where the speeches have a specific format and have to be of a certain length. There are no such a thing like speeches and people just sit and chat all the time. If there are lively groups of friends or cousins, people may end up cheering the bride and groom or asking for a "bacio" (kiss) towards the end of the meal, but nothing formal and always very spontaneous.

Nativities exibition still on!

"The cellar of the nativities" at Villa Mimma is still on until the end of January. Visits on appointment only - tel. 0142 487953 or email info@villamimma.com .

Lentils with peppers!

I cooked lentils and "Zampone" for new year's eve. I decided to add a quarter of a finely chopped pepper to my usual recipe and the lentils tasted delicious!!! Worth keeping it in mind for next year.

New Year's traditions...

Traditions are very regional in Italy, so here is what I have grown up with since I was a little girl. Most of these "rules" belong to the North of Italy:

1 - Eat some grapes to bring you good luck! Grapes is out of season by now and it is supposed to bring good luck to those who manage to find some. Obviously now-a-days it is available most of the time as it is imported. Try to find some Italian grapes though ;-)

2 - Eat some lentils as they are supposed to bring you lots of money: the more you eat the better it is! If you never cooked lentils before, make sure you buy the precooked ones or check on the packet how long you need to put them in cold water for before cooking them. Need a recipe? Let me know!

3 - The zampone is a "must" on the table. A bit strong and greasy for some, but lovely with the lentils. I would suggest to get it from a proper butcher and ask for the cooking time.

4 - Wear some new red underwear!!! This was a typical sister-to-sister Christmas present :-) If you look in the shops you'll find plenty of "tacky" red pants and nickers with good luck messages for the new year. You can also find more refined items if you wish to spend a bit more. Just a fun tradition!

5 - Turn the radio on for the final count-down to midnight and make sure you are next to your beloved one for the first kiss of the new year!

Have fun wherever you are and may 2008 bring you all you wish for!