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After partnering with The Magic House for the Ciao Bambini exhibit, the Italian Community of St Louis will partner with the Missouri History Museum for an Italian Family Fun Day as part of their Summer Family Fun Series. The event takes place Wednesday, June 12, 2024 from 10am-1pm.
The resounding success of Ciao Bambini, which opened September 2023, was of major importance to the growth of the Italian Community of St Louis, an organization which represents not only Italian expats but also Americans of Italian descent and simply anyone who appreciates the Italian language and culture. The event at the Missouri History Museum is geared towards children from 2 - 12 years old along with their families. It is free and open to the public. Activities range from Italian Storytime with teachers Giovanna Leopardi and Cettina Gabriele of the St Louis Italian Language Program, to touch table with items invented by Italians and Italian-Americans, an arts and crafts table, opportunities for children to make pasta and pizza, as well as a St Louis - Bologna table headed by Elizabeth Bernhardt, and much much more. The event has Italian moms and dads from the St Louis area volunteering to help organize the event. The volunteer committee is comprised of the following individuals: Federica Bertolini Francesca Fontana, Ph.D. Carlo Sanfilippo Giovanna Leopardi Concetta Lo Iacono Gabriele Paolo Gabriele Elizabeth Bernhardt, Ph.D. Maria Clea Annecchiarico Michael Cross Adriana Hermida For more information on the event or to assist in volunteering, please send an inquiry to Michael Cross: stlouisitalians@gmail.com MARTINA DI IORIO Editor di CiboToday A pochi chilometri dal confine italiano si sviluppa una delle terre più ricche di storia nonché piene di gemme gastronomiche. Parliamo dell’Istria, regione croata che dopo Trieste si getta nel mare Adriatico, conosciuta per le sue spiagge così come per la ricchezza paesaggistica. Durante il periodo di Pasqua l’Istria, da Parenzo a Cittanova, diventa palcoscenico di fiere di paese, eventi e tradizioni gastronomiche dal forte valore folkloristico. Come la colazione pasquale servita su grandi tavoloni nelle piazze delle cittadine costiere dove si servono le tipiche pinze istriane. Un pane dolce farcito con uvetta, con un’incisione a forma di croce in mezzo e decorata con foglie d’ulivo. Una tradizione quella della pinza che trova anche spazio a Trieste e nelle città di confine, insieme ad altre varianti.
In lingua croata si chiama pinca ed è un lievitato molto semplice a sottolineare le sue origini umili e contadine. Come tanti dolci e ricette di questo periodo, collegandosi alla simbologia cristiana e alle credenze popolari rurali, la pinza veniva sfornata proprio come buon auspicio per il raccolto. Un simbolo di rinascita, legandosi alla nuova vita e dunque alla resurrezione di Cristo. La tradizione inoltre vuole che la sua forma, rotonda, possa ricordare la spugna con cui venne costretto Cristo a bere dell’aceto durante il martirio. La pinza è una pagnotta dolce, fatta con un impasto ricco di farina, uova, zucchero, latte, burro e talvolta aromatizzata con scorza di limone, scorza d'arancia o vaniglia. L'impasto è arricchito con uvetta, scorza d'arancia candita o anche di mandorle, che gli conferiscono un sapore dolce e leggermente fruttato. Durante la mattina di Pasqua nelle cittadine istriane si organizzano tavolate dove il dolce pasquale, circondato da foglie di ulivo, viene tagliato e offerto ai passanti. Ma la colazione di Pasqua istriana non comprende solo la pinza. Infatti molto simili, ma differenti per la forma, le jajarice ovvero delle trecce di pane sulla cui parte superiore viene inserito un uovo. Nella parte settentrionale dello Zagorje troverete invece il vrtanji, un tipo di pane salato fatto con l’acqua rimasta dalla cottura del prosciutto di Pasqua; oppure i bagel della Slavonija che sono dei semplici panini fatti solo da tre ingredienti come uova, farina e un po’ di sale. Tutte preparazioni che il giorno del venerdì santo vengono fatte benedire portandole con sé a messa. Anche a Trieste e al confine della Venezia-Giulia si mangiano le pinze (e non solo). Non è una novità come questi due territori, l’Istria da un lato e la Venezia-Giulia dall’altro, abbiano da sempre una fortissima connessione. Non solo storica e politica ma anche gastronomica. Così le nostre pinze le ritroviamo anche a Trieste e dintorni, proprio nel periodo delle festività religiose. La preparazione è pressoché identica: una lunga lavorazione e lievitazione poi posta a cottura dopo aver inciso un taglio a croce sulla sua sommità. Nella versione triestina mancano le uvette e viene servita come antipasto da accompagnare con spalla cotta, prosciutto e cren. Da non confondere con il presnitz, che si trova anche a Gorizia: una ciambella di pasta sfoglia arrotolata ripiena di prugne, fichi, uvetta, cioccolata, aromatizzata con rum e cannella. Senza dimenticare come proprio in questo territorio si è sviluppata una primordiale forma di colomba, come abbiamo sottolineato in questo articolo, antenato del lievitato principe di queste feste. MEERA NAGARAJAN Riverfront Times Bacaro, the new cicchetti and aperitivo bar from the team behind the ever-popular Noto Italian Restaurant, a Sauce Best New Restaurant of 2020, is set to officially open on Wednesday, March 6, after a soft opening last weekend. Bacaro is in the same building as Noto at 5105 Westwood Drive in St. Peters, just downstairs and toward the back of the main restaurant.
The upscale space is decked out with Italian marble, beautiful stone-topped tables, warm lighting and enough space for 75 inside, with an upcoming patio that should have room for an additional 25 guests. Their vision was to create a Venetian-inspired aperitivo bar — people sipping on spritzes and Amari and snacking on cicchetti, or snacks. The beverage portion of the menu was executed by bar manager Travis Shook, who took inspiration from co-owners Kendele and Wayne Sieve’s vision for Bacaro. The cocktail list has a range of approachable drinks like the blackberry bellini with blackberry puree, Amara, spiced simple syrup and prosecco. (An off-menu white peach version is also always available.) There’s also a creative Caprese martini with sun-dried tomato-infused vodka, bianco vermouth, radicchio-basil-balsamic shrub and saline for a more savory option. The Venetian comes with a mix of Contratto red bitter, Antica Rosso vermouth, Contratto Rosso vermouth and Bordiga gin. “It’s like a more bitter and intense Negroni. It’s popular in Venice; we discovered that every hotel and little place had their version of this, vermouth or vermouths and bitter liqueur, and we added gin for taste,” Kendele Sieve says. Of course, there are spritzes, and you can even create your own spritz by selecting from a list of aperitivos like Aperol, Pilla Select (similar to Campari) or Italicus (flavored with bergamot), to name a few. For riffs on classic cocktails, look for a vanilla-infused Knob Creek 9-year whiskey paired with a 25-year-old balsamic in their Italian Old-Fashioned, which gets topped with Frizzante club soda, orange bitters and Demerara brown sugar syrup. The Bacaro Negroni comes with espresso bean-infused gin, Pilla Select apertivo, antica rosso vermouth and nocino liqueur, which is made from green walnut and orange bitters. Shook, who started at Noto just four months ago, wanted to help launch Bacaro particularly due to his interest in making amari — like his Robarbaro, featuring a Chinese rhubarb that carries a smoky note, plus other ingredients like toasted white oak, cherry bark, cinnamon, elderberry, elderflower and other light florals, for a total of 19 ingredients. Another housemade option on the list that he helped create is the Felsina, which is made with apricot, honey and bitter orange peel for a more citrus-forward profile. He also worked on a house red bitter, similar to an Aperol but without any artificial coloring, just spirits, roots and sugar for a more pared down mix. Also, look for familiar bottled options of amari like Amaro Nonio, Strega, Vecchio Del Capo and new-to-market products like Centum Herbis, an herbaceous, mint-forward amaro on the shelf. Rounding out the beverage menu are Italian sodas like an Italian cola, which comes in a beautiful glass bottle, as well as other flavors like lemon and blood orange. A trio of NA cocktails are available, including the Danielle, with Lyre’s Dry London spirit non-alcoholic gin that they infuse with rosemary then mix with lime, cinnamon simple syrup and New Orleans bitters, which carries notes of star anise, wild cherry and hibiscus — all garnished with a sprig of rosemary. A selection of Italian beers like Birria Morretti and Poretti lager are also on the menu. The food menu focuses mainly on cicchetti, snack-style small plates, and was a collaborative effort between Wayne and Noto executive chef Justin McMillen, who joined the team early this year. Here, similar to Noto, which is certified by the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana in Naples, commitment to sourcing unique and special ingredients both domestically and from Italy is on full display. This commitment is evident in the Armatore brown anchovies that come delicately draped atop hard-boiled eggs and an herbed aioli; these egg bites taste like a Caesar salad with anchovies caught in the Tyrrhenian Sea just off Italy’s Amalfi Coast. Look for more eggs on the menu in the ouvo cicchetti section, including a version topped with caviar or salted cod. Another specialty from the Armatore brand is the wild-caught blue fin tuna, which gets folded with a dill-caper aioli and topped with fresh arugula and sliced, boiled egg, served on white Pullman loaf in the tuna tramezzini sandwich. You’ll also find a selection of dips, including the whipped ricotta dip that’s topped with extra virgin olive oil, cracked black pepper, marinated olives and fresh herbs like chive, dill and parsley; or the verdura dip with sun-dried tomato and cannellini bean hummus, a fiery orange base that’s topped with a roasted and marinated mixture of vegetables and garnished with herbs. Both are served with crostini and are substantial snacks. Light snacks like the adorable spritz setup comes with potato chips, marinated olives and Taralli or round breadsticks, which is the perfect trio when sipping on a classic Aperol spritz. “We’re tapped into resources so we can buy more unique things,” Wayne Sieve says. Their mortadella is one such find, a domestic version made by an Italian family in New York that is served on a crostini with whipped ricotta and topped with toasted pistachios. The menu features cheese and charcuterie boards as well. Cheeses like a mild mountain gorgonzola from the Alps, a Toma riserva, Ciresa fontina and meats like Coppa, porchetta, mortadella or bresola are also offered. Whether you’re popping in for drinks ahead of a Noto reservation or going to Bacaro just for spritzes and snacks, it is sure to be a popular destination as it brings a unique, Venetian-inspired experience like nowhere else in the St. Louis area. Bacaro is open 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and does not take reservations. Noto Italian Restaurant owners to open Venetian-inspired cicchetti bar Bacaro in St. Peters2/22/2024 IAIN SHAW Sauce Magazine The team behind Noto Italian Restaurant will open Bacaro, a Venetian cicchetti bar, in early March. Bacaro will be located in the same building as Noto at 5105 Westwood Drive in St. Peters.
The restaurant borrows its name from the Venetian taverns where patrons sip on wine or aperitifs accompanied by cicchetti, which are essentially Venetian-style tapas. Indeed, it was a trip to Venice last year that inspired Noto owners Wayne Sieve and Kendele Noto Sieve to create the concept in their own little corner of the world. “We wanted to come up with a concept of an aperitivo bar where people can come and have small bites, have spritzes, have Italian wine and just casually hang out and eat,” Kendele said. Bacaro is based out of a lower level space that Kendele said is “pretty much underneath” Noto. The space was formerly used as a garage, but has been completely transformed, with an indoor patio extension and new interior features. “We made it look old, added a lot of textures, we have marble and stone and tiles, so the vibe is very rustic, but modern at the same time,” Kendele said. Bacaro will seat around 75 guests inside, and an outdoor patio will soon be added to accommodate a further 20 guests. With the design of the space, Kendele and Wayne said they’re not trying to recreate the style of an actual bacaro in Venice. Instead, the decor pays tribute to the city itself, incorporating identifiable Venetian elements like Venetian masks, photos of Carnevale, the Rialto Bridge and St. Mark’s Square, stone walls and a graffiti wall that echo the streetscapes of Venice. “There’s definitely elements that will be very familiar,” Wayne said. The food and drink at Bacaro will be a different matter. “We’ve matched our drink program and our food program to be exactly what you would do or what you would get out of a bacaro in Venice,” Kendele said. Wayne Sieve is developing the menu alongside Noto executive chef Justin McMillen, the former culinary director of Niche Food Group, who also operates his Elsworth Supper Club pop-up with Amelia McMillen. The menu will feature around eight crostini-style cicchetti options, small bites served in portions of three. Kendele said her personal favorite on the Bacaro menu is the mantecato, a creamy, salted cod-based cicchetti that is a staple in Venice. Another traditional Venetian option is mortadella with ricotta and pistachio garnish. Bacaro’s menu will also feature a few tramezzini, a sub-category of cicchetti. These little triangular sandwiches are reminiscent of an afternoon tea sandwich, served on soft white bread with the crusts cut off and with a variety of fillings like Venetian-style tuna salad or prosciutto. Salads, charcuterie and a couple of desserts will also be offered on the menu, adding up to a total of around 15 to 20 items. Kendele said they’re still working out what desserts to put on the menu, but they’re not lacking options. “We might do a fragola, which is a strawberry and limoncello trifle, we’ll make our sponge cake, we’re also debating if we’re going to do panna cotta, gelato or sorbetto or maybe another pastry,” she said. The experience at Bacaro is designed to be adaptable to what you’re in the mood for. “If you want to make it a meal, you can easily make it a meal,” Wayne said. Equally, if you want to stop in for a glass of wine and some cicchetti before or after a pizza at Noto, Bacaro’s menu is amenable to that too. Spritzes will feature prominently at Bacaro, with eight spritzes on the menu. Travis Shook is creating the drinks, including a selection of seasonal cocktails. “It’ll be more of a mixology menu upstairs at Noto, where downstairs here at Bacaro will be more spritz, wine, Italian beer and then a small cocktail menu,” Kendele said. A sprtiz and cicchetti pairing option will also be offered. “Everything is definitely very much to be enjoyed with a spritz or amari with the cicchetti,” Wayne said. The spritzes come with an order of potato chips, another tradition in Venice and across northern and especially north-eastern Italy. Wayne and Kendele are keen to differentiate between the northern and southern Italian culinary traditions that each of their restaurants represents. “We’re keeping the southern Italian amari upstairs, and then down here for Bacaro, it’s more northern,” Kendele said. The opening selection at Bacaro will include 10 to 12 amari, with names like Bordiga, Meletti and Amaro Montenegro represented. Shook is also working on creating Bacaro’s own amaro in-house – that won’t be ready in time for opening, but it’s in the pipeline. “I don’t know if it will be readily available all the time, but it could be something we offer once the batch is ready,” Kendele said. As well as serving its own crowd, Bacaro will also provide a backup option for anyone who can’t get a table at Noto, which is essentially reservation-only with very limited space for walk-in guests. “We've been very fortunate with Noto, it's been successful and we couldn't be more thankful or grateful for that,” Wayne said. “We didn't intend for it to be reservation-only and that's just the way it's kind of been, it's always booked and that's a great thing. And we wanted to be able to still offer an extension, so [Bacaro] was a way for us to be able to offer walk-in guests that may not have a reservation a way to still experience what we do.” Bacaro is aiming for an early March launch, and will be open for dinner from Wednesday to Saturday each week. La Comunità Italiana di St Louis ha il piacere di invitarvi alla VI edizione del CARNEVALE VENEZIANO - la principale festa di Carnevale in stile Veneziano a St Louis.
Data: Sabato, 17 Febbraio, 2024 Luogo: 8195 Lackland Rd. St Louis, Missouri 63114 Location: La sala ricevimenti privata di Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Jost, con area di 2,500 sq. ft. e una pista da ballo professionale, è stata generosamente messa a disposizione per l'evento. Si ringrazia la famiglia Jost, tra i maggiori benefattori della Comunita' Italiana di St Louis, per l'ospitalità. 17.00 - apertura 17.15 - giochi e lavoretti per i bambini con le babysitters 18.30 - cena 19.00 - musica e apertura della pista da ballo 19.30 - premiazione dei costumi dei bambini 21.00 - premiazione dei costumi degli adulti 21.15 - lotteria 23.00 - chiusura ***Sono consigliati costumi in stile delle maschere Veneziane e tradizionali*** BIGLIETTI $10 - Adulti Partecipazione gratuita per bambini al di sotto di 12 anni Biglietti in vendita attraverso Venmo @Giovanna-Leopardi o chiamando Giovanna Leopardi: (314) 566-3873 Il biglietto include: due bevande alcoliche (vino o birra), due analcolici o bibite, pasta cucinata dallo Chef Alessandro Valentino, chiacchiere (crostoli) preparati al momento dallo Chef Alessandro Valentino. Per chi non lo sapesse, le chiacchiere sono il dolce tipico di carnevale. ***Tutti sono invitati a portare un piatto o una bevanda da condividere*** PREMI Miglior maschera/costume dei bambini (sotto gli 11 anni) Miglior maschera/costume ragazzi (12 - 17 anni) Miglior maschera/costume adulti (sopra i 18 anni) LOTTERIA Avremo una lotteria a favore della Comunità Italiana di St Louis con premi per tutte le età "PHOTO BOOTH" / SCENARIO PER LE FOTO A TEMA VENEZIANO Avremo un'area dedicata alle foto, con accessori e uno sfondo a tema del Carnevale Veneziano BABYSITTERS Buone notizie per i genitori che vogliono "staccare per la serata" ma portare i bambini! Avremo un'intera area dedicata ai bambini, con giochi, lavoretti (e.g. creare la propria maschera di Carnevale!) e tre babysitter dedicate e responsabili che intratterranno i bambini permettendovi di godervi la serata! RSVP: stlouisitalians@gmail.com Per informazioni o per sponsorizzare l'evento, contattare Michael Cross al numero (225) 239-3897 o mandare un'email a stlouisitalians@gmail.com You are cordially invited to St Louis' 6th Annual CARNEVALE VENEZIANO - the Premier Venetian Masquerade Party in St Louis.
When: Saturday, February 17, 2024 Where: 8195 Lackland Rd. St Louis, Missouri 63114 About the location: We are excited to have at our disposal Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Jost's private banquet hall with a 2,500 sq. ft. professional ballroom dance floor. The Jost family is a major donor of the Italian Community and we thank them for their generosity. 5:00pm - doors open 5:15pm - games/crafts for kids (babysitters provided) 6:30pm - dinner 7:00pm - music begins/dance floor opens 7:30pm - kids costume prizes 9:00pm - adult costume prizes 9:15pm - raffle 11:00pm - close ***Venetian style masquerade masks and/or costumes are strongly encouraged*** TICKETS $10 - Adults Free Admission for children 12 and under Purchase your ticket via Venmo @Giovanna-Leopardi or call Giovanna Leopardi: (314) 566-3873 Purchase of an adult ticket includes: two alcoholic beverages (wine or beer), two non-alcoholic beverages, freshly made pasta dishes made by Chef Alessandro Valentino, and made-on-the-spot chiacchiere (crostoli) by Chef Alessandro Valentino. For those who are unfamiliar, this is the famous dessert that is customary during Carnevale all throughout Italy. ***We highly encourage all to bring a dish or drink to share*** PRIZES Best Kids Mask/Costume (ages 11 and under) Best Teen Mask/Costume (ages 12 to 17) Best Adult Mask/Costume (ages 18 and older) RAFFLE We will have a raffle to support the Italian Community of St Louis with fun prizes for all ages. VENETIAN PHOTO BOOTH BACKDROP We will have a photo area with Venetian Carnevale backdrop and fun props. BABYSITTERS For those bringing your children but still want to "get away for the evening", have no fear!!! We have an entire area dedicated to kids with games and crafts (i.e.: kids can make their own Carnevale masks!) and three dedicated and responsible babysitters who will allow you to enjoy the evening! RSVP: stlouisitalians@gmail.com For inquiries or to sponsor this event please call Michael Cross at (225) 239-3897 or send an email to: stlouisitalians@gmail.com Please enjoy the Italian Community of St Louis "Year in Review 2023" video created by Michael Cross highlighting the events and special occasions we celebrated as a community. Our community is fastly growing because of you! |
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