Italian Friends: Manny lands in Italy, looking for Nonno
Verona CLUTCHING a doll and beaming a 100-watt smile, little ``Manny'' Musu arrived home in Verona last night to the tearful joy of her Italian friends and family.The five-year-old victim of last month's terrorist bombing of the Australian embassy in Jakarta was wrapped in a blanket and carried from an Italian air force jet by her step-father, Manuel Musu.Her first words, in Italian, were ``Where's Nonno?'' and...
Italian Friends: KITCHEN OF CARING
Each Saturday, the needy get meals and compassion at St. Angela's Church
Two Saturdays each month, the kitchen at St. Angela Merici Roman Catholic Church in Brea turns into a friendly bantering ground among two long-time Italian friends. Sal Gambina holds court over the immense pot of secret soup, throwing one-liners at his friend, Ernie Domenico. Their families came from different sides of Italy and each thinks the other is better.And so the morning goes, the two cooks sharing laughter, jokes and the one thing that makes the morning so special: generosity....
Italian Friends: BREW YOUR OWN WINE, BEER -- AND LOTS OF FUN
I've always thought it would be fun to make my own wine, like some Italian friends do, or brew beer in the basement like my neighbor Al. But I don't have the space, equipment or knowledge to make a decent glass of anything harder than iced tea.Last week, though, I visited a place that not only solves those problems, it offers a different way to entertain or spend time with friends, which is what customers were doing last Tuesday night.Up front, beside a...
Italian Friends: SHORE BREAK
When Italian friends come to town, do I take them to italian restaurants? Not unless it's Valentino or Rex. They tend to scoff at any Italian food that's not rigorously authentic. Nor could they be called adventurous eaters. I know better than to take them to eat Cambodian or Afghan food. But California cuisine, that's something they'll try.When my Venetian friends Carlo and Elena turned up recently, still a little jet lagged, they wanted to...
