For thousands of years, Sicily has stood at the crossroads not only of ancient Greece and Rome but of the great civilizations of Northern Africa. Whether in the myths of the storytellers, the legends of the poets, the musings of philosophers, or the accounts of the historians, Sicily has always played a central role. Sicily is and was one of the great meeting grounds of the Mediterranean world. Join us as we journey through the splendid past of this timeless island and seek within its compass some of the roots of the Western world.

When: March 24th
Registration Begins: 6:30 pm
Lecture Begins: 7:00 pm
Location: 1101 Milford, Houston, Texas 77006
Reservations Advised: 713.524.4222

Cost: ICCC Members $10, Non Members $15
Credit Cards Accepted
Seating Limited to 120

The menu will include

Anitpasto: Capasante carmellate al profumo di timo e limone
Scallops caramelized with butter, thyme, sea salt and lemon zest, arugola cherry tomato salad

Primi Piatti: Risotto Asparagi, salsiccia e zafferano
Carnaroli rice simmered with saffron borth, Italian sausage and green asparagus tips

Secondi piatti: Fitetto di Branzino alle cream di ortiche
Filet of Mediterranean Sea bass served with a creamy sauce of wild nettle

Dolce: Torta Amalfitana di Pere & Ricotta
This is a traditional Amalfi cake with ricotta and pear mousse layered with almond meringue cookies

Giancarlo Ferrara Chef at Arcodoro

]]> http://www.iccchouston.com/arcodoro/feed/ 0 http://www.iccchouston.com/iccchappyhour/ http://www.iccchouston.com/iccchappyhour/#comments Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:11:49 +0000 carrie http://www.iccchouston.com/?p=326

On February 25th, The Italian Cultural and Community Center presents “Prosecco and Panini”!  Please join us after work for sparkling Prosecco, scrumptious panini, and networking with Houston’s Italian-American professional community while listening to DJ Tuzzo Martini’s eclectic mix of Italian/continental “chill out” music featuring DJ Tuzzo Martini, that is just back from Italy! $10 members/ $12 non-members. Admission includes two Prosecco tickets, and panini please RSVP at 713-524-4222

DATE: Thursday, February 25th
TIME: 5:30 – 8 pm
LOCATION:
The Milford House
1101 Milford
Houston, Texas
(Off Montrose in the Museum District)

The popular musical group, Hit‐N‐Run, will bring everyone to the dance floor as they play the night away on Saturday evening from the Main Entertainment Stage. Charlie Cotrone, known as“The Godfather” in the music business, and the Hit Men, Joe Trombatore, Rusty Curtis, Dennis Watson and Keith York will make you an offer you can’t refuse. Hit‐N‐Run is the group you love to see arrive and hate to see go. You will have more fun than the law allows and it is legal! It would be a crime if you don’t bring “eyewitnesses” and the family, of course, to see “HIT‐N‐RUN”, the band that spells fun.

Come experience Italy in the heart of Houston as the campus is transformed into the sights and sounds of Italy. The grounds will be lined with booths of authentic homemade foods such as, baked ziti, meatball sandwiches and an array of desserts including sfingi, cucciadate, cannoli and gelato.

The Educational Stage will feature marionette puppet shows, mosaic tile demonstrations and the best out of the way places to go Italy lecture.  On the Culinary/Tasting Stage enjoy the wines, olive oils and other tastes of Italy during one of the many seminars.

On the Academic Mall kids of all ages will enjoy the rock wall and mechanical bull while exhibitors will proudly display their wares for sale.

Enjoy the finest wines of Italy as you browse the Village Market. Here you can purchase imported Italian seeds, pottery, community cookbooks, and a variety of Italian cooking products.

Entertainment throughout the weekend will be provided by local performers while on Saturday evening the 2nd Italian American Idol contest will take place on the Main Stage.
 

Come for the day.  Bring your blanket for the perfect Italian picnic; we have the wine, the bread, the cheese and the tree lined campus for your relaxation.  Mark your calendars now!

Visit www.HoustonItalianFestival.com for more information as it becomes available.

Andrea Parodi was born May 6 1975 in Cantù, Italy. A northern town not at all known for it’s music, but more for fine lace and a fabled basketball team that hasn’t seen a championship since the mid-seventies. www.andreaparodi.com

Massimiliano Larocca was born in Florence, Italy, in 1976. He began his musical career at age 18, listening to all the classic songwriters’ records and writing his first songs. www.massimilianolarocca.com

CONCERT DETAILS
Saturday, March 14th - 8:00 pm
Anderson Fair
2007 Grant
Houston, TX
832-212-4057
www.andersonfair.com
tickets: $20
Advance reservations recommended!
To order tickets: Eric Taylor Tickets Buy Tickets

For more informaiton visit  >www.bluerubymusic.com/afair_italy.html.

Martedì Grasso or “Fat Tuesday,” is the last day of Carnevale before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. It’s the last chance to eat, drink and be merry before giving up something for lent. This is the time of year in Venice that everyone goes into full costume on the weekends with parades that all come to a crescendo on Martedì Grasso.

Treats during this time include Chiacchiere which are also known as frappe, bugie, sfrappole, risole, crostoli to name a few versions of it. Another favorite is sfingi or zeppole which are small balls of fried dough that are a crowd pleaser! Now it is 40 days of lent. What are you giving up for lent this year?

follow-on from the previous tasting in August where we featured “the king of wines”: Barolo. At the November tasting (part 2 of Piemonte) our featured wine was Barbaresco, but we also had 5 other first class Piemontese wines.

The Barbaresco (by Pelissero)- It was every bit as special as our Barolo, in my opinion…and frankly I have a hard time distinguishing between the two in ablind taste.  Philip explained to us however, how despite the fact that they are both VERY special wines, both from the Nebbiolo grape, both from very special DOCG zones in Piemonte, one notable distinction exists: because the tannins are a little softer in Barbaresco, it can be enjoyed a little younger (and for the same reason it doesn’t age for quite as long as Barolo).  To me, either of these wines are the absolute pinnacle of red wine enjoyment….please do yourself a favor and try a little taste of these very complex and elegant wines, there is nothing like them in the world.  A few years back, my cousin Aldo from Vercelli gave me a bottle of 1987 Barbaresco…I might just open it soon since now I have learned that it doesn’t age that as long as Barolo.  (that’s my excuse anyway )

The two whites we served were a Gavi (Valditerra) and a Chardonnay (Dante Rivetti).  Several of our attendees recall back in March at our inaugural tasting, we chose Gavi as representative of Northern Italian whites.  We emphasized one simple thing to remember about northern Italian whites, one thing that sets them apart: MINERALS.  This is where the soil comes in, this is the characteristic that canʼt be reproduced outside of Northern Italy.

 
The Chardonnay (Dante Rivetti) was no different.  But it was VERY different from the oaky chardonnay of California. So if you are stuck in the white wine rut of drinking varietals like chardonnay, and sick of the California oak in them…I urge you to pick up an Italian Chardonnay and compare the difference.  (I’ve burned out on chardonnays years ago but thanks to Philip’s tasting in November I have rediscovered them in a new way.)  The minerals are incredibly distinctive, and alcohol content seemed lower making it so much more enjoyable.  I would describe Gavi in a similar light.

In addition to the Barbaresco, we had a Barbera D’Asti (Icardi) and a Nebbiolo (Cascina Chicco). We learned how Barbera is the other big red grape of Piemonte, and then we had yet another Nebbiolo experience with the Cascina Chicco.  This wine is essentially a varietal wine of Nebbiolo grape but I noticed on the label that it comes from the Langhe hills were Barbaresco is made.  I guess this wine doesn’t quite meet the DOCG standards to be called Barbaresco, but I would recommend it for a slightly lower cost Nebbiolo/Piemonte experience at about $30 per bottle.

For the finale we served Brachetto d’Aqui sparkling wine that is very unique to Piemonte. It’s lightly sparkling, rose colored, and unlike anything I’ve ever had.   This is a unique red sparkling wine that is a touch sweet. It is a festive, effervescent wine that can be served as a sweet aperitif and it pairs well with a number of foods, including chocolate and creamy cheeses. THIS is the wine I will serve at my next pool party!

 
During this tasting (our third in the series), we added some very special items to the antipasti plates on each table. We had large amounts of my favorite wine food:  Prosciutto San Danelle.  We had these giant Cerignola olives from a small family producer in Puglia….huge marinated artichoke hearts that everone loved (again from Puglia)…Salami Genovese…the cheeses were somewhat rare Italian DOPs: Mantasio (from veneto) and Pecorino Toscano stagionato. We try not to send anyone home hungry!

I hope you enjoyed my observations from the third edition of Vini D’Italia. I’ve been drinking wine for years but now I am gradually starting to understand the details behind it all…at least with Italian wines. I have much more to learn and I hope you will join us at future editions of Vini D’Italia as we travel up and down the Penisula tasting, learning and enjoying fine Italian wines, region by region.

Salute!
Mike Vaccaro

Piemonte Wine Tasting

The Italian Cultural & Community Center hosted a wine tasting presented by Philip Cusimano. The wines were just incredible. The Piemonte region is know for its Barolos, Barbarescos, and don’t forget the bubbly sweet Asti!

Philip Cusimano took us through an education of this region and the wines associated with it. It was really a great forum to learn about the wines as well as meet other people in the community that share a common interest. We can’t wait to see you at the next wine tasting!