Quest’anno, il liceo di Wheeling, Illinois, ha partecipato in uno scambio con il Liceo Scientifico A.Oriani di Ravenna. Mi chiamo Becky e sono una studentessa che ha partecipato in questo scambio. L’undici di settembre, le studentesse d’Italia sono arrivate negli Stati Uniti, e hanno abitato con noi nelle nostre case. Avere una persona di un’altro paese e parlare con loro la lingua italiana è fantastico, ma ospitare loro per dieci giorni e avere tutti dei dieci giorni con le cinque ragazze italiane e ancora più sorprendente! È stata un’esperienza bellissima che non volessi sostituire con niente. Il 20 marzo …

Some of my fondest holiday memories of my dad are of preparing dinner with him on Christmas Eve. We conjured up some pretty fabulous feasts, but a red sauce with perfectly tender calamari evaded us for years. We would sauté the squid first, soak it in milk, and simmer it in the sauce anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes, but to no avail. Then I sampled the absolutely sublime calamari sauce at Freddy’s in Cicero and I had to know their secret. “Simmer it longer,” said Joe Quercia, who runs Freddy’s with his wife, Ann Marie, “and buy East Coast …

“Parla italiano?” I get that question every now and then from readers calling to change an address or pay via credit card. For the longest time, I dreaded it. “No, I’m sorry,” I’d sheepishly reply. The caller would politely switch to English and on we’d go. Some of them have given me a gentle ribbing. How can the editor of an Italian-American magazine properly do his job with only English in his linguistic toolbox? I get by, but not as well as I might. In my defense, I came by my handicap honestly enough. My father — who was born …

The Italian American Police Association honored Anthony Riccio, Wayne Bubak and Diann K. Marsalek on Nov. 3 at Alta Villa Banquets in Addison. (312-415-1202) The following bios are provided by the organization. First Deputy Superintendent Anthony Riccio — Man of the Year Anthony J. Riccio is a 33-year law enforcement professional, having started his policing career in 1985. He currently serves as the Chicago Police Department’s First Deputy Superintendent (FDS), where he is charged with daily operations of the entire department. He was appointed to the position of FDS in February 2018. Anthony’s experience spans all facets of policing, including …

Salvatore J. “Sam” Tornatore and Michael M. Cabonargi were the guests of honor when the Justinian Society of Lawyers hosts its annual installation and awards dinner on Sept. 26 at the Palmer House Hilton. (708-338-0760) The Hon. Salvatore J. “Sam” Tornatore The recipient of this year’s Award of Excellence, Tornatore has served as a DuPage County Commissioner since 2012 and a DuPage County Health Department board member since 2015. He was appointed by Governor Pat Quinn and reappointed by Governor Bruce Rauner to serve on the board of the Illinois Housing Development Authority, where he also serves as its secretary. …

  “Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels, doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles,” those are a few of Maria’s favorite things in “The Sound of Music.” As you can imagine, mine are far more Italian than that. As promised last month, here’s my short list. My family’s red sauce — Or do you say gravy? There are as many pasta sauces as there are bloodlines in Italy, and everyone’s sugo is the best. The gravy that my wife now lovingly prepares descends from la famiglia Basile of Sora, a mountain town southeast of Roma. Like most Roman sauces, …

  I envy the first Italian Americans: those brave souls who catapulted themselves into the unknown and stared down countless hardships to create a better life for their families in a strange, new land. They brought with them little more than the shirts on their backs and the culture that shaped them, but that was more than enough. Settling with their paesani in ethnic enclaves, they reconstructed that culture from the ground up, celebrating La Vita Italiana in their homes, businesses, places of worship and wherever else they gathered. Family recipes were prepared by heart in their kitchens, canzoni popolari …

  I’ve had more than a few good cries since my father passed away in early May. He lived a long life and he was busy and robust until the end, and I’m grateful for that. But in some ways, it makes the loss even harder to bear. Tears still flow over the smallest of things, like driving to Joseph’s Finest Meats for the first time without my dad’s sausage order in hand; or giving his last bay leaf plant a new home in my backyard; or sorting through old photos of him with his parents, or of his parents …

  Approximately 350 members, honorees and guests gathered on April 28 at Medinah Shriners in Addison for CIACO’s 2018 Honor and Hope Gala. This year’s gala honored Humanitarian of the Year Remo Turano. In addition, 21 scholarships were awarded to college-bound students who qualified based on financial need and academic achievement. The event also featured the granting of financial awards to three area residents dealing with various disabilities — the family of Raymond Hildreth and veterans Jeff Sikes and Blaine Robinson. This year’s scholars were Isabella Amato, Olivia Ciolino, Annabella Console, Alexxa DeCarlo, William Ferraris, Daniel Frusolone, Griffin Homes, John …

  Some of the best Rugby players in Italy and Ireland will compete in Chicago in November as part of a Rugby Weekend hosted by USA Rugby and TLA Worldwide in conjunction with Chicago Sports Commission and Soldier Field. All matches will take place at Soldier Field on Nov. 3 The USA Women’s Eagles will open the match line-up against the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup Champion Black Ferns. Six Nations Champions Ireland will then take on Six Nations rivals Italy. The final match will pit the USA Men’s Eagles against New Zealand’s Maori All Blacks. Tickets are available at …