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If we want to make general statements in Italian about what has happened in the past, we must be willing to be a little imperfetto! The conjugation of the imperfetto past tense is fairly straightforward. The tricky part is knowing how to use this verb form. The Italian imperfetto refers to the recent past, and is useful when describing events that happened frequently in the past without a specific time frame. The imperfetto in Italian translates into the simple past tense in English and also into “used to” or “was/were…ing.” Let’s learn how to form this tense, which is actually ...

Many of the traditions we grew up with have gone by the wayside. Somewhere along the way we’ve come to realize and accept, albeit grudgingly, that change happens — without our approval! Halloween is working hard to overtake Christmas as the major holiday of the year. President’s Day his when we buy our mattresses at great savings and, rather than focusing on former members of the military, Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day weekends have regrettably become opportunities to save money on appliances and material for home improvements The Easter of today is more about bunny rabbits and plastic eggs in ...

You’re deciding whether to buy property as part of a homeowner’s association, and you’re excited at the prospect of shared amenities like lawn care and snow removal. Before you sign on the dotted line, though, be sure to read the bylaws or rules-and-regulations packet completely. There are several items that a homeowner’s association may not be able to legally enforce. Most homeowner’s association will deny your rights to solar drying, a fancy way of saying drying on clotheslines. This old-school method may mean sun-kissed laundry to you, but to your homeowner’s association it may be an eyesore. Many states, though, ...

Every Italian student starts by speaking only in the present tense — that is, about what is happening in the “here and now.”  But what if we want to refer back to an event that has happened in the recent past, such as this morning, yesterday, or last year?  Well, then, will have to learn how to form the passato prossimo past tense! The passato prossimo translates into English as the present perfect tense and the simple past tense; in effect, when we learn this one type of past tense in Italian, we can substitute it for two types of ...

It’s an exciting time when you’re starting the home-buying process. One of the big questions most buyers ask at this point is, “How much do I need for a down payment?” There are a handful of options to choose from. Options for first-time homebuyers vary from state to state and it’s always good to check with a licensed mortgage broker. People who have owned homes before and are looking to relocate are still able to qualify for an FHA loan with a down payment as little as 3.5 percent of the purchase price. However, for this type of loan, the ...

This is definitely that time of year when winter has dragged on for too long and we’re anxiously awaiting spring. It’s also a time when we can look back on what’s taken place over the winter and ahead to what might be coming up. First and foremost is the celebrated publishing of my book, which is a compilation of the best of 10 years of my column: “Petals from Roseland: Fond Memories of Chicago’s Roseland, Pullman and Kensington Neighborhoods.” The book was in print by mid-December and became an instant hit as a Christmas gift around the world. I can ...

I’ve traveled extensively throughout mainland Italy over the past 20 years. I love the subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle differences in the regions from north to south and east to west. However, my trip to Sardinia this past November was my first encounter with the island. Italy’s second largest island after Sicily, Sardinia is best known for its beaches and emerald coast. I visited for a completely different reason. I was on a mission to see as much of the interior of the island as possible. In particular, I wanted to visit the villages that comprise the island’s “Blue Zone.” What ...

“Is my eggplant parmesan soggy?” I queried my husband after a New York Times Food Section article thrust me into momentary self-doubt. “NEVER,” he reassured me. “Solving the Puzzle of Eggplant Parmesan” (NY Times, Sept. 22, 2017) quoted the advice of several accomplished chefs — one who learned to cook at his mother’s side in her well-regarded restaurant in Lyon, France — but none of them were Italian. What’s wrong with this picture? We Italians irrefutably know certain things about life, love and food. These lessons were taught to us in our nonnas’ kitchens, absorbed through the atmosphere of our ...

The predominant image of Italian Americans in today’s media comes through representation of our working-class presence. The predominant voice of protest of those images comes from Italian Americans in the middle class. Those educated out of the working class no longer connect to those who have remained working class. One result of this class mobility through education is the creation of Americans with Italian names who do not see anything wrong with writing, producing, directing and acting in films that, while protected by the First Amendment, offend other Italian Americans. For help in understanding this struggle, we need to review ...

A huge warehouse. Rival gangs. Bad blood. It all came together when a group of gangsters, dressed as outsiders, surprised their rivals and murdered them in cold blood on a cold February day. We all know the story: the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in Chicago, Feb. 14, 1929. Actually, no. The gang rub-out described above refers to the Wah Mee Massacre of Feb, 19, 1983, which took place in Seattle. Thirteen gangsters were brutally murdered as opposed to the seven who were killed in Chicago, thus making it the worst mass gang slaying in American history. And yet, no one ...