Transcript with show notes embedded:
SAVE 20% at Dalla Fonte with code: DREAMOFITALY
Olivia Becker: Actually Dalla Fonte translates to from the source, and so this is truly coming from the source. It’s coming from these small towns. It’s coming from these small producers that really honor traditional preparations. And in so many cases, they’re family recipes as it really is an experience. We want folks to sit down and really understand why these foods are important in Italian culture.
Kathy McCabe: This is Kathy McCabe. Welcome to the Dream of Italy podcast. You know me from the PBS Travel Series, Dream of Italy, and the award-winning website and publication. Join me as we explore the sights and sounds of Bell Italia. From the canals of Venice to the piazzas of Puglia, from the fashion houses of Milan to the vineyards of Tuscany. Hop on, it’s going to be a great ride. Andiamo!
Okay, so today on the podcast, I’m thrilled to have Olivia Becker here. Olivia is the co-founder of Dalla Fonte, which basically lets you taste the best of Italy at home. Dalla Fonte is one of the sponsors of the Season Three of Dream of Italy. And we’re very grateful for that. Olivia has an Italian American background, which inspired her to found this company. Which has such a wonderful mission and makes people very happy. So welcome, Olivia.
Olivia: Hi, Kathy.
Kathy: Tell me first, let’s jump in, I like to get right to the point. What is Dalla Fonte? And then we’ll back it in and see how you got there.
Olivia: Yeah, sure, so thanks for having me. So excited to be a sponsor of this season. Dalla Fonte is a specialty Italian food and wine club membership, and then a gifting service online. And what we really strive to do is deliver those pieces of Italy that bring us so much joy. We can’t always be over there, but these are all those products and flavors and experiences that we have over there that we always found ourselves shoving in a suitcase to bring home to the US and share with family and friends. And Dalla Fonte is really that expression of doing just that, but sharing it with such a broader audience. All the things that make us happy and pay tribute, like you said, to our Italian- American heritage.
Kathy: So tell me where your family is from. I know you have some Italian American heritage. You’ve lived in Italy, and what was that experience like?
Olivia: Yeah, yeah. I think I do. I think we’re the same, that our great-grandparents on our mother’s side came over. My husband and I always joke, we’d have a lot more street cred if we were going by our mothers’ maiden names. Which –
Kathy: Well, mine’s McCabe. I don’t have any street cred… My father’s name, of course. I’m not.
Olivia: Yeah, exactly. My maiden name is Irish and then Becker is of course German. But same thing, we have these mothers of full Italian descent, and all of my family came over in the early 1900s. And I had four great-grandparents. So one side, the Noromuzzi’s came from Sulmona, which is in Abruzzo .
Kathy: Oh, yeah they were in Sulmona.
Olivia: I know. It’s such a beautiful region. We were able to go there for the first time in 2022, and really just so moving to be where my family came from.
And then on the other side, the Sciangralepre’s, which is quite a mouthful, it actually means rabbit ripper. Which is not a very romantic name, but they came from Bari and then Sicily. And so everybody converged in New York City. They all came through Ellis Island, and I just always felt so connected to that side of my family. Always a pull to their stories, their backgrounds, their tradition. Obviously, again, the food. Everything with our Italian heritage comes down to those food experiences. And so yeah, we were in New York, and my family came to California where, I think, for the first time they felt connected to Italy. They were able to grow their olive trees, their lemon trees. And now we’re up in Seattle, so we’ve hung by the coast. But always stayed connected and true to those roots.
[04:35]Kathy: And then you lived in Italy. What was your experience like? And where did you live? Because everyone loves to know what’s…
Olivia: Yeah, going back to this pull to Italy that’s always been there, both as a kid. When I started my professional career, I worked for a company that was headquartered in La Spezia, which is a port town. And it’s absolutely beautiful. And I worked for a maritime software and consulting company. So I spent very long periods of time over there, built deep friendships. And it was such a treat to be doing that in my early twenties, to be spending time there and working alongside Italians. And I think really learning about what it means to be Italian, and live that Italian spirit where so much is built on connection and relationship.
And I think what’s wonderful about Italians is how intentional they’re about that. Even in a workday, it’s like, “No, we’re leaving at 2:00. We’re going to go get a coffee. We’re having dinner.” It’s like everything stops. And I think sometimes they get a reputation for not working hard, but it’s like, “No, this is what success looks like.” You’re connected. You’re really partners, you’re in relationships. So, what a treat. I had so many friends, they were like, “What? Where are you going? This is work?”
Kathy: Yeah, I know the feeling.
Olivia: I was going to say this sounds very familiar, very similar to your story, where it’s like, “Oh, what a dream.” And it was. And it was.
Kathy: It is a dream. It really is. We’re very blessed. So your ethos or your purpose of your business, I know you can buy individual products. Obviously food products, and each one has a story. But you have this membership and a subscription. And how I love subscriptions and memberships. How does that work?
Olivia: Yeah, so when we were first launching and trying to think about what that customer experience would be, we love subscriptions too. It’s like when these things arrive on your porch, you’re so excited. You don’t know what’s inside of that. So what we landed on was a quarterly subscription service. So four times a year, or once every season, you receive this curated box of specialty items that are all made in Italy. Actually, Della Fonte translates to from the source. And so this is truly coming from the source. It’s coming from these small towns. It’s coming from these small producers that really honor traditional preparations. And in so many cases, they’re family recipes.
And you know what it’s like over there. It’s not just olive oil. It’s like, “These are the olives that my great-great-great-grandparents planted on the land that we’ve lived on since the 18th century. And this is our oil.” So it’s a collection of those types of foods and wine. And we do it four times a year because it really is an experience. We want folks to sit down and really understand why these foods are important in Italian culture. We always include a brochure that educates folks as well, so they know what this means to an Italian, and really the people and the faces behind it.
[08:02]Kathy: I love it. I love it. It helps to tell the story. And you also sell, I know, individual boxes. And we have a really special box for season three that we put together. So people could watch the episodes and have the flavors and the tastes. And I know the first thing we centered it around, which is unfortunate, not every state can get it. Is the wine, and Andrea Bocelli’s wine. Not a lot of people until they watch my show know that Andrea’s family, his brother and his nephew especially, make their own wine in Tuscany.
SAVE 20% at Dalla Fonte with code: DREAMOFITALY
Olivia: Yeah. I love when you said that, Kathy. I think the words that stick with me is what’s that immersive experience? How many times have you seen something on TV and like, “Oh my gosh, I would kill for a sip, a bite, or just to be there.” And I think that’s what we’ve created. So each box, if you can receive wine, has a bottle of the Bocelli Family Reserve. It’s a Sangiovese blend.
Kathy: I’ve tasted it at the source and there’s a whole story to the logo. No one in the family except Alberto knows what the logo is. It’s crazy. And he told me that if I come back in 10 years, he will tell me. And I ran into him at the concert, Andrea does Teatro del Silenzio in the summer. I literally ran into Alberto and I’m like, “In dieci anni. I’ll see you.” This poor man’s like, “Oh, God, she’s really coming back.” But I’m coming back. So you get the wine, and then what’s the next item that you have for us?
Olivia: Yeah. Well, and a quick note on the wine, so they have an exclusive distribution or distributor in the US who happens to be in Seattle. And I validated your story, because I said to them, “What is this logo? Do you guys know what it is?”
Kathy: I don’t know why they don’t know.
Olivia: They said, “Top secret.” They don’t know. They had a long relationship with the Bocellis. They said they have no idea. It’s a secret. So I’m hoping, Kathy, in 10 years that you are able to share.
Kathy: I have left the door wide open, and even I believe the son does not know. The wife, Alberto’s wife are, “No, he doesn’t know.” I don’t think Andrea knows. It’s quite a story. Really, I love a good story. And I did not know. You do pre-interviews or… I had no idea. I literally was interviewing them and I’m like, “Well, what’s this logo about?” “I don’t know. My father didn’t tell anybody.” It’s such a good story.
Olivia: I love that. I’m excited for the big reveal in 2034, I guess?
Kathy: 2033.
Olivia: Oh, 2033.
Kathy: We have nine years. So it was 10 years ago I interviewed him. Because last year I interviewed them. So it’s coming soon. I mean, it’ll be here before you know it. And then we have my other… I loved… We have such a star-studded show. We have Andrea Bocelli, but I bet you’re going to show the balsamic from Massimo.
Olivia: Yes. I mean, so I think anybody who’s familiar with Italian food knows Massimo Bottura. His restaurant is always quoted as one of the best in the world. And you’re one of the fortunate people that have eaten there.
Kathy: It is. It’s worth every penny. If you save your money to go, it’s worth it.
Olivia: Okay. See, this is still on my list.
Kathy: It’s so different. So different.
[11:18]Olivia: Oh, my gosh. Yeah. See, and so what is so cool that he also produced a line of balsamics. And so this is his Villa Manodori. This is what balsamic should taste like. We talk a lot about this at Dalla Fonte where it’s like, “Yeah, you can get some things at the grocery store.” But to really pour something like this, which is thick and rich and dense, is such a treat. So I’m so excited that we were able to source this.
Kathy: I saw it, even though I saw it in the barrels and you see in the show. So that’s in the first episode or the first of the two Modena episodes, so you’ll see it. And Massimo says balsamic is love. He’s very descriptive. Very Italian.
Olivia: Very Italian.
Kathy: Yeah and so I was just talking to somebody. We were talking about Modena, and I was saying how I had walked around with a friend of mine on camera, and I had the balsamic on vanilla gelato. So something as simple as that, or on strawberries. It’s not-
Olivia: Yes.
Kathy: It’ll last for what… Well, you can drink it.
Olivia: Yes.
Kathy: A lot.
Olivia: But well, you can. Yes.
Kathy: It lasts.
Olivia: It’s just a small drizzle. And the bottle is beautiful, and the packaging is beautiful, which is another thing that’s very Italian. These products, they not only taste fantastic, but they really pay attention to packaging. So to have something like this-
Kathy: That is true, packaging is essential. Is essential.
Olivia: Yes. They are wonderful. So yeah, something beautiful to have on the counter. And then I think speaking of beautiful packaging, we also included a fig jam from Pure Stagioni. Which is a very small producer in Tuscany that only uses the highest quality local fruits and vegetables to make their line of jams. It’s funny with Italians, because I’ll ask, “Is it organic?” And they’ll laugh at me because they’re like, “Oh, Olivia, organic is our starting point.” Organic for Americans is one thing, but in Italy it’s like, “Oh, this is just where we start.” So I love that we included this. Do you want to talk about the episode that it relates to?
Kathy: Well, we did it. In that one I went to visit Franco Pepe in Caserta in Campania, who is now considered the world’s best pizza maker. It’s everyone have their opinion, but it’s in a little town outside of Caserta. And we visited a lot of the places where he sources his ingredients. But we made a pizza that one of the focal points was figs and cheese. It was like heavenly. And he hand-fed it. I was hand-fed, not only by Franco Pepe, but by Massimo Bottura. So when on my deathbed-
Olivia: You have grapes in your mouth.
Kathy: The thing about Massimo, and even Franco, but Massimo what just blew me away is he put exactly what he wanted of each amount of whatever on that fork. So I was getting it as he intended. And I’m like, “My God, I will never…” Even if I go back to eat there, he’s probably not hand-feeding me. But I love the pizza, Franco Pepe‘s amazing. A lot of people make a pilgrimage in southern Italy. You should, next time you go, it’s the dough. It’s the dough.
Olivia: It’s the dough. I mean, that’s what my New York husband always says about the bagels in New York. It’s like, it’s the dough. It’s the water.
Kathy: It’s in the water, but the dough. The dough with the water. I live in Colorado, I missed the big… But it’s the water. And there is actually, there’s a total side story, but there’s a place in Denver called Rosenberg’s. And they did the water. They patented some way of creating New York water. Kid you not. So-
Olivia: That’s amazing.
Kathy: It’s very essential. So it’s the water and the flour and the way Franco makes it. And I was with a bunch of Italians when we were filming, and they love to talk about digestion. And so you don’t get bloated. You eat this pizza and you’re not bloated. It’s a very nice experience. And so we wanted to do something in honor of that specific pizza. So we have the figs.
Olivia: Yeah. So good.
Kathy: What else do we have? I’m remembering now. I’m like, “Oh man, I got to have some of that figs later.”
Olivia: I know. And it reminds me of my family too, because just like the fig tree, it’s just such a part of the culture. So next we have the tortellini with Parmigiano Reggiano for the entire Emilia-Romagna. And this is from a producer that’s actually in a small village called Carù. Alimandi who produces this pasta. He was all inspired by his grandmother’s recipe. They have this beautiful restaurant that’s still in operation today in Carù. So this pasta represents those family recipes. And we just thought it would be the perfect representation of the tortellini that are just everywhere in Emilia-Romagna.
Kathy: We made some in Modena. And so that was in honor of the tortellini that we made at Tortellante with Massimo and Lara’s son, Charlie. And we ate it with a Parmigiano Reggiano sauce of three years. Yeah, it was really good.
Olivia: It was amazing?
Kathy: Yes.
Olivia: Okay, yeah.
[16:47]Kathy: And then I know we wanted to touch on Parmigiano Reggiano which is in two of the episodes. And instead of sending you the cheese, which you can get anywhere nowadays. I mean, it’s imported, but it’s amazing the reach in all the stores with the proper tools.
Olivia: Yes. So you are absolutely right. I think as long as you go to the grocery store and ask for Parmigiano Reggiano, not Parmesan.
Kathy: Yes. It’s not just Parmesan. Yes.
Olivia: Yeah, it’s just Parmesan. So we included-
Kathy: Just like a black logo with the gold, right?
Olivia: Yes, exactly. I know it’s so important. So we included a cheese knife set. So these are all hand-carved in Italy. Perfect for your charcuterie board. So an ode to the Parmigiano. And honestly having, if you get some fresh Parmigiano Reggiano and to drizzle Massimo’s balsamic on top of that, I mean, that would be a very wonderful-
Kathy: Really full flavor experience. Just an experience. If you watched the show, which I know you have. He said, he points to his arm and he’s like, “This is the Parmesan and this is the balsamic running through it.” And you’ll never forget that when you watch that part of the show.
Olivia: Yes. And that’s the thing, these ingredients, these foods are the lifeblood for Italians. He’s not joking. I mean-
Kathy: No, he believes this.
Olivia: Yes, yes. It’s in their circle and it’s fantastic. And that’s that kind of love for food that I think shows like yours do such a great job of really connecting people to what that means. It’s not just about getting the Parmigiano Reggiano or trying balsamic. It’s like, “Oh my gosh, for these people, it’s what keeps them going.” So… I just love that.
Kathy: And then what else do we have in there?
Olivia: So then we have our tribute to the episode on the American expats that have moved to Abruzzo. So we wanted to include something that just is synonymous with Abruzzo, which is confetti. So I think for a lot of Americans, we know them as Jordan Almonds. I grew up my grandparents…
Kathy: All the weddings, all the parties.
Olivia: And so what we did was include… And they’re not just handed out at weddings, but they come in the organza bag. So that’s very important.
Kathy: Oh, in the bags. Yes.
Olivia: In the bags. And so we included some of these confetti from the Pelino candy factory that’s been operating in Sulmona since, I mean, I think the mid 1700s.
[19:19]Kathy: Yeah, we visited Pelino in last season two, and they showed us all the colors and what they mean. And then I love Abruzzo. We did this episode about people moving. And Sulmona is where you said your family’s from, is really spectacular. And so you have the little Jordan almonds, the confetti is your sweet treat. So you can come to www.dreamofitaly.com/season3 or go to Della Fonte to order the box. It also includes the book that I wrote about Travel, Transform and Thrive, which has a lot about Italian food and life and moving to Italy. And so now is there a code that people can use for it to take-
Olivia: So all Dream of Italy members, listeners can use Code Dream of Italy, and you will have 20% off. So just for listening today. And-
Kathy: That’s a great series because you also can buy the individual products as well. Where if you taste something in a box, that’s what I love about your business, you can reorder, right?
Olivia: Yeah. It’s been really fun to carry those products that people come back and say, “Oh my gosh, these breadsticks reminded me of the winery that I went to in Umbria in 2005. And your box brought me back.”
Kathy: Everything is tied to a memory. So tell me, I’m so curious, what has surprised you that people love and reorder? Tell me stories of the best products.
Olivia: Yeah. So I would say, even though this is kind of a boring answer, it’s the pasta. Because the most common thing I hear from our club members and customers is, “Oh my gosh, I didn’t know pasta could have flavor.” And it’s so funny because I think here we get used to kind of some bland things that are maybe mass-produced. But to say, “Oh my gosh, here’s an egg pasta with the eggs from the free-range chickens, the wheat from their fields.” There’s a touch of nutmeg in it. It’s like, “Oh, I can taste that.” I know this is different from the roasted wheat or quinte. So it’s the variety of pastas. And then what’s really been fun is introducing people to pistachio cream. Oh, I think you-
Kathy: Okay. Not only you sent me that, but then I am sorry. I’m going off story. I went to Malta three weeks ago and bought pistachio cream. I mean, pistachio… closer to God. Yes, yes.
Olivia: That’s the thing. So it’s these flavors that maybe-
Kathy: All those pistachio products are amazing.
Olivia: Oh, they are just to die for. And so-
Kathy: I think I’m going to get off of this podcast and go… I’m not even putting it on anything. I’m just…
Olivia: No, exactly.
Kathy: I just remembered I bought some more.
Olivia: Yeah, people are like, “How should I enjoy this?” I’m like, “Well, first try it with a spoon and then decide, do you even waste a piece of toast? Or just keep eating out of a spoon.”
Kathy: Just eat it out of a spoon.
Olivia: Just eat it with a spoon. So those things. And then another favorite product that was fun to introduce people to was Lambrusco, which-
Kathy: Oh, yeah. Well, that’s pretty popular Modena, the two episodes that we did.
Olivia: Yes. Yeah. Break down all the meat and cheese. It’s a sparkling red.
Kathy: Strong, earthy one.
Olivia: And it’s so good. And I think, I don’t know about you, but growing up we had it on the table. But it was cheap and too sweet. And we would add 7up to it and feel cool. But now it’s like there are all these beautiful dry Lambrusco. So a lot of folks haven’t had a sparkling red. So it’s those kind of things that I just get such a kick out of. Sharing this with folks for the first time. So yeah, pistachio cream, Lambrusco, and a variety of pastas.
[23:07]Kathy: Together. Together. I love to talk to women who started businesses who’ve kind of created their own dream job. So tell me about your experience and what I always love to know, what has surprised people or what they’ve learned about themselves. Or often we learned, “Wow, it’s really hard.” Not in a bad way, but…
Olivia: Yeah, it’s such a good question and something that we’ve talked about and connected on before. You gain so much in starting your own business. But it is hard and you’re constantly learning. I think for me, especially as a female and a mother of daughters, I came from corporate America as a management consultant. Where I sat at a lot of tables where I was the only woman. Or maybe I was working with a team of leaders, and it was all male. And you start to realize, “Gosh, there’s not as much representation here. And how can I create a world that I want my daughters to grow up in and succeed in?”
And so one of the things that, I don’t even know if it’s intentional or not. But as I started Dalla Fonte, I found myself really connecting with female IT entrepreneurs, female led marketing companies, female wine makers, female producers. You, as a female executive producer, television host. And so I have been able to have that agency around who I elevate and connect with. And I think that’s what’s been really special for me to create a community of female entrepreneurs and business owners and just hard workers. And yeah, it’s just been a different sense of support and community. Success looks different when you’re working with a group of women. And it’s felt very collaborative and just more fulfilling, I think, for me personally to head down this path. So even when it’s hard, I appreciate the circle I have.
Kathy: That’s very, very good. So what is coming up for Dalla Fonte? I know you’re always thinking of new ideas, and I know a few of them. But if you can bear with us. Because it’s always one idea leads to another, one product leads to another.
Olivia: Yes. I know. And I don’t know about you, but it’s like your mind is always tuned. You wake up, “This would be a great idea, and how can I make that happen?” So we love connecting with our members. And one of the trends that we’ve heard a lot about is non-alcoholic wines. And one of our missions at Dalla Fonte is provide things that are only made in Italy. And so we’re meeting with a winemaker next month when we’re there for the food show. So we’re going to be trying his whole line of non-alcoholic wines, reds, wines, Proseccos and helping-
Kathy: That’s really interesting. Yeah, know people’s niche.
Olivia: Yeah, it’s a niche. And folks have been asking for it and things like gluten-free. Which you hear about a lot. And in Italy, that’s easy to find because-
Kathy: There’s a lot of celiacs in Italy.
Olivia: So much, and they use so many different regional products. In our box this quarter, we have a file cookie. So yes, it’s gluten free but it’s just because they’re using this-
Kathy: Yeah, they’re using other items. No, but people think you can’t enjoy Italy if you can’t eat gluten. But there’s so many risotto and there’s-
Olivia: Oh my gosh, yes.
Kathy: Other options. There’s a lot of gluten-free products and pastas and yeah.
Olivia: They are wonderful. So exploring products like that that we can help folks that are maybe trying to eliminate something or explore something different. So I’m excited about that. And then for the first time this year, we’re doing our Meet the Maker Tour. So we’re actually-
Kathy: Oh, that’s always exciting. Where are you going?
Olivia: So we’re going to start in Bologna and then do the wine country of Piedmont.
Kathy: Oh, God.
Olivia: It’s just those sort of-
Kathy: Those are sort of two of the best Emilia-Romagna and Piedmont are pretty spectacular for food and wine.
Olivia: Yes. Yeah, and I think for Americans in general, I think when they go to Italy it’s like Rome, Florence Venice. Some of those places that pop to the top. But this is such a gorgeous part of the country and the food and wine culture is to die for. So we’ll be going to the Lambrusco Winery, we’ll be going to an acetaia that produces the balsamics and doing barrel tastings of balsamic vinegar. Which like you said, you’ve done it, but if you haven’t done it, it’s mind blowing to really try it and meet these folks.
So I’m excited to again, create those connections with folks so they can see, “Gosh, this is why Parmigiano Reggiano tastes the way it does. This is why….” But this is the care and the love and the years that go into each bite of Parmigiano Reggiano. So to take folks on those factory tours and the wine tastings, I am really excited about that. That was always part of my initial vision of Dalla Fonte. How can I bring a group of folks to have some of the experiences that I’ve had over there? That really helped propel this and where I feel so connected to my family and my ancestors.
Kathy: Food really tells the story of Italy and the history. Really the story of the land and how… And food is different, a few miles or kilometers away.
Olivia: So different.
Kathy: So different. You never have ran out of options. And food is this… You know this from living there. The only thing that Italians talk about all day. It’s the next meal. I know this from filming with these Italians. They’re like my brothers at this point. “Where are we going for lunch?” I tried to break them.
Olivia: Now you’re eating breakfast.
Kathy: I tried to make them American, and we were going to have one course at lunch, and this is unacceptable. So it’s like, “Well, where are we going for lunch? How was that ragu maybe in the cooking lesson?” “Oh, really wasn’t that good.” Or it was. It’s usually good. But the next meal and the ingredients and the memories, and it’s a complete dialogue full day. It amazes me every time. I mean, I’ve been there so many times, but just how the conversation revolves.
Olivia: It’s all around food. For Italians, as much as they live in the moment, and they’re not exactly rule followers. They have rules for this food too-
Kathy: Oh, absolutely. The cheese for this and-
Olivia: Cheese on a seafood pasta, we almost got kicked out of a meal one day. Because we were out to dinner with our Italian friends and our daughters ordered cappuccinos with dinner, which is already a cardinal sin.
Kathy: Sure. I think they’ve started to accept that though of Americans. I think it’s just they’ve given up on that one.
Olivia: They’ve let it go, but then they wanted Parmigiano grated on top of their seafood pasta.
Kathy: That’s a tough one. That’s right. That’s bad.
Olivia: This was really bad. And we heard about it, and we still hear about it. So, yeah.
[30:39]Kathy: What are some of the things I know… I’m actually using your idea, and I’ll send you the link because we can send it out with the boxes. I created a Spotify playlist for the season. All these things I’m catching up on, but I know you do that with some of your boxes. What are some of the extra things you do to create this experience for the members?
Olivia: Yeah. Oh my gosh, that’s such a good reminder. So it’s not just the food and the wine that come in the box. But yeah, like you said, my husband creates a Spotify playlist for every box. So sometimes it’s songs that we’ve listened to over there, we’ve heard on the radio. And when you’re there and that imprints on you, it’s like, “Oh my gosh.” Every time you hear it just kind of brings joy to any experience. And we’re a family that if we’re cooking or we’re eating, there’s music on. Each box has a themed playlist. And then another thing we’ve started that’s been so much fun, and again about community building, is including recipe cards. So we have the brochure in each box that it talks about how to use these products and where they come from. But now we’re partnering with Italian chefs to say, “Hey, what would you do with these items? What would you create?” So recently we had Viola Buitoni put together two recipes, a guanciale tagliolini.
Kathy: Oh, she has a nice cookbook that just came out.
Olivia: Yes, she does.
Kathy: Yeah, tell her I said hello. I’ve seen her cookbook. I don’t know her, but-
Olivia: You should meet her. I don’t know when this might happen, but she’s fantastic. And she…
Kathy: And where does she live? In Italy or the US?
Olivia: She’s in San Francisco now.
Kathy: Oh, okay.
Olivia: Yeah. So she spends a lot of time over there. She does her food tours and cooking tours and Buitoni pasta. She comes from a pasta dynasty. And so it’s really cool that she’s created her own thing. And so she also created just a salad dressing from this acacia honey. Which by the way, the honey in the recent box, this Mormonic beekeeper follows the hives through the National Parks of Italy and crops the honey.
Kathy: I have that box. You sent me the box. And I was away, and I preserve it. I have to have an unveiling for myself. So it’s like sitting there not opened yet. So-
Olivia: Try it with a spoon.
Kathy: It’s like a Christmas present. When do you ever get multiple presents? Only your birthday or Christmas. So you open the box and it’s like you don’t know all the stuffing stuff you use. You don’t know if there’s something else? It’s really quite an experience to get a box. SAVE 20% at Dalla Fonte with code: DREAMOFITALY
Olivia: Thank you.
Kathy: Yeah, no, no, it’s a very-
Olivia: That’s what I’m hoping.
Kathy: There’s very few little joys in life but that box is like a surprise. So that’s really cool that you have these chefs then giving you ideas. You always need an idea. People want this for them.
Olivia: Yeah, exactly. Because it’s not exactly a meal kit that comes in, but it is something that you can put together. Usually there’s something you can enjoy as sort of an aperitivo or a starter. There’s always a pasta, some type of sauce. And of course, sweets. Because well, we all love sweets also.
Kathy: So do Italians. I’m wondering what’s in the box that I can make for dinner. But I’m going to surprise… Don’t tell me. I want to surprise myself. And then-
Olivia: You have dinner in there, I promise.
Kathy: Yeah, I’m sure there’s something in there. So thank you so much. So now let’s remind people, so if they mention Dream of Italy, they’ll get 20% off?
Olivia: Yes. SAVE 20% at Dalla Fonte with code: DREAMOFITALY
Kathy: Using the code on the website, you can get the season three box, which I highly recommend. And I’m going to get you the Spotify playlist to go with it. Because listening to Andrea…
Olivia: Drinking his wine.
Kathy: And then we have, Pavarotti is in Modena. And then in Abruzzo we have Del Saltarello, an orchestra. And I found all these songs that go with… It’s again, creating the full experience. Which we are doing similar things, just different modus I guess, or modes. But so people can use Dream of Italy. So give me your website, but we’ll have it in the description also. So it’s Dalla Fonte?
Olivia: Yeah, www.dallafonte.com. D-A-L-L-A F-O-N-T-E. And so on the website, you can find the Dream of Italy box. You can also learn more about our subscription club. And then we always have those individual items that our club members and customers read about.
Kathy: Pistachio cream. You’re going to sell out of it after the… I’m telling you. I have not lived. You haven’t. You know what I was thinking? I have these memories. My father would make pistachio pudding from a box in the ’70s. You know those pudding mixes?
Olivia: Yeah.
[35:52]Kathy: I have this memory of him making or my mother making pistachio pudding. Now this pistachio cream is 5,000 times better than that pudding. But we all have memories of the flavors and I…
Olivia: And that’s the thing. Food, especially as an Italian American, our core memories are built on these meals. And so yeah, that’s the idea. Our tagline is like, “We can’t always be in Italy.” And I wish I was always in Italy, but when I’m not, it’s these little bites, it’s these experiences and these meals. And these songs, like you said, that really create that Italian experience for you.
Kathy: It’s an emotional experience. So people can come to dreamofitaly.com/podcasts. We’ll have show notes for today where we’ll link all the products that we’ve talked about. We’ll link to your trip and the code. And then if people want to learn more about the season dreamofitaly.com/season3, and you can get the box there or watch some of the episodes and get inspired.
And people, I try to remind our members, our viewers public television only exists because of people who support it. Like your small company. And often it’s the small companies that really step up with a mission to help put this content on air. And I know that it was a big thing for you and your company to support the season. So I wanted to thank you again for that. And I hope we can continue to work together to bring these flavors to people. Because it’s one thing to read, it’s one thing to see, but you have to smell it. You have to taste it. It’s such a sensory experience. And there’s nothing like going… I was just thinking, “God, I’m going to be back in an Italian supermarket soon.” It’s a-
Olivia: The supermarkets.
Kathy: I know. Just that’s all you need. You don’t need to take a tour. Just go to the supermarket.
Olivia: Go to the supermarket and just fill your basket. We always say it’s like supermarket sweep. Because we’re like, ” Look at this. Look at this.”
Kathy: I’m like, “Oh, they have this. And then they have that.” And it’s hard because there’s few. We’re so global now. It’s like, “Oh, you can get anything anywhere.” Which is not true. But there’s still discoveries and there’s still new products. And you’re bringing a lot of those to us.
Olivia: Well, thank you so much, Kathy. Because you know a lot of this came to be during COVID. And I remember watching Dream of Italy reruns. That was a big part of it-
Kathy: A lot of people, it was their COVID dream. It did happen like Amazon, it was the number American public television syndicated show in COVID.
Olivia: Well, that’s amazing because that was the time that we were marinating on these ideas and not being drawn to Italy. And so this is my dream of Italy.
Kathy: I know it is. And I really hope that people that watch this, they may not start a company or a TV show. But that they would get inspired. Like you found a way to live your dream, to incorporate your dream. And it may not be Italy even for people. Or it might be some aspect, or it might be like, “I want to go to Italy once a year.” It doesn’t have to be a full thing. But I think every time people hear stories like yours, they get inspired and think, “Well, I could do this too.” And it doesn’t have to be the same thing. It just has to have that nugget. And maybe when someone try some of your products, they’ll think, “I’m going to go to culinary school.” Or, “I’m going to start… I’m going to…”
Olivia: Yeah. Research my roots. Even feel connected to your family. I had no idea that Jordan Almonds, that confetti, came from the small town that my family came from. And now that I know this, it means a lot. It’s very simple, but it means a lot.
Kathy: It does. And Sulmoma’s spectacular. That’s a town I’ve even thought of living in. It’s a beautiful place. Abruzzo is something. And I mean, I love it all.
Olivia: It’s amazing.
Kathy: Abruzzo is really amazing. Great food. Great food.
Olivia: Because we have the coast and the mountains.
Kathy: I know. And that’s why we did this episode with pe
ople moving. Because it’s like, “Wow, you get to choose.” And so thank you again for supporting that, for bringing that to people so that they can then live their dreams. And yes, thank you.
Olivia: Okay, thanks so much, Kathy.
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