This article originally appeared in the October/November 2022 issue of Dream of Italy The classic Negroni was invented in 1919 by Count Camillo Negroni in Florence with gin as its main ingredient. The Negroni Sbagliato or “wrong” Negroni was invented at Milan’s Bar Basso in Milan in the late 1960s or early 1970s when barman Mirko Stocchetto accidently put Prosecco …
Editor’s Note: December 2021/January 2022 Dream of Italy Issue
This article originally appeared in the December 2021/January 2022 issue of Dream of Italy. Members receive access to more than 180 back issues—if you’re not a member, join here. I love introducing our readers to foreigners who have created fascinating lives in Italy! Twin sisters Lisa and Toni Brancatisano are two such people. Lisa, a trained fashion designer, embodies creativity, …
Recipe: Actor Joe Mantegna’s Contribution to Your Christmas Feast of The Seven Fishes
It is that time of year again, when the Christmas Eve “Feast of the Seven Fishes” is upon us. As you may know, this seafood heavy celebration is much more of a southern Italian and Italian-American tradition than something universally Italian. This year I have a celebrity seafood dish for you to add to your repertoire. As you may know, …
New Companion Book to PBS Special Gives Actionable Advice to Make Your Dream of Italy Come True
I came up with the concept for the PBS special Dream of Italy: Travel, Transform and Thrive in 2019 before a pandemic was anywhere on the horizon. The TV special of course premiered this year and though I had no idea what would hit the world in between, I think the topic was right on time. I am more convinced than ever …
Editor’s Note: August/September 2021 Dream of Italy Issue
This Editor’s Note originally appeared in the August/September 2021 issue of Dream of Italy. Members receive access to more than 180 back issues—if you’re not a member, join here. Throughout this strange time in the world, I’ve always felt that Italy is poised for another Renaissance, a re-birth. I’m thrilled to report that despite the state of things, in this …
Editor’s Note: April/May 2021 Dream of Italy Issue
This Editor’s Note originally appeared in the April/May 2021 issue of Dream of Italy. Members receive access to more than 180 back issues—if you’re not a member, join here. What’s it like to see your life’s work and passion culminate in a star-studded TV special and a companion book with a foreword by Frances Mayes? Well, I’m about to find …
Recipe: Kathy’s Grandmother’s Handmade Ravioli
In my new special, Dream of Italy: Travel, Transform and Thrive, premiering on PBS stations in June, I further explore my heritage and how food is central to Italian culture. My grandmother, Marie Cuzzone Nargi, surely taking after her ancestors from the town of Ariano Irpino in the southern Italian region of Campania, was a wizard at making any kind …
Recipe: Francis Ford Coppola’s Ciccio Cocktail
In the new special, Dream of Italy: Travel, Transform and Thrive, host Kathy McCabe visits with famed Hollywood director Francis Ford Coppola at his boutique hotel in his ancestral hometown of Bernalda in the southern Italian region of Basilicata. Ciccio is the classic house cocktail at Palazzo Margherita. Not only do guests from all over the world drink it, but …
Editor’s Note: December 2020/January 2021 Dream of Italy Issue
This Editor’s Note originally appeared in the December 2020/January 2021 issue of Dream of Italy. Members receive access to more than 180 back issues—if you’re not a member, join here. Dream of Italy. When I came up with this name nearly 19 years ago, little did I know just how well it would age. In this pandemic, we are in …
Recipe: Baccalà Fritto For Christmas Eve Seafood Dinner
Seafood is essential to the traditional, meatless Christmas Eve (La Vigilia) dinner in Italy. Chef Gianluca D’Esposito is well-known for the mouthwatering uber-fresh seafood dishes he whips up at Ristorante Michel’Angelo on the island of Capri. Chef Gianluca and his wife Holly joined us live for a wonder Italian Christmas Seafood virtual workshop. You can purchase the workshop here and …