The founder and long-time editor of Telos, Paul Piccone, was born in Italy on January 17, 1940, in the city of L’Aquila, the capital of the Abruzzo. He combined philosophical passion with an irrepressible instinct for hospitality, and this was nowhere clearer than in the way he would generously gather friends and strangers together for meals that celebrated both food and thought. His culinary skills, of which he was legitimately proud, were only enhanced when he married Marie Filice, an accomplished chef in her own right. Since Paul—ever the traditionalist—and Marie made many trips to L’Aquila, the menu in their New York home was constantly renewed through those returns to the ancestral source. That profound connection to the past provided the foundation for the welcoming hospitality, where a set table was always a celebration.
Almost five years after Paul’s death, a devastating earthquake struck L’Aquila, on April 6, 2009. Thousands of buildings in the medieval core were damaged, more than three hundred people died, and 65,000 were left homeless. Terrible earthquakes have followed, in Haiti and in Chile. Tectonic plates shift, the earth moves, fragile structures crumble. What we undertake is always provisional.
Today, exactly one year after the L’Aquila earthquake, Telos Press, through its Food and Fate imprint, is proud to release Marie Filice’s new volume, Breaking Bread in L’Aquila, dedicated to Paul’s memory. It is a collection of 49 recipes from the Abruzzo. They not only capture the flavors of the region but also convey the spirit of charismatic hospitality that captivated everyone fortunate enough to step inside the Piccone-Filice household. The German poet Brecht once wrote that eating comes first, by which he meant that materialist concerns precede morality and culture: first one, then the other. This book and the tradition from which it emerges testify, in contrast, to their inseparability: authentic food is already culture, and hospitality is the foundation of morality.
Breaking Bread in L’Aquila is available for purchase here.
Net profits will be donated to rebuilding efforts in L’Aquila.
I’m getting ready for Toronto with exciting TV, Radio and Book Launch! Appreciate everybody’s support and books are available at www.foodandfate.com. Ciao! maria
Media and Events
Sunday, April 4th: CHIN International TV, Toronto
Monday, April 5th: CHCH Television, Hamilton Morning Show
Tuesday, April 6th: OMNI News Television Interview Book Launch Hosted by Villa Charities and the Italian Chamber of Commerce Columbus Center, Carrier Gallery, Toronto 7pm to 9pm
Interviews with: Rita DeMontis, Toronto Sun and Canoe website Jennifer Bain, Toronto Star Danny Sinopoli, The Globe and Mail
Wednesday, April 7th CHIN Radio, Toronto
Tuesday, April 13th: NYC Interview with Shelli SonsteinQ104.3 RadioNews director/co-host “Jim Kerr Rock ‘n Roll Morning Show”
I may not hit those high notes in “The Great Gig in the Sky” but I never skip a beat with my pasta alla bolognese with a soprano of spicy sausage.
Get a standing ovation with my pasta alla bolognese. ps…It is very easy. How? The sauce was slow cooked and adding the hot sausage adds the perfect touch. Of course, you can deviate to mild sausage or leave it out. Whatever you and your guests enjoy!
Serves 4-6 (with leftovers for another time)
Ingredients:
1 lb. spaghetti
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. ground beef/pork (combo.)
1 lb. sausage
5-6 medium tomatoes, diced or canned (28 oz)
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of red wine (one that you enjoy drinking)
2 tbsp. pesto (I keep it handy in the freezer)
1 tbsp. dry oregano
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
pinch of red chili flakes
fresh basil, to garnish
freshly grated Parmigiano cheese
Heat a large saute pan over medium, add the olive oil. Then add the onion and cook until they start to soften. Add the garlic, ground meat and sausage. Cook for five minutes and stir occassionally. Add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper, pesto, oregano, and red chili flakes. Cook for thirty minutes and then add the wine. Reduce the heat to low and cook for additional thirty minutes. I like to make sure that the pork is cooked and total cooking is 1 hour.
Using a large pot, cook the pasta according to the package instruction until it is al dente (approx. 8 minutes).
Drain pasta and then throw it back in the pot. Add sauce and freshly grated Parmigiano cheese (handful). Place pasta in bowl and decorate with fresh basil and sausage.
Serve immediately with your favorite beverage! Salute and here’s to Pink Floyd!
Pantry + Freezer = your best friend when you don’t have time!
I’ve had one of those week! Didn’t have time to cook or time to go out! Getting ready with the book launch and lots to do!
Here’s to leftovers and being mindful to freeze them to help you out in the kitchen. ps – I don’t eat cereal for dinner!
I always keep a few containers of chicken soup. Here’s how I made it a little different:
Serves 4
While the soup was coming back to life, I added a can of lentils , a pinch of red chili flakes and read to serve! Serve with a nice glass a red wine, a little crusty italian bread and a piece of pecorino cheese….. and my headache just did an “exit stage left”.
Quick and easy…….I just got my second wind…..back to work!
