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Welcome to a special Saturday Spotlight here on The italyMONDO! Blog where we are turning the floor over to Michele Carbone, author of Venerdì Sera, Friday Evening: Creating La Dolce Vita, one bite at a time. Michele was pleased to sit down and answer a few of our questions and share with italyMONDO! readers about her love of Italy, travels in the bel paese and how she plans on bringing La Dolce Vita in her home for this Christmas season. Welcome, Michele!

What is the Italian connection in your family? What part of Italy does your family come from?
My husband’s family live in the Val di Non near Trento in Trentino/Alto Adige (his grandmother and grandfather on his mother’s side emigrated to the US) and in Piana degli Albanese outside of Palermo in Sicily (his grandmother and grandfather on his father’s side emigrated to the US). We have a family tree that goes back many generations on both sides, and includes the Italian-American descendants here.

Where have your travels in Italy taken you? And do you have a favorite place to visit?
We have been to Milan, Venice, the Val di Non, Florence, Rome, Sicily. I think if I would come back to Italy to live I would pick somewhere in the north, perhaps the lake country or the Italian Riviera. I like to be near water. I love Florence and Venice because of the history, culture and art. I would like to be a few hours away from our relatives. But Rome, all roads lead there…

How have the different landscapes, regional cooking and travels in the bel paese inspired your cooking?
One of my most inspirational moments is when I asked my cousin what kind of cheese we were eating, and he answered, “Our cheese, from here.” It really made me realize that Italian food tastes so incredible because it is always fresh; it doesn’t need to travel anywhere but directly to your table. Once, I saw a open pickup truck filled with lettuce driving in the hot sun. I thought to myself, “I can’t believe they are not using refrigerated trucks.” They didn’t need to preserve that lettuce; they were going to eat it that night! The other thing is, they take the time to make things from scratch, so their food is always better. We asked where could we get a good bottle of Grappa to bring home, and they told us, “You can’t buy good Grappa, you have to make it.” Here, in the States, we are tending to buy everything prepared. (Not me, of course.) The quality is always sacrificed if it is made ahead of time.

What aspects of la cucina Italiana are the most important part of your family cooking?
Striving to create perfection…making the dinner an art form…spending time at the table with my loved ones, sharing great food, a glass of wine, a cold piece of melon, and stimulating conversation…and chocolate.

How will you bring la dolce vita into your daily life and for your family for the Christmas and holiday season?
In a nutshell, enjoy fewer things, but make them of the best quality we can. We will give up some of the frenetic pace items that we often feel compelled to do even though we don’t want to do them. We will slow down, take long walks, catch up with our younger daughter who is returning from college. We will spend more time in conversation, bake something together, enjoy popcorn, prepare many feasts and savor them. Use the crystal and the china.

How would you describe the perfect venerdì sera?
The perfect venerdì sera starts at 8:15 am with friends and dogs; followed by a trip to the farmer’s market, the butcher, cheese shop and bakery. Around 3 pm, I’ll start prepping the food, with anything roasted being slow cooked in the oven. When everyone else arrives between 5 and 6:00 pm, I’ll pour them a glass of wine, too, and I’ll start preparing the antipasto. We’ll sit at the table around 7 pm, starting with soup, a pasta course, the piatto principale, insalata, and finally the dolce…Somewhere around 10:00 we will leave the table and I’ll start the dishes; luckily, I can see the TV from the kitchen. Some Grappa, Porto, or Vin Santo…



Tante grazie, Michele!


To purchase your copy of Venerdì Sera today, please visit Pentola Press.