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Upcoming clUb EvEnts

February

5,12,19, 26 - Pasta & WOW7- LimOnceLLO smackdOWn cena

14 - VaLentine cena 14, 21, 28 - cena

27 – BOOk cLuB

March

5,12,19,26 - Pasta & WOW7,14,21,28 - cena

27 - BOOk cLuB

april

2,9,16,23,30 - Pasta & WOW4,11,18,25 - cena

20 - easter

24 - BOOk cLuB

Language cLasses heLd on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays & saTurdays. VisiT icdLanguage.eVenTbriTe.coM for More deTaiLs.

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Notiziario Ufficiale del circolo italiaNo di dallas • febbraio 2014 • Vol 35 NUm 2

plan a roMantic valentine’s dinner and ruFFino wine tasting

Make your reservations now for a romantic dinner at the Club on Valentine’s Day. Celebrate the evening with your sweetheart by treating her to a fabulous dinner prepared by Guest Chef Melissa Partin. Melissa has planned a special menu based upon old family recipes which her Italian grandmother has handed down to her.

In addition to a fabulous dinner, Ruffino, one of Italy’s premier wineries, will be hosting a wine tasting to accompany the menu selections. Ruffino will send a representative to the ICD to describe and explain the various vintages paired with the menu offerings. Ruffino has rarely hosted a wine tasting in Texas, and the Italian Club is honored to be Ruffino’s chosen venue for this event. The Valentine’s Day dinner special menu will include:

Appetizer – Caprese salad (tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil with a balsamic glaze)

Primo- Manicotti Alla Romana (baked manicotti shells stuffed with spinach, beef, and ricotta)

Secondo – Steak Saltimbocca (skirt or flank steak rolled with provolone and prosciutto

Contorni – sautéed spinach and roasted red potatoes

Dolci – Ricotta cookies

Member Price: $30 Non-Member Price: $35 Start Time : 7:00 p.m.

cranK up the distillery For our second liMoncello sMacKdown!

“When life hands you lemons, make some limoncello”

Making your own limoncello is as popular an Italian tradition as making your own pasta sauce ~ and, like sauce, everyone has their own limoncello recipe which has been tweaked and perfected through the years… and which everyone tells you is the best!

Well, now’s the time to crank up your home distillery and make your home-brew for our Second Annual Limoncello Smackdown! We’ve already sampled many of your products, and they are all wonderful, but after Cena on Friday, February 7, we’ll have a competition to determine who has the best limoncello. In the interest of providing a level playing field for the tasting, we ask that all entrants be clear lemon-based liqueurs (no cremas/creams or orange, mango, etc. ~ we’ll save those for another contest!).

Also, please be sure to provide a generous sized bottle (no airline mini-bottles!) so that as many people as possible, in addition to the judges, can sample your handiwork. And, out of respect for family tradition, all secret recipes will remain just that ~ secret.

What will you win, should your limoncello be judged the best? The accolades of your ICD friends, the right to say your liqueur is the best, and the title of King or Queen Lemonhead. What more could you want?

president’s letter

I want to thank all of you that have participated at a Club event lately December receipts were encouraging with both Club rentals and regular events doing well. With the addition of Gina Stipo’s Cenas in January, we are starting to see a little daylight but far from a total recovery.

Our short term course continues to be:

• ContinuewithMemberandGuestChefstrategyforCenato enhance variety and keep costs lower.

• BuildCash-continueexpenseanddonationconstraints

• FocusSalesEffortsonClubRentalsandCenaExpansion

• LowerBreakevenwheneverpossible.

• HoldoneSignificantFundRaiserperquarter

It is encouraging that the membership has stepped up to help ensure the future of the ICD. We will continue to fill the calendar with appealing activities, both dinner and non-dinner related, for your enjoyment and participation.

Keep up the good work

Regards,

Jay jlaurenzi@gmail.com

December 2013 YTD

Revenue $43,911 $468,632 Expenses $37,724 $516,749 Profit (Loss) $6,187 ($48,117)

new MeMbers

Alan and Cheryl Seager; Fred Fonti; Alois Mwika

culinary events

Daily Lunch: NEW A LA CARTE MENU! Tue-Fri~11:30a.m.-2p.m.Bringyourfriendsandbusinessassociatesfor a relaxing, flavorful meal from our new “a la carte” menu, tastes and prices for everyone. Try the Chef ’s antipasto, panini, soup/salad buffet or a new entree!

Wednesday ~ Pasta & Pizza Night: Feb 05, 12, 19, 26. Doors open 6 p.m.EveryWednesdayeveningfeaturesourfantasticantipastibarandone of several pasta or pizza selections for a great price. Add extras if the mood suits you – meat, seafood & veggies. Pasta or Pizza - Members $12/Non-Members$16;AntipastiBaronly-Members$8/Non-Members $12.

Call for reservations and large tables (972) 931-9167

Friday cena schedule & pricing

Member Adult $20 / Non-Member Adult $28 ++Special Event ~ Member Adult $30 / Non-Member Adult $35

Reservations are kindly requested as seating is often very limited.

Regular Cena February 07 Limoncello smack-down February 21 Entertainment Presenting: Vilma Rice February 28 *** Raffle***

Each Friday, we make special time to enjoy Cena (dinner) with famiglia e amici. Visit the Club for a delicious four-course menu, enjoyed insieme (together). Join us to savor the taste of authentic Italian dishes from fresh ingredients & recipes old and new. Share the joy of good food, good wine and good company ~ Italian-style! Weekly menu available via ClubMail. Reservations recommended at (972) 931-9167 or online at http://icdcena.eventbrite.com.

Special Event(s)++ February 14 Valentine Celebration

Come and join us with your special Valentine. Prosecco upon arrival , special wines for every course. A tour of the vineyard from our wine maker. Reservations are required Members Adult $30 / Non-Members Adult $35.

New Location, New Name, Same Caring Dentists

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New Location, New Name, Same Caring Dentists

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Ingredients• Saltandpepper• 1cupmediumorfinecornmeal• 4cupsofwater• Butter• Parmesanforsoftpolenta,optional

Prep1. For firm polenta use 4 cups water; for soft polenta use5cupswater.Bringwatertoaboilinamedium-sizeheavy sauce pan over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Pour cornmeal slowly into water, stirring with a wire whisk or wooden spoon. Continue stirring as mixture thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Turn heat to low. Cook for at least 45 minutes, stir-ring every 10 minutes or so. If polenta becomes quite

thick, thin it with 1/2 cup water, stir well and continue cooking. Add up to 1 cup more water as necessary, to keep polenta soft enough to stir. Put a spoonful on a plate, let it cool, then taste. Grains should be swollen and taste cooked, not raw. Adjust salt and add pepper if you wish.

3. For firm polenta, lightly butter a baking sheet or shallow dish, approximately 8 1/2 by 11 inches. Careful-ly pour polenta into pan. Using a spatula, spread polenta to a thickness of 3/4 inch. Cool to room temperature to allow polenta to solidify. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. For soft polenta, add 6 tablespoons butter to pot and stir well. Serve immediately or transfer to a double boiler set over low heat, cover and keep warm for up to an hour or so. (Or set the saucepan in a pot of barely simmering water.) Stir well before spooning into low soup bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired.

Polenta (ServeS 6)

MeMber reception – January 15The membership committee held their first New Member Reception of 2014 on Wednesday Jan 15 at the Club. “Several members came early and by 6:30 we had one of our new member’s tables full. It was a good sign and soon we had a great turn out for the new member reception. Our Italian Club culture took hold immediately, the new members looked like a traditional Italian family with everyone gathering around the tables, visiting, going to the antipasto table, eating and drinking some vino. It is always exciting to see the group come together so quickly...” said Ken Venuso and Gina Lecca, co-hosts of the reception.

“The evening had all the necessary ingredients to be successful… people, vino and wonderful food and we have Melissa Partin and her staff to thank for making sure we had plenty of food for the antipasto and having the tables and area decorated, plus the service was great” commented Ken Venuso. “Grazie Mille Melissa”, Ken added.

Our new members attending Marian Schiff, Craig Feronti, Connie Vecellio, Judge Al Cercone, Angel Pernice and her granddaughter Ava (a proud Nonna), Joseph Giras and his son, Alan and Cheryl Seager with their daughter Allison, John and Sharon Rushing, David and Rosemary Quadrini, Nester Sierra, Pieraldo Pecchio and Tracy Walker

As is the custom at the receptions we had the members stand and introduce themselves and add any comments about why they joined.

Some highlights were Tracy Walker who drove in from Tyler, Texas just joined that day because her son was taking Italian lessons, so she gets to enjoy the Club while she waits. We were pleasantly surprised when our first president Roberto Agostini sat down at one of the tables next to new member Judge Al Cercone. When Al stood up he mentioned he performed Roberto’s wedding ceremony and Roberto asked him to join the Club, so he did. John and Sharon Rushing came to the Club’s NewYearEvepartyandjoinedthatnight.NewmemberfromEnglandMarian Schiff who speaks Italian like someone who grew up in Italy was happy to find a place to speak Italian. Nester Sierra from Columbia echoed what many new members said, he was looking for a place that offered a culture he was use to and the Italian Club is that place for him.

The group had an opportunity to meet and hear from several committee and board members. VP John Gala talked about the Club and the Italian Culture we have but the best way to enjoy it is to get involved. Hetoldthemtotakethefirststep,cometotheCluboftenandintroducethemselves to others, and volunteer to be on some of our committees. AlsospeakingtothegroupwerecommitteemembersBenParlapianoaboutourCharityOutreachProgram,NormaIacovoonourBookClubandCarrieHarrisabouttheIlColoridancegroup.

BenvenutoainuovimembridellanostrafamigliaICD. Welcome new members to our ICD family.

Academic Year 2013/2014

The Scuola di Italiano teaches Italian language and culture. We offer classes for adults and children ranging from beginner to advanced level. Our Faculty are native Italians and highly qualified instructors. The Scuola di Italiano works by 10-week sessions, and classes meet once a week for two hours. Each course develops skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. A minimum of 6 students per class is required. Class size is limited to 10/12 students to ensure each person has the opportunity to interact with the group and the teacher. We offer private tutoring as well corporate training. Courses take place at the Italian Club of Dallas in Addison (14865 Inwood Road, Addison, TX). Corporate courses and private tutoring, at special request, can also be held off premises, according to specific needs and requirements.

General Schedule ~ Academic Year 2013/2014

Semester Beginning-Ending Fall September 30 – December 12, 2013

Winter January 13 – March 20, 2014 Spring April 14 – June 19, 2014

Summer July 7 – September 15, 2014

Class Calendar ~ Winter 2014

Day First class Time Level Beginners 1 Monday January 13 6:30-8:30 pm A1 Beginners 2 Saturday January 18 9:30-11:30 am A1 Beginners 2 Monday January 13 6:30-8:30 pm A1 Intermediate 1 Tuesday January 14 6:30-8:30 pm A2 Kids (K1-5) Tuesday January 14 5:00-6:00 pm A1 Basic Conversation Wednesday January 15 6:30-8:30 pm A1-A2 Advanced Conversation Thursday January 16 6:30-8:30 pm B1-C1

To enroll online please respond before January 10 to avoid cancellation of classes due to low enrollment.

For registration information see the Italian Language School page under Culture at www.ItalianClubDallas.org

All courses offered in 10-week semesters. Costs for all 2-hour courses are $150 ICD Members/$300 non-Members. Kids class is a one-hour session for $50 per child per 10-week session.

Private and semi-private tutoring classes are available according to student needs and schedules, at the Clubhouse or offsite upon request. Corporate courses are available at the Clubhouse or at a company's selected site. Pricing for

private, semi-private and corporate courses is available upon request. All public classes are held at the ICD Clubhouse (14865 Inwood Rd., Addison TX).

Schedule and classes are subject to change. For further information please contact: languageschool@italianclubdallas.org or online at our Web page

http://www.italianclubdallas.org/default.asp?pg=language&x=r

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Italian for Beginners 1-2 These two courses are your opportunity to step into Italian Language. While you are developing your language’s

skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) you will learn the basic grammar, how to build your first sentence, and to communicate your very basic needs.

Book: Marin, T., & Magnelli, S. (2009). The Italian project: an Italian course for English speakers. 1a: Beginners A1, Student's book and workbook. Rome, Edilingua.

Intermediate Italian 1-2

These two courses will take you deeper into grammar and conversation. They are planned for students who took Beginners 1 and 2 or have already studied those topics.

Book: Marin, T., & Magnelli, S. (2009). The Italian project: an Italian course for English speakers. 1b: Beginners A2, Student's book and workbook. Rome, Edilingua.

Advanced Italian 1-2

Intended for students who want to enhance their Italian proficiency through the study of grammar and conversation. Book: Marin, T., & Magnelli, S. (2009). The Italian project: an Italian course for English speakers. 2a: Pre-Intermediate B1,

Student's book and workbook. Rome, Edilingua.

Basic Conversation This class focus is only on conversation. To join it, knowledge of basic grammar is required.

Topics of conversations will be guided by the instructor.

Advanced Conversation For students who want to speak freely about every topic and learn more about Italian culture and

contemporary Italy. A very good knowledge of Italian is required.

Italian for Travelers If you are planning to go to Italy for a vacation or for work and you want to learn just the basic vocabulary and

how to deal with specific situations, this could be your class. There are no specific requirements.

Kids K1-5 Children learn Italian while playing games, singing songs, doing arts and crafts, and watching cartoons.

2014 icd book cLub reading LisT

Meetings are held at the Club at 7:00 p.m. once a month, generally on the last Thursday of the month, unless otherwise noted. There is no charge for participating. All selections should be available through Amazon. Purchasing from Amazon through the ICD website helps the ICD. Amazon will donate to the Club 5% of amounts purchased through the Amazon link on the ICD website. If you would like more information about the Book Club, contact the Coordinator, Norma Iacovo, at niacovo@tnsk.com or 972-386-4321.

January 30, 2014 “Thunderstruck” By Erik Larson (Non-Fiction: Crime Story)

TheBookClubreturnsfromChristmasbreak at 7:00 p.m. at the ICD on January 30, and will kick off the New Year with Thunderstruck,byErikLarson,anaccountof the remarkable intersection of the lives of wireless inventor Guglielmo Marconi and the notorious London murderer, Dr. HarleyHarveyCrippen.Larsenrecountstheparallel races against time of Marconi and Crippen, as Marconi presses to develop and perfect his invention, while Crippen plots to murder his wife and escape detection. Larsen crisp narrative builds suspense as he details

Crippen’s elaborate scheme to flee London and elude authorities. As Crippen and his lover relax on a transatlantic luxury liner heading for Canada, thinking they have given Scotland Yard the slip, they little realize that Marconi’s recently released wireless invention will enable the police to track their route, and to coordinate with Canadian authorities to apprehend them.

February 27, 2014 “A Sea of Troubles” By Donna Leon (Mystery)

TheBookClubreturnstoVenicewiththefictional Venetian detective, Commissario GuidoBrunettiwherenothingisasitappearsto be on the surface, but the Commissario will dig until he unearths the truth. In this case, the murder of two fishermen from the island of Pellestrina, south of the Lido on theVenetianlagoon,leadsBrunettitotheclose-knit community of the island, where outsiders are not welcomed, and a protective, Mafia-like loyalty to fellow islanders frustrates hisinvestigationateveryturn.HowwilltheCommissario break through the islanders

unremitting hostility to outside law enforcement to uncover the secrets they are hiding, and to solve his case?

March 27, 2014 “Waiting to Be Heard” By Amanda Knox (Non-Fiction/ Memoir)

Amanda Knox tells her side of the crime and courtroom drama in Perugia Italy that gripped the international press, from the horrific murder of Knox’s roommate Meredith Kercher in November 2007, to Knox’s arrest, trial, imprisonment, and eventual release after an appeal to Italy’s highest court. In honor ofWomen’sHistoryMonth,theBookClubwill look at this one young woman’s impact on contemporary history, and on public perception of the Italian criminal justice system. At the time of the murder, Seattle

native Amanda Knox was twenty years old, a naïve and carefree college student spending a year abroad studying at the University of Perugia. After her roommate was found brutally murdered in the flat the two shared, Amanda was apprehended and held incommunicado for days by the police. Although she had only the barest knowledge of Italian, she was interrogated relentlessly by police in Italian, with no opportunity to eat, sleep, or consult with an attorney. Forced to sign statements written entirely in Italian, she found herself charged with murder based upon her statements to the police, and upon rather shoddy police handling of physical evidence at the crime scene. Convicted, sentenced, and held for years in a grim Italian prison, Amanda finally won release upon appeal after a torrent of international pressure forced Italian courts to focus upon legal shenanigans by the controversial Perugia prosecutor’s office and police.

April 24, 2014 “Beautiful Ruins” By Jess Walter (Fiction)

HeraldedbytheNewYorkTimesBookReviewasoneofthetop100NotableBooksof2012,BeautifulRuinshascaptivatedreaders with its imaginative and dreamlike storytelling. From the novel’s 1962 opening on a rocky patch of Italian coastline near the Cinqueterra, when a daydreaming innkeeper looking out at the bay spies a beautiful young woman approaching his town on a boat, Walter whips the reader through time and space, taking the reader to contemporary Hollywood,Edinburgh,Oregon,tothefilmset of the movie Cleopatra, and then back

to the Cinqueterra of 1962. All the while, the dreams of the Italian innkeeper unfold as he awaits his encounter with the approaching mystery woman.

May 22, 2014 “Home to Italy” By Peter Pezzelli (Novel)

Mourning the death of his beloved wife, Anna, Peppi leaves his adopted home of Rhode Island to return to his small native village of VillaSanGiuseppe,Italy.Hetemporarilymoves into an apartment above a candy factory run by his childhood friend, Luca. As Peppi repairs broken factory equipment, and nurses Luca’s neglected gardens back to life, he learns that Luca’s beautiful but temperamental daughter Lucrezia has been suffering from similar neglect since the death of her husband. A tentative romance begins to bloom between the grieving pair, as they recognize that life

may have handed them a surprising second chance for love, and for a healing of life’s wounds.

June 26, 2014 “The Pope’s Last Crusade: How an America Jesuit Helped Pope Pius XI’s Campaign to Stop Hitler” By Peter Eisner (Non-Fiction/History)

Eisner,anawardwinningjournalist,reliesuponrecentlyreleasedinformation from Vatican archives and eyewitness interviews to shed light on little known events which shaped the Vatican’s policy towards HitlerandtheNazisatapivotalhistoricaljuncture.HerevealsPopePiusXI’splanstoissueascathingencyclicalcondemningHitlerandtheNazis for their murderous campaign against the Jews, and Mussolini for his complicity in the Nazi atrocities.

(continued on next page)

In the waning days of his papacy, the increasingly ill and frail Pope Pius XI agonized over the great moral wrongs he saw committed by the Nazis, and the vacillation and failure to confront Nazi power shown by worldleaders.Hesawhisplannedencyclicalas a needed clarion call to uphold the fundamental values of the Christian faith. ButVaticaninsiders,particularlyEugenioPacelli (who would become Pope Pius XII), suppressed the encyclical in fear that such a confrontational approach would put Catholics and the Church in danger.

The Book Club will be on Summer Break during July and August; See you in September!

September 25, 2014 “If on a Winter’s Night A Traveler…” By Italo Calvino (Fiction/ translated from the Italian by William Weaver)

Italo Calvino is perhaps the most translated and internationally acclaimed Italian author of fiction, but his writing can be difficult to follow as he spurns the use of traditional narrative plots set in recognizable realistic places, following a linear, connected chain of events. Called “one of the world’s best fabulists”bytheNewYorkBookReview,Calvino said he aimed at “a clown-like mimesis of reality”, telling surreal stories in a fantasy setting. This work pretends to be novel that just cannot get started. Through various editorial mishaps, every chapter turns out to be, not the continuation of

the previous chapter which the reader may have expected, but rather, the beginning chapter in an entirely new novel, with each new chapter interrupted at a moment of suspense. You become a character in the novel (or series of novels), with the author addressing the reader directly as “you”, as though the work was written exclusively for you, the only reader.

October 30, 2014 “Stolen Figs and Other Adventures in Calabria” By Mark Rotella (Non-Fiction/Memoir)

Rotella’s loving travelogue introduces us to the warmth and heart of Calabria, the birthplace of Rotella’s grandfather. We meet charming rogues, and are introduced to mouthwatering foods and wines. In the process, we learn the sad history of conquest and poverty that the region has suffered, and how the past travails continue to shape this ancient land.

November 20, 2014 “Accused” By Lisa Scottoline (Mystery/Legal Thriller)

Rosato and Associates are back after a long hiatus to face their most challenging and dangerous case yet. Newly promoted partner Mary DiNunzio takes on the case of 13 year old Allegra Gardner, who seeks to reopen the investigation of her sister, Fiona Gardner. Allegra believes the state has convicted the wrong man, and wants to use her ample trust fund to free the wrongly imprisoned man, andtoseejusticedone.Buttherealkillerhasno intention of being caught, and will stop at nothing to derail DiNunzio’s investigation.

The Book Club goes on break for Christmas, and will return in the New Year. Remember - Books (and CDs) Available Through the ICD Amazon Link Make Excellent Christmas Gifts! See You in January 2015 (If you are interested in the Book Club, please contact me at 214-724-4832 or niacovo@tnsk.com. Let me know your email address and a phone number where I can reach you, so that I can remind you of Book Club meetings, and alert you of any changes to the Book Club schedule in the event of weather or other might postponements. Norma Iacovo - Coordinator of the Book Club.)

February booK club news

TheBookClubreturnstoVeniceforFebruary, for another rendezvous with our favorite fictional Venetian detective, CommissarioGuidoBrunettiinDonnaLeon’s A Sea of Troubles”. Leon won a McAllen Silver Dagger Award for this mysterynovel.InBrunetti’sVenice,nothing is as it appears to be on the surface, but the Commissario will dig until the truth is uncovered.

In this episode, the murder of two clam fishermen off the island of Pellestina, south of the Lido on the Venetian lagoon, drawsBrunettiintotheclose-knitandisolated island community of Pellestina,

where outsiders are not welcomed. The islanders’ suspicion of outside law enforcement, and their protective Mafia-like loyalty to fellow islanders,frustratesBrunetti’sinvestigationateveryturn.HowwilltheCommissario break through the wall of resistance to crack the case?

TheBookClubwillmeetattheClubat7:00p.m.onThursday,February27,2014.IfyouwouldlikemoreinformationabouttheBookClub, please contact the Coordinator, Norma Iacovo at 972-386-4321 or niacovo@tnsk.com.

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NEWSLETTER DEADLINE: 15TH OF THE MONTH PRECEDING PUBLICATION;FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT CICARTICLES@ITALIANCLUBDALLAS.ORG

W W W . I T A L I A N C L U B D A L L A S . O R G

The Mission Statement of the Italian Club of DallasTo explore, preserve, and promote Italian culture, language, history, and traditions; perform charitable works; and foster

social interaction within the community.

La Missione del Circolo Italiano di DallasConoscere, conservare e diffondere la cultura Italiana, la lingua, la storia e le tradizioni; fare opere benefiche; promuovere i

rapporti sociali all'interno della comunità.

Clubhouse 14865 Inwood Rd.

Addison

ICD

Boa

rd

ofD

irect

ors

Jay Laurenzi ~ President

John Gala ~ Vice President

Domenick Iacovo ~ Treasurer

Doug Delsanter

Carole Strippoli

Mailing Address: Post Office Box 80��0� � Dallas, Texas 75380

Did You Know?Readers of Il Cicerone can click anywhere in the Upcoming Club Events column (see highlighted area below) of our monthly newsletter and make an online reservation to any ICD event right then. Give it a try ~ this feature is available already!

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