inspector manara 2: crime and amore

MHz has recently released the second season of the Italian crime/comedy series Inspector Manara 2. Fans of the first series will be sure to enjoy the further adventures of the title character, Luca Manara, played by the charming and handsome Guido Caprino. In the first series, a reluctant Luca had been transferred to a sleepy little Tuscan seaside town, where he soon, unexpectedly, found himself busy chasing down clues to countless murders and other associated crimes. He was helped in his endeavors by the lovely Inspector Lara Rubino (Roberta Giarrusso), a former fellow student from their days at the pice academy. Luca, although immediately very popular with all the love-starved local ladies, ended up pursuing Lara, and the two fell in love and got together by the end of the first season.

As the second season begins, Lara and Luca are getting married, with their friends and the entire town thrilled to attend. But the course of true love never quite runs smoothly for this pair. As Luca fumbles with his lines at the altar, a young cyclist bursts into the church, interrupting the ceremony, and falls down dead in the aisle in the first episode, "Matrimonio con delitto (Marriage with murder)." Luca and Lara put their wedding on hold and try to solve the crime, but it is clear that the pair may have not been ready to swap vows just yet. They try living together, but they don't seem to mesh well as roomies, either. In "L'addio di Lara (The farewell of Lara)" Lara decides to accept an offer to attend a prestigious course at the police academy in Milan. This will help her in her career, but also take her away, at least for a time, from Luca. ...

The gang's all here, L-R: Toscani, Sardi, Buttafuoco, Barbagallo, Lara, and Luca

Read my full review on Cinema Sentries.

inspector manara: fun and sexy detecting, italian-style

MHz has released another international series on DVD, Inspector Manara (Il Comisario Manara). Part police procedural, part romantic comedy, it is a very engaging show with likable characters that American audiences should take to immediately.

Set in a small Tuscan town by the seaside, Inspector Manara features Guido Caprino as Luca Manara, who has been transferred from his beloved and fast-paced Milan to be the new police commissioner of what he thinks is a tiny, boring, crime-free town. He will soon learn that murder is as frequent an occurrence here as in some other mythical television hamlets like Cabot Cove and Midsomer. Luca has no intentions of staying, and doest hesitate to declare so at every opportunity, but his transfer was a disciplinary measure - the result of his getting too cozy with his former superior's wife. His current boss, Casadio (Luis Molteni), has no intention of granting his transfer request until he can prove himself. Casadio also isn't too pleased that his own wife (and just about every lady in the vicinity) are immediately charmed by the handsome Inspector. Come bello.

Luca (Guido Caprino) and Lara (Roberta Giarrusso) on a case

...

There are many charms to Inspector Manara besides its main character's sexy '70's vibe. Crimes of passion are certainly more common in this particular burg than premeditated murder. Italophiles will be interested in the series' beautiful locations, which were filmed near the small village of Trevignano Romano, which is not too far outside of Rome. After watching a few episodes, viewers will not only get pulled in by the recurring cast of characters, but the rhythms of life in their small and picturesque town. Everyone actually seems to go home at the end of the day (who's minding the police station?) to try and spend family time and eat some fabulous homemade food. This idyllic pace is of course a recurring joke on poor Manara, who yearns for some activity, some nightlife.

You can read my entire review on Cinema Sentries

donna detective: ci vediamo

Donna Detective is one of the latest offerings from MHz Networks, which releases international television shows on DVD. ...

Although some of situations in Donna Detective are far from fresh - the new boss who must prove herself, perceptions of women in the work force, how hard it is to juggle career and family - it is still fascinating and most importantly, entertaining, to watch Lisa (Lucrezia Lante Della Rovere) face each obstacle at home and at work. Maybe because the show originated in Italy, there is also a soap opera aspect to some of the "crimes of passion" that Lisa and her squad are up against, but the episodes are far from boring. As the series progresses, each crime that Lisa and her team investigate also sheds light on their characters and what is happening in their lives. There is also an ongoing series story arc involving Lisa's husband Michele, who has been accused of murdering a female colleague, which has a major impact on their marriage, and could even threaten Lisa's career, as she tries to clear her husband. ...

Lisa (Lucrezia Lante Della Rovere) and Nanni (Flavio Montrucchio) on a case

It may seem impossible to American viewers to take Lisa seriously when when watching her switch gears so quickly, to whipping up a frittata for her hungry family when she returns home from a long day of busting perps, but that is exactly the charm at the center of Donna Detective. It is refreshing to watch a cop show that is as interested in its characters and their motivations - as well as what they want to eat and drink - as it is in solving the crime of the week. The great soundtrack by Savio Riccardi and the backdrop of the eternal city of Rome just add to the experience. Donna Detective is good-looking, too, with cinematography a step above typical crime dramas. ...

Read my complete review on Cinema Sentries ...

the great cathedral mystery

Public Television's NOVA debuts the "Great Cathedral Mystery" this Wednesday, February 12, at 9:00 p.m., ET. The hour-long documentary speculates how Il Duomo di Firenze, Florence’s great cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, was constructed. One of Italy's greatest churches, the Duomo houses the largest brick dome ever constructed. But how did the architect Filippo Brunelleschi mastermind such an immense project during the Renaissance?

Exterior view of The Duomo, Florence, Italy, courtesy of National Geographic Television.

The recently discovered cuppolina, courtesy of National Geographic Television.

Located in the heart of one of the world's most beloved cities, the Duomo still mystifies modern historians, engineers, and architects. Ultimately constructed of more than four million bricks, Brunelleschi had to come up with a method that didn't use scaffolding, as there wasn't enough timber in Florence for a dome of the size. The "Great Cathedral Mystery" asks a team of bricklayers from the United States to try to construct a “mini-Duomo” to test recent theories of construction. Using period tools and techniques, the group from the International Masonry Institute uncovers the intricacies involved in Brunelleschi's spiraling herringbone pattern of bricks in his "spin pesce" [fish spine] pattern.

Brunelleschi may have lost the competition to design the cathedral doors to fellow goldsmith Lorenzo Ghiberti, but he wasn't going to risk losing his shot to his design nemesis once again when in 1418 the competition to design the dome for the cathedral was announced. To preserve his chance at building the dome he was extra careful to keep his design ideas secret, ideas like the first reverse gear pulley, an ingenious innovation.

The "Great Cathedral Mystery" includes fascinating modern-day experiments as well as providing in-depth history, all set against the gorgeous backdrop of Italy's jewel of a city, the beautiful Florence. Anyone who has studied Renaissance art, visited the Duomo, or who dreams of visiting the city and its cathedral in future will enjoy this informative look into the construction of its enormous basilica.

Originally published on Blogcritics: TV Review: ‘NOVA’ – ‘Great Cathedral Mystery’

robert hughes on rome

Article first published as Book Review: Rome: A Cultural, Visual, and Personal History by Robert Hughes on Blogcritics.

Recently released in paperback by Vintage, Rome: A Cultural, Visual, and Personal History, is the art and culture critic's last published book. Hughes died in August 2012.

Hughes has always been good at mixing history with an entertaining story, and Rome doesn't disappoint--but it is a dense read. There is a lot of information in its almost 500-page length. Luckily there are also many color illustrations to aid the reader with unfamiliar artists or architecture.

Rome is undeniably one of the world's great cities. One can learn of its amazing history, from its Etruscan roots, to its Imperial grandeur and fall, to its Renaissance glory, to its 20th century cool. But there is nothing like actually visiting the city, and being able to experience the collision of all of those eras, sometimes on one street corner, or Roman encounter. Hughes (Shock of the New, Barcelona, Culture of Complaint) tries to capture all of Rome's glory and contradictions in his rambling, yet entertaining narrative.

Hughes tries to convey, in only the way he does, how he views the city of Rome. "In other places fountains are special events," he notes, "but in Rome they are simply part of the vernacular of city life; you notice them, you see them as exceptions to the surfaces of stone or brick, but it seems that they are there to be breathed, not just seen."

Throughout Rome he gives his very personal, mostly chronological history of the city, highlighting the art and people that he deems most important or interesting. Hughes starts off by taking the reader through Rome's beginnings, the Roman Empire and all of the magnificent art and architecture that resulted from Emperor Augustus and his successors, through the city's shift to becoming the center of Christianity.

In his chapter on the Renaissance Hughes is truly in his element, focusing on art and architecture. He tackles not only the creation of probably Rome's most well-known artwork, Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling frescoes, but also the more modern controversy around whether they should have been cleaned. He has always stood firmly in the "yes" camp on that issue and reiterates his position here.

Jumping ahead to Rome in the 17th century and its Baroque period of art, Hughes enjoys talking about "bad boy" artist Caravaggio as well as Spanish painter Diego Velasquez. Velasquez only stayed there a year, but Hughes believes he was profoundly influenced by the city and its art.

When he reaches the 20th century Hughes highlights the connection between Mussolini's fascism and art, reiterating the commonly held view that the political movement's roots can be found in the poetry of famed Italian poet and war hero Gabriele D'Annunzio. As Hughes tells it, only in Italy, only in Rome, could art and politics mix so fully.

He ends his tour of Rome with the cinema of the 1950s and '60s. Film studio Cinecittà (also with links to Mussolini, who founded the studio to produce propaganda films in 1937) turned the city into a filming destination, both for location and subject, hosting religious epics like Ben Hur, and Quo Vadis. Native efforts with more contemporary themes, especially Fellini's iconic La Dolce Vita changed and influenced modern cinema. He enjoys dropping fascinating tidbits such as producer Dino DiLaurentis's desire to have Paul Newman play the character of Marcello in La Dolce Vita (sacrilege!)

The overall effect of Hughes' Rome is like the eternal city itself. If you have never been there, whether you are diving in or just sampling, this book will make you want to visit. If you have already been to Rome in the past, Hughes easily and entertainingly reminds you why you need to return.

european vacation

I just came across this photo of grandmother and her uncle, snapped while the family was vacationing on Italy, c. 1925. There is something so film still-like about it. I love it. A moment captured in time, but a moving, living moment. They look like they were enjoying themselves. And my grandmother, as always is très, très, chic.

 

this isn't a food blog, but . . .

. . . I have been enjoying being able to cook more, now that I can tailor my schedule the way I like it. Tonight's experiment: farfalline with mushrooms and artichokes in a pink sauce.


First the sauce: Mario Batali's marinara, some alfredo sauce and artichokes and mushrooms. Sort of a modified flag of Italy. Pretty, huh? And what a fun way to mix some leftover sauces to make something new and tasty.


The pasta: some designer striped baby bow-ties, or farfalline.


The finished dish: yum!

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the devil is in the details

When we were reminsicing about Italy this weekend I thought about one of my favorite places in Florence (a city I could happily live in tomorrow), Santa Maria Novella. Of course the Ghirlandaio frescoes are amazing, but what has always captured my fancy are frescoes in the Spanish Chapel, a site easily missed, as you have to walk outside and through the cloister to get to it.

Descent of Christ to Limbo by Andrea di Bonaiuto

I love the everyday feeling of this detail from one of the frescoes. It may be the apocalypse, with rocks burning around them, but these three devils are taking a moment to chat, water cooler style.

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salvia fritta

from hynesghpstudio on flickr

Yesterday we had a great family visit, and one of the topics (of course, we're Italian) was reminiscing over fabulous food eaten on Italian journeys, specifically Piedmontese cuisine. I'll tell a truffle story later, but today I want to re-savor one of the most delicious appetizers I have ever had, salvia fritta, fried sage leaves.

Cruising the internets I have found several recipes. They seem so incredibly easy to prepare I wonder why it never occurred to me to try before. I guess that the occasion where I had them was a special one, in a very beautiful restaurant in Torino, and they marked the beginning of a series of wonderful courses, so I had always associated them with this sort of eating, which is far from my daily eating experience.

But there is truly no reason not to make any meal special, so if I can fit them somehow onto the menu in future I most certainly will.

Salvia Fritta

Wash several large sage leaves in cold water, drain, blot on paper towels.

Beat one or two large eggs with a pinch of salt.

Mix dried bread crumbs in a large dish for the coating (some recipes I found use flour and water rather than eggs and bread crumbs, some no batter at all)

Heat some olive oil in a pan.

Dip each leaf, first in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs, coating both sides. Place in hot oil and fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towel.

Serve and enjoy!

new york pizza

I was just thinking of a little hole-in-the-wall on East Houston Street, New York and wondering if it was still in business. You know the kind of place where two big beefy guys serve up a slice for a few bucks that you grab on the way home, with the oil dripping through the bottom of your pizza box? You know, New York pizza. What is New York pizza, you might ask, and why exactly is it considered to be so superior to all other kinds of pizza?

There are plenty of pizzerias in the D.C. area which claim to make "real New York" pizza. A favorite local haunt is Radius, which, besides its pizza, all named after Italian motor scooters, serves an excellent grape and gorgonzola salad, as well as great pasta. Some other eateries also make very good pizza. But sorry folks, it isn't New York pizza. It's traditional brick-oven pizza, which is very tasty. But brick-oven pizza is not what people mean when they yearn for a New York slice.

Growing up in South Jersey, I was spoiled, thinking that all pizza is made with an extremely thin crust, and a minimum of sauce and cheese, which results in that foldable, delicious slice. When I moved to New York to go to art school, the pizza was generally the same as what I grew up with. I never really liked Famous Ray's in the Village, because they messed with the formula and dumped on way too much cheese. The rude awakening came when I moved away from the tri-state area and soon realized that most pizza was made elsewhere the Chicago way.

This is probably an endless debate, but where I think that most places go wrong is the dough. Obvious conclusion? Of course. But it's not just how thin the dough should be, which I think is where too many place the focus. Plenty of restaurants are making pizza with a very thin crust. It's how they cook the pizza. In New Jersey, the traditional pizza oven was used wherever we got our pies - not a brick-oven in sight. Thin-crust pizza, whether from Domino's or a more upscale joint, usually ends up very dry and crusty, even hard, on the bottom (I recently scraped the inside of my gum on a D.C. "New York" slice.) New York pizza should have a thin crust, which is crispy on the bottom, but where the crust comes in contact with the sauce and cheese it should not be dry at all - the opposite in fact. The dough underneath the sauce and cheese should be bubbly, moist and positively gooey. Sigh. There are definitely things I miss about New York and New Jersey.

Of course all this blather is just that, when you are lucky enough to be on vacation in Italy and have the "real" real thing. I'll never forget the pizza in Rome, which wasn't like American brick-oven pizzas, or New York style, but something entirely its own. And positively delicious. with some really unusual toppings. As I continue my quest for great pizza, I at least have some beacons in the night to light my way.