Hi, and thanks for being a faithful reader of my blog.
Some people have asked me to clarify just what my sub-title Cucinare Mangiare Amore is all about. Well, it’s pretty simple.
In my second cookbook, titled COOK. EAT. LOVE. I wanted to capture the very essence
of the culture of the Italian people. The three words in Italian are Cucinare which means “to cook”, Mangiare which means “to eat” and my favorite word Amore which means “to love”.
If you have ever traveled in Italy these three words are spoken daily in just about every household, restaurant, café, or bar. Italian food is the most popular of all the different cuisines out there and it’s no wonder that in Italy as well as the states and many other countries, you will always find at least one or two recipes on any menu featuring Italian pastas and seafood.
To an Italian family, cooking takes precedence every day no matter if you are serving just 1 person, or the entire cast of The Sopranos. Meal preparations start early in the day and can sometimes go on well after 7 or 8 in the evening. Nothing is rushed and great care is taken with every ingredient used in the process.
After that, eating comes in as a close second. Going out to eat in an authentic Italian restaurant both here and in Italy is an almost all day affair. The Italians will never “scoot” you out of a restaurant even if you are there over 4 hours. To them, eating is a cherished ritual and is never hurried. Enjoying a 7-course meal every night in a fancy place is not uncommon in Italy; in fact it is more like celebrating a national holiday here in the U.S.
I don’t have to explain what love is, but what you should know is that Love is what binds us all, regardless of nationality. You can have a great love of food, sport, travel, architecture, faith or anything else for that matter and sharing that love is what unites us as a people.
This brings me to my volunteer work. I learned about this organization about a year ago while reading an online newspaper out of Delaware.
There was a story about a woman there who, during the lockdown amidst the pandemic in 2020, decided to make a tray of lasagna for a neighbor in her apartment complex. The neighbor was so enamored by this gesture, she told another person and so on and so forth. The “lasagna lady” as she became known in the area started a movement, getting others involved in making trays of lasagna and giving them out to the needy… no questions asked and no money needed. Next thing you know “Lasagna Love” was born.
Today there are over 56,000 volunteers in every U.S. state, and in other countries like the U.K, Canada and Australia. Together, in just 4 years, they have delivered over 200,000 meals.
I started volunteering after I retired from my job in Oct. of 2023 and I absolutely love it. Being on a fixed income, I have just one client a week, but it keeps me busy and I know in some small way I am helping at least 1 family in need each time. I feel like I am not only sharing some good food, but a little bit of LOVE with each of those meals as well.
I’ll share some of my most interesting encounters with you in some later posts and my perfected easy lasagna recipe as well. Stay tuned.
Thanks for reading. Caio!
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I love this so much . Wonderful stories and so amazing that you make a lasagna meal for a needy family each week. What they must feel eating this treasure . We have a lasagna love lady in our town that posts all the time too , it’s amazing . You’re amazing , love you xoxox
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Great blog. Love having everything explained to me about just how Lasagna Love began. I know you love it and can’t imagine any family not being pleased to be the recipient of a tray of your delicious lasagna. Plus I know you also add fresh Italian bread and some sort of sweet with your dinner trays. You can’t help yourself! You always put out more than 100%. You’re a very special guy with a big heart.
Betty
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