June 2nd - Italian Independence Day

Ciao a tutti,

Of course we all celebrate the Fourth of July in America which is of course our National Independence Day. Some of us, especially in California, even celebrate, or should I say get into the celebration of, Cinco de Mayo, Mexico's Independence Day.

But how many people, and Italian-Americans included, even know that June 2nd is Italy's Independence Day? I have felt for a long time that we should be celebrating the Italian Independence, and though I am not much of a flag waver I always try to bring attention to this day.

This year, without even planning it, "Filippo and the Chef" celebrated an Independence of its own, so to speak, on this day, and boy did we bring attention to our show.

This was the first time that we invited a team of people to see us record the show live for the purpose of signing on the proverbial dotted lines signifying their official joining of the Filippo and the Chef family as Marketing Representatives, Producer, etc.

We all knew it would be fun, but little did we know just how much fun. Richard and I went about our business of putting the show together as we always do, only this time with an audience. We then recorded our 41st show, Mozzarella In Carrozza, with pre-recorded interviewee Italian Singer Patrizio Buanne. If you want to know what our dish is and who our guest is, you have to log on to www.FilippoandtheChef.com and learn how to make it, because it is so good, and to hear Patrizio, because he is good too.

Having a studio audience threw us off for a second because this time, when Chef Richard and I were throwing zingers at each other, people were actually laughing and it made us laugh even more. That of course made it more fun . But the fun was just beginning.

After the taping of the show we all sat around Chef Richard's dining room table, including his wife, and we ate Richard's delicious meal he had just cooked on the show. We knew right away that we had the right team in place to help us take the show to the next level, because they were just as funny and fun loving as us.

We joked about everything under the sun and ate and laughed and ate and laughed for several more hours. It really did feel like family, and it was.

I actually envisioned when the Filippo and the Chef Show gets on television that we would have a Christmas Special like Bing Crosby used to do. On that show I envisioned all of these folks being in that show with us, that's how close I felt to all of them. Now that's family and that's Italian.

I can't believe I mentioned Christmas when here we are June 2nd, the Italian Independence. Viva L'Italia.

I must add in closing that every time my Father used to say "Viva L'Italia," he always followed it up with "E Viva L'America!" And now I am going to follow that up with "E Viva Filippo and the Chef e Tutta La Famiglia!"

Filippo

P.S. In parts of Northern Italy, some say that the famous chorus "Va Pensiero" from Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Nabucco," is revered more as an Italian National Anthem then the actual Italian National Anthem itself, "Inno di Mameli."

Well, on the way to Richard's house, to meet everyone and record the show today, I happened to be listening to an opera radio show. The theme of this particular show that day happened to be called "Non-Italian Basses." Ironically, the show host played "Va Pensiero" because there was a Bass aria that followed, being sung by a non-Italian, of course.

Little did he know of the significance that piece had on this particular day to the Italians and to me in particular. The significance it has personally is a story I would like to share someday. But in the meantime, for those of you who don't know it, and for those of you who do, here it is for all of us to enjoy. (In Italian)