When we set out to name our new business, we started by listing out all of the words and phrases that came to mind when we thought about Italy. Some sounded great in English, but then we couldn’t pronounce them in Italian. Some ideas were great in English but sounded like swear words in Italian. For example, we knew we wanted to start with deliveries of Italian food and wine boxes but the word box translates to “scatola” and that just wouldn’t work.
After several rounds with Google Translate, we landed on “dalla fonte” or “from the source” because that’s really the essence of what we want to be – your source for all things Italian.
We are starting by providing seasonal subscription boxes and are excited to grow and offer so much more: an online store, hosted trips to Italy, and Italian-made home goods. But the most important thing we want to provide is a connection to Italian culture. While eating and drinking are wonderful, the REAL magic of Italy is created when you connect what you are eating with the history and the story of the meal.
We want you to know that when we include tortellini in one of our boxes, it is not just a type of pasta; it is a work of art that was created by a man so overcome by the beauty of Venus that he crafted a tortellino in the likeness of her belly button. And then, whether you are in Italy or at home, we want to help you reserve a table at the absolute BEST osteria (hosted restaurant) to enjoy fresh tortellini in a salty brodo (a light Italian broth) where the waiter will share stories about how much the dish means to the Emilia-Romagna region.
Our Italian Notebook is our place to capture all of these stories and more. Each week we will update our blog with recipes from our Italian cooking classes, advice on how to select and shop for Italian food at home, and our recommendations for Italy off the beaten path. All of it interwoven with stories of Italian culture and our own family traditions that have fueled our passion for Italy.
Selfishly, it is also my chance to finally consolidate all of those emails, texts, and notes I have sent friends over the years.
We want you to feel the same connection to the food as we do when we hear stories like the one about Venus’ belly button. It added so much life to our Italian experiences! I mean, is there anything more uniquely Italian than a man developing a pasta to profess his love and admiration for a woman? I will never look at tortellini the same way.
So follow along! Let us know if there is anything you would love to learn about from our adventures. Our favorite hobby is talking about Italy and this finally gives us a chance to write it all down and share it with our friends.
One Response
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