The Columbus Citizens Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 1929 to preserve and celebrate Italian-American heritage in the United States, kicks off the 2024/2025 season with one of its four regional dinners: one of Italy’s 20 regions is chosen and, for members only, the committee decides on a menu featuring traditional dishes. But that’s not all: before getting to the table, the evening is introduced by a short presentation, so as to educate diners about what they are going to eat, which is not limited to simple combinations of ingredients, but tells centuries-old stories. The first dinner featured Calabria.
“When we think of Italy, we don’t realize how close the South is to Greece and Albania. So much so that the name of many places in Calabria or some dialect words are derived from ancient Greek. The tip of the Boot is rich in history because over the centuries different peoples have arrived, conquered land, settled and imposed their culture,” Lisa Ackerman, executive director of the Columbus Citizen Foundation, explained to diners.
She gave the example of the Eastern and Western Empires, which also had two different religions, or the Normans (referring to the cathedral in Gerace or the medieval structure in Reggio Calabria). “Or Cosenza, which was rebuilt several times, at different times, because of continuous earthquakes.”
But it’s not only about culture and historical monuments. It’s also about nature, with the Sila, Pollino and Aspromonte National Park areas being prominent attractions. “It’s amazing to think that Manhattan shale is the same as that found in the Calabrian massifs of Aspromonte,” Ackermann commented.
As for the dinner, Pipi Chini (stuffed peppers), Polpetta alla Mammolese (pork meatballs and pecorino cheese) and Ciambotta (Calabrese caponata) were served as appetizers, which were quite spicy, but not spicy enough for a true Calabrese. Emanuele, one of the diners, recalled one of his childhood memories, “In Calabria, chili is so ingrained in the culinary culture that I remember that my grandmother, when we were sick, used to make us an extremely spicy minestrone and justified the flavor by claiming that it would make us get over the illness right away, even if we grandchildren complained.”
The first course offered Rigatoni alla Silana, a hearty dish with a slow-cooked sauce made from Calabrian sausage, pork cheek, porcini mushrooms, onions, garlic, parsley, basil and chili peppers. For the main course, Pesce Spada alla Ghiotta: swordfish with pignoli, capers, olives, raisins, and sweet onions in a rich tomato sauce, served with familiar vegetables, sliced carrots, orange juice, and raisins. For dessert, mostaccioli (honey cookies) and a refreshing lemon-mint sorbet were served. Each dish was paired with a typical wine from different areas of Calabria: Val Di Neto Critone Bianco 2023, Ciro Duca di Sanfelice and Rosso Riserva 2021, and for desserts Malvasia.
