Italian Roots Newsletter September 2025

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Italian American Life - Frank Di Piero

 

Interview with Stefano Marruso, The National Director of Patronato ACLI USA.

Recorded: April 15, 2025

Running Time: 23 minutes 47 seconds

PHILITALY.CO -- Phil Micali

See Italy.
Then SEE Italy.

There's what you expect to see and then seeing what you never could have imagined.  True, unique experiences unlike a traditional tour of Italy..

Happiness is a Meatball Sandwich

Check out Ed’s blog - edwrites.net

IIt goes back to my childhood when Grandma beckoned me with her crooked finger as I passed her open door on my way to our third-floor tenement. “ Ed-a-Wood, come in-a and hav-a meat-a-ball sang-weech.” Sang-weech. It was common among first-generation Italians to approximate that N-D-W combination of sounds, which don't exist in their native language; so sangweech it was.

I pivoted on the ball of my foot to dash to her stove’s warmth and aromas. Ah, the gravy. And the meatballs. Grandma’s were the best. Yes, it was a Sunday morning, and she was making her gravy for Sunday dinner. It was her gravy because gravy makers are possessive. And it was gravy because that’s what Italians called their sauce.

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And so she gently placed that meatball, so well married to her gravy, onto the heel of soft Italian bread and ladled it. She pointed to her table. “Sit. I bring.” And so she did.

The Grandma

I tucked the mopine into the neck of my white Sunday shirt, sat, and devoured her sangweech. And when I got up to leave, she murmured, “And-a, you nevah eat a meat-a-ball outside your house.” I heard that frequently but was never sure why the old-timers believed it.

The Meatball Eater

In those days it likely was a folk tale. Or maybe it was because the cooks trusted only their meatballs. Or maybe it was because the immigrants trusted no one. Or maybe it was, “Mine are the best, so why would you try another’s?” I paused to ponder their philosophy. Dad never believed it.

He told me that he went to Angelo’s Restaurant on Federal Hill when he was a kid and had meatball sandwiches. Yes, true. Angelo’s just celebrated its 100th anniversary. Interestingly, the restaurant has a unique twist when it serves meatballs. They are served with French Fries. Whatever it takes. Meatballs comfort howsoever they are presented.

To answer the question of whether meatballs are truly Italian, we need to take a look at the precise origins of them. Many will claim that meatballs originated in Italy, while others say that they were an American creation. The answer to this question is neither! The meatball is thought to have originated in ancient Persia. The earliest recorded meatball dish, kofta, was created by rolling leftover ground lamb into large balls. The balls were glazed with egg yolk and saffron before cooking.

Variations began popping up in China at around 200 BC. Others traced to ancient Rome, with several recipes found in an old cookbook. Depending on what type of meatballs you eat, the origins will be vastly different.

When did those hefty meatballs, now loved in America, become a staple? Maybe between 1880 and 1920 when approximately four million Italian immigrants arrived. The food the immigrants ate in Italy differed greatly from what they were accustomed to. In America, rather than a luxury, meat was plentiful. Thus, families were able to integrate more beef into their diets, and the meatball became king. But what about the sandwich?

The sandwich consists of meatballs (ground beef or pork), cooked in marinara sauce (our gravy) and is served on Italian bread.

It’s difficult to say where it was invented but suffice it to say that it likely was not in Italy. More likely, it originated in the United States at the turn of the 20th century by those same immigrants adapting recipes for their new environment. The first meatball sandwiches may have been sold by street vendors in cities with large Italian populations, such as New York and Philadelphia. Others claim that the meatball sandwich was inspired by the Swedish meatball dish popularized by Scandinavian immigrants.

I love meatball sandwiches, my ‘go-to’ when I need food comfort. Ahhh . . . meatballs seasoned with herbs and spices to give them a rich, savory flavor with tomato sauce or marinara adding a tangy, sweet, and savory element served on soft bread crispy on the outside; a texture complementing the tender meatballs and sauce cradled within.

Sometimes if I am adventuresome or very hungry, I'll have my sandwich topped with melted cheese, usually mozzarella. The cheese adds creaminess and richness to every bite. But it’s not necessary.

A hearty meatball married to a savory gravy in a soft bun can stand on its own. For me, a soft torpedo roll that allows the meatballs to indent the bread and marry the sauce, keeping the sandwich moist and the meatball from popping out with a bite is perfect. A bad combination can result in a soggy mess which, even under the worst of circumstances, can be quite delicious.

The meatball must stay put with the first bite. A meatball that escapes the bread is . . . well . . . unacceptable. Oh, it’s OK if a little sauce spills out onto your shirt. It becomes a badge of honor as in, ‘Ya had a meatball sandwich, eh?”

Nowadays, I need to eat what I desire as long as it’s good for my health. It satisfies me. It lifts my spirit. It nourishes my soul especially if it connects me to my past, like Grandma’s kitchen. It boosts my mood. It evokes a feeling of warmth.

Nowadays, I frequent the meatball sandwich. My tastes revert to nostalgia, that nostalgia that, in fact, IS what it used to be.

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Our Latest Videos

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Dorina’s Kitchen

Italian Apple Cake

  • May 28, 2020

  • 2 min read

Some years ago in Italy, I was having dinner with my dear friends Pina and Michele Afterwards Pinuccia (as we lovingly call her) brought out this cake for dessert along with some wonderful homemade liqueurs. Wow! So pretty and so tasty! I had to get the recipe!

I modified it a bit but this is basically the recipe I got back then and I've been making it ever since!

Sometimes you just want a simple dessert that isn't too sweet. Sometimes you need something pretty to take to someone's house. Sometimes you need to use up the apples that you have too many of.

THIS is the recipe that fits all categories! It's great for breakfast with your cappuccino, for a snack or dessert! Simple yet elegant!

I hope you like it as much as I do!

Love, Dorina <3

Dorina's Kitchen Apple Cake

(adapted from my friend Pinuccia's recipe in Italy)

1 cup of plain yogurt / 225 grams

3/4 cup sugar / 150 grams

2 cups flour / 240 grams

1/4 cup oil / 50 grams

1 1/2 tsp baking powder/ 6 grams

3 eggs

------------

two (or three) apples.--personal preference. You may want more apple IN the cake or you may need more for the top depending on size of apple and cake!

Mix all cake ingredients together until just mixed. Don't over beat it. (don't worry about what order!)

Peel the two apples.

Chop one into cubes and and add to cake batter.

Put batter into a greased and floured round baking pan ...either an angel food cake pan with the hole in the middle or just a round pan. (these look nicest but you can use any pan.)

Slice the other apple and place on top of cake in concentric circles starting from the outside working in towards the center.

Bake at 350 F / 180 C for about 40 minutes or until golden and toothpick comes out clean!Buon Appetito!!!

Love, Dorina

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