Upcoming Club

Events
February
2, 25 - Hunger Busters
4, 11, 18, 25 - Pasta & WOW
6, 13, 20, 27 - Cena
14 - Valentines Dinner
25 - Book Club
March
2, 25 - Hunger Busters
4,11,18,25 - Pasta & WOW
6,13,20,27 - Cena
13 - Limoncello Smackdown
25 - Book Club

Notiziario Ufficiale del Circolo Italiano di Dallas Febbraio 2015 Vol 36 Num 2

Valentines Day Raffle

How to make Valentines Day Extra Special with your
Love?
By celebrating at the Italian Club of Dallas for free!
Come to the Italian Club of Dallas on Friday, February
13th and take a chance on getting 2 free tickets for the
Special Valentine celebration on Saturday, February
14th.

April
1,8,15,22,29 - Pasta & WOW
3, 10, 17, 24 - Cena
5 - Easter Brunch
6, 22 - Hunger Busters
22 - Book Club
25 - Festa Primavera

Here are the wines we will be tasting and the menu.

We hope you can make it.

Amore
Valentines Dinner Italian Style
Make your reservations now for a romantic dinner at
the Club on Valentines Day. Celebrate the evening
with your sweetheart by treating her to a fabulous
dinner prepared by Guest Chefs Gerard and Christian.
The dinner and the wonderful dessert along with the
ambiance of the Club will say AMORE. Your evening
will begin with a glass of Prosecco and a lovely rose for
that special person in your life. The Valentines Day
dinner special menu will include:

Keep up to date
and subscribe to
our weekly
e-mail bulletin...
please visit our
website!

Sicilian Wine Dinner February 9

Please join us as we take a Tour through Sicily with
food and wine. Our guests, Alfonso Cevola and Joe
Piccola along with Glaziers and Paul DiCarlo from
Jimmys Food Store, will share their experiences from
their visits to Sicily and its wineries. In addition
we will have wine from the region and an authentic
4-course Sicilian Dinner made by 3 Sicilians Francesca Barone (Palermo), Christian Manganaro
(Catania) and Paul DiCarlo (East Dallas).

Parmigiano-Reggiano Flan
Risotto with Gorgonzola and fresh pear sauce
Pork Tenderloin wrapped in prosciutto with balsamic
vinegar, with rapini
Endive with strawberries in strawberry vinaigrette
Lampone mousse (raspberry mousse)
Member Price: $35 Non-Member Price: $45
Start Time : 7:00 p.m.

You can make reservations by calling the Club at

(972) 931-9167.
See you Valentines Day at the Club for a happy and
memorable evening.

Wine for the evening

Baci Vivaci Principi di Butera Insolia Tascante Buonora Carricante Lalumia Nero d Avola Rapitala Alto Nero d Avola Tasca Tascante Cusamano NOA Stemari Moscato Dinner Menu
Antipasti
Arancini Riceballs
Vrocculi a pastetta Battered Cauliflower
Caponata with Swordfish
Primo
Pasta Alla Norma pasta with eggplant
Secondi
Agneddu Brasati
Braised Lamb Shank with Baby Carrots & Green
Beans
Dolce
Semifreddo with Almonds
Monday, February 9
$59 per person + tax
6:30 p.m. check-in at the Italian Club of Dallas
7:00 p.m. Dinner begins
You can make reservations online here or by calling the
Club at (972) 931-9167

W W W . I TA L I A N C L U B D A L L A S . O R G

Letter From the President

Ciao a tutti,
During the month of January we had a wonderful Cena by our friend and
guest Chef Gina Stipo. Grazie Mille, Gina, the food was magnifico.
We have reintroduced the Guest Cena again on the 3rd Friday of the
month. Please continue to spread the word to your families and friends
about this Cena. It is a great Cena and it is the same cost for everyone.
In February we have a new event on Feb. 9 that Paul DiCarlo (Jimmys
Food Store) is spearheading. A Sicilian Wine tasting which includes
a 4-course meal which is being offered to followers of Jimmys and our
Club members. It promises to be a great evening. Hope some of you will
be able to attend since there is limited seating.
February 14 is our Valentines Day dinner and we know many of our
members, along with Melissa and her staff, are planning a night to
remember and a moment to enjoy with that special person in your life.
It seems to me every month has something to celebrate or enjoy and thats
the way it should be.
In March we are doing a Cena highlighting an area of Italy. The food
and wines will reflect that area and it is a suggestion that has come from
YOU: asking us to hold a Cena like some of the regional Cenas we have
held in the past.

Culinary Events
Wednesday ~ Pasta & Pizza Night: February 04, 11, 18, 25. Doors
open 6 p.m. Every Wednesday evening features our fantastic antipasti
bar and one of several pasta or pizza selections for a great price. Add
extras if the mood suits you meat, seafood & veggies. Pasta or Pizza Members $12 / Non-Members $16; Antipasti Bar only - Members $8 /
Non-Members $12.
Call for reservations and large tables (972) 931-9167

Friday Cena Schedule & Pricing

Member Come,
Adult $20
Non-Member
Adult $28of friends
February 06
visit/ and
enjoy the company
Reservations are kindly
requested
as
seating
is
often very
limited.
with a glass of wine while waiting
for the

February 06
February 13
February 13
February 20
Guest Cena
***
Raffle 20
night
February
Guest Cena
*** Raffle night

2015 is promising to be a great year and as each month approaches we

have the old standard events like the weekly Cena and Pasta and Pizza
night, but we also are adding many new events for YOU.
Our goal is to cherish, respect and honor our culture and past in the
Club while living in the present with new ideas and new events that also
celebrate our cultures and build our membership base. Our future will
be determined this year as we ask ALL members to take a greater part in
supporting the Club through their volunteer efforts, participation at the
events, bringing in new members, while we to continue to implement the
ideas and suggestions you keep bringing to us.

February 27
February 27

All the Best to you and your family in 2015.

Ken Venuso, President

ken.venuso@gmail.com

Christian have prepared for our enjoyment.

Guest
bringyou
yourwill
friends,
Join us,Cena,
you know
enjoyyour
a great meal
neighbors, your coworkers, its a great event
to
introduce
ourfriends,
treasured
Italian
Guest
Cena, them
bring to
your
your
Club
of
Dallas.
neighbors, your coworkers, its a great event

to introduce them to our treasured Italian

***
What
a great time to re-gift that extra gift
Club
of Dallas.
you have no use for, bring them to the Club,
we
love toa make
money
from
*** What
great some
time to
re-gift
thatyour
extra gift
donations,
we
will
raffle
them
and
you have no use for, bring them to make
the Club,
someone
happy.
we love tovery
make
some money from your
donations, we will raffle them and make
Each
Friday,
make special time to enjoy
someone
verywe
happy.
Cena (dinner) with famiglia e amici (family &
friends.)
Visitwe
themake
Clubspecial
for a delicious
fourEach
Friday,
time to enjoy
course
menu, enjoyed
insiemee amici
(together).
Cena (dinner)
with famiglia
(family &
Join
us toVisit
savorthe
theClub
tastefor
of aauthentic
friends.)
deliciousItalian
fourdishes
from
fresh
ingredients
recipes old
course menu, enjoyed insieme &
(together).
and new,
ourofChef.
ShareItalian
the joy
Join
us to prepared
savor theby
taste
authentic
of
goodfrom
food,fresh
goodingredients
wine and good
company
dishes
& recipes
old
~and
Italian-style!
new, prepared by our Chef. Share the joy
of good food, good wine and good company
Weekly
menu available via ClubMail.
~ Italian-style!
Reservations recommended at
(972)
931-9167
or online
Weekly
menu available
viaatClubMail.
http://icdcena.eventbrite.com
Reservations recommended at .

Financials

December

Revenue
28,698
Expenses
25,183
Profit (Loss)
(3,515)

delicious
meal
Gerard
and Chef
Come, visit
andChef
enjoy
the company
of friends
Christian
have
prepared
our enjoyment.
with a glass
of wine
whilefor
waiting
for the
Join
us, you
know
you
will enjoy
a great meal
delicious
meal
Chef
Gerard
and Chef

YTD
(end of dec)
315,239
327,966
(12,727)

(972) 931-9167 or online at

http://icdcena.eventbrite.com .

Saturday
February 14
Valentines
Saturday
Day
February
14
Valentines
Day

With Love, bring your special person for a

memorable dinner.
Our
will
prepare
succulent
mealfortoa
Withchefs
Love,
bring
youraspecial
person
impress
your
loved
one.
memorable dinner.
Our chefs will prepare a succulent meal to
impress your loved one.

Attention All Club Members

We have a tremendous amount of history in our Club and many
wonderful members who donate their time and money to help spread our
Italian Culture and make this Club a place for all of us to come to enjoy
with our extended familyour membership.
As of this Cicerone we are starting two features:
One is to respect, honor and cherish our history and past members who
have helped build this Club.
The second is to live in the present and to acknowledge people from our
current membership base. We have members who give their time and
efforts to this Club freely and do things for the Club because they want.
The Club is like family, if someone needs help we go over to their house
and help out.
Going forward, the Board will take any nominee you would like to send
with a brief article telling us why we should select them as one of our
feature stories.
Keep in mind there is no specific order or rules to go by here, its just a
simple criteria of saying GRAZIE MILLE to a member who help makes
this Club a better place.
Ken Venuso
President

Grazie Mille - Member Of The Month

This month we are recognizing a person not
only for all his past efforts but for his efforts
on a week to week basis.

FRED NAPURANO
Since we changed our staff around there
has been a need for help in the kitchen area.
Volunteers have been welcomed.
If you were to come by the Club late morning
on a Wednesday you may see Fred coming
into the Club not to have lunch but to quietly
go into the kitchen area and put an apron
over his golf outfit (not always), wash his hands and start looking for the
vegetables Melissa has recently bought at Fresh Points.
Within a few minutes he is busy at work cutting and chopping vegetables
for the antipasto table or for a soup Melissa is preparing.
There are no limits to what he will do in the kitchen because he is also
a good cook and baker. Regardless of what task we have Fred can help
handle it.
As the clock nears 1:30 or sometimes later Fred will clean up and once
again quietly walk out. He will be happy to say hello or good bye with
an enthusiastic voice on his way out.

A Look Back Grazie Mille

As a Club that stands for Italian culture,
we have an obligation to honor and cherish
our past. We have a group of individuals
who are known as Founders. They helped
establish and build the Club, which led to
what we have today, a Club that is a place to
enjoy being around friends and family and
the Italian Culture. It is up to our current
and future members to learn from our past
and to remember what these individuals
created, THE ITALIAN CLUB OF
DALLAS.
Once again we are challenged to select someone who was there at the
beginning but our aim is not to single one person out because their
contributions are greater than someone elses. Our focus is on honoring
and cherishing people from our past but in no specific order.
It is with pride we announce our first Honoree of A Look Back

ROBERTO AGOSTINI GRAZIE MILLE

Roberto was the first president of the Italian Club. Like all presidents
his responsibility was to lead the Club and help keep everyone focused on
the mission statement.
Here is a brief story about Roberto and what it means to our current
member base to honor and cherish our past. Roberto was invited to
speak at a new member reception a little over a year ago. As chairman
of the membership committee, I introduced him to the new members.
He told them about being the first president of the Club and some of the
meetings were in his living room. One could look around the table and
see all the eyes of the new members directed right at Roberto. It wasnt
so much what he said as it was what happened afterwards. When the
reception was adjourned many of the new members moved over to where
Roberto was seated and all scooted their chairs around him. He talked
to them and they visited with him asking questions and listening to him
regaling them with stories of what happened in the beginning.
It was clear to see that there was a respect for the past and the man who
was there at the start.
There are many occasions when you come to the Club and you see
Roberto with a party, whether it be his family or friends or the Italian
consulate from Houston, and you know indirectly and directly people are
saying GRAZIE MILLE for helping form the Italian Club of Dallas.
Today, as in the past, the Club is a place to enjoy some wine, eat some
wonderful Italian food and visit with family and friends.
GRAZIE MILLE ANCORA ROBERTO

Later in the day as we come to Club for the Pasta and Pizza night we see
all the wonderful vegetables Melissa has out and thank her for a great
selection. Next time we see Fred lets thank him also for his tireless
efforts to support the Club.
GRAZIE MILLE FRED

Watch for details on our Easter Brunch

on April 5th and
Festa Primavera on April 25th!

Charitable Outreach Volunteers

Kick Off 2015 at Hunger Busters
On Monday, January 5 our volunteers resumed their duties at Hunger
Busters preparing take-home bagged meals for food insecure students at
more than a dozen Dallas Independent School System schools. Adopting
their usual Hi ho, hi ho, its off to work we go attitude our volunteers
made short work of the hundreds of meals to be delivered later that day.
Many thanks to Fred and Elfriede Napurano who generously provided
coffee, tiramisu and biscotti to the volunteers at the end of their labors. It
certainly hit the spot.
The year 2014 was an active one for our outreach volunteers and other
club members who participated in our charitable outreach not only to
Hunger Busters, but also to the United Services Organization (USO),
Childrens Craniofacial Association, and Special Olympics Bocce. We
thank them one and all for contributing their time and energies. They are
appreciated more than words can tell.
Ben Parlapiano Chair, Charitable Outreach

During Lent Request Your Choice!

Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2015, is the first day of Lent and occurs
forty-six days before Easter, 2015 in the Catholic belief. Ash Wednesday
is a day of strict fasting and abstinence from all meat, and so are all
Wednesdays and Fridays until Easter April 5th, 2015. The Italian Club
of Dallas in order not to disrespect anyone, this year, during this period,
will offer a choice on Cena night: a meat dish as usual and a fish dish or
meatless dish for those whom want to keep the tradition.
Reservations are appreciated and required, please make sure you request
your choice of meat or fish for your meal during this period by simply
calling at 972-931-9167.

ICD Wine and Liqueur Raffle

A new raffle is fermenting at the ICD. Beginning February, the first
Friday of each month, we will have our traditional raffle with a twist.
Instead of gifts donated by our members, the raffle will consist of wines
and liqueurs of various types. Donations are encouraged! Questions?
Contact Kay Laurenzi at klaurenzi@gmail.com

News Of Members And Friends

I will be updating the newsletter every month with news of our members
and friends.
Please email me or call me if you have some event in your life or the life
of friends of the Italian Club that you would like to share with everyone.
We all want to celebrate with you when a family member or friend has
something good happen...new baby, grandbaby, marriage, significant
birthday, graduations. Also we would like to know of something sad or
serious such as illness or the passing of family members or friends.

NEWS
Mary Ann Webster recently celebrated her 50th birthday with a
gathering of her Mother and many friends.
Rae Gene Mungioli fell over the holidays and broke her right arm. She is
recovering with good results.
Melissas granddaughter Winter recently broke her arm and the little girl
had to undergo surgery. Thankfully she is doing well.
A design submitted by ICD Member Anthony Massa has been selected
as the winning design for the official 2015 Order Sons of Italy in
America Foundation T-shirt. An announcement highlighting him as the
winning designer will be carried in OSIAs social media, newsletter, and
magazine.
Congratulations, Anthony!
Please let me know of other events, even if old news and I will include
them in next newsletter (March).
Email: marcar32@verizon.net
Phone: 972-242-8283

New Members
We want to give a hearty welcome to new members Erminio and Amelia
Lalli, and Rody Cox.
We are so glad to have you with us.

NUTELLA TIRAMISU (TIRAMISU ALLA NUTELLA)

Ingredients
220 grams (almost 1 cup) of cream
cheese

1 pkg. lady fingers biscuits (known

as savoiardi here in Italy)

200 grams (3\4 cup) of whipping

cream (light or heavy)

Coffee or espresso (cooled)

1\2 cup of Nutellaor more if you

want it very rich!

Dark chocolate cocoa and crushed

hazelnuts (for topping)

Directions
As you would for normal tiramisu, dunk each biscuit HALFWAY ONLY into the
coffee and line the bottom of your serving dish.
Next, whip the cream until nice and fluffy
Then, add the cream cheese to the cream and whip for a minute or two.just until mixed.
Then add the Nutella and mix by hand until nice and swirled in
Like traditional tiramisu, start spreading your cream over the biscuits and create a second layer. When finished, garnish
with dark cocoa and chopped hazelnuts.

Crank Up The Distillery For Our Third

Limoncello Smackdown!
When Life Hands You Lemons, Make Some Limoncello

Late Spring ICD Bocce Tournament

Italian Club of Dallas is proud to announce the Special Olympics is
partnering with us for our Bocce Tournament in the late spring.

Making your own limoncello is as popular an Italian tradition as making

your own pasta sauce and, like sauce, everyone has their own limoncello
recipe which has been tweaked and perfected through the years and
which everyone tells you is the best!

It will be open to ALL members and open to the public. This event
will be in line with the Clubs mission: to explore, preserve, and promote
Italian culture, language, history and traditions, perform charitable works
and foster social interaction within the community.

Well, nows the time to crank up your home distillery and make your
home-brew for our Third Annual Limoncello Smackdown! Weve already
sampled many of your products, and they are all wonderful, but after Cena
on Friday, March 13, well have a competition to determine who has the
best limoncello. In the interest of providing a level playing field for the
tasting, we ask that all entrants be clear lemon-based liqueurs (no crema/
creams or orange, mango, etc. well save those for another contest!). Also,
please be sure to provide a generous sized bottle (no airline mini-bottles!)
so that as many people as possible, in addition to the judges, can sample
your handiwork. And, out of respect for family tradition, all secret recipes
will remain just that secret.

The Special Olympics regional representatives are meeting with us in

early Feb to finalize our part for this event in addition to helping us secure
a nice venue to hold the Tournament and festival. We are excited about
holding an Open Bocce Tournament in the Dallas area.

What will you win, should your limoncello be judged the best? The
accolades of your ICD friends, the right to say your liqueur is the best, and
the title of King or Queen Lemonhead. What more could you want?
Please let Melissa Partin, culture@italianclubdallas.org, know if youd like
to enter your limoncello in the Smackdown. It promises to be a fun night
for all!

We will be forming the committees soon to help us with the Italian

festivities which would includea bake sale, Italian foods from different
regions throughout Italy, grape stomping contest, family picnic, games for
kids and much more.
The ICD board is asking for ALL MEMBERS to join in participating
through attendance, volunteer work and spreading the word about this
event to your families, friends and businesses.
Just like a Church Carnival every donation, regardless of how small or
large, is a win for a charity and the Club,
Our hopes are this will become an annual event and fund raiser for the
Special Olympics and the Club. Once again our slogan this year is Our
Success is Your Success and Your Success is Our Success.
Please feel free to contact Ken Venuso, Charlie Castellano or one of the
ICD board members with any suggestions or ideas you would like to add
to the event.

Make our family, your family

Bring home the best from Italy
Get AT&T U-verse TV
for only $29/month for 6 months
(other charges apply)

PLUS Add Rai Italia

for only $13/month
(see below for offer details)

Call to subscribe today!

1.800-ATT.2020
(1.800.288.2020)

Geographic and service restrictions apply to AT&T U-verse services.

Call or go to www.att.com/u-verse to see if you qualify. Price for U-family TV. New residential U-verse customers only. After 6 months, standard
rate applies unless cancelled by customer. Offer ends 11/9/14. U-verse:
Promotional pricing applies to service rates only and excludes taxes,
equipment fees and other charges including a $49 service activation fee,
city video cost recovery fees, where applicable, and a Broadcast TV surcharge. Credit restrictions may apply. Pricing, programming and features
subject to change at any time without notice.

...Did You Know?

February Book Club News

LA CERVARA, ABBAZIA DI SAN GEROLAMO AL MONTE DI

PORTOFINO IN SANTA MARGHERITA (LIGURIA)

On Wednesday, February 25, 2015, the

Book Club will meet at 7 p.m. at the
ICD, when our selection will be Rosanna
Chiofalos Bella Fortuna. In her debut
novel, Chiofalo centers her story on family,
fun, friends, love and drama Italian style.
At their family-owned bridal studio,
Valentina De Luca, her mother, and sisters
design and sew gowns to make every brides
dreams come true. Work launches into
hyper drive when the boutique takes on
what may be its most demanding customer
yetValentina, who is frantically planning
her own wedding. Her long-term sweetheart has finally proposed, and
the two plan a wedding and honeymoon in Venice. Just when she thinks
everything is falling into place, fate steps in to ruin Valentinas plans.
Valentina learns that Bella Fortuna might not be what you are givenit
might be what you take.

Lungomare Rossetti via Cervara, 10

16038 Santa Margherita Ligure
The Cervara, an ancient abbey from the fourteenth century with its
unique charm, is located on the road from Santa Margherita to Portofino,
in Liguria. The road leads to the natural wild forest, which conceals the
property with its Italian garden and terrace with a magnificent view over
the bay, but also the church and the buildings of the former Monastery.
La Cervara is the only monumental Renaissance Italian-style garden
preserved in the Italian Riviera. The gardens won the prize grandi
giardini italiani 2012 for the highest level of maintenance and care for
a private garden open to the public. The garden had been abandoned
for years and it was only thanks to the great dedication and care of
the current owners involving important restoration works that the
magnificent gardens could be brought back to their former glory.
La Cervara Gardens are
unique in that they directly
face the sea. They are
almost entirely surrounded
by the sea and coastline
on one side the Gulf of
Tigullio, and on the other
the promontory of Portofino
which is rare as most
plants do not tolerate salty
conditions and heavy winds.

If you would like more information about the Book Club, please contact
the Coordinator, Norma Iacovo at 214-724-4832, or niacovo@tnsk.com.

Another Christmas Season Passes

Christmas and Epiphany were celebrated by the children of the Club and
their parents on December 6, 2014 and January 10, 2015. San Nicola and
Santa Lucia came in December bringing gifts. All played Tombola and
ate typical Christmas Eve Fare.
Then La Befana arrived on January 10 with a skit to tell the story how she
came to search for all the Children just in case one was the Christ Child.
She left a stocking full of gifts and candy for the children who had been
good all year and a lump of coal for those who had misbehaved. Then we
ate lentil soup and the Befana Bread. Little Anthony Chudy found the
fava bean and was crowned King for the Day.
All the families enjoyed participating and bringing back some Italian
traditions to enhance the holidays.
I Colori Italiani and I Picolli Colori wish everyone a wonderful and
happy New Year for 2015.
Carrie Pollinzi Harris
Maria Miletta Chobany

ICD Board
of
Directors

Mailing Address:
ost ffice ox allas, Texas

Clubhouse
14865 Inwood Rd.
Addison

Ken Venuso - President

Carole Strippoli - Vice President
Barbie Gumin - Secretary
Joan Seley - Treasurer
Paul DiCarlo
Al DeMarzo
Francesca Barone

The Mission Statement of the Italian Club of Dallas

To explore, preserve, and promote Italian culture, language, history, and traditions; perform charitable works; and foster
social interaction within the community.

La Missione del Circolo Italiano di Dallas

Conoscere, conservare e diffondere la cultura Italiana, la lingua, la storia e le tradizioni; fare opere benefiche; promuovere i
rapporti sociali all'interno della comunit.

Did You Know?

Readers of Il Cicerone can click anywhere
in the Upcoming Club Events column (see
highlighted area below) of our monthly
newsletter and make an online reservation to
any ICD event right then. Give it a try ~ this
feature is available already!
Dont forget to Like Il Cicerone and Share
it on Facebook, too - just click on the latest
issue from ClubMail or the Web site, or find
your favorite issue on www.Scribd.com by
searching Italian Club of Dallas, and then
hit the upper menu button for Share with
social networks (square with arrow) to
choose Facebook and post to your page ~
or just download it and share it wherever you
like!

NEWSLETTER DEADLINE: 15TH OF THE MONTH PRECEDING PUBLICATION;

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT CICARTICLES@ITALIANCLUBDALLAS.ORG

W W W . I TA L I A N C L U B D A L L A S . O R G