Italian Canadians At Table

The persistence of misconceptions about Italian-Canadian food culture raises many questions for us. Are we gluttonous, inebriate and too loud? Do we force-feed guests? Are we in fact food-obsessed? How many grains of truth can a stereotype hold? We had to know, so we asked articulate and thoughtful Italian-Canadian writers and simpatico friends from British Columbia to Newfoundland. The responses were surprising, thoughtful, entertaining and often touching, making my co-editor, Delia De Santis, and I very glad we asked, as every piece which streamed over the internet's ether was a gift and a joy to read. And the result is Italian Canadians at Table, a passionate literary feast of poetry and prose.

Buon Appetito Toronto! is the story of how Italian-Canadian food culture has evolved in the city and how its influence has helped define our perceptions of what constitutes a good meal. From the convivial social dynamics of the Italian table, to the quest for the perfect coffee, to the introduction of food products and artisanal wine from Europe, Italian-Canadians have led the way in educating Torontonians about the pleasures of the table. Through interviews with 28 of the city's most important chefs, restaurateurs importers and manufacturers, Buon Appetito Toronto! gathers together the people that set the standard for culinary creativity and changed the culture of a great city.

Italy is a country synonymous with style and beauty in all aspects of life: the rich history of Rome, Renaissance art of Florence, graceful canals of Venice, high fashion of Milan, signature pasta alla bolognese of Bologna, colorful architecture of Portofino and winking blue waters of Capri and the Amalfi Coast, among many others. Italians themselves live effortlessly amid all this splendor, knowing instinctively just the type of outfit to throw on, design element to balance, or delectable ingredient to add.

Through a historical and economic analysis of Italian Canadian migration in the second half of the 20th century and through the study of Italian and Canadian archival sources, this book provides an analytic and in-depth tool for the study of the economic and cultural relations between Italy and Canada, from the Golden Age until the present. It focuses, in particular, on the analysis of migratory flows between the two countries, on the evolution of integration, work and assistance problems, and on the promotion of Italian-Canadian culture. The book also retraces the evolution of some relevant non-profit organizations and their role in the enhancement of Italian-Canadian cultural heritage.

Today's Italian-Canadians face different images than previous generations. An exploration of the reproduction of cultural heritage in a global economy of rapid international communication.