Tag: Marco

Together for 80 years: Marisa and Marco on the cover of Vanity Fair – Italian Cuisine

Marisa and Marco on the cover of Vanity Fair: 101 and 102 years together for 80. For Valentine's Day, the weekly arrives on newsstands with a special issue that celebrates the generation that symbolizes love that wins everything

After the success of the number starring Pope Francis, which scored + 38% on newsstands compared to the same number of the previous year, and the digital campaign #iomivaccino, with over 4.6 MIO impressions, 4.4 MIO total reach, 59.3k video views , 92k total engagement and numerous well-known faces involved, Vanity Fair comes out on newsstands with a special issue dedicated to love.

"Like every year, on the anniversary of the feast of lovers, in the editorial office we asked ourselves how to tell love in the time of Covid-19", writes the director Simone Marchetti in his editorial. "This year there is also a special anniversary: twenty years ago, the last kiss, the film by Gabriele Muccino that fascinated an entire country, arrived on the screens of cinemas. We therefore thought of imagining the first kiss we will give each other once the virus has left us. And here is the genesis of this cover: to celebrate the affection, strength, tenderness of a generation that has seen it all. The war, the pain, the fear. The reconstruction of Italy, the sweat of conquests, the tears of defeat. All to then finally face the most cowardly enemy: a virus that does not even have the courage to be seen ”.

So the kiss of becomes the protagonist of the cover Marisa Stradella (101 years) is Marco Razzini (102) who have loved each other for 80 years. Their bond, born in a Milan at war, was not lost even when Marco, a prisoner in Russia, was unable to give news of himself for more than three years during which Marisa never lost hope that they would see each other again. . They have never separated since his return. And now, after three children, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, their love story continues. The tale of this generation continues with Stefano Bozzino, the Alpine who had traveled around the world playing the accordion under the window of the hospital where his wife was hospitalized. For the first time he tells of the recent death of his beloved and of the love that never ends.

The image of their kiss symbolizes a life manual that tells what love is. A love capable of winning everything and which also returns within the pages of the issue through the stories of other protagonists: Penelope and Alessandro, 18 and 19 who knew each other by sight, but fell in love exchanging messages during the first lockdown. Together for 16 and a half years, the web influencer Linda Tol and the photographer Renwe Jules four months ago they became Louie Gene's parents, a gift that was made to wait for. The men, the success, the disappointments, the strength to go forward always and in any case: the actress Serena Grandi, protagonist of the new film by Pupi Avati She speaks to me again, the story of an endless love, tells the lights and shadows of a life lived with passion. From the first to the last kiss. Finally there is Samuel Bersani. After seven years of silent recording he is back with a new album and a song that is the sequel to "En e Xanax", the hymn to a love of two people who shared panic attacks and the desire to accept their fears . Today, in the interview with Vanity Fair, after the end of that love, with the song Your Memory, the singer-songwriter explains that he closes a circle with the past and talks about the creative block that had paralyzed him.

The story also continues on the social profiles of Vanity Fair, with a call to action that will be launched on Instagram to all illustrators of the network, invited to tell about Love with an unpublished drawing. The editorial staff will choose the most beautiful and representative creations of the theme, which will be published on the Vanity Fair social channels during the week of Valentine's Day. Not only that: the authors with the most interesting social profiles will also appear in a dedicated page on the issue of Vanity Fair to be released on 10 February.

To coincide with the release of this issue, Vanity Fair launches its own new app which offers a unique digital experience as it is enriched with special content and many new customizable features. In addition to the ability to read all the articles published on the site in real time (in reading format for mobile and tablet), exclusive content is provided only for those who download the app: in the 'Popular on Vanity’You discover every day what other Vanity Fair users are reading, while in that #hottopic keep an eye on the most popular themes of the moment; in the video section you will find all the news in video format, with music and subtitles, to be scrolled comfortably; in a dedicated section, i podcast of the most popular Vanity Fairs. Finally, the app allows you to browse the preview of the latest issue of the magazine currently on newsstands. For subscribers, you can read the magazine comfortably, for those who are not yet, you can conveniently pay with Apple Pay / Google Pay by purchasing a single issue or a subscription for up to one year.

Christmas gifts: Marco Failla's advice – Italian Cuisine

Three original ideas to make delicious last minute Christmas gifts at home: a chocolate mosaic, a pistachio liqueur and the typical Sicilian scaccio, reinterpreted by the talented Palermo cake designer

There are now a few days to go Christmas and, like every year, the hunt for last minute gift. An original idea is that of realize at home greedy edible gifts, following the advice of Marco Failla: «Giving a gift prepared with your own hands, says the Sicilian cake designer and food stylist, «is a way to make those who receive it feel special. At Christmas we all go back to being a bit children and something sweet is always welcome, especially if well presented and decorated ".

Three original ideas to do at home

The first proposal is a creamy liqueur based on Bronte pistachio, the green gold of Sicily, to be destined for a special person. "You will like it so much", says Marco, "that it will surely enter your secret recipe book". Another idea is the white chocolate mosaic, a large and colorful bar enriched with dried and candied fruit: "2020 was a busy year for everyone and we need comfort food, like this beautiful mosaic tablet to give as a gift, knotted with an elegant Burgundy ribbon and a gold hammer to break it in an emergency. ' The latest proposal, on the other hand, is inspired by an indelible childhood memory of Marco, the cinnamon scent of the Christmas stalls: "As a child, praline almonds were a little obsession of mine and I wanted to propose them in a" scaccio "version or the dried fruit of the Sicilian tradition, with the addition of cinnamon, my favorite spice .
For all the recipes Failla has used ingredients from its own land: pistachios, candied oranges, walnuts and above all almonds. "On one of my last trips to discover the hidden realities of Sicily, I met the Mandranova company, in the province of Agrigento, and I immediately appreciated the quality of its almonds (in particular the Tuono varieties, with a perfect and golden shape, and genco, with a full and decisive flavor), so much so that it is now one of the favorite ingredients for my creations .

Marco Failla's recipes

Chocolate mosaic (to break)

Ingredients

700 g of fine tempered white chocolate
Dried fruit and candied fruit to taste to compose the design

Method

Use a pan, making sure to line it with baking paper. The chocolate is tempered and poured into the pan and after waiting a few minutes you can gently place the chosen ingredients. Alternative to using the pan: repeat the same procedure with a sheet of baking paper. Compose the mosaic according to your taste and then, as soon as the chocolate has solidified, break the chocolate fragments to be placed in individual sachets. In this way you will have many little thoughts or gifts at the end of the dinner.

Bronte pistachio elixir

Ingredients (for about 1 liter)

500 ml of whole milk
200 g of sugar
100 ml of alcohol at 95 °
Bronte pistachio paste
1/2 empty vanilla bean or half a teaspoon of vanilla extract
A pinch of salt

Method

For the pistachio paste: put the shelled pistachios in a bowl with warm water and leave to rest for a couple of hours. Drain and rub with a cloth to remove the outer skin. Toast the pistachios for 15 minutes in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Subsequently, the pistachios must dry, for a day, in an airy and dry place. Put the pistachios in a blender with a spoonful of sweet almond oil. Operate the blender at maximum power for a few seconds, turn off and mix the pistachios with a spatula. Repeat the operation in several intervals to prevent the blades from heating up, this would prevent the pistachios from releasing their natural oil. Repeat until you get a homogeneous paste (even with a few grains will do the same). For the liqueur: in a saucepan bring milk, sugar, vanilla, pistachio paste and salt to the boil, stirring during the process. As soon as it reaches a boil, turn it off and let it cool completely. Once the mixture has cooled, add the alcohol, mixing with a whisk. Pour the liqueur obtained into the bottles. The liqueur should be kept in the fridge.

Scaccio praline

Ingredients

200 g of scaccio (pistachios, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds)
200 g of granulated sugar
80 g of water
A teaspoon of cinnamon
The tip of a teaspoon of red food coloring

Method

Select dried fruit with skin. Pour the water, sugar and food coloring into a non-stick pan and, over medium heat, allow the sugar to dissolve slightly in the water, then add the almonds. Stir occasionally with a wooden ladle. When the sugar is completely dissolved and starts to boil, stir more frequently. As the water evaporates, the almonds will tend to join together. When the sugar becomes solid again and the almonds are all separated from each other, add the cinnamon, remove the pan from the heat and put the almonds to cool in a baking tray lined with parchment paper. When they have cooled, place in a glass jar to decorate as you like.

Thanksgiving according to Marco Failla – Italian Cuisine

The advice and recipes of the well-known cake designer and food stylist from Palermo for an original Italian-American style “Thanksgiving” lunch.

His creations have conquered many foreigners who, every year, decide to get married in Italy, in the wonderful villas of Lake Como. Chiara Ferragni and Leona Lewis have also entrusted to Marco Failla making your own wedding cake. The cake designer and food stylist from Palermo – divides his time between the Sicilian capital and Milan, and is currently busy with Kitchen Stories, a project that combines his passions for cooking, design and photography – he reveals his tips, and two original recipes, for a Thanksgiving full Italian American style. “Every year I join my brother in Texas, where he lives with his wife and children, to spend Thanksgiving together, my favorite American holiday. Tradition has it that it is a party to be celebrated at home and not in the restaurant. Unfortunately, this year we will be separated, but I still wanted to recreate the atmosphere of this day ". Warmth and hospitality are Marco's keywords to make his guests feel at home, without ever neglecting the small details. The turkey is undoubtedly the protagonist of the table, together with green beans, smashed potatoes, corn bread and, above all, stuffing: a mix of stale bread and other ingredients, such as sausage and vegetables, baked and served as an accompaniment to the turkey . "In my Thanksgiving", Marco points out, "I always add a touch of my city, Palermo, and the recipes of my grandmothers: panelle, cannoli, prickly pears and of course the homemade egg pasta, one of my comfort foods favorites . Here are the advice of Marco Failla.

Turkey

The undisputed star and symbol of Thanksgiving Day, turkey is definitely the essential dish of this holiday. The color must be perfectly amber and, according to Marco, the secret to a perfect turkey is to make a glaze with muscovado sugar, orange juice and salted butter to brush every 15 minutes, when there are about 45 minutes left to cook.

Vegan proposals

"I always love to include a vegan alternative in the menu of a special lunch like Thanksgiving". The Palermo panelle, for example, they are a fanciful idea that has always won over American friends during lunches organized at the brother's home. Another quick and easy dish is there cherry tomato soup roasted in the oven, coconut milk and savory chestnut crumble. And, again, theprickly pear salad, red onion, spinach leaves and black olives to be served with a red onion vinaigrette, a reinterpretation of a recipe inspired by New Cinema Paradiso, the masterpiece film by the Sicilian director Giuseppe Tornatore.

Sweet

An imperative of Marco is to always respect tradition, even at the end of the meal. The cake designer therefore offers us the classic Pumpkin pie. "This year, if I had managed to go to my grandchildren, I would have liked to prepare something different, that is a very good bundt cake with pumpkin and spices, a recipe I discovered from an American friend during the last Thanksgiving ". The bundt cake is in fact a Failla must during autumn dinners at home with friends. "Then there is a recipe that reminds me of my grandmother Zina: one day, while preparing a rich banquet for children and grandchildren, she forgot her iconic apple pie in the oven which, alas, was burned. He would never have allowed to finish a meal without a dessert and so, in secret and with what he had available in the kitchen, he prepared a custard with a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg, served with salted pistachio biscuits and cranberries prepared in the previous days, perfect for dipping in cream . An easy and tasty dessert, to conclude a rich Thanksgiving lunch, which Marco recommends pairing with one of his favorite Sicilian wines, Malvasia delle Lipari.

A gift for guests

A self-respecting special lunch must then end with a small gift for the guests. Marco likes to give his guests one of his creations, such as the beautiful (and very Sicilian) hand-painted white chocolate bars enriched with Bronte pistachio, also perfect as a place card.

Marco Failla's recipes for Italian Cuisine

Bundt Cake with Mantuan pumpkin and spices

Ingredients

400 grams of sugar, 160 grams of sunflower oil, 4 eggs, 450 grams of Mantua Pumpkin puree, 390 grams of flour 00, 6 grams of salt, 5 grams of baking soda, 6 grams of yeast, 5 grams ground cinnamon, the tip of a teaspoon of ground ginger, the tip of a teaspoon of nutmeg, a pinch of ground cloves.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Grease and flour a 24 cm diameter Bundt Cake pan. In the mixer, clean the eggs and sugar until a frothy mixture is obtained. Pour in the oil and, decreasing the speed, add the pumpkin puree. At low speed, add the dry ingredients mix and whip until smooth. Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 50-55 minutes. Let it rest for 15 minutes and remove from the pan.

Corn flour biscuits, salted Bronte pistachio and cranberries

Ingredients

220 g 00 flour, 50 g corn flour, 100 g sugar, a pinch of salt, 4 g yeast, 2 whole eggs, 30 g butter at room temperature, 50 g of Bronte pistachios (toasted in a pan a generous amount of salt ), 50 g of dried cranberries.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. In a bowl, mix the sugar, flour, salt and yeast. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and add them to the mix of dry ingredients. Add the butter at room temperature and mix with your hands until the mixture is smooth. Add the dried fruit and, on a pastry board, continue to knead until the dried fruit is well incorporated into the dough. Divide the dough into two parts and cut into two loaves of 20 cm each. Bake at 180 degrees for about 30 minutes. Let them cool for 15 minutes and cut the loaves diagonally to form the classic shape of the cantucci. Arrange the cookies in the oven again for 15 minutes at 180 degrees until they turn golden.

Thanks

Photo: Alex Cinisi

Wines: Occhio di Terra and Malvasia delle Lipari by Caravaglio

Fabrics: Allegoria Textiles

Wooden tablet: The Ladies

We also thank Manfredi and Silvia Rizzuto of Masseria Susafa for the availability of their home in Palermo