grew up in Brooklyn (ok, you all are painfully aware of that) and there was always a very, very large Italian population. “Italian” restaurants, pastry shops, etc. were plentiful and were always a part of my life. I starting traveling to Italy over 30 years ago, driving and touring thru Northern Italy with my wife. Rome, Milan, Parma, Venice, Umbria, Florence – I loved it but never felt that I recognized the culture or the food & figured that long time immigration to the US had revised what was seen as “Italian” in NYC. Then I went to Sicily and I felt like I was back in the Brooklyn of my childhood. The food, the pastries, the culture. So, yeah, I get your point. Did you eat any? Have you been to Sicily? or Brooklyn? (answers best placed elsewhere on HO I guess).
I mostly took pictures of the Sicilian pastries that day. I haven’t been to Sicily yet.
The same September I was in Rome, I spent a week in southern Tuscany, with day trips to Umbria, and I tried out quite a few of the regional pastries.
I have tried a lot of home-made Friulian pastries in Toronto.
I’ve tried quite a few zeppole di San Giuseppe & cannoli in TO, NYC & Boston.
I need to visit Brooklyn, as well as Arthur Ave! I haven’t been to Brooklyn or The Bronx since 1998. They’re on my wishlist!
