Maybe it’s this whole focus on Italy we’ve been doing, but lately I’ve had Fellini on my mind. Lest anyone thinks I’m talking about a new shape of pasta, let me hasten to add for the non-cinephiles out there that I’m referring to the great auteur of Italian cinema, Federico Fellini. By his own admission he was in influenced by “sex, circus, cinema and spaghetti”, and in turn his films have in influenced a generation of filmmakers, Italian and otherwise. I have recently been treating myself to a Fellini lm festival on DVD, starting with his early lms like Variety Lights and I Vitelloni, and on through such classics as La Strada (with a tour-de-force performance by his ador- able wife Giulietta Masina), La Dolce Vita, Amarcord, and his undisputed masterpiece and one of my favorite films, 8 1/2. Fellini lovingly and magically brought to life the Italy of his own experience as well as the Italy of his dreams, especially in regard to his beloved adopted city of Rome. Watch- ing the lms and being immersed in the Italian language and his wonderful characters, who are frequently seen drinking wine, smoking cigarettes and eating pasta, has certainly put me in the mood to think and write about the extraordinary food of Italy.
The films are so inspiring that if I was merchandising an Italian promotion right now I would set up a big screen TV and run Fellini films all day—with no subtitles since Fellini’s images and Nino Rota’s enchanting music would be enough.
I just learned that early next month I will have the chance to attend CIBUS, the International Food Exhibition in Parma, Italy. Dedicated to companies committed to “Made in Italy”, the show promises to be an in-depth look at the country’s traditional and artisanal foods. I’m very excited to be going and hope to also visit some key food producers in the Emilia-Romagna region. I’ll be reporting back in the June issue, one that will be entirely devoted to the foods of Italy. In the meantime, we present here our current issue, featuring an encore report on a delicious and too often underappreciated Italian cheese, authentic Fontina d’Aosta, as well as tips on staff training, Margaret Eckert’s “Rules & Regulations” column, and a bevy of new products. I hope you find it of value. Ciao e in bocca al lupo per la primavera.
James Mellgren, Managing Editor
jmellgren@gourmetbusiness.com