Winter has hit us, and it has been cold for a few weeks in Cleveland. What better way to warm up than with our Valentines Day edition? Whether you are in love for the first time or you have been in love for 50 years, there is something special about the story of St. Valentine that warms the heart.
 As always, we would like your feedback. Pease let us know what you think about our paper and how we can improve. Please email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can visit our website at www.lagazzettaitaliana.com and subscribe to each month’s issue. Please enjoy this story from February 2015 on the great tradition of Carnevale by Gabriella Vitalone. 


With the tradition of the festival of Carnevale comes the traditional food and drink for the celebration. Carnevale loosely translates to “farewell to meat” and is the celebration leading into the 40 days before Easter, also known as Lent. Because Lent is a time without meat and luxurious foods, and Carnevale is a festival based on luxury and grandeur, it is a time to eat the richest foods you can find, including fried desserts and hearty meat-based dishes.

Many of the traditional Carnevale dishes focus around the upcoming 40 meatless days. A popular dish during this time is lasagna, which is a layered dish of pasta, tomato sauce, cheese, and ground meat. Other pasta dishes are also popular, such as tortellini, ravioli, and gnocchi, all filled with meat or topped with a rich meat sauce.

Although rich meat dishes are a focus of traditional Carnevale food,   desserts are what really stand out. Most of the desserts are a form of fried dough, but each one has something special that makes it different from the others.

Frittelle are little fried balls of sweet dough that are covered in sugar. Similar to American doughnuts, they are made from a yeast-based dough. The dough is made from flour, yeast, water, extra virgin olive oil, sugar, salt, and flavorings such as vanilla and lemon. They are made in several different flavors, from plain to chocolate, fruit, or custard filled.

Frappe, another popular dessert, is strips of fried sweet dough covered in powdered sugar. Although they are also made from fried dough, the dough is much different. Frappe dough is not yeast-based as it is made from flour, butter, eggs, sugar, salt, and brandy or grappa. After the dough is made, it is cut into thin strips and fried. Another variation of this dessert are Chiacchiere, which are twisted or tied Frappe.

There are also a few drinks that are popular during Carnevale, including a regional favorite, the Bellini. A Bellini is a mixture of Prosecco, a sparkling, dry, white wine, and peach puree. During the late winter/early spring months, the weather in Venice is still pretty chilly, so something like Mulled Wine will warm you up. Mulled Wine is a mixture of red wine, sugar, spices and orange peel. All the ingredients are warmed to help the flavors combine, leaving you with a flavorful drink. A rich hot chocolate or cioccolata caldo is the perfect non-alcoholic option on a cold day.

Chiacchiere