rita cipalla

Giuseppe “Joe” Desimone was a bear of a man, 6 foot 2 inches tall, 300 pounds. He arrived in America in 1897 from Naples at the age of 18 with 50 cents in his pocket. He worked first as a …

The small town of Palazzolo Acreide, nestled along the rocky slopes of Sicily’s Iblei Mountains about 25 miles north of Siracusa, is a charming gem, combining opulent baroque architecture, several archeological ruins and a sophisticated gastronomic scene that belies its …

Cousins have often played complementary roles throughout history. Take Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt, fifth cousins, who became president of the United States two decades apart. Or Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, on the throne of England. As great-great-grandchildren …

From a 1926 Model T to an ice-blue 1951 Studebaker to the Flintmobile made for the 1994 Flintstones movie, all sorts of automotive rarities can be found at the LeMay-America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Wash. The collection of 255 vehicles …

The airy, light-filled tasting room at the Northwest Wine Academy would feel right at home in any of Seattle’s swankier neighborhoods. Designed with a distinctly northwest aesthetic, the walls are partially lined with beautiful reclaimed redwood and the tasting counter …

Since 1963, Lamborghini automobiles have topped the list when it comes to ultralight, ultrafast, ultracool sports cars. In 2007, to conduct research in carbon fiber materials, the luxury car company opened an innovative lab on the campus of the University …

If you are a coffee aficionado, you’ve heard of La Marzocco. A hands-down favorite among baristas, these high-end espresso machines can be found in cafés and restaurants worldwide. The venerable company, founded in Florence in 1927 by Giuseppe and Bruno …

Ingredients are like musical notes, says cookbook author Letizia Mattiacci, and cooking is like composing music. The results, when done well, are pure harmony. Recently, Seattle audiences explored the unique culinary harmonies of Umbria with Mattiacci as their guide. Mattiacci, …

Never let it be said that Joe Fugere, owner of Seattle’s Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria, won’t move heaven and earth, or even a pizza oven, to create delicious, perfectly baked pizza for a customer, particularly when that customer is Barak …

In 1881, a stash of silver dollars, 936 of them to be exact, bought 320 acres of land overlooking the Spokane River in eastern Washington. At the time of the sale, the property was described as “the old piece of …