rita cipalla

Italians who arrive in the United States and end up starting restaurants are a dime a dozen. But every once in a while, the journey taken by one Italian family is so memorable that it becomes the stuff of legends. …

When viewing the work of former Seattle Times chief photographer Josef Scaylea, certain adjectives keep popping up: stark, dramatic, powerful, bold. Scaylea, who died in 2004, was a local treasure known for creating portraits of working men and women that …

Gigi Berardi is one of those lucky individuals, someone who has successfully mixed professional interests with personal passions. For more than 30 years, Berardi has studied agriculture and food, obtaining a BA in biology from the University of California at …

One glance at the hot-pink cardboard box with the dark blue lettering and chances are you know exactly what’s inside. If any doubts remain, you have only to read the store motto, prominently printed on the lid: “Cakes decorated while …

This is the story of a little bean that came from Italy more than 70 years ago. It was called the monachine, or “little nuns” in Italian, because of its distinctive white cap. The taste and texture of this bean …

More than a century ago, Our Lady of Mount Virgin, located in Seattle’s Mount Baker neighborhood, was once the heart of Seattle’s Italian community. In 1915, when the church was built, about 215 Italian families called the neighborhood home. As …

Raised in Spokane as part of an Italian-Greek family, Jackie Cross had grown up embracing both her cultural heritage as well as the lush agricultural traditions of eastern Washington. Her mother was an avid gardener and her grandparents instilled in …

In a time of unprecedented global public health challenges, when every sector of our social and economic fabric is at the straining point, it is comforting to realize that our Italian-American community continues to encourage and foster connections with family …

The ties between Seattle and Perugia, capital city of Umbria, go back more than 25 years when a pact of friendship was signed by both mayors. As with many new friendships, there was an immediate interest to get to know …

This spring, as Seattle and the world comes to a halt in the battle against the coronavirus, every act of kindness, every moment of beauty, becomes more important than ever.  Art museums may be shuttered, concerts may be postponed and …