miamilan blog

more to add soon

no I don't mean the communists-democrats making you pay more taxes (elections days in Italy). But to the exhibition in Milano @ Triennale, until 24 March.

A few days to Milan woman fashion week (settimana della moda donna). Not only meeting celebrities, etc. (work for us paparazzi, lol) the main thing is catwalks of course, but the great majority of people have never seen them “live” in person, because you should be a journalist or someone working there.
If you want to come and see some catwalk, let me know marco@miamilan.com
It’s very exciting, because it’s something you always see on magazines and tv, it’s comparable to children for the first time entering the legendary San Siro stadium :), a big emotion really.
AC Milan Fly Emirates teamed up with EasyJet, the best low cost company.
The symbol of Milano is a woman… (Madonnina golden statue too :), protecting us from above).
It’s the best fashion week not only because it’s the world capital of fashion but also because, compared to London, Paris and New York, in Milan the weather and food are oh so much better ;)


“The more you have inside yourself, the less you need of other people. That’s why superiority of spirit makes you rather unsociable. The level of sociability is in inverse proportion to the intellectual value.
Sociability is the act for which the men warm to each other the spirit, just as, when it’s cold, you warm up each other’s body hugging each other. The more spiritual heat you have, the less you need of sociability: it therefore tends to increase when the spirit is reduced.”
(Schopenhauer)

photo: via Montenapolone, first world fashion street.

some music for "San Valentino" :), see also previous posts with Ornella Vanoni songs, Le Vibrazioni, etc.

"Un romantico a Milano" (A romantic in Milan, by Baustelle)
gig during the fashion week soon, symphonic songs with orchestra, new album recorded in Poland.
Good songs if you're learning the Italian language.

c'è un maniaco sul Corriere della Sera

la sua mano per la zingara di Brera 

è nera 

fuggi, cosa fuggi non c'è modo di scappare 

ho la febbre ma ti porto fuori a bere 

non è niente stai tranquilla è solo il cuore 

Porta Ticinese piove ma c'è il sole 

quando il dandy muore fuori nasce un fiore 

le ragazze fan la fila per vedere 

la sua tomba con su scritte le parole 

"io vi amo 

vi amo ma vi odio però 

vi amo tutti 

è bello è brutto, io non lo so 

io vi amo 

vi amo ma vi odio però 

vi amo tutti 

è bello è brutto è solo questo" 

Scusi 

che ne pensa di un romantico alla Scala? 

quando canta le canzoni della mala scola 

quasi centomila Montenegro e Bloody Mary 

mocassini gialli e sentimenti chiaro-scuri

non è niente non è niente 

lascia stare 

se la Madonnina muore nasce un fiore 

lui non vuole che la sua ragazza legga 

quelle frasi incise quelle frasi amare 

"io vi amo 

vi amo ma vi odio però 

vi amo tutti 

è bello è brutto, io non lo so 

io vi amo 

vi amo ma vi odio però 

vi amo tutti 

è bello è brutto è un giglio marcio 

io vi amo 

vi amo ma vi sputo però 

vi amo tutti 

è bello è brutto è solo questo"

L'erba ti fa male se la fumi senza stile

- first of all: gelato italiano :) ice cream. Cakes, pastries, Nutella :), Italian espresso coffee, they’re all special here, even if I’m not a big fan, I prefer salty dishes.
- Italian sausages, lol.
- see a previous post about a Zani recipe to make “risotto” (rice dish) with mushrooms.
also Beckham learnt to cook risotto when he was here. He always says he misses Milan a lot. The typical Milanese one is yellow, with saffron (and sausage and onion - do not use onions in case of girls around, lol… better for your breath. Girls OR onions ^_^ - usually I have onions LOL). As the name says, risotto does not come from France (as the mayonnaise - it comes from my paradise island Minorca, name from the capital Mahon -> mahonesa).
- “cotoletta alla milanese” is also typical (cutlet, does not come from Austria).
Then there are other typical Milanese dishes but they are for old people, lol.
- one place you should go to buy great quality food is Excelsior (behind Duomo cathedral), it’s more than a supermarket, it becomes a fashionable activity. Or also the top floor of La Rinascente.
You’ll probably find Italian food expensive, but it’s quality.
- pasta, spaghetti, heart-shaped pizzas, etc.
There’s some place where you can have the “all you can eat” formula, pizzas or so many different kinds of pasta. You can even eat on a tram (Milano trams are even in California) while you’re going around the city.
One of my grandmothers was a cook in the hotel of my family in Sun Valley.
- cheese is great, Grana Padano, Gorgonzola (Liam Gallagher is a big fan) it’s the one that stinks lol, etc.
- to drink: Italian wine,appointed as the best in the world. My father makes it in the countryside (Sting too :)
- then I should add: gnocchi (gnocca = beautiful girl, lol), Milano panettone (a Christmas cake), etc. panzerotti Luini is a classic, eating along the street, beside the main Milan cinema, Odeon.
- But we also like foreign food. We often go to Santa Monica, our favourite American restaurant behind the cathedral (also Mexican), Kapuziner Platz (German), we prefer the one along Navigli channels, magic atmosphere. Not a big fan of Chinese or Japanese.
I love spicy food, I always add chilli or pepper.
I love tomato, I think I’m the only one even DRINKING tomato, even raw tomato. It’s also very good for your health, so: drink tomato, lol.
As Italian food is no doubt the best one in the world, food is also the theme of Milano Expo 2015, food for everyone.
yours,
the Spice Boy, lol

“Eating and cooking is a big part of the culture which I love love love love!!! I can’t wait to cook with them. Italians eat a lot of carbs and cheese but still manage to stay so skinny! Reason: walking A LOT, smaller portions and clean, natural food”
(American girl ;)

Carnival, this and next week.
The traditional "Carnevale ambrosiano" in Milan, with some things reminding of the Brazilian Carnival.

Meneghino is the main Milanese Carnival character (meneghino, like milanese and ambrosiano, now means = of Milano), other cities have other characters (Pulcinella in Naples, Harlequin and Brighella in Bergamo, etc.).
The name comes from the surname of the servant going with noblewomen for a walk, or to the church.
He is a bit rough but a good, generous person and mostly characterized by honesty, sincerity and a strong sense of justice. To defend his people, he doesn’t run away. He is funny and able to mock aristocratic people. He became a hero, a symbol of the Italian unification.
He is usually represented as wearing these clothes, a cocked three-cornered hat, a pony-tailed wig, red-white striped stockings and an umbrella.
Meneghino’s sincerity is also symbolized by the fact that, unlike most “commedia dell’arte” theatre characters, he doesn’t wear a mask, nor make-up. This makes of him a free character.

The typical Italian sweet treats for Carnival are the “chiacchiere” (= that also means “blah blah”, lol), with powdered sugar… and if you want also Nutella ;P