«I have a very clear memory of when grandmother Adelina Bruni, who immigrated to New York from Southern Italy, transformed the kitchen into a chaos of Italian dishes and specialties. Every Sunday she put a pan of lasagna on the table as inexhaustible as the affection she had for us. And then the meatballs, the aubergines, the calamari, the chicken, the cold cuts. It wasn’t a multi-course lunch but rather… emotional blackmail. And no, you couldn’t get up to go upstairs on the table, there were still mountains of cutlets, the tray of cannoli and biscuits arriving.”
With these words Frank Brunicolumnist of New York Times as well as being a very successful food critic, through the columns of the American newspaper he paid homage to the Italian Sunday lunch specifying that «there is nothing better than the pleasure of the table, of the banquet, of the beauty of eating while sitting. All this has no English analogue since Americans and British do not know this same pleasure as Italians do.”
«Sunday lunch has not disappeared»
Sunday lunch as a precious time for sharing, therefore. A strong reference to the concept of family. But most of all a reference to the charm of the Italian table which, according to Bruni, «continues to be a gastronomic and cultural point of reference at every latitude, despite having changed over time», we read in the editorial. And it has changed «because Italy has changed: in some ways for the better, in others for the worse. There are many more Italian women working outside the home than in the past, which means many dual-career couples don’t have the time or energy to assemble a weekly feast. Even the size of Italian families, over the last fifty years, has shrunk to such an extent that the average Italian family is now made up of less than 2.3 people. Read: fewer relatives to gather for lunch. Yet, it reminds me Alice Rossitour guide in the rich (and gastronomically splendid) city of Parma, Sunday lunch “has not disappeared. And when it is still possible to do so, it is special because a bottle of wine that is more valuable than usual is put on the table: fresh pasta instead of dried pasta, carefully chosen meat or fish to be cooked on the grill, a dessert and a local liqueur end of the meal”.
Sunday lunch: a bridge between tradition and modernity
Like everything related to Italian cuisine, Sunday lunch varies from region to region, from province to province, sometimes from country to country. There is no single menu, nor an obligatory dish. «Usually – Bruni writes again – this is a larger number of courses than a typical meal, with two of these, generally pasta followed by proteins, essential. In the south, the pasta will probably be tomato-based and could be baked, while the protein content comes from fish. Northern Italians could, however, opt for a fresh pasta with filling: ravioli or agnolotti. And follow with some meat.”
Sunday lunch in Italy is indeed a legacy of the past, but also a lively tradition that adapts to modern times. Elizabeth Minchilli61 years old, author of the book The Italian Table: Creating Festive Meals for Family and Friends and other publications on Italian culinary elegance, through Bruni’s article he makes known how «many Italians, including my family in Rome, they have the practice of eating out on Sunday lunch. Contrary to what you might think, restaurants are open precisely to welcome families. The official time is 1pm, but the flexibility is such that arriving shortly after doesn’t cause any problems. This is a clear reflection of the relaxed Italian culture».
In Lecce, a city steeped in history and baroque art, what attracted Bruni’s attention for being the custodian of a culinary practice handed down from generation to generation is Gianna Greco, 57 years old. Despite the availability of modern ingredients such as parmesan, Greco still chooses to sprinkle the pasta with toasted breadcrumbs, «an economical method used by my grandmother». This detail is a gesture of saving, but above all a symbol of respect for family customs. Owner of a cooking school together with her daughter, Maya Ciraci, 28 years old, Greco not only teaches traditional techniques, but lives them every day. The bread is prepared with the same sourdough starter used for decades and the attention to detail extends to the setting of the table. «No paper, no plastic, the authenticity of Sunday lunch depends on it». The tablecloth and napkins? In linen like when she was a child. These choices highlight once again the desire to preserve a thread of continuity that connects the present with the past. In an era of rapid change, Sunday lunch at home Greek it remains a beacon of tradition that unites generations.
Ghali: «On Sundays mother always prepared couscous»
And again, in his long editorial Bruni also reports, among others, the testimony of Ghali. Born and raised in the Baggio neighborhood, on the western outskirts of Milan, the Italian rapper with Tunisian citizenship retraced his Sundays: «Mama Amel always made couscous although one of my favorite recipes remains ojja, or eggs and tomato. In Tunisia it is considered the poorest dish. Mom still lives with me today, so almost every evening it’s me and her and every day it’s like a Sunday lunch between tajine in two versions, sweet and savory, with beef, plums and tea… When I was little, during the week we ate Italian food. With his touch he personalizes everything, even the pasta which always has a slightly spicy aftertaste.”
Brunello Cucinelli: «Lunch? A pillar of social life”
For the designer Brunello Cucinelli «lunch in Italy represents much more than a simple break to eat: it is a fundamental element of our culture, full of tradition and social meaning. This is evident both in our companies, where operations are interrupted daily for an hour and a half at midday, and in rural traditions. In the corporate context, 20 percent of workers return home for the meal, while the others gather in the company restaurant, where dishes like pasta are never lacking, vegetarian options or rice, served with good olive oil. Even if wine has been eliminated from the menu, the importance of a refined atmosphere and a well-set table remains a priority.” Then, delving into his memory, he adds: «The peasant culture offers an even deeper insight. On Sunday, the sacred day par excellence, the entire family gathered. The typical menu included pasta with pork and chicken ragout, followed by meat cooked in sauce. The day ended with a simple evening soup based on broth enriched with pasta, beans or chickpeas. These practices are not just eating habits, but rituals that strengthen family and community bonds, testifying to a continuity between past and present that defines the Italian cultural identity. Lunch, both in a corporate and family context, confirms itself as a pillar of social life, a moment to slow down, reflect and reconnect, underlining the profound respect for tradition and for the time dedicated to community and family”.
Marie-Louise Svò: «The table, the place of family comfort»
Also the hotel manager Marie-Louise Sciò he entrusted his reflections to the columnist of New York Times explaining that «lunches can transform into real social events, as demonstrated by the recent experience of a passionate guest who normally prefers to organize dinners. Instead of an evening, however, he chose to invite his friends at noon, offering a long lunch which merged into the evening aperitif. This meeting brought together people who normally don’t see each other, creating a relaxed environment where everything was discussed. The menu included spinach lasagna, various vegetables sautéed with ginger and potatoes and the exclusive use of organic wines such as Notturno dei Calanchi and Falesia. The atmosphere moved from the dining table to the living room for tiramisu and coffee. The day ended in relaxation, with the guests abandoning themselves on the sofas, evoking the image of a comfortable family gathering».
