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Daniela Sfara

@danielasfara

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Founder @italus.patrimonio
Ambassador + Writer of Southern Italian Heritage & Culture
Comms @slowfoodcanada 🐌
Slow Food Italy
eng | ita

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I see this and wonder how can we not take every moment possible to learn?

there are infinite stories of sacrifice perseverance tradition love legacy and respect running through the veins of this generation - they have so much to teach, to share. and they’re eager to, they need only those willing to listen and learn.

for many years, I’ve had the extreme pleasure of collaborating with schools offering students an opportunity to express themselves creatively under my care but never and I mean never have I been more proud of my students.

this semester I put the podcast recording on pause for a very brief moment to share a story.
a story of a woman who traveled with her 3 children from Calabria to Canada, growing her family with two more children here, and do every single thing possible to give them a life of possibility - the very things she left behind.

these kids have so beautifully captured this story and I’m excited to finish the editing and share this story with you.

why do I want to share this story? Because her life is part of who I am. because your mamma and nonnna’s life is part of who YOU are and because they connect us to land places and people in a country so remarkable, and deserving of knowing.

because, well, if we don’t carry their traditions and stories, what was it all for?

and this isn’t about being Italian.
this is every culture and heritage.

but because I am Italian, it’s for me, the very core of why I do what I do ever single day.

ask mamma or nonna, papà or nonno to tell you a story, sit with them, hold their hand and listen.

you’ll be surprised what you learn.
and know this…
they WANT you to know.

I’m honored to bring this extended passion and wisdom to the next generation and hope I make mamma and nonna proud.

if you have a story you’d like to share, please don’t be shy - send it over to me.
I LOVE stories of tradition culture heritage and of course, cucina italiana
🍝🍝🍝

#italianfood #cucinaitaliana #italiancooking #italianchef #mamma #gnocchi #cucinaconamore #mammaefiglia #homemadegnocchi #homecooking #cucinacontadina #cucinacasereccia #cucinacalabrese #eredità #piattitipici by @danielasfara

Work’in the night shift

Thursday night was Mom’s late-night shift at her workplace. As I entered my teens, she took on full-time employment at what was then The South Brooklyn Savings bank. It was there that she met a young college aged young man Michael Lomonaco, who would later reach celeb status. No one would have guessed he’d write the introduction of my book.

Because of lingering gender norms, mom still prepared our dinner the night before, which we would reheat the next night. Meatball stew was our favorite Thursday night meals.

Many decades later, this stew still reminds me of the pride mom took in her job and in the contribution she made to our two-paycheck working family.

Spezzatino di Polpette -page 225

🇮🇹
FEAST OF THE SEVEN FISHES:
A BROOKLYN ITALIAN’S RECIPES CELEBRATING FOOD & FAMILY

Written contributions by:
John Turturro and
Chef Michael Lomonaco

#italianheritagenyc
#Italianamerican
#Foodies
#bookstagram by @danielasfara

Tomorrow, we pick up our hammers and build.
Thank you to every sponsor, supporter, donor and volunteer builder who made this build possible.

Your generosity is the foundation under everything we are about to do.

We are the next generation of Italian heritage and we’re building more than a house.
We’re building a community, just as those before us built our roads, our homes, and our neighbourhoods.
Our parents and our grandparents gave us the opportunity to have everything we have today - so tomorrow, we stand proudly in their footsteps and carry their selflessness and sacrifice forward for another family, so they can make their own memories and build their own future.

We are honored to build with
Habitat for Humanity and are beyond excited for this very special collaborative labour of amore!

@habitatgta
@kor.construction
@veneto_costruzioni
@mikeysalrealestate
@durock.alfacing
@verafilicerealestate
@mikemole44
@cos.insures
@sofiacalautti
@mercedestibollo
@danielasfara

#italians #habitatforhumanity #buildingforabetterfuture by @danielasfara

Nel cuore della Puglia esiste una terra rossa che sembra un altro pianeta. 🔴 Siamo alle Cave di Bauxite di Spinazzola, nel Parco dell'Alta Murgia. Da qui, tra gli anni '50 e '70, si estraeva la bauxite: il minerale da cui nasce l'alluminio, usato per aerei, biciclette e lattine. ✈️ Il colore acceso viene dagli ossidi di ferro e titanio contenuti nella roccia. ⛏️ Poi l'arrivo di materiale straniero più economico fece chiudere tutto: oggi è un canyon silenzioso dove la natura si è ripresa il suo spazio. 🌿
📍 Cave di Bauxite, Spinazzola (BT)
#Puglia #Spinazzola #AltaMurgia #CaveDiBauxite #BorghiPugliesi by @danielasfara

Italian heritage has helped shape Canada’s culinary landscape in ways that reach far beyond its origins, through companies that have grown across generations, leaders who have opened new paths, and voices that continue to promote Italian food and culture.

🏆 The Pentola d’Oro Award, sponsored by Pizza Nova, goes to Dan Magliocco, President of Danone USA.

🏆 The Italy–Canada Award, sponsored by Fortinos, recognizes Saputo Inc. for its place in the business relationship between the two countries.

🏆 The Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by Rogers, honours Jenny Longo, Vice President of Private Brands at Longo’s, for her professional achievements and lasting contribution.

🏆 The Champion of Italian Food & Culture Award, sponsored by Masters Insurance, recognizes Rosanna Caira, Editor & Publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality and Hotelier Magazines at Kostuch Media, for her role in bringing the stories of Canada’s foodservice and hospitality industries to the forefront.

Congratulations to all four recipients. Their achievements reflect different facets of a shared legacy, one built through enterprise, leadership and a continued commitment to Italian food and culture in Canada.

We look forward to bringing together the business, food and beverage, and Italian-Canadian communities to honour this year’s recipients at the 14th edition of the Pentola d’Oro Awards, on November 18, 2026, at Paramount EventSpace in Vaughan.

📍 Paramount EventSpace, Vaughan
📅 November 18, 2026 | 6:00 PM
🎟️ Only a week left for the early bird discount! Link in bio or visit our website to get your ticket.

Thank you to all our partners: Unico Inc and Primo Foods, @cityofvaughan Economic Development, @aircanada, Concord National, @lavazzaca, @rogers @omnifissioninc, @bypeterandpauls, @pizzanova, @felicia_northamerica, @fortinos.supermarket, @masters_ins, @ferreronorthamerica, @lmglutenfreetable, JKO International Inc, ITL Inter Transport Ltd., @torontofashionacademy, @grocery.business, @chinradiocanada, @omnitelevision, @panoramitalia, Ambasciata d’Italia Ottawa by @danielasfara

There is so much more to Italian culture and heritage than a Sunday meal, the traditions we’ve know for a few mere decades, and the local celebrations we enjoy.

I’ve always believed that claiming a particular heritage is very much like owning a business - it consists of having the responsibility to continually learn and hone the skills that create longterm success for generations to come.

It is, afterall, what every single invention was created from and for.

Take this coin for instance.
Many of us will look at it nostalgically remembering the older Italian Lira.
But how many know its symbolism? How many know who Giuseppe Romagnoli is? Or Pietro Giampaoli? Or why very specifically they chose Ceres as the figure of one of the first official circulating coins created in the newly founded Italian Republic.
this is one small example of the many things we have the honor of knowing, yet don’t.

We are consumers when we should be students and I’ve never really be certain why we are quite happy knowing what we know and not expanding further or deeper.

I’ll share this reality. Our next generation is learning the very things we deem unnecessary to learn. They’re diving in, they’re learning they’re asking and they WANT to do something with all that knowledge. They want to create build share and inspire.

And it’s our responsibility to empower them to do so.
This is at the core of what ITALUS exists to do.

tap the link in bio, read the article and share your thoughts on what you’d like to learn from the next generation…
because the truth is they are the future and it’s from them we will learn about Italian culture and heritage.

follow @italus.patrimonio and if you’re a next generation Italian heritage around the globe, or wish to collab on projects and initiatives that highlight the very beauty of what Italy has and continues to gift with the world, reach out.

Daniela Sfara
founder, ITALUS

#italianheritage #italianculture #italianhistory #nextgeneration #italians by @danielasfara

Van Gogh, Woolf, Newton, Einstein, Brahe.
These and many more are the names of those considered mad geniuses.

Among that list, sits also Leonardo da Vinci.
You’ve read books, seen images, watched documentaries perhaps - all sharing the famous paintings and designs we’ve seen and know around the world.

But when you’re standing among the papers he wrote and drew his ideas on with ink, and you see the many creations that traveled delicately from Italy to Canada to be shared with the world, you can help but find yourself analyzing, contemplating, and designing as though in his workshop with Leonardo himself.

Read the full story via link in bio, step into the genius mind of Leonardo da Vinci and see how you can visit the impressive and immersive exhibition
Leonardo da Vinci - 500 Years of Genius
on Now through Feb 2027 at
THEMUSEUM in Kitchener

an extraordinary exhibition presented by
@italyincanada_
@iictoronto
@themuseumkitchener

#italianhistory #leonardodavinci #italianheritage #italianculture by @danielasfara

C’è un luogo in Puglia dove il sacro affonda le radici in un passato molto più antico di quanto immagini. 🕯️
Siamo a Minervino Murge, e questa grotta è una cavità naturale nata due milioni di anni fa. ⛰️ Molto prima dei cristiani era già un luogo di culto pagano: ancora oggi al suo interno si conserva un cippo di epoca romana imperiale. 🏛️
Le prime testimonianze scritte risalgono a una pergamena dell’anno Mille, custodita a Montecassino: allora la grotta era dedicata al Santissimo Salvatore. Solo nei secoli successivi divenne il santuario di San Michele Arcangelo che vediamo oggi. ✨
Novanta gradini scavati nella pietra scendono fino all’altare, dove veglia la statua dell’Arcangelo. Un luogo dove natura, storia e fede si fondono in un’unica roccia. 🙏
📍 Grotta di San Michele, Minervino Murge (BAT)
#Puglia #MinervinoMurge #BorghiPugliesi #LuoghiSacri #AltaMurgia by @danielasfara

There’s long been a debate about whose intellect truly did invent the telephone.
Across North America recognition is given to Alexander Graham Bell, and in Italy Antonio Meucci is the visionary behind the devise.

Today, I’ll just thank them both because without the telephone itself I’d not have been able to speak with those dear friends who become famiglia in Calabria about what they’re having for lunch, the stunningly hot 40 degree weather, and the many things we’ll be working on together with ITALUS in the near future.
During one of those calls around my lunch time, we spoke of this pasta right here
STRUNCATURA.

A true excellence from Calabria and one that deserves so much love.
we exchanged recipes and dishes, and something happened during that call that may not usually happen.
I opened my pantry and smiled that I was able to bring home the very pasta shape - the seemingly only Made in Italy pasta shape that isn’t sold on any North American store shelf.
Antonio + Cristiana shared their recipe for
a most simple wonderful and traditional regional dish

The recipe is published on the website for you to replicate in your very cucina.
find it via link in bio.

And yes, the substitution is noted for the ingredients you may not find ☺️☺️

Antonio e Cristiana
non vedo già l’ora di divertirci di nuovo in cucina quando torno.
Vi adoro e grazie infinite per la ricetta
❤️❤️❤️ by @danielasfara

“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.”

Of all the words I encountered last night, these from Leonardo da Vinci, spoke the loudest because there is something extraordinary about seeing those words on a wall, surrounded by people who have chosen to do exactly that.

Last night, I had the great honour of being part of a private exhibition celebrating the genius of Leonardo da Vinci and the extraordinary work of the people who have brought his legacy, knowledge and creations to Canada.

To stand among those who have taken history and brought it into the hands, minds and imagination of today’s people was deeply moving and inspiring.

Five hundred years ago, Leonardo imagined, observed, rejected, questioned, designed and created. Today, we have the privilege of experiencing that genius in a way that transcends far beyond anything we could learn from a book.

And this is precisely why those words resonate so deeply with me.
Because simply knowing is never the destination.
It is one thing to know the history. To know the language. To know how something is made. To know the traditions, the stories, the people and the places that shaped us.

The real work begins when we choose to do something with that knowledge.

This is at the heart of ITALUS.

It is why I believe Italian heritage deserves a much wider lens. Beyond what we have come to associate with being Italian, there is an extraordinary depth of history, knowledge, ingenuity, craftsmanship, language, land, art and human experience waiting - almost begging - to be carried forward and introduced with a modern narrative.

We can know the word Italian. But let’s understand what it has meant across centuries, what it means today, and what we choose to continue bridging to the next generations. And we can admire what Italy has given the world. But let’s do something with that knowledge.

Last night was a testament to those who have dedicated themselves to bring that knowledge forward. They have given us all something far greater than a collection of history to know.

GRAZIE
@themuseumkitchener
for the exceptional experience by @danielasfara

📍LE TERRE VIBONESI ARRIVANO A TERRA MADRE

Portiamo storie, sapori, saperi, biodiversità e comunità che ogni giorno danno valore al nostro territorio.

Dal 24 al 27 settembre, il GAL Terre Vibonesi sarà partner di Terra Madre – Salone del Gusto per raccontare a Torino una Calabria autentica, capace di custodire le proprie radici e trasformarle in nuove opportunità di sviluppo.

Venerdì 25 settembre, alle ore 17.30, saremo protagonisti dell’appuntamento:

“𝑰𝒍 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒐 𝑻𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒆 𝒅𝒊 𝑸𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒂’”

Un momento dedicato allo strumento con cui puntiamo a costruire un’identità condivisa del Vibonese, mettendo in rete produzioni, imprese e comunità.

All’incontro sarà presente il presidente del GAL Terre Vibonesi, Vitaliano Papillo. Seguirà la degustazione del tartufo di Pizzo, con Domenico Penna.

Essere partner di Terra Madre significa portare le Terre Vibonesi dentro una rete internazionale che riconosce nel cibo un patrimonio culturale, ambientale e umano.

𝑫𝒂 𝒖𝒏 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒖𝒐’ 𝒏𝒂𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒖𝒏 𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒐.𝑫𝒂 𝒖𝒏 𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒐 𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒑𝒖𝒐’ 𝒏𝒂𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒐.

Ci vediamo a Torino. by @danielasfara

From the first step through the threshold of my door, treasures are placed everywhere in my home.
letters, photos, objects of memory and nostalgia, and so much more.
each is an heirloom of my ancestry with stories of those who helped shape me long before I existed.

and some of those very special heirlooms are gifts given to me throughout my life, simply because I sat and listened.

In Pietrelcina, Benevento, is the home open as a museum for viewing where young Franceso was born, played, went to school and later became the Saint we today know as San Pio.

One day as I sat enjoying a panino after my stroll through town visiting his house and cliffside church, I saw a man at his front door. I went over to say hello and we chatted for a while. I noticed a centro placed over the back of his sofa and asked him about it. He invited me in, made us a caffè, walked over to his cassetto and brought over some beauties to show me.
He showed me the ones his mamma and nonna made, and then unfolded a neatly wrapped package of tissue. In there were these centri and a few others.
These also were made by his nonna and mamma, but these carried a little something special because they were made together with Maria Giuseppa - Padre Pio’s mother.

We sat, he shared stories, I grew more emotional with each one and as I was preparing to leave, he wrapped these centri in that same tissue he unwrapped them from, and gifted them to me.

I drove home later that evening feeling so grounded and grateful for these treasures, yes, but moreso for the time I had spent learning so much from someone who may not be there anymore next time I return.

Today, September 23, the anniversary of the death of San Pio, I’m working with these centri at my desk as a vivid reminder that treasures and stories are all around us.
And I’m truly grateful for each and every single treasure that surrounds me.

🤍🤍🤍

#padrepio #pietrelcina #benevento #sanpio by @danielasfara