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Godfather movie foods and symbolism
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Jan 9, 2025
I explore the foods from the Godfather trilogy and how they are carefully placed in scenes as well as their historic root in Sicily and Italian American culture. Coffee history in America: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvTZ61t8iww
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[Music]
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welcome to today's video where I explore
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the iconic Foods featured in The
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Godfather Trilogy food plays a pivotal
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role in this cinematic Masterpiece not
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just as sustenance but as a storytelling
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tool from family dinners to moments of
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betrayal every dish carries
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meaning let's dive into the menu of The
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Godfather one of the most memorable food
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scenes happens when clemenza teaches
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Michael how to make spaghetti sauce he
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famously says you start with a little
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oil then you fry some garlic this simple
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yet flavorful dish represents tradition
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and the passing down of family
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recipes spaghetti and meatballs is one
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of the most beloved Italian amican
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dishes but it's Origins tell a story of
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adaptation immigration and cultural
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Fusion surprisingly this dish is not
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authentically Italian but rather a
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creation of Italian immigrants who came
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to America in the late 19th and early
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20th
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centuries when Italian immigrants
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arrived in the United States between
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1880 and 1920 they faced a vastly
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different culinary
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landscape meat which was a luxury in
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Italy was more affordable in America
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Italian immigrants began incorporating
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larger portions of meat into their meals
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including their beloved
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Pete pasta especially spaghetti became
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widely available due to its popularity
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among Italian
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communities over time spaghetti and
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meatballs were combined likely as a way
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to create hearty satisfying meals for
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families leave the gun take the canoli
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this line is as iconic as the dessert
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itself canoli symbolizes loyalty and
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betrayal in the scene where Paulie is
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assassinated it's also a nod to Italian
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Aman culture and their love for Sweet
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Treats canoli those crispy creamy tubes
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of deliciousness didn't actually start
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in America they came from Sicily Italy
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they were originally a special treat
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made for Carnival the big party before
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lent Sicilians used sheep's milk ricotta
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for the filling and added things like
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pistach
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and Candy fruit to make them extra
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festive oranges appear repeatedly in the
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trilogy often foreshadowing death or
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danger Don Vito corleon is holding an
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orange when he is shot and later he's
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playing with an orange peel moments
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before his death in the garden it's a
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symbolic fruit that adds layers of
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meaning to the
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story Oranges have a long and vibrant
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history in Italian culture dating back
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to ancient anient times they represent
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health wealth and fertility often
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appearing in art festivals and culinary
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Traditions Sicily in particular became
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famous for its Citrus Orchards producing
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some of the finest oranges in the world
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the iconic orania Rosa de cicilia or
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Sicilian blood orange is celebrated for
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its vibrant color unique flavor and high
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antioxidant content culinarily oranges
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are staple in Italian cuisine used in
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desserts like candied orange peel and
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ricotta Cakes as well as in Savory
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dishes salads and Liquors like the
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delicious
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arello in traditional Italian culture
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Bread and Wine symbolize Hospitality
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family and Faith these staples often
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appear during Gatherings and dinners in
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The Godfather grounding the own family
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in their cultural Roots the pairing of
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wine and bread is a quintessential part
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of Italian life symbolizing abundance
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and unity together they form the
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foundation of Italian meals embodying
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the essence of Simplicity and quality
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whether shared at a festive table or a
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quiet family dinner wine and bread are
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Timeless emblems of Italy's Rich
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cultural and culinary
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Heritage during a T tense dinner scene
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clemenza demonstrates the importance of
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family by casually cooking pasta with
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sausages while the world outside
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descends into chaos it's a reminder that
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food provides Comfort even in turbulent
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times the combination of sausage and
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pasta likely gained popularity as
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Italian immigrants brought their
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culinary Traditions to America in the
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late 19th and 20th centuries in the
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United States meat was more accessible
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and affordable allowing for heartier
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recipes Italian amican Cooks began
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incorporating sausage into pasta dishes
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creating Rich comforting meals classic
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examples of this pairing include pasta
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with sausage and marinara sauce creamy
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sausage based sauces or recipes like
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sausage and broccoli Rob with orete a
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traditional dish from pulia the opening
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wedding scene features an extravagant
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Feast with traditional Italian dishes
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like anti pasti roast meats and wine it
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sets the tone for the story showing the
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coron's fam's wealth and influence while
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highlighting their deep connection to
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Italian culture I wanted to look at a
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1940s Italian ameran wedding feast and
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see what might have been featured on the
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menu this would be a lavish Affair
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filled with traditional dishes that
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reflected the Heritage and Hospitality
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of the
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community for starters we might see
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Sherie and cheese cured meats like pruto
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salami and capicola paired with Italian
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cheeses such as provolone and fresh
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mozzarella marinated vegetables like
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artichokes roasted Peppers olives and
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mushrooms and of course crusty Italian
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bread served with olive oil for dipping
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the pasta course we would see something
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like lasagna layers of pasta ricotta
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mozzarella meat sauce and
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bamel spaghetti and meatballs as
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mentioned earlier are already Italian
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ameran
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favorite ravioli or manicotti would be a
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stuffed pasta offered with cheese or
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meat and served in marinara
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sauce now the main of course if you
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still have room chicken
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parmesana breaded chicken cutlets topped
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with marinara and melted cheese F
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scallopini and Italian sausage and
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peppers A Crowd pleaser made with sweet
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or spicy
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sausages now for side dishes a simple
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vegetable dish called green beans
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almondine popular even
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today roasted potatoes seasoned with
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rosemary garlic and olive oil and
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delicious stuffed artichokes filled with
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breadcrumbs cheese and
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herbs for dessert a beautiful wedding
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cake often a traditional sponge or
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almond flavor cake with buttercream or
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fondant canoli which we just looked at
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crispy shells filled with sweet ricot
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and chocolate
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chips tiam misu layers of espresso
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soaked lady fingers and marscapone
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cream and of course a tray of Italian
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cookies a mix of biscotti pinoli cookies
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and rainbow or the tricolor cookies the
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color of the Italian flag and for a
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special touch you might see Jordan
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almond favors these symbolize good luck
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fertility and happiness for the
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couple Luca brzi sleeps with the fishes
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this ominous phrase accompanies a visual
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of a fish fish wrapped in paper a
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sicilian tradition symbolizing death or
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a warning even food is used to send
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powerful chilling messages in this
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[Music]
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film in The Godfather Part Two as
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Michael visit visits Sicily we see more
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authentic Sicilian dishes such as noi
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and
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risato these meals highlight the corleon
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family's Heritage and connect Michael to
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his roots
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[Music]
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coffee is a recurring element especially
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during meetings and
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negotiations it reflects Hospitality a
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pause for thought and the subtle power
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dynamics at play in some scenes it's
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paired with Italian pastries creating a
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moment of calm amidst the
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chaos coffee first arrived in Italy in
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the 16th century introduced through
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Venetian trade with the Ottoman Empire
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initially it was viewed as an exotic
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luxury espresso as we know it today
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emerged in the early 20th century the
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first espresso machine was patented in
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1901 by Luigi bza a millanes inventor
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who sought to create a faster way to
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brew coffee the term espresso means
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pressed out or expressed referring to
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the method of forcing hot water through
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finally ground coffee Under
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Pressure this Innovation revolutionized
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coffee preparation creating the intense
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concentrated beverage Italians came to
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love for more coffee history I have a
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video on this channel discussing the
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history of coffee in America that will
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be linked in the description below there
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you have it the unforgettable foods of
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The Godfather each dish drink or
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ingredient tells a deeper story making
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their Trilogy A Feast for both the eyes
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and the Soul did I miss any of your
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favorites let me know in the comments
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below I'd love to hear from you don't
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forget to like subscribe and hit that
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notification Bell for more vintage
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recipes and food Journeys until next
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time Ara deri
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[Music]
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