Datura stramonium, also known as jimson weed, is a poisonous plant that belongs to the deadly nightshade family.
Third Book Update
Hooray! The first draft of my third fiction novel is complete…
The Devil’s Greeting
I imagined The Devil’s Greeting would be as inviting, convincing the drinker that they too have fallen into the right place.
Read: a culture study of the Smokies
Extending the previous post A Blue Ridge Mountains Road Trip. I found this Gone Dollywood book by Graham Hoppe at a used bookshop we stopped at upon entering Tennessee. At first glance on the shelf, I almost passed on it…
A Blue Ridge Mountains Road Trip
I’ve just returned from a four-day road trip through the Blue Mountains of Virginia and North Carolina, including the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. My first impression: awed. The landscapes were incredible. The Appalachian delicacies a delight. The music, a dreamy wonder.
Pass the Tomatoes
Passata di pomodoro is best described as tomato puree made by boiling tomatoes then passing them through a strainer that separates the skin from the pulp. The result is a thick, red liquid that is the base for tomato sauce….
Destination: Napoli 2022
I’ve finally booked my first European trip since the start of the pandemic. It was a bit of a struggle deciding when I should go back to Italy – in addition to the concern of pandemic spread and variants, I…
Writing Update: April 2022
UPDATED [April 2023] — Many readers may know I’ve been working on my third book, and that it has been a slow process. Much slower than I had anticipated, in fact. Although I have been writing, I’m still in research…
Après-ski with Il Bombardino
Skiers out there, this drink is for you. Il Bombardino is an eggnog-like concoction from the Italian Alps.
Distinguished Favorite — Crime Fiction
PRESS RELEASEFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE INDIE-AUTHOR LORENZO PETRUZZIELLO RECEIVES NATIONAL RECOGNITION THROUGH THE 2021 NYC BIG BOOK AWARD®! [Boston, MA | November 2021] – The NYC Big Book Award recognized A MISTAKE INCOMPLETE – a noir-inspired caper by indie-author Lorenzo Petruzziello…
The Berlino
This cocktail is inspired by a scene in my noir-inspired fiction novel A MISTAKE INCOMPLETE. I used Jägermeister as a nod to Berlin, in which the scene takes place. I had actually originally named this drink The Barber of Prenzlauer…
My Italian Dialect Discovery
NOTE: This is an updated version of an article originally posted in 2010 on a previous blog I ran called Modern Culture: Italy. The blog no longer exists; however, I am pulling and updating some of the articles that I found to…