Every week, the Cosmopolitan House opens its doors to one of the most exciting events on campus. A celebration of cultural diversity, the Coffee Hour lets multiculturalism and friendship develop. It drenches our spirits in mystique flavors, enchanting fragrances, heartwarming music, and practical information that brings together friends from all around the world.
The Italian Connection cherishes the opportunity to participate regularly in this unique celebration. This year, we prepared food from different regions of Italy to stress the cultural diversity of the country. We used original Italian ingredients and recipes. As an appetizer, frittata bites, a soft deep-fried mixture of herbs and eggs served as finger food; as main course, an Italian classic: pasta. For this opportunity we chose rigatoni with home made tomato and basil sauce. Dessert was panna cotta, a creamy and rich sort of flan made of whipped cream and milk that is a favorite in Italy for kids and ‘adult kids’ as well! Finally, we served the traditional and strong ristretto macchiato, a dark shot of the most flavorful Italian coffee with a drop of almond syrup; we served it with bits of Italian milk and dark chocolates.
There is little doubt food delicacies are at the heart of the Coffee Hour experience. But this time we thought of a little extra that would complement the coffee and set the mood or our friends: music. We played contemporary Italian disco music at the same time that we projected a power point presentation about the Italian cultural legacy, its contemporary protagonists and its geographical diversity. Everybody danced at the rhythm of songs digitally mastered by Italian DJ extraordinaire Mambo Italiano (aka Federico!).
We enjoyed every minute of the coffee hour. We met old and new friends, talked to so many people interested in Italy, and enjoyed the enthusiasm of students and the community. Indeed, it would be fair to say that food and music are just an excuse for something bigger that happens every week at the Cosmo House. The coffee hour is all about sharing, experiencing, opening your mind to other traditions, and taking time to listen to and appreciate human multiplicity. It is about the sort of happiness that comes from understanding difference. It’s all about friendship.
Thanks Cosmo House!
Members of the Italian Connection
hosting the Italian Coffee Hour and
standing in front of the DJ table