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CDV Italy Cooking Vacations Blog
  • Home
  • Culture
  • Travel Tips
  • Culinary
  • Cooking
  • Let Me Vent
Search
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  • Travel Tips
  • Culinary
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  • Let Me Vent
Michael Kovnick
Author @TravelCDV

Michael Kovnick


Co-Founder of Culture Discovery Vacations. I am a native American from Los Angeles that has been living with one foot in Italy and the other in the US for more than 30 years. I usually write about oddities I see in Italian culture from an American perspective, and the humor I find in it. However, after decades of living in both countries, I often see the reverse as well. That is, where the Italians got it right, and we can certainy learn from them!

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Culinary
Culinary

We Came, We Harvested, We Made Olive Oil!


In November 2011, Culture Discovery Vacations brought a group of guests to a small traditional cold press olive mill. They harvested olives in Umbria, brought them to the mill, and operated the mill, making their own olive oil...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • November 29, 2011
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Cooking
Cooking

A Pig Named Sumo


Paolo and Marisa are, by all accounts, your typical everyday Italian farmers.  That is, with one big exception:  Their farm happens to be across the road from us…  those crazy people that bring all of the Americans...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • October 26, 2010
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Culture
Culture

Open Mouth, Insert Foot: Tales of Linguistic Missteps Learning Italian


Anyone that has learned a second language knows all about those embarrassing moments when they were trying to say one thing, but unknowingly said something completely different. In most cases, the thing they actually wound up...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • September 3, 2010
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Coffee
Coffee

Italian Food You Won’t Find in Italy


As we learned with Alfredo Sauce in the “Who is Alfredo Sauce, and Why do Americans Keep Asking About Him? ”, that which you believe to be Italian, very often is not.  Since we do culinary vacations in Italy, you can imagine how...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • August 31, 2010
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Culture
Culture

The Mummies of Ferentillo


24 years ago on the Monday that followed Easter, we were boating on a beautiful lake in southern Umbria with a friend.  He asked us if we had ever heard of “The Mummies”.  Mummies?  Naturally Egypt and...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • July 6, 2010
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Travel Tips
Travel Tips

The Battle with Jet Lag – How to Fight and Win (sort of)


It has always amazed me that some people suffer jet lag horribly, while others barely feel the effects at all.  Me?  I fall into the first group:  I used to dread every trip because I fall squarely on the top of...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • May 10, 2010
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Culture
Culture

My 5 Favorite Words in Italian


Today I received a tweet from Melanie (Twitter: @italofileblog) at Italofile Blog asking me if I would be part of a mass-effort of Italy-focused bloggers to each provide a list of their five favorite Italian words, along with a...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • May 3, 2010
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Lazio
Lazio

How (NOT) To Implement a Recycling Policy in Your Town


I’m a big fan of recycling, and I was really happy to hear that our town, Soriano nel Cimino, was planning on implementing a recycling program.  Better yet, it would include garbage pick-up. Cool!  The fact is,...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • April 30, 2010
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Cooking
Cooking

You Want to Feed the Meal I Prepared… TO YOUR DOG?


On day one of every cooking vacation we offer, there is a little talk with all of the newly arriving guests.  We go over the things that they can expect, and should not expect.  We discus the plans for the days ahead,...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • April 29, 2010
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Culture
Culture

“Boh!?”… And Other Perfect Italian Words & Phrases That Don’t Translate Well


When you split your life between two cultures with two languages, it is quite easy to get trapped in the wrong language from time to time.  I sometimes find myself speaking one language, then suddenly a word or phrase pops out...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • April 25, 2010
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Random Posts


Culture Italian Stereotypes – True or False

Italian Stereotypes – True or False

Alyssa Saltzman / June 30, 2015
Coffee Italian Food You Won’t Find in Italy

Italian Food You Won’t Find in Italy

Michael Kovnick / August 31, 2010
Coffee Italian Coffee – What and How to Order

Italian Coffee – What and How to Order

Alyssa Saltzman / May 6, 2019
Cooking How do they get the flavor out of the food in the states?

How do they get the flavor out of the food in the states?

Michael Kovnick / November 5, 2006

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Latest Posts


Culture
My Life in Italy, Part 12: “Bury The Mice In The G...
Posted by Michael Kovnick on August 5, 2020

12th part in a series of the story of an American moving to small town Italy in the 1980's, learning the culture and finding a...

Culture
My Life in Italy, Part 11: “Winter is Coming...
Posted by Michael Kovnick on July 17, 2020

If you are just jumping in here, please start with Part 1. It is January 1985 now, and the weather has been in the mid 70’s...

Personal
My Life in Italy, Part 10: “Paola Meets The Megalo...
Posted by Michael Kovnick on June 30, 2020

In Part 10 of the My Life in City series, we are back in Los Angeles. But this time, it is Paola's first time in the United...

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