June 4 2023

June 4, 2023
# 1609

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COVER:
Cirace, Jeff and Lisa: family

Brother and Sister at work together.
The third generation.
God bless!

To write about the siblings, Jeff Cirace and Lisa Cirace, is to write about family. In their case, three generations of family, beginning at the turn of the 20th century when grandparents Vincenza and Ernesto Cirace immigrated from Salerno, Italy, at the base of the Amalfi Coast, the couple being a  tiny part of a greater Italian emigration.

Being entrepreneurs, the Cirace’s opened a wholesale and retail grocery, dry goods, and tobacco shop. After prohibition, they were granted the first liquor license to be issued in the city of Boston. Son, Ernest, (Jeff and Lisa’s dad), was a Suffolk Law School graduate and a World War II vet. He joined his parents in the family business, focusing on fine wine and spirits.

From their childhoods, Jeff and Lisa intended to join the business, Jeff starting in 1973, sister Lisa following, joining the company in 1977. Both Jeff and Lisa had the great fortune to work together with their dad for many years, gaining the knowledge of and the passion for the family business and, almost through osmosis, absorbing their family’s traditions.

On the surface they sell wine and liquor, but their chief business is customer relations, some customers going back forty years. Through their love for and connections with their clientele, they have been able to defend against the emergence of big box stores and online shopping. When I go into their store, I carry a shopping list that reads, “Six reds, two for special occasions, two I’ve never tasted, and two easy to drink house wines.” The same for whites. Although my knowledge of wine is strong enough to enable me to choose from the shelves myself, I ask one of them for their choices. I am invariably led to the bottles that fit my preferences. Five minutes is what it takes me. Five minutes and wine connoisseurs sharing their knowledge. Can’t get that when shopping impersonally.

While their approach to selling product hasn’t changed from the personal approach they’ve developed over the years, they did adapt to changing customers’ tastes, like increasing their selection of beers and carrying nips.

They get along marvelously at work, quietly asking each other questions, lending each other a hand or an ear, never putting one or the other down. They are lovely to watch. Naming their own limoncello is a good illustration.

Jeff made a decision to produce their own brand of limoncello. He took the expansion in hand, setting up the program and, after a bunch of work, coming up with the name, ‘Sole d’Amalfi’, or ‘Sun of Amalfi’. Satisfied with the result, he waits for Lisa to step into his office and presents the name and the artwork to her for agreement.
“No!” she says. It’s ‘Sogno di Sorrento’, or ‘Dream of Sorrento’. Jeff thought a moment and nodded. ‘Sogno’ became the name. No rancor. No fuss. No one-upmanship.

And the other side of the story, the other side of their day. How do they interact socially? And here’s another marvel. Lisa and Jeff, Jeff’s wife, daughter, and son-in-law spend every Sunday and every holiday together: a three-generational family that functions together socially as well as in business.

What wonderful models.

Business Details
V. Cirace & Son, Inc.
173 North St, Boston, MA 02109
(617) 227-3193
www.vcirace.com
info@cirace.com
Curbside or free delivery to the North End and Waterfront, $75.00 minimum
“Please drink responsibly. Don’t drink & drive. Life is too precious.”
Monday – Saturday, 10.00am – 7.00pm
Wine Tastings Schedule
Owned and operated by Lisa and Jeff Cirace,

A wine lover’s dream

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Commentary
AI rules, from its crib. Remember, it’s a newborn.
Who knows whether this child is Jesus or Frankenstein?

Here’s what I do know.

In the old days, how did we get the news?
There was no television. Only newsprint and the radio.
Was there objective truth to be found? Balanced? Just slightly biased?
I don’t think so.

We scanned radio stations until we found the opinionated reportage that suited us. Objective? Perhaps never. We don’t want it.

But. But. Just before AI came the MAGAs with their dystopian narratives so well accepted by the Trumpians. Their dark fables are so shocking to mainstream Americans, watching and listening to them fills one with trepidation over the direction of our country. Where did any semblance of truth disappear to?

So I should worry about the ‘dangers’ of AI? That is a news-streaming red herring if ever there was one.
The way we adapted to the emergences of radio and then of television and then social media, we will adapt to the daunting images of AI.

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Gen Z Corner

Worshipping a Pop Star

Gen Z Strikes Again.

Tickets easier to get than to a Taylor Swift concert:

- Celtics game 7 (RIP)

- A flight up with Bezos 

- Wonka’s golden 

And yet, on Saturday night, in the nose bleeds seats, there I was. 

One of my yoga students had extra seats and charged me 1/4 of the Stubhub price for them. I am still embarrassed to tell you how much I spent. 

But goodness was it worth it. I felt like I was taking part in history. 72,000 people packed into that stadium, all of whom waited anxiously for five years for this moment. Five years. Whether through Ticketmaster or resale, we fought to the bone to be here. 

For three and a half hours, we joyously belted out every single lyric to every single song. All 44 of them. We laughed at all the inside jokes — and a good chunk of us cried. Including myself, briefly. 

We relished in the chance to revisit our childhood crushes and coming of age woes and friendships made and lost. 

That’s the power and breadth of Taylor’s canon.

She’s united an entire generation in the same intimate and deep love of this music and this fandom. We grew up with her, and continue to do so. I’ve never felt so close to that many people before. It was genuinely a close-to religious experience that will never be replicated. 

I am still glowing. 

Kat and friend Elise at the coveted Taylor Swift concert at Metlife Stadium. 

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Tucker’s Corner

I’m a sucker for smartasses with big hearts. It’s why I married my wife. Part of our courting period was bonding over the first two Guardians films, falling in love with the characters (and each other) and then eagerly awaiting the next chapter. Dom wanted this week’s issue to revolve around family and despite the countless films out there directly related to family drama I think the Guardians of the Galaxy series exhibits a particular kind of family that’s near to my heart. Found family. I have step parents, siblings, and now children. Blood is an incredible bond. But love for people who find their way into your life is pretty good too. This is Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 - Directed by James Gunn

Despite cutting his teeth by writing grossout films for low budget horror comedy company Troma, James Gunn has developed into a big softie. His first big budget films in the mid-2000’s were a body horror comedy and a low rent superhero film where the violence and profanity worked equally hard to earn the film its R rating. In 2014 though Gunn was given the opportunity to write and directed Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy if he could keep the language and violence in the family friendly realm of PG-13. He delivered a story that gained enormous success for its irreverent wisecracks and Tarantino needle drops but also for its heartfelt camaraderie and message that found family is as important as blood. Jump ahead nearly a decade to find Gunn still at the helm is giving his version of the Guardians a chance to ride off into the sunset and he hasn’t shied away from making sure the sentiment is ratcheted up to eleven.

Luckily Gunn remains one of the only directors left on Marvel’s bench that seems to approach the work with any level of personal identity. While Marvel’s systematic filing down of all their products into cookie cutter content seems to be all but complete Gunn and his Guardians films have maintained their ability to remain offbeat and singular. Vol. 3 might represent the very most of all of Gunn’s powers not only due to it being the final film in this trilogy but also because he’s leaving Marvel to go play for the cross-town rival DC.

Three films in (and honestly more if you count all the tie ins that Marvel has become famous for) the Guardians cast has grown enormous. Our core five are still here of course. Goofball self-styled daredevil and team captain Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), a.k.a. Starlord, as well as some once and future crewmates: no-nonsense warrior princess Gamora (Zoe Saldana), salty talking raccoon Rocket (Bradley Cooper), literal minded strongman Drax (Dave Bautista), linguistically limited tree man Groot (Vin Diesel), and cyborgian anti-heroine Nebula (Karen Gillan) all mark their third appearance in the series as well as cheery empath Mantis (Pom Klementieff) an instant fan favorite introduced in Guardians vol. 2.

But even as the cast expands outward, Gunn makes us look inward. Rocket has been Gunn’s favorite since day one and it’s clear why. Rocket like Gunn is a geek, a tinkerer, and a sentimentalist hiding his big heard behind cynicism and insults. Vol. 3 ends up revolving around Rocket, who’s critically injured just minutes into the movie, and takes several exits off the film’s narrative highway to explore the raccoon’s backstory. It’s a tragic one with lab experiments that remind us of Gunn’s twisted origins but also make sure to highlight his affection for misfit bonding. It’s frankly amazing that Disney (who owns Marvel) cleared some of the animal torture material that occupy Rocket’s history. The film stays away from being too graphic but the ideas on display are certainly tough to stomach.

The film covers a lot of ground by sending the Guardians (sans Rocket) on a planet hopping mission to get the tools they need to save their friend. Along the way they encounter the film’s villain, a despicable mad scientist (Chukwudi Iwuji) resembling Dr. Moreau who’s obsessed with creating the perfect society. There’s other characters and storylines that feel a little like baggage to satisfy future Marvel projects but Gunn keeps the story humming and the visuals eye popping. Another parallel between the director and Rocket is that they both delight in scavenging for scraps to forge something useful. Gunn takes us down the Sci-Fi section of his favorite video story borrowing visual aesthetics from Stanley Kubrick, Luc Besson, and Ridley Scott, the great prosthetic work of Star Trek and even the insane gene-splicing look of the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie. He combines all these looks and feels with panache and the result is a flavorful stew of great influences.

What really makes Guardians Vol. 3 a success though is Gunn’s clear affection for these characters. They squabble like siblings but there is clear love for each other behind every traded insult. Despite the film’s mega budget and corporate backing, it feels earnest and like a true expression of Gunn’s sensibilities. As Marvel fatigue sets in even amongst its biggest fans it’s hard not to appreciate a film in their canon that feels made not by committee but by a teary veteran whose style has developed right along with his Guardians. Guardians Vol. 3 is truly sincere and in that it achieves something like grandeur which we should all savor as it doesn’t arrive too often when it comes to big budget releases.

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Restaurant Review
Waypoint

This is Waypoint’s Chopped Clam Pizza, a terrific dish.
It makes it into the first and tightest circle of most extraordinary pizza crusts in a city of great pizza crusts.

Waypoint’s Lobster Cacio e Pepe on whole wheat pasta was flawless.
The pasta was perfectly al dente. The sauce was enriched with generous amounts of koji butter and pecorino cheese and was wonderful.
Another Waypoint dish that makes it into the tightest and smallest circle of great dishes.

Baked Oysters were assertively seasoned and very well done.
The presentation was unfortunate: three very small oysters in a large bowl with a half broiled lemon and garnishes to fill the plate.
It falls into the second circle of quality.

The presentation of this dish was terrific: a bee hive with bits of honey and crunch. But the peanut butter mousse was very hard, needing effort to cut into it and the coldness detracted from the taste. Between Tucker and I, we ate a third of the dessert.
We can put it into the second circle of quality by virtue of how it was presented and the quality of the ingredients.

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MONTHLY HEALTH REPORT CARD: of an 81-year-old male.
Dom Capossela

Natural Physiological Change
I assume its from ageing. In any case, I believe that my hearing has significantly diminished. I have a hearing test scheduled for mid-June. Will report back.
Grade is based on the speed at which our bodily function diminish.
For me, the hearing loss isn’t confirmed and nothing else is significantly diminished so:
Grade: A

Weight-lifting
May was a good month for me.
I was at the club three times weekly.
My energy level is high.
I happily anticipate my visits.
Grade: A+

Walking
May was also a good month for walking.
As a matter of course, in the nice weather season in Boston, from May through October, I walk about five miles a day and I did that this month.
I prefer to find some reason to make trip out a destination walk, even if it’s only to buy an apple.
My speed and endurance have improved since the cold months have passed.
I walk twice as often in the warmer weather because the cold weather makes it so laborious to get out of the apartment.
Grade: A+

Illness
My Actinic keratosis was treated with liquid nitrogen cryotherapy. After the resulting scab fell off, my skin looked good. To a layman. I made an appointment for Sept 15 for a follow-up appointment. 
Grade: B

Injury
None.
Grade A+

81-year-old male.
Handsome devil
The picture isn’t me.

Weight
(Using only weight as a measure of health is simplistic. I know. Health care specialists consider an entire range of metrics.  Two commonly used indicators are the Body Mass Index that takes into account a person's weight and height.  And Body composition, considering the distribution of body fat and muscle mass rather than solely focusing on weight. But this analysis of the state of our health is meant to be doable in our regular day’s living.
We’ll use simple body weight and take other steps when we feel things going really poorly.)
I have stayed on my diet for most of the month.
Amazingly, I dropped the weight I’ve been unsuccessfully trying to lose for the last ten years and I am returned to a good weight for myself.
Grade A+

Oral Health
I have no teeth or gum issues.
I brush and floss regularly.
Get a cleaning twice a year.
Grade A+

Substance Abuse
I continue to drink a modest amount of coffee in the morning (12oz) and an Italian coffee in the afternoon. I have some form of alcoholic drink at dinner time. But only at dinnertime.
The grade is based on the absence of stimulants and mind-bending substances.
Grade: B+

Stress Management
Being retired and living alone I am deprived of the joys of gainful employment and daily social intercourse. But, on the other hand, I avoid the attendant stress that accompany both of those endeavors.
Grade: B+

Sleep
As I struggle with my sleep, I have devolved upon another solution that works and is appealing to me. (Although I haven’t passed that solution by my PCP yet. He might warn me off.)
I have no trouble falling asleep but I invariably awaken an hour later and have a difficult time getting back to sleep.
So here’s my latest solution:
For the last four weeks, when I wake after that first hour, I have been taking four pills, at least two, but often three of them, are full-dose aspirin, and two, but often one, is a 5 mg dose of melatonin. The cocktail works in any combination.
But not 100% of the time. I still have a day or two a week when I am fully awake after  just that first hour, sometimes two hours of sleep. Understandably, in the hours after I get up from bed, I function slowly. I get through the day by taking several naps ranging from 15 minutes to an hour. Despite the occasional misstep, the cocktail mostly works and so I will continue taking it until I am told otherwise, or until the combination of pills doesn’t get me back to sleep.
Grade B

Regularity
While my current diet is great for my weight-control, it’s not working as well for my regularity. As far as my eating habits are concerned, I’m still working with my personal version of the 16-8 diet. While this is a great improvement over my past eating patterns, I still have not brought enough plant-based food into my diet.
Recently, I have increased my fiber pill intake from 3 capsules to 5 each day. (Five is the recommended dosage.) I have also added 4 prunes daily into my diet. We’ll see how that works.
Grade: B-

Memory
I do a lot to stay mentally active. One of my primary activities is writing. I work on this magazine, and I am also working on two books.
My other major memory activity is meal preparation, from the planning of the menu, the shopping, the preparation which sometimes involves me in writing recipes, and the eating.
Yet, despite all I do, my memory loss is a nuisance: I am the subject of those 1,000 jokes about walking into a room and forgetting why I chose to come here. This part sucks.
Grade: A+

Social Activity
Social interaction helps ward off depression and stress. Some weeks are better than others. The month of May has been better than average since both my daughter and my granddaughter independently visited me.
Grade B+

For progress assessment
For communication and feedback
For goal setting and motivation

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Food

                                                                           Clams Baked Stuffed
12 large cherrystone clams
Scrub them
Steam them open using two cups of water
Remove clams
Reserve shells and broth.
Use a scissors or knife to cut pieces into large dice

Small dice 2oz each of celery, red bell pepper, and onions and 1oz jalapeno
Puree 1oz garlic

Heat 3 TB evoo in a medium fry pan.
To the hot fat add the diced vegetables
Season with a bit of salt and a copious amount of freshly ground pepper
And ½ t ground bay leaves and ½ t oregano
Simmer for ten minutes or until soft and fragrant

Add the cut clams without the broth and cook all for 7 minutes

Add 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Add ½ cup Romano cheese
Add 1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Stir and mix well
Add 2 cups clam broth

Heat the whole until the cheese and breadcrumbs absorb most of the broth.

Stuff each clam shell with a heaping tablespoon of the mix
Bake at 450* until the top of the stuffing is browned, about 15 minutes

Serve with lemons

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Chuckles and Thoughts
"If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten."
George Carlin

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Mail and other Conversation
We love getting mail, email, or texts, including links.

Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
text to 617.852.7192

From long-time friend and well-known artist, B d’Amore

Thanks, Dom,

Beautiful offering from
you and Kat.
On my way to VT for a Zen retreat - right in tune.

And from Victor P, another life-long friend:

Dom,

I liked every bit of your ezine. The Cloud of Unknowing has been requested from our library and Lucille will read it first and share her thoughts on it with me. Kat’s section is a heartwarming read. Our children can bring so much joy to us.Reading your post today caused me to reflect deeply about the gifts that have been bestowed on me. My son, Victor turns 57 tomorrow and will celebrate his birthday with us in Florida tomorrow. I couldn’t love him more. He has been a treasure to our whole family. My initial message to you was terse but your response afforded me an opportunity to elaborate. Thanks for that. I’m in on your idea for a North End edition to your ezine. 

Stay well, my friend,

Victor 

And this from dear niece, Lisa M: (NB: Lisa also contributed the great article on forest bathing.)

Well Done!!!  Super interesting articles that exude the personality of each writer.  I really enjoyed reading..

L

*The Blog Meister selects the topics for the Lead Picture and the Short Essay and then leans heavily on Wikipedia and ChatGPT  to provide the content. The Blog Meister usually edits the entries.

**Community Pictures with Captions are sent in by our followers. Feel free to send in yours to domcapossela@hotmail.com

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