when I was a kiddo to the *Toreador* melody part. 🤭

Grew up in the Italian part of a city on the east coast.
Barber would play the opera on Saturday mornings. No doubt the MET.

I grew up with BSO and Pops broadcasts on FM.
Dad joined the Columbia Record Club.
Mom's absolute favorites were Brahms 4th symphony, Sibelius' Second Symphony, Largo from Xerces and the Dream Panotmime from Hansel and Gretel.
Thanks to the Boston Pops, I know every Leroy Anderson song. (Sleigh Ride, Typewriter Song, Blue Tango, Syncopated Clock, and so on)

I'll share my list of favorite arias sometime.
I loaded them onto the iPad. 𝄇

One grandmother made the strufoli rather large, about 3/4 inches in diameter, and the other grandmonther made the small ones. Since pictures on the internet are to different scales, I made a montage.



And I learned to make both! ("gravy," too)

Sfogliatelle are tough to make. Sam's Italian Deli in Fresno has them, and surprise, I found them in Trader Joe's recently, though TJ is a movable feast. "Stuff comes and goes at Trader Joe's"

Musical Content: I'm listening to Bianco's Opera Lounge while typing.