Above: the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella visited the Johnson Space Center in Houston earlier this month. He was accompanied by Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti who has trained here (image via the Italian Embassy to the United States website).

From the Galleria in Milan to the Galleria in Houston… I’m excited to share the news that I’m authoring a new blog for the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce Texas, which has its headquarters here in my adoptive hometown.

When the Chamber’s administration approached me a few weeks ago about giving them a hand in getting the word out about their Taste of Italy Houston event (this Thursday, March 3), I pitched the idea of an Italian culture blog to them and they loved it.

And so we have now officially launched the IACC (Italy-America Chamber of Commerce) Texas blog, ItalyTexas.org, a virtual space where I’m going to be able to explore my curiosity and share my knowledge of Italian history, language, literature, art, cinema, music, and gastronomy beyond my interest in Italian wine.

This nascent project is just beginning to take shape but I am eagerly looking forward to the next 12 months of blogging about Italian culture at large.

From aerospace to energy, there is a vibrant Italian business community in Houston. Just this month, the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella visited the Johnson Space Center (above).

The Italy-America Chamber organized his meetings with business leaders in the Italian community here.

If you’re based in Houston or in Texas, I hope you can join us for the all-day event on Thursday.

It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet and taste with producers of authentic Italian food products like traditional balsamic vinegar and Parmigiano Reggiano and to taste artisanal Italian beer and even Franciacorta.

Wine and restaurant professionals are encouraged to come and all are welcome (as is last-minute registration).

In the few weeks that the blog has been active, I’ve devoted the content exclusively to the Italian food products that will be featured at Thursday’s event.

But as soon as the dust settles, I’ll be expanding coverage to the many aspects of Italian culture that continue to fascinate me.

As they say in Italian, it’s pane per i miei denti…, bread I can sink my teeth into…

Thanks for reading and please stay tuned…