Family legend has it that our ancestor, Silvio Sorrentino, met a beautiful young girl while he was working at a butcher shop in the little town of Arzona, Italy. For Silvio, it was love at first sight. But she was already engaged to another man, the wealthiest merchant in town. Silvio’s one gesture of affection was to set aside the best cuts of meat for her every week. If an especially lovely cheese came in, he would wrap up a piece of that as well, and give it to her as a surprise. With each carefully wrapped package, the girl’s smile grew warmer and warmer. She began lingering at the counter, talking to Silvio about about little things. Like the right way to cook the braciole di vitello so they would stay juicy and tender. Or the right wine to bring out the flavor of ragu bolognese. Soon, the town was whispering about the long conversations between the butcher’s helper and the merchant’s fiancé.
