Author: Travel Fun

Answer B. False

Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003) was an American actress of film, stage, and television. Her career spanned 66 years and eight decades (1928 - 1994), during which time she was nominated for a total of 12 Academy Awards for Best Actress, and won four – the record number of wins for a performer.


Katharine Hepburn Best Actress Oscars

1933: Morning Glory

1967: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

1968: The Lion in Winter (tied with Barbra Streisand for Funny Girl)

1981: On Golden Pond

Answer: C. The Hurt Locker

The Hurt Locker won the Academy Award, NY Film Critics Circle Award and the National Society of Film Critics Association Awards for Best Picture and Director, Kathryn Bigelow.


Kathryn Bigelow Filmography

2017: Detroit

2012: Zero Dark Thirty

2008: The Hurt Locker

2002: K-19: The Widowmaker

2000: The Weight of Water

1995: Strange Days

1991: Point Break

1990: Blue Steel

1987: Near Dark

1981: The Loveless

Answer: E. Charlize Theron for Monster (released 2003)

One of the most note-worthy physical transformations was Charlize Theron's portrayal of serial killer and former prostitute Aileen Wuornos in Monster, which won her an Oscar for Best Actress. Prior to this role, Theron was athletic and had to put on weight, on top of masking her face with makeup and prosthetic teeth.


Charlize Theron was born August 7, 1975 in Benoni, a city in the greater Johannesburg area, in South Africa. She was raised on a farm outside the city. Theron is of Afrikaner (Dutch, with some French Huguenot and German) descent.

Answer: D. Maximilian Schell in Judgment at Nuremberg


Maximilian Schell (1930 –2014) was an Austrian-born Swiss film and stage actor, who also wrote, directed and produced some of his own films. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the 1961 American film Judgment at Nuremberg, his second acting role in Hollywood. In the film he spoke both German and English.

Answer: B. Cate Blanchett

Cate Blanchett won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar playing the Academy Award Winning Actress Katherine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese's film Aviator.


Cate Blanchett was born on May 14, 1969 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Blanchett is married to producer and writer Andrew Upton, known for Carol (2015), Stories of Lost Souls (2005) and Babe (1995). Her breakthrough role was the title character in the film, Elizabeth (1998).

Because of her raising four children in Australia, her film work became sporadic, until Woody Allen cast her in the title role in Blue Jasmine (2013), which won her the Academy Award as Best Actress.

Answer: D. Parasite


In 2020, Parasite made history with Best Screenplay and a Best Director wins for Bong Joon Ho, and in addition its win for Best International Film, became the first film not in English to win Best Picture at the Oscars in a very competitive year for the Academy's top award.

Answer:  D. Sophia Loren in Two Women (1960)


Sophia Loren made history as the first actress to win an Oscar for a foreign language performance in Vittorio De Sica’s Two Women (1960). Her Oscar success, which came for portraying a widow coping with war-torn Italy and her daughter's rape, catapulted her to a new level of international fame, making her one of the biggest stars of the 1960s.

Answer: C. Federico Fellini

The late Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini directed four winning motion pictures, La Strada, Nights of Cabiria, 8½, Amarcord, more than any other director. If Special Awards are taken into account, then Fellini's record is tied by his countryman Vittorio De Sica.

Ingmar Bergman – 3 Best Foreign Language Oscars

Vittorio de Sica – 2 Best Foreign Language Oscars

Akira Kurosawa – 2 Best Foreign Language Oscars

Francois Truffaut – 1 Best Foreign Language Oscars

Answer: A. True

Son of Saul (Saul fia) is a 2015 Hungarian drama film directed by László Nemes, in his feature directorial debut, and co-written by Nemes and Clara Royer. It is set in the in the Nazi Auschwitz concentration camp and Birkenau extermination camp during World War II. The film follows a day-and-a-half in the life of Saul Ausländer (played by Géza Röhrig), a Hungarian member of the Sonderkommando.


The film premiered at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Grand Prix. It was also shown in the Special Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. The film won the award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards.

Answer: A. Emil Jannings (Switzerland)


The first Best Actor was awarded to Swiss-born Emil Jannings (1884 – 1950), for his performances in the silent films, The Last Command (1928), directed by Josef von Sternberg, and The Way of All Flesh (1927), with studio contract director Victor Fleming.

The 1st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, honored the best films of 1927 and 1928 and took place on May 16, 1929, at a private dinner held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California. The Swiss-German speaking Jannings had to return to Europe before the ceremony, so the Academy agreed to give him the prize earlier; making him the first Academy Award winner in history.

Emil Jannings’ real name was Theodor Friedrich Emil Janenz, and in the early 1900s, his career in German was already getting noticed by his working the theater under Max Reinhardt's company. Reinhardt was a titan of influence and inspiration on a whole generation of theater and film directors in Germany. His staging of crowds, use of expressionist sets, lighting and acting style greatly influenced the great silent filmmakers of the Weimar Republic, including the iconic directors Fritz Lang, F.W. Murnau, Ernst Lubitsch Fritz Lang and Otto Preminger.

Jannings film career took to new heights due to his association with F.W. Murnau and Josef von Sternberg, both considered Pantheon Directors by film historians.


Jannings and F.W. Murnau

Jannings appeared in Murnau’s 1924 silent film masterpiece, The Last Laugh. Murnau’s unparalleled use of the unchained camera (no doubt borrowed From D. W. by Griffith), took long camera tracking shots to its greatest glory without the interruption of title cards. The narrative was conveyed in purely visual terms with not a word spoken. The Last Laugh stands not only as a triumph of German cinema, but remains a towering cinematic masterpiece, a masterpiece taught in cinema studies programs today throughout the world. The success of The Last Laugh led Murnau to Hollywood where he made another silent film, Sunrise (1927), considered even a greater achievement than The Last Laugh. Murnau died in an automobile accident at age 42.


Jannings and Joseph von Sternberg

The Blue Angel (1930) was Germany’s first major sound film, and Jannings uncomfortable doing his own first sound film, nervously requested for Joseph von Sternberg to go to Berlin and direct it. Von Sternberg gambled by casting Marlene Dietrich, then obscure, as the seductress Lola Lola, the night-club dancer, who leads Jannings' character into depravity. The von Sternberg-Dietrich story, both on-screen and off (Sternberg’s directed her in six more movies) became one of her legions of lovers. Von Sternberg’s films of the mid-'30s are among the most visionary ever made in Hollywood, but in spite of their visual sumptuousness and use of light, contemporary audiences found them dramatically inert. As American auteurist critic Andrew Sarris commented, during the depressions people cried out for bread, while von Sternberg was giving them cake.

When the Second World War commenced, Jannings concentrated on theater and dedicated his acting skills to the Nazi regime and also took part in the realization of Uncle Kruger (1941), an expensive anti-British film production. When the Second World War ended, the US government cleaned his image, and he converted to Catholicism. He played in a few more German movies, but his career never recaptured its brilliance.

Answer: A. True


The wait is over: American travelers who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 may soon enter the European Union, the head of the European Commission said.

Fully vaccinated U.S. travelers should soon be able to bypass the more than year-long ban on travel to Europe, the head of the European Commission told The New York Times on April 25.

The European Union “will accept, unconditionally, all those who are vaccinated with vaccines that are approved by E.M.A. (the European Medicines Agency),” Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, told the NYTimes. The three vaccines that have been approved for use in the United States — Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson — have all been approved for use in Europe.

“This will enable free movement and the travel to the European Union,” she said.

Von der Leyen did not say exactly when the European Commission would formalize its recommendations to allow vaccinated Americans to bypass the current ban on travel to Europe. But other European leaders have indicated that this summer, if not sooner, is the goal.

France recently announced its intentions to open to Americans by summer and a handful of European countries have already started opening up to travelers who are either vaccinated or present negative COVID-19 test results, including Greece and Iceland.

“We are working hard to propose a very concrete solution, especially for U.S. citizens who are vaccinated,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in an April 18 interview on CBS’s Face the Nation.

Answer: A. American Bulldog


1. American Bulldog

Average Height: 14.5 inches

Average Weight: 45 pounds

Personality: Affectionate, Brave

Activity Level: Moderate

Bulldogs are loyal canines who think they’re lap dogs. At the very least, get ready for ample couch lounging and lazy afternoons with this dog. Also, get ready for slobbery kisses because they love showing affection.

2. American Staffordshire Terrier

Average Height: 18 inches

Average Weight: 55 pounds

Personality: Energetic, Outgoing, Devoted

Activity Level: High

The American Staffordshire terrier is a muscular dog who can look intimidating at first. Once you get to know them, you’ll realize how sweet and loyal they are. “Their empathy and owner focus is bar none,” says Briggs. This could be why they made our list of the best dogs for people with Autism.

3. Basset Hound

Average Height: 13 inches

Average Weight: 47.5 pounds

Personality: Mellow, Charismatic

Activity Level: Low

Basset hounds may not show their affection as openly as bulldogs, but their loyalty is undying. They don’t need lots of activity and are content chilling on the sofa with you all day. This is an example of a breed known to be stubborn when it comes to training, but low maintenance in other areas, which works well for first-time owners.

4. Cardigan Welsh Corgi

Average Height: 11.5 inches

Average Weight: 30 pounds

Personality: Adaptable, Sweet

Activity Level: High

“Fun, smart dogs that enjoy training” is how Briggs described Corgis. If that doesn’t sound like the ideal canine companion, we don’t know what does. Be sure to get outside for plenty of socializing (with other dogs and humans)!

5. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Average Height: 12.5 inches

Average Weight: 15.5 pounds

Personality: Adaptable, Affectionate

Activity Level: Low

Adaptable, affectionate, low-maintenance, social, soft, gentle. We could literally go on and on about the friendly Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Briggs notes they’ve got a clown-like personality to boot!

Answer: D. Jackie Robinson

Major League Baseball retired Jackie Robinson's number, 42, across all teams, and in 2004 it began the annual April 15 observance of Jackie Robinson Day.


On April 15, 1947, more than 26,000 spectators at Brooklyn's Ebbets Field witnessed history as Jackie Robinson became the first Black player on a modern-era major league baseball team. (Three Black players played in the major leagues briefly in the 19th century before the color line was fully established.) Robinson endured racist resistance throughout his first season with the Brooklyn Dodgers, but the national pastime's color barrier was broken, and other players followed him within months. In 1997, Major League Baseball retired Robinson's number, 42, across all teams, and in 2004 it began the annual April 15 observance of Jackie Robinson Day.

I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me... All I ask is that you respect me as a human being. – Jackie Robinson.

Answer: D. Portugal


According to LILLY GRAVES, of Travel + Leisure the following are the 5 Best Countries for Americans Who Want to Live Abroad.

Editor's Note: Those who choose to travel are strongly encouraged to check local government restrictions, rules, and safety measures related to COVID-19 and take personal comfort levels and health conditions into consideration before departure.

1. Portugal

The fashionable country due west of Spain is attracting young expats in recent years, particularly entrepreneurs, given its incredible value and welcoming business incentives that help stretch your hard-earned dollars. Take the second city of Porto, buzzing with modern and creative energy as a manufacturing and textile hub, with a slew of new designers who have made the city their home. Following decades of decline in the late 20th century, Porto's cobbled streets today are filled with cool cafes, restaurants, and boutiques selling goods from local weavers and ceramists. On a day off, take advantage of the city's art district, historic churches, and palaces, as well as the Douro River that leads to the oldest wine region in Europe (Alto Douro). Less than an hour from Porto is Portugal's third city, called Braga, which, for its part, offers a reduced tax rate for start-ups. Nicknamed the "Rome of Portugal" thanks to its Baroque architecture, Braga also offers attractive green spaces, international schools, and high-tech companies for qualified candidates. Further south is the Algarve coast with more than 300 sunny days per year for digital nomads, families, and retirees who enjoy life at the beach. You can also check out the nine islands in the Azores — some offer incentives to attract businesses and start-ups. No matter where you choose, you'll be hard-pressed to find a kinder nation to call home.

2. Costa Rica

Relocating to well-trodden Costa Rica isn't a novel idea for anyone who has ever visited the country (and likely met a few friendly expats along the way), but there's a reason for its persisting popularity. Situated between the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, this utopic Central American nation wins people over with volcanoes, cloud forests, and exotic wildlife in the form of sloths, capuchin monkeys, and toucans. More than that, it's the Pura Vida ("Pure Life") philosophy for good living, which sums up this peaceful Spanish-speaking gem. Sweetening the deal, the country offers expats a straightforward residence program, affordable dental and healthcare, a stable democracy, and easy flights to the U.S. from two international airports. While the capital of San Jose has a notable food and arts scene, expats can head for either coast for long stretches of undeveloped beaches, seaside villages, surfing and yoga classes, neighborly expat communities, and business ventures often tied to eco-tourism. If you prioritize a healthy, laid-back lifestyle surrounded by natural beauty with an evergreen cool factor that is hard to imitate anywhere else, then this might be the place for you.

3. South Korea

The country that invented K-Pop, K-barbeque, K-beauty, and 24-hour jjimjilbangs (Korean bathhouses), draws expats wanting to be a part of this living and breathing epicenter for popular culture. The sleek city of Seoul, Asia's third-largest economy, will surround you with killer restaurants, shopping, entertainment, night markets, and a high-tech scene with international workers who partake in the work-hard, play-hard mentality. Professionals based here will find tight-knit social groups and regular networking events for those looking to hob-nob over soju cocktails. But don't overlook Busan, South Korea's edgy second city with beaches, fresh fish, and an international film festival. (Fun fact: You can take a ferry to Japan from here.) No matter where you decide to live on the peninsula, enjoy access to rugged mountains and thousands of islands offering plenty of outdoor adventures like winter skiing and treks to 7th-century temples. South Korea is a safe place to live despite its close proximity to North Korea, but stay cognizant of the situation.

4. Canada

As President Biden recently put it to Prime Minister Trudeau, there is no closer friend to the United States than Canada. Regardless of who is — or isn't — in office, Canada remains a top contender for American expats for a number of reasons that may include affordable education, cultural diversity, stability, and countless adventures in the unspoiled natural wilderness. If seeking a job, consider the largest city of Toronto, often compared to the Big Apple, where the majority of Canada's work opportunities are located. There are plenty of other livable cities to choose from like Vancouver, surrounded by sea and mountains, which may include weekend trips to Tofino, a year-round surf town on the edge of the continent. Or Calgary, which is experiencing a renaissance with cool eateries, hip neighborhoods, and proximity to the best trails in the Canadian Rockies (Banff National Park is an hour away). Then there are the French-infused cities of Montreal and Quebec City in the east for those who want a slice of European living without the long flights. Depending on your circumstances, you can take your pick between several different ways to make the move; start by checking for eligibility if one of your parents or grandparents was born there.

5. Austria

This Central European country can have you hiking in the Alps in the morning and enjoying a performance in a famous opera house later that evening. Austria's capital, Vienna, has been recognized in Europe for its high quality of life and low crime rates, as well as an exciting food and wine scene, focused on organic, local ingredients. It's also a good choice for those looking for affordability, healthcare, and international schools. Further south is the youthful city of Graz, which offers its own version of Renaissance and Baroque architecture as well abundant parks and upbeat nightlife. Beyond all of the aforementioned pleasures of living in Austria, if the idea of being surrounded by Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Slovenia gets your heart pumping, then you may have found your place.

Answer: C. Pennsylvania


Pennsylvania: 227

Ohio: 143

Vermont: 100

Ohio: 143

Indiana: 93

Washington State: 5

Of about 14,000 covered bridges that were once found across the US, fewer than 900 or so remain today, a quarter of which can be found in Pennsylvania.

The Cambron Covered Bridge, in the romance novel 'The Bridges of Madison County’ is located along a nature trail in Madison County, Alabama — not Iowa.

The bridge seen in the Clint Eastwood film, ‘The Bridges of Madison County,’ where the characters Francesca and Robert first meet, is the Holliwell Bridge in Winterset, Iowa.

• The longest covered bridge in the United States is in Cornish, N.H. The 449-foot-long Cornish-Windsor bridge, initially built in 1796, crosses the Connecticut River into Windsor, Vt. It was destroyed three times and the present bridge was completed in 1866 by James Tasker.
• The world's longest covered bridge is the 1,283-foot Hartland Bridge in New Brunswick, Canada. It crosses the Saint John River.
• What is the oldest existing bridge in the United States? It depends on who you ask. Three bridges have unconfirmed completion dates before 1830: The Hyde Hall Bridge in Oswego County, N.Y., circa 1825; Haverhill-Bath Bridge at Woodsville, N.H., circa 1829; and the Roberts Bridge in Preble County, Ohio, built in 1829.
• There is at least one covered bridge still standing in 30 states. Pennsylvania has the most with 227, Ohio has 143, Vermont has 100 and Indiana has 93.

Answer: B. False


Ernest Miller Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, in Oak Park, Illinois, an affluent suburb just west of Chicago. Hemingway was the second child and first son born to the physician Clarence Edmonds Hemingway (aka as Dr. C. E. Hemingway), and the wealthy, Grace Hall Hemingway, a former opera singer and music teacher.

At the time of their marriage, Grace Hall Hemingway had over fifty voice pupils and gave music and voice lessons, wrote sheet music, and directed the children's church choir and the orchestra at the First Congregational Church of Oak Park. She earned more money from her music lessons than her husband did as a doctor. According to her daughter, Marcelline, she was earning up to $1000 a month at one point, while her husband, just starting out in his profession, was bringing in $50 a month. Hemingway loved his father, who had carefully nurtured him to appreciate the outdoors and sportsmanship. He was not particularly fond of his mother, despite financially supporting her until her death.

Answer: C. The Iceberg Theory


The iceberg theory is a style of writing coined by American writer Ernest Miller Hemingway. As a young journalist, Hemingway had to focus his newspaper reports on immediate events, with very little subjectivity. When he became a writer of short stories, he retained this minimalistic style, focusing on surface elements without explicitly discussing underlying themes. Hemingway believed the deeper meaning of a story should not be evident on the surface, but should ‘shine through implicitly.’

Grace Hall Hemingway taught Ernest to play the cello despite his objections. Later in life he admitted the music lessons contributed to his writing style, evidenced in the contrapuntal structure of For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940).

Answer: D. Hadley Richardson


Hadley Richardson (1891 – 1979) is best remembered as the first wife of Ernest Hemingway. Born Elizabeth Hadley Richardson, she was raised by a well-off St. Louis family, and met the young struggling journalist Hemingway in Chicago. Hadley was seven years older, and despite the age difference, they married on September 3, 1921.The two established themselves within the American expatriate community of Paris – coined the Lost Generation by Gertrude Stein – and traveled around Europe and rubbed elbows with the likes of Sylvia Beach, Ezra Pound and James Joyce. By 1926, Hadley became aware of her husband's affair with Pauline Pfeiffer and separated from him. The five years of marriage ended in divorce, followed shortly by Hemingway's marriage to Pfeiffer. In the aftermath, Hadley received the royalties from The Sun Also Rises (as well as from the 1957 movie adaptation) and remained in Paris. The Sun Also Rises is dedicated to her.

Hemingway’s wives:

• Hadley Richardson 1921–1927
• Pauline Pfeiffer 1927–1940
• Martha Gellhorn 1940–1945
• Mary Welsh 1946–1961 (widow)

Ava Gardner met Hemingway in Spain. He reported fell in love with Gardner, but they never crossed the line of friendship. While in Spain, Gardner fell in love with bullfighting and Matador Luis Miguel Dominguez, with whom she had a passionate relationship. Hemingway had introduced them. She remained a life-long friend with Hemingway until his suicide in 1961.

Answer: C. To Have and Have Not


To Have and Have Not was written sporadically between 1935 and 1937, and revised as Hemingway traveled back and forth from Spain during the Spanish Civil War. The novel takes place in Key West and Cuba in the 1930s, and provides a social commentary during that period. Hemingway biographer Jeffrey Meyers described the novel as heavily influenced by the Marxist ideology that Hemingway was exposed to in his support of the Republican faction in the Spanish Civil War. The novel received a mixed critical reception upon its release.

Hemingway and film director Howard Hawks were close friends and, on a fishing trip, Hawks told Hemingway, who was reluctant to go into screenwriting, that he could make a great movie from his worst book, which Hawks admitted was To Have and Have Not.

Howard Hawks adapted the novel into a 1944 film, starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Hawks made a ‘great movie’ – considered a masterpiece by cinephiles, He changed the story's setting from Key West to Martinique under the Vichy regime, and made significant alterations to the plot, including transitioning the story into a romantic thriller with Bogart and Bacall at its center. The two married shortly after.

The second film version, titled The Breaking Point (1950), was the most faithful to the original book, but could never compare to Hawks’ iconic adaptation. Directed by Michael Curtiz, the film starred John Garfield and Patricia Neal with Juano Hernandez as Morgan's partner. The movie shifted the action to southern California and made Garfield a former PT Boat captain.

The third film version, titled The Gun Runners (1958), was directed by Don Siegel and stars Audie Murphy in the Bogart/Garfield role and Everett Sloane in Walter Brennan's part as the alcoholic sidekick, although Sloane's interpretation was less overtly comedic than Brennan's. The movie features a bravura performance by Eddie Albert as a charismatic villain. Pauline Kael and Bosley Crowther have claimed that the ending was used for John Huston's film Key Largo (1948); Kael also said that One Trip Across was made into The Gun Runners (1958).

In 1987 the Iranian director Nasser Taghvai adapted the novel into a nationalized version called Captain Khorshid which took the events from Cuba to the shores of the Persian Gulf.

Answer: D. The Old Man and the Sea


The 1954 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Ernest Miller Hemingway "for his mastery of the art of narrative, most recently demonstrated in The Old Man and the Sea, and for the influence that he has exerted on contemporary style." Due to ill health he was unable to attend the celebration. The previous year, The Old Man and the Sea won the Pulitzer Prize.

The Old Man and the Sea is a short novel written in Cayo Blanco (Cuba), published in 1952. It was Hemingway's last major work of fiction published during his lifetime. The narrative focusses on a man named Santiago, an aging Cuban fisherman who struggles with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream off the coast of Cuba.

Answer: A. False

Tucci and his family did spend a year in Tuscany during his adolescent years, but his family’s ancestral Italian region is Calabria.


Actor and author Stanley Tucci talks to La Cucina Italiana about his CNN series dedicated to Italian travel, the regional nuances of Italy’s cuisine, and the value of restaurants. Visit A Conversation With Stanley Tucci – La Cucina Italiana

Answer: B. Friuli-Venezia Giulia

The Lake Como area is part of Lombardy. I hope we didn’t get you on that one.


Visit Ed Boitano’s two-part series about Friuli-Venezia Giulia:

A Piece of Paradise: Friuli Venezia Giulia Region in Italy, Part I - Traveling Boy

A Piece of Paradise: The Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Part II - Traveling Boy

Answer: D. Liguria

What Food is Liguria Famous for?

Answer: D. Tuscany

Chianti (Italian pronunciation: [ˈkjanti]), in Italy also referred to as Monti del Chianti ("Chianti Mountains") or Colline del Chianti ("Chianti Hills"), is a mountains area of Tuscany in the provinces of Florence, Siena and Arezzo, composed mainly of hills and mountains. It is known worldwide for the wine produced in and named for the region, Chianti.

Answer: E. Valle d'Aosta

Valle d'Aosta is the smallest Italian region, situated in northwestern Italy situated along the Italian border with France and Switzerland. Lying in the Western Alps, it's known for the iconic, snow-capped peaks the Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa and Gran Paradiso. Major ski resorts include Courmayeur and Cervinia. The region’s countryside is dotted with medieval castles and fortresses, such as the 14th-century Castello Fénis and Castello di Verrès.


The Typical Dishes of Valle d’Aosta

Answer: B. No

LSG Group experts clarify food myth regarding eating spaghetti (noodles, pasta, ribbon pasta) with spoons.

Eating a bowl of spaghetti can be a challenge. Probably the most unwieldy of all pasta types is predestined to splash sauce everywhere – and especially on the places it shouldn’t. No cutlery seems capable of delivering the long pasta strand safely from dish to mouth. Good thing, then, that there are at least spoons to twirl the spaghetti against, right? Delia Martina Landwehrmann, Executive Chef at LSG Sky Chefs, knows whether doing so is socially acceptable in Italy.

“Absolutely not,” says Italy expert Landwehrmann. “Eating spaghetti with a spoon will, at the least, be met with double takes from locals. What’s even worse is cutting it with a knife. Etiquette dictates we only use the fork and the plate. To avoid an awkward bite due to too many noodles being grabbed, it’s best to fork up noodles from the edge of the dish and not in the middle.”

The fact that eating spaghetti causes so many problems for non-Italians could have something to do with another widespread misconception. After all, pasta is usually eaten as an appetizer and not as a main course. It is therefore served with less sauce than chefs in other countries who simply want to feed their guests. This also explains how Italians manage to avoid stains.

Answer: B. Lombardy


The Origin of Risotto

It was in Milan, Lombardy where risotto alla Milanese was born. Milan had been under Spanish rule for almost two centuries (hence the similar evolution of paella in Spain), and rice had become a staple. Slow-cooking also dominated the culinary landscape of the region, with Osso Bucco a long-held favorite.

History tells us that a master glazier of Milan's duomo to thank for risotto alla Milanese, the creamy rice dish that gets its vivid color and flavor from saffron. In 1574, the master hired a disciple nicknamed Zafferano because he used saffron to stain the glass gold. The master teased, "You'll be putting saffron in your risotto next!" Well, it happened that his daughter was to be married. At the celebration, a table held four steaming pots of risotto. The guests were amazed to see it was tinted gold — the wedding gift of all wedding gifts.

Even now the dish is still built around the same core components: rice, stock (usually chicken), onions, butter, wine, parmesan and saffron.

What You Will Need

• 2-qt. Saucepan

Yield: serves 4

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 tbsp. saffron threads
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 small yellow onions, minced
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 oz. raw bone marrow (optional)
• 1⁄2 cup grated Parmesan
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Heat stock and saffron in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat; keep warm. Heat butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add rice; cook until lightly toasted, about 4 minutes. Add wine; cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add 1⁄2 cup warm stock; cook, stirring, until absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue adding stock, 1⁄2 cup at a time, and cooking until absorbed before adding more, until rice is tender and creamy, about 16 minutes total. Stir in marrow, if using, and Parmesan; season with salt and pepper.

Answer: D. Polentone


"Polentone" is a derogatory term referring to Northern Italians. The opposing term is "terrone" referring to Southern Italians. It is disputed whether or whether not Northern Italy includes the central region of Italy (between Bologna and Rome). The word literally translates to 'Big Polenta' with polenta being a traditional dish of Northern Italy.

If I wanted to be racist, I would refer to Paolo as a 'polentone' as he was born in Bergamo, a city in Northern Italy.

Terrone  is a slur for southern Italians. A terrone is exactly the stereotypical wop.

Insult widely used by northern Italians to call those living in the southern (some would even say mid-south) part of Italy.

Northern Italian: "These terroni have given us such a bad name... going around acting like the terroni/wops they are, you see how everyone identifies the entire country with them!?"

Terrone: "We got the sun, pizza, spaghetti and the sea! beautiful Italia!"

Northern Italian: "You lowlife terrone! Go back south!"

Answer: B: Campania

San Marzano tomatoes are native to the Campania region surrounding Naples, Italy, and are grown in a unique Mediterranean micro-climate with nutrient-rich volcanic soil from Mount Vesuvius.

Answer: A. Calabria

The black peppercorn was highly expensive, so many Southern Italians, particularly in Calabria, used chili pepper as an alternative. With Southern Italians as the main immigrant group from Italy, people often incorrectly assume that all Italian cooking means the inclusion of the spicy, red hot pepper.


Ancient History

The use of black pepper in India, where it was originally found, dates back to at least 2000 BCE ‒ back when human civilization was just starting out (it’s comforting to know that mankind knew good cuisine before anything else).

In Europe on the other hand, similar to the history of many of the world’s most popular spices, to find black pepper meant looking in the pantries of the wealthiest families of the time. Also referred to as “black gold,” black peppercorns held as currency throughout the Middle Ages, and were an extremely prized trade good, most likely because it could only be found in one unique geographical area. Evidence supports the presence of black pepper in trade routes from as early as 1000 BCE when traders from South Arabia had a monopoly on exotic goods and traded with the Ancient Greeks and Romans, where it became widely popular despite its cost. In fact, in order to protect the exotic nature of black pepper, traders often exaggerated the lengths they went to for their customers ‒ wouldn’t you buy seasoning guarded by a dragon?

“Diavoletto” or Little Evil: The Chili Pepper from Southern Italy

One of the most beautiful colors of summer in southern Italy is the deep red of chili pepper. In particularly, Calabria is the main producer and consumer of chili pepper – peperoncino in Italian.

The chili pepper plant has 85 varieties and they can be distinguished based on their level of sweetness. On the scale which measures the heat of peppers, peperoncino ranges in the middle.

Peperoncino: from South America to Worldwide

Chili peppers were grown in 4000 BC in Central America, but it was only with the arrival of the Spanish during the Colonialism that the plant was introduced also in Europe and then in Asia and Africa.

Typically, hot countries have a spicy cuisine as a natural means of cooling down the body through perspiration. In effect, hot peppers contain a substance that produce a burning sensation in mouth and eyes, runny nose and perspiration. This is all a plus in the hot climates where perspiration helps to cool down the body.

Today, this spice seems to be growing in popularity around the globe. Hot pepper adds like fish, vegetable, pasta sauces, soups and eggs. In Southern Italy ground chili peppers are added to special cured meats and cheeses too, or they are preserved in oil to produce a spicy version.

A special Italian dish to taste the savor of peperoncino is pasta aglio olio e peperoncino or pasta with garlic, olive oil and peperocino. The best kind of pasta are spaghetti: cook spaghetti in hot water for  10 minutes, then flavor them with garlic and peperoncino sautéed in extra virgin olive oil and the dish is ready to eat!

Answer: A. Brain Droppings by George Carlin


Brain Droppings is a 1997 book by comedian George Carlin. This was Carlin's "first real book" and contains much of Carlin's stand-up comedy material. According to the cover, the book contains "jokes, notions, doubts, opinions, questions, thoughts, beliefs, assertions, assumptions, and disturbing references" and "comedy, nonsense, satire, mockery, merriment, sarcasm, ridicule, silliness, bluster, and toxic alienation". For longtime Carlin fans, the book also contains complete versions of two of his most famous monologues, "A Place for My Stuff" and "Baseball and Football."


Woody Allen began his career as a comedy writer on Sid Caesar's comedy variety program, Your Show of Shows, working alongside Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Larry Gelbart and Neil Simon. He also began writing short story humor pieces in a collection of books.

Answer: B. London


Though not used the film’s title, Scoop and Match Point were both set in London.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Manhattan

Midnight in Paris

To Rome With Love

Answer: B. Marshall Brickman


Though born in Brooklyn, the borough of Manhattan has long been Woody Allen’s home. Brickman, born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, now calls it home as well. Manhattan itself was the star of Woody Allen’s Manhattan (1979).

Marshall Brickman is a writer, best known for his collaborations with Woody Allen in Annie Hall (1977) (Best Original Screenplay Oscar), Sleeper (1973), Manhattan (1979) and Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993).

Between Woody Allen’s Manhattan and Manhattan Murder Mystery, Brickman broke out as a director with The Manhattan Project, Lovesick and Simon. He also co-wrote Jersey Boys with Rick Elice, based on their musical book "Jersey Boys: The Story of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons.

Woody Allen has good navigational instinct in this writing mass of egos and good and bad advice. He's not afraid to engage, even though the world perceives him as reclusive. He's a very good friend. He's dependable, helpful. He works hard, he's ethical. He saves string. – Marshall Brickman

Answer: B. Lupita Nyong'o, best known for Black Panther, Us, and best supporting actress Oscar in 12 Years a Slave. The film also received a best picture win at the Academy Awards.



Javier Bardem, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Maureen O'Sullivan, Hannah and Her Sisters

Meryl Streep, Manhattan

Owen Wilson, Midnight in Paris

B: ANSWER: Broadway Danny Rose


Scene from Broadway Danny Rose:

Allen plays Danny Rose, and Farrow, Tina Vitale.

They go to Danny’s modest apartment, and Tina notices a large framed photograph of celebrities at an event.

Tina: Who's this? Who’s this here?

Danny: What do you mean? That's Frank. Frank, Tony Bennett and me.
This was a big night. See me up there? A little tiny smudge that's like a fingerprint. That's my head.