- Michael Cucchiara
- Jun 11
- 4 min read
 | "Dolce far niente " - Italian quote Translation : “Sweet doing Nothing” - relax and enjoy the moment with- out worrying about productivity or obligations. |  |
Upcoming Meetings/Events - Save The Date(s)
June 2025 Wed June 18th Monthly Meeting @F325 BBQ 1825 Buchanan St. North Kansas City, MO 64116 Cocktails at 6pm Dinner at 7pm | July 2025 Wed July 16th Monthly Meeting @Casone’s 3737 N. Oak Trfwy Kansas City, MO 64116 Cocktails at 6pm Dinner at 7pm | August 2025 Wed August 13th Monthly Meeting @The Quaff 1010 Broadway Blvd Kansas City, MO 64105 Cocktails at 6pm Dinner at 7pm |
Fellow UNICAN's!
Summer is upon us! Children are out of school, backyard grills are heating up, swimming pools are filling up, vacations are being planned, and our biggest event of the year is in the books. I hope everyone has some time to settle in and enjoy some of the summer season relaxing with family and friends.
For the Cucchiara’s, my twins are both 16, and both start their very first jobs (tomorrow)! So this will be a very different summer for us with three teenagers coming and going at all hours on their very own. Send out some prayers for Sarah and I to keep our sanity.
Festa Italiana Follow Up — We had amazing weather again this year, and while final numbers are still being tallied, this is shaping up to be another record year for Festa! I cannot thank every UNICAN enough for their support and dedication to this event. Weather your sponsored, bought VIP tables, bid on the auc-tions, volunteered, or simply bought a Peroni, every single UNICAN participated to make this event the success that is was!
My sincere thanks to every UNICAN and their families who was able to volunteer again this year. So many of our members invested hours of service to make this event happen, it is truly humbling and very much appreciated. If I did not see you, my sincerest apologies, but know I am every grateful.
I would also send out a very special thanks to our Festa Committee. Each one of you embody the UNICO motto of “Service Above Self.” This committee participates in monthly meetings since January, in addition to the hours they invest behind the scenes completing their assigned responsibilities. And then Festa weekend, many use vacations days on Thursday and Friday to set up for the event, before they spend vir-tually the entire weekend, sun-up to event close, working the event. Words are not enough to thank these members.
This year we gave away over $60k in scholarship to 40 deserving students on Sunday afternoon, and with your support, next year will be even more!
Feel free to visit this years Festa page: https://www.unicokc.com/2025-festa-italiana
Heritage Committee—The Heritage committee typically holds their monthly meeting at 5pm the same day and location as our membership meeting. If you are interested in what they are doing, and/or just want to say high, I am sure they would welcome your attendance. They continue to do some great things.
Feel free to visit the Heritage Page: https://www.unicokc.com/heritage
Bring a potential member— The June monthly meeting is a good time to bring a potential member with you as your guest to dinner. Our Chapter covers the dinner expense for all 1st time guests you have invit-ed as a potential member.
A presto,
Michael A. Cucchiara
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P.S. Look to page two for another great recipe shared by Joan (Fisichelli) Brisimitzaks
Italian Wedding Cookies Anginetti
Preheat Bake 350 degrees
2 c sweet butter
2 lb white flour (King Arthur Brand) sifted
½ c sugar 2 egg yolks
1 tsp baking powder
1 small glass jigger brandy of choice (depending on flavor you wish to achieve: orange, almond, lemon, etc.). For a plain flavor, use a straight brandy.
1 tsp vanilla Confectionary sugar Walnut-shelled (optional)
Cream butter and sugar for about 5-8 minutes until it is thick like whipped cream. Add egg yolks, vanilla, and brandy. Mix well. In a separate bowl, add baking powder to flour and blend well. The dough should be soft and pliable, so you are able to shape your cookies. Let the dough rest for 15- 20 minutes. Take some dough and form into the shape of your choice. I like to either shape into a one-inch round or a wreath. To make a wreath, take 2 pieces of dough and roll into two thins rope approximately 5 inches of dough. Tist and form into a round wreath and press closed. If you are doing a round shape, press a walnut into center of dough. Place it on a cookie sheet 1 ich apart.
Bake the bottom of cookie light brown approximately 15-20 minutes. Pace on cooling rack when done. When cool, place in cupcake cups and sprinkle heavily with confectionary sugar. Enjoy!
The history of this cookie began in Nola which is in the Campania region of Italy. It is suggested that these cookies were brought to Europe by Arab traders in the Middle Ages. Italian immi- grants brought these cookies to the United States. During the Great Depression, many families couldn’t afford wedding cakes. So, families would get together and bake cookies. Today, these An- ginetti cookies are now seen at celebrations such as weddings and are often seen on dessert tables at Italian-American weddings alongside wedding cake and other Italian delights!
Joan (Fisichelli) Brisimitzakis