Sophia Loren

Sophia Loren (born September 20, 1934) is considered to be one of the most famous Italian actresses of all time who at the age of 70, continues to be considered a top sex symbol.
 
She was born Sofia Villani Scicolone in Rome, Italy, the illegitimate daughter of Romilda Villani and Riccardo Scicolone. She grew up in poverty in Pozzuoli but found her way into small parts in European films in the early 1950s, often billed as Sofia Lazzaro. She was "discovered" by her future husband Carlo Ponti, who produced many of her films. One of her first major roles was as the titular character of the 1953 Italian film Due notti con Cleopatra (a.k.a. Two Nights with Cleopatra). This film, like many of her other early roles, emphasized her voluptuous physique; she even appeared topless in a few films (which was considered acceptable in European cinema at the time, though said scenes were usually cut out when the films were distributed in the United Kingdom or in North America).
 
Although she had appeared in a bit part in the Hollywood blockbuster Quo Vadis in 1951, it was not until 1957's Boy on a Dolphin that Loren became a major international film star, due in part to the iconic image of her wearing a water-soaked, body-clinging dress.
 
In short order, however, Loren demonstrated considerable skill as a dramatic and comedic actress, which gained her respect as being more than just a sex symbol. Some of her earliest American films included Desire Under the Elms (based upon the Eugene O'Neill play), Houseboat (a romantic comedy starring Cary Grant), and The Black Orchid (a romantic drama co-starring Anthony Quinn).
 
By the 1960s, Loren was one of the most popular actresses in the world, and continued to make popular films in both America and in Europe. One of her best-known films of this period was The Millionairess (1960) which became the subject of much speculation due to the fact her co-star, Peter Sellers, became infatuated with the actress and later claimed to have had an affair with her (a fact she denies). To promote the film, Loren and Sellers recorded a best-selling album of comedic songs.
 
That same year, Loren gave an acclaimed performance in Italy's Two Women, which earned her the distinction of being the first actor to win a major category Academy Award (in her case, Best Actress) for a non-English language performance.
 
Loren moved into her 40s and 50s gracefully and continued to be considered both a fine dramatic actress and a sex symbol for years, with acclaimed roles in films such as The Cassandra Crossing and Robert Altman's Ready to Wear. In 1982, she made headlines when she served an 18-day prison sentence in Italy on tax evasion charges but this didn't slow down her career. In 1980 she had the rare distinction of portraying herself (as well as her own mother) in a made-for-television biopic, ' (Ritza Brown and Chiara Ferrari played younger versions of the actress).
 
In 1991, Loren received an honorary Academy Award for her contributions to cinema.
 
In her 60s, Loren was selective in her films, but made a well-received appearance in the 1994 comedy Grumpier Old Men and in 2004 had a major role in the mini-series, Lives of the Saints.
 
Loren was portrayed by Sonia Aquino in the 2004 biopic The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, as well as by Silvia Vrij in a 1980 film entitled Dirty Picture.
 
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Just add sauce: Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall on pasta

Sophia Loren once said, "Everything you see I owe to spaghetti" - she was clearly doing her bit to contribute to the staggering 28kg of pasta (that's dry weight) a head that the average Italian consumes each year. Or, in her case, 14kg a hip. Here in the UK, we swirl our way through a measly 4.5kg each. My family does better than that, but since it hits our table at least once and more likely twice a week, I write about pasta all too rarely. Time to set the record straight.I'm not a true pastaphile, in the River Cafe/Jamie Oliver sense. I don't go all gooey about it. I love pasta for the same reason families everywhere love it - it's the perfect get-out-of-jail-free card. "What's for supper?" yells one of the kids, snacking on a pencil as he does his homework. "Er, I thought we'd have ... pasta with, er, bacon and ..." - glance around for something vaguely vegetacious - "... er, bananas?""That sounds disgusting. Can't we have it with bacon and cheese?""Oh, all right. Just this once. As a special treat ..." Everyone wins, see?It doesn't have to be much more complicated to please grown-ups. Simple spaghetti silkily, slinkily dressed in olive oil, garlic and chilli does it for us. Or, for instant winter comfort, try a cosy walnut sauce: chop a few handfuls of walnuts, sweat in olive oil with some garlic, add a slug of cream, bubble to reduce, stir in a handful of freshly grated Parmesan, season and toss with tagliatelle or quills, and you're done.While I'm all for authenticity, I must admit I reserve my deepest affection for the 70s approach to pasta embraced by my Mum, with a little help from the then thoroughly modern Katie Stewart. I'm thinking of the high tea treats of macaroni cheese, and the Saturday night dinner party special of homemade lasagne. So today I'm revisiting these homey classics, my madeleines, in a sort of remembrance of things pasta.For all these recipes, dried pasta is absolutely fine, but I would encourage you to make your own once in a while - just follow the instructions in your Jamie Oliver book of choice. That's what we do. But use Dove's Farm organic pasta flour if you can. It works an absolute treat.The one dish on today's list that will really shine with homemade pasta is my lasagne. The recipe, based on Katie Stewart's, is the ultimate.LasagneThe secret to a great lasagne is quality of the sauce, and the key to that is coarse ground beef and long, slow cooking. Serves six to eight.For the meat sauce:1 tbsp olive oil1 good knob butter1 medium onion, finely chopped1 stick celery, finely diced1 large carrot, finely diced2 garlic cloves, finely chopped125g streaky bacon, finely diced750g coarsely ground beef 100g free-range chicken liver, chopped fine (optional)Salt and ground black pepper250ml whole milkA couple of gratings of nutmeg250ml dry white wine400g tinned chopped tomatoes500ml beef stock2 bay leavesFor the béchamel:750ml hot milk, infused with a bay leaf and a slice of onion50g butter50g plain flourA grind or two of nutmegSalt and ground black pepper10-14 lasagne sheets (depending on size of dish), fresh or dried 60g Parmesan gratedAbout 20g butterFirst, make the meat sauce. Warm the oil and butter in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion, celery and carrot, and sweat until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, bacon, beef, liver and a large pinch of salt, and brown the meat. Add the milk and simmer, stirring frequently, until the milk has mostly evaporated. Add the nutmeg and wine, and simmer until the wine evaporates. Stir in the tomatoes, stock and bay leaves, bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat so it's barely bubbling. Cook, uncovered, for three hours (yes, really), stirring from time to time. Add a little stock or water if it looks as if it's drying out too much - if using dried pasta, keep the sauce a little more liquid.Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Make the béchamel as for the macaroni cheese (see next recipe), add half the Parmesan, and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.To assemble, spoon a quarter of the béchamel in the base of an ovenproof dish followed by a layer of bolognese and a layer of pasta. Repeat, finishing with the last quarter of béchamel on top of the third layer of pasta. Sprinkle over the remaining Parmesan and dot with butter. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Allow to cool slightly before serving.Macaroni cheeseDon't be alarmed at the quantity of sauce to pasta: to get really silky, creamy macaroni cheese, it should be quite fluid before you bake it. Add chopped cooked bacon or ham to the mix, if you like. Serves six.1 litre milk1 bay leaf70g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing70g plain flour¼ tsp cayenne pepper400g fairly strong cheddar, gratedSalt and ground black pepper300g macaroni50g Parmesan, grated (or cheddar)4 tbsp fresh breadcrumbsPreheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Put a large pan of water on to boil, then make the sauce. Pour the milk into a pan, add the bay and warm gently while you make the roux in another pan. Melt the butter over low heat, add the flour and stir for a few minutes. Add a quarter of the hot milk, whisk into the roux, then slowly add the rest of the milk, whisking all the time to ensure there are no lumps. Turn the heat to low and simmer for five minutes, stirring frequently. Add the cayenne and cheddar, stir until the cheese has melted, then season well. When the water is boiling fiercely, add lots of salt (about 20g for every two litres of water) and the pasta. Cook it for two minutes less than it says on the packet, then drain.Grease an ovenproof dish with butter. Stir the pasta into the sauce, then pour it into the dish. Mix the Parmesan and breadcrumbs, sprinkle over the top, and bake for 25 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Allow to cool slightly before serving.MinestroneIt's important to cut the vegetables into small pieces, even dice. If you have the rind from a chunk of Parmesan, add it to the broth - it adds a real depth of flavour. Serves six.3 tbsp olive oil130g pancetta or streaky bacon, cut into cubes2 carrots, diced1 onion, diced1 stick celery, diced2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped200g potatoes, peeled and cubed40g Savoy cabbage, finely shredded1-2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped400g tinned chopped tomatoes1.2 litres good chicken stock400g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed70g small pasta, such as macaroni or tubetti3-4 tbsp chopped, flat-leaf parsleySalt and ground black pepperIn a big pot, warm the oil over medium heat, then add the pancetta and sauté until just golden. Add the carrot, onion and celery, lower the heat and sauté, stirring, until soft, about seven minutes. Add the garlic, potatoes, cabbage and thyme, and cook until the cabbage wilts. Add the tomatoes, stock and a pinch of salt, and simmer, partially covered, for 40 minutes. Add the beans and pasta, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add more stock if it looks a bit thick. Taste, season and stir in the parsley. Serve with Parmesan (or hard goat's cheese) shavings.guardian.co.uk/hughfearnleywhittingstall? Reader offer: to order a River Cottage Christmas goose hamper, packed with seasonal, artisan goodies and a signed 2009 diary, go to rivercottage.net/guardianFood & drinkguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Published: Sat, 29 Nov 2008 00:05:18 GMT - Source: Guardian.Co.Uk - Read the article

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See Also:

Italian	Cary Grant	Anthony Quinn	Peter Sellers	Marcello Mastroianni
Charlton Heston	Alec Guinness	Peter O'Toole