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Several months ago, I wrote an article about an Elderhostel trip to Rhode Island, and I promised more to come. This time I want to take you to the Italian district of Providence, where you will lose your heart.

Like Rome, this is dubbed the City of Seven Hills, and Federal Hill acquired its name because it was once home to a military garrison.

The Italians tended to settle there after arriving in the 19 century. It’s impossible now to convey the sense of neighborhood and family which prevailed in such places in the northeast during those long-ago days: people lived above their stores, they all attended the same schools and churches, and everyone knew the rest of the residents.

Today, especially after the recent renaissance of Providence, the entire area welcomes tourists and people from all over the city as well.

We were there on a perfect autumn day of warmth and sunshine, a day when it felt great just to be alive. Flowers of a thousand colors bloomed in hanging baskets or huge circular stone planters surrounded by benches. Fountains sparkled and music came from hidden speakers, or was furnished by strolling troubadours with guitars. Total strangers greeted us like long-lost friends, and we may be excused for thinking we’d strayed into the Emerald City or found the Rainbow Connection.

Our lovely guide Cindy is well known to Rhode Island television viewers, and is an expert on the cuisine and culture of the Hill.

We went in and out of bakeries, wine stores, butcher shops and other establishments, exploring the back rooms where all the work takes place.

In the process, we sampled abundantly and learned a lot about Italian food that many of us didn’t know before.

• No self-respecting Sicilian would purchase cannoli unless he saw it stuffed before his eyes.

• The only permissible sauce for ravioli is melted butter.

• Never buy crushed tomatoes in cans. Buy only Italian plum tomatoes, preferably the Marzano brand. Avoid tomato purée, which Cindy said is made of junk at the factory.

• Buy durum wheat pasta if you can find it in specialty shops — look for La Regina or Pastene brands.

• You can entertain yourself trying to bake Italian bread at home, but you’re never going to make it the way bakeries do — among other things, commercial ovens automatically inject steam during the baking.

• Italians prefer Locatelli Peccorino Romano cheese for making pesto. For other dishes, they choose Parmigiano Reggiano. Always grate your own cheeses.

• Look for Prosciutto de Parma or Prosciutto Cotto when, both superior brands.

• Don’t substitute — if your recipe calls for ricotta, don’t use cottage cheese.

• Specialty shops sell jars of little peppers with cheese inside, wrapped in prosciutto and packed in olive oil. Look for them.

In one of the wine shops where we stopped, we met fourth-generation members of the family who established it. We sampled Lemoncello Cream, and they introduced us to a wine called Prosomo Rossini with wild strawberries. It’s a relatively new import — a delightful light red sparkling wine. Ask your local wine merchant for it.

In a grocery store, the owner explained that he sells artisan pasta made locally. This is extruded through bronze presses which have roughened over the years, making a very superior product which absorbs sauce better than any other. When I asked, he doubted that we would ever find any here in Florida.

Cindy rattled off recipes as we walked, and these are notes which I took.

Pasta with Tuna

Buy good Italian tuna packed in jars with olive oil. Drain and heat tuna in a skillet with capers and minced shallots. Add lemon juice, lemon zest and chopped fresh snow peas. Toss briefly and serve on thin cooked pasta. Cindy advised against angel hair, and said not to add cheese or garlic to this recipe. Top the dish with buttered Italian bread crumbs.

Pasta with Anchovies

Drain a can of anchovy fillets and place in a skillet with a little good olive oil. Heat them gently until they sort of seem to melt, then add minced garlic, pine nuts or walnuts and raisins. Toss and add cooked pasta to the skillet. Combine all gently and serve at once.

Marinara Sauce

I realize there are several brands of this available in jars at the market, but you should be making your own and storing it in the freezer — there is simply no comparison.

We heard this repeatedly on the Hill, so here is the simple recipe our family has used for years. Add mushrooms and meat later if you wish.

¼ cup olive oil

2 cups chopped onions

2 cloves minced garlic

5 cups canned plum tomatoes or 2 28-ounce cans,

Marzano preferred

Fresh basil, tarragon, parsley, crushed fennel and oregano to taste. Fresh herbs are preferable when available

1 teaspoon salt

Fresh black pepper to taste

Red wine and water for thinning *

Sauté onion and garlic in hot oil in a heavy pot. Chop or process tomatoes if they are whole and add to the pot, then add remaining ingredients. Simmer covered for about an hour, thinning with red wine or water as necessary. Stir occasionally, until well blended and a thick. Taste for seasoning, then cool and pack into plastic containers for the freezer.

If you’re lucky enough to have fresh Roma tomatoes on hand, core them and whirl them with skins on in a blender or food processor to the desired consistency, then proceed with the recipe.

Stuffing Cannoli

Making the tube shells is time-consuming, but you can purchase them at both Publix bakeries on Marco. For the frilling, cream a pound of Ricotta and add, one at a time, these ingredients, stirring well:

2 Tablespoons finely chopped orange peel

1 Tablespoon sugar

3 Tablespoons miniature chocolate chips

4 Tablespoons liqueur such as Triple Sec

2 Tablespoons melted butter

Spoon filling carefully into tubes and keep chilled until serving time. Dust with powdered sugar and chopped pistachio nuts for presentation.

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Marion Nicolay is a regular contributor to the Marco Eagle. Contact her via e-mail at marion387@earthlink.net.