Christmas greetings from Italy by way of a Christmas poem by Alda Merini.

Daniela continues with examples of how tanto and quanto are used together in comparisons, as well as the pairing of così and come. She also provides examples involving quantities, where the word sets are not interchangeable.

Marika and Anna show us the steps involved in creating this hearty dish from the Piedmont Region.

When two like things are compared, as in the sentence "You are as old as I am," it's called a comparison of equality. Daniela explains how this works in Italian.

Lucio Dalla and Francesco De Gregori perform the song that was originally titled “Gesù Bambino” [Christ Child] but was changed to Dalla's date of birth after censure from the Sanremo music festival.

Ready for a new recipe? We're in Piedmont, and this recipe is definitely not low-calorie. But it's perfect for those cold winter days in the mountains.

Daniela talks more about when to use che (that, than) or di (of, than) as comparative words.

The teacher has a different look today, as she quizzes Anna about the Piedmont region of Italy. Anna tries to get on the good side of her irritable maestra.

In this lesson we start looking at the comparative forms of adjectives. Unlike English, where we have a dedicated comparative and superlative form, Italian makes use of adverbs più "more" or meno "less" and the prepositions or conjunctions di (of, than) or che (than, that) in addition to the adjective itself. Daniela shows us how this works.

Marika and Anna take us through the steps of this recipe, which could be served as either an appetizer or a second course. Anna also provides some information on oily fish and how to tell sardines from anchovies.

Marika and Anna get ready to make Anchovy Roll-Ups. They provide an ingredient list and the equipment necessary to make this Marchigian specialty.

We're going to school to learn about The Marches, the only Italian region to have a plural name! Let's find out if Anna has studied this time! Let's see how mean her maestra is today, too.

The pop band Zero Assoluto [Absolute Zero] is made up of two Rome musicians, Thomas De Gasperi and Matteo Maffucci. They have frequently performed at the annual Sanremo Festival.

This song by the Milanese band is about trying to keep a romantic relationship going. It has had huge success in Italy.

A song about cats that helps Italian school children remember that 6 x 7 = 42.

This post-WWII song tells of a romance between a duckling and a poppy. It is a children's ditty with lots of word play but also has political undertones.

Daniela explains three situations in which the remote past may be used and gives us examples of each situation. But don't worry, this tense is not mandatory and Daniela suggests the passato prossimo (present perfect) as a valid alternative. Note: The passato prossimo is constructed like the English present perfect tense (with a helping verb and past participle), but is used more like the English past simple.

Laura Pausini, in concert, sings a song about the wrenching difficulties of a long-distance relationship. The music and lyrics were written by Biagio Antonacci.

Daniela explains how to conjugate the remote past of the verbs avere (to have) and prendere (to take).

The amazing landscapes in this video were filmed on the volcanic island of Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands off of Africa.

Modugno appears in this vintage clip on the Ed Sullivan Show and sings what is probably the most popular Italian song ever. Franco Migliacci, the songwriter, was inspired to write the song by the paintings of Marc Chagall.

Marika and Anna go through the list of ingredients needed to make a Ligurian specialty — pasta with pesto sauce.

The video is filmed in Rome and shows some of the best-loved fountains and monuments.

A tic tac ad developed for the Milan Expo, showcasing new flavors. Tic tac is owned by the Ferrero Group, a multinational corporation based in Piedmont. Ferrero also owns the much-loved Nutella brand.