Wally Cunial (Klamath Falls) is a tradition Italian cook and an expert in Italian foodways. As a member of the Sons of Italy, Cunial works to foster Italian heritage and shares his knowledge of traditional Northern Italian cuisine with the community.
Bio
Wally Cunial, a trustee of the Klamath Falls chapter of the Sons of Italy, is specifically known for his traditional Italian cooking. Growing up in Klamath Falls, Cunial spent most of his teenage years living with relatives in the northern Italian village of Cunial, a town from which many Klamath Falls Italian-Americans can trace their roots. In Italy, Cunial developed a deep appreciation for and knowledge of his Italian heritage, learning the language and even working in a restaurant. As a member of the Sons of Italy, Cunial is strongly committed to using and teaching what he knows of Italian foodways. The fraternal organization’s purpose is to foster Italian heritage, such as study of the Italian language, and so they sponsor cultural events, summer picnics, and spaghetti dinner fundraisers to create scholarships for students of Italian descent. For those events and in his own home, Cunial prepares a variety of traditional dishes, including northern Italian recipes for chicken and pork, risottos, gnocchi and traditional polenta (cooked corn meal) served with pepperonata (a sauce made of peppers, zucchini and tomatoes)—as well as the more ubiquitous spaghetti with meat sauce. No meal is complete without parmesan cheese, bread, and wine. As Cunial says, “We never eat out; we always eat Italian.”
