Jeff Houck

The Tampa Tribune’s food writer since 2005, Jeff Houck covers the way people live through their food. He also hosts the Table Conversations food podcast and believes that everything crunchy is good.

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Eating, Praying, Loving, Shopping ... Not Necessarily In That Order [HSN Sells A Lifestyle Choice]

Posted Jul 29, 2010 by Jeff Houck

Updated Jul 29, 2010 at 05:02 PM

In a story I wrote for this upcoming Sunday’s Tampa Tribune (and available now through the magic of technology, impatience and questionable business theory), I cover an upcoming 72-hour shopping bonanza on HSN.

The former Home Shopping Network is partnering with Sony Pictures for the Aug. 13 release of the Julia Roberts movie based on “Eat, Pray, Love; One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia,” by Elizabeth Gilbert. The event, which includes 20 of HSN’s partners and brands, highlights more than 400 items across home decor, travel, beauty, electronics, cooking, accessories and ready-to-wear categories.

Anyway, while doing the story, I got to talk to Ernest Lepore, president of the legendary Ferrara Bakery & Cafe in New York City’s Little Italy. HSN is going to sell individually wrapped mini-cannolis in packages of 48 and shipped in dry ice.

If you haven’t been to Ferrara’s you’re missing a treat. The bakery has existed for 118 years at it’s spot on Grand Street. When I was in New York City eariler this year, I visited the store, then settled for the smaller cafe around the corner because the line was long.

As their Web site explains:

New York in the Gay Nineties had almost everything, except for a place where an opera lover, after a night of Verdi or Puccini, could relax, play a Neapolitan card game called “scopa” and drink a cup or two of espresso.

This situation was remedied when our great grandfather, Enrico Scoppa and my great grand-uncle, Antonio Ferrara, opera impresario and showman, opened a cafe called Caffé A. Ferrara. Caruso thought the coffee marvelous but especially loved the cookies and cakes.

After World War I, my grandfather, Peter Lepore, a nephew of Antonio Ferrara, had stowed away on a ship bound for New York.

At the beginning of the 1929 Depression, Peter married the daughter of Enrico Scoppa. He was to spend the rest of his life at Ferrara’s, transforming a charming neighborhood cafe into a world famous shrine of delicious tastes. Times were tough and in order to make sure there was very little waste, they began to bake two, three and sometimes four times a day, small batches of cookies and cakes. These difficult circumstances were a blessing in disguise. Because of the frequency with which they baked, Ferrara acquired a great reputation for freshness. This reputation and the fact that the Lepore’s were devoted to their business almost as much as to each other, enabled Caffé Ferrara to grow and prosper.

Today, Ferrara is still a family owned business operated by the fifth generation. And that’s perhaps the most wonderful thing about Ferrara’s. Since its beginning in 1892, the spirit has changed very little.

Lepore is the fourth generation of the family that runs Ferrara.

Lepore told me the HSN cannolis are sold differently - the “Holy Cannoili” sold in the store are filled to order - but the minis are still hand-filled and hand-wrapped. The chocolate covered versions are hand-dipped, too, before being frozen for shipment. The same high-grade ricotta with a hint of citrus is used, as are the same chocolate tips.

“They taste as good as they do on Grand Street,” he says.

I asked how many they expected to sell on television during HSN’s event.

“HSN gives us a projection,” Lepore said. “I would like to sell a lot more than HSN says we will. They’re actually a better value than if you walked into Ferrara’s. We love to feed people.”

I asked Lepore if he read “Eat, Pray, Love.”

“I started reading it,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of billboards. It looks like a good chick flick movie. A real fun movie.”