Dear Readers, This week we put on our green, white and red boxing gloves, or perhaps in my case I should say kitchen gloves, to defend Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil from the easy stereotyping and generalisations presented on a slideshow published on the New York Times. We reported on the fiery debate the “Extra Virgin Suicide” slideshow sparked across both sides of the Atlantic and decided the best response would be to offer some tips to help you recognise and select top quality Italian olive oil. After all, we know that good, honest Italian producers make some of the best olive oil in the world, why should 'fear' stop you from enjoying it? And talking of generalizations, the one that equates Sicilian to Mafioso is one of the most common I have come across. We are delighted, therefore, to see a great new film on the complex relationship between Palermo's citizens and the Mafia, “The Mafia Kills Only in the Summer”. The film helps dispel certain myths on the Mafia and with humour and elegance managed to convey the complexity of the issues at hand. We interviewed director Pierfrancesco Diliberto about this interesting debut film in the hope that it will be soon available with english subtitles. Finally, if you haven't voted in our ITALY Blog Awards yet, please go check them out and vote now. We’ve collected hundreds of votes already and will be announcing the winners on the tenth. Some amazing blogs across fashion, food and lifestyle.