Italian Food Lovers

We are very proud to announce this.

As mentioned in my last post, Academia Barilla received an important recognition by the Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachussets, at the beginning of this month.

Harvard Business School honored the worldwide success, and the impact on the American Food market, of Barilla and Academia Barilla in the last few years, and crowned such commitment and successful efforts by releasing an Harvard Business case study on Academia Barilla as an official Harvard Business Publication.

Harvard Business School published another Business Case on Barilla S.p.A., our parent company, back in 1994. Up to today, the Harvard Business Case on Barilla S.p.A. is among the most requested cases at the Harvard Online Bookstore, and is one that gets constantly updated (last edition, July 2006). There is even a version of the business case available in Spanish language!

Below I have re-published the press release we launched earliear today, that can be also retrieved online at the PRWeb press archives.

If you are interested in the Harvard Business pubblication, you can find it at the Harvard Business Case Online Bookstore.

Can we now say that Academia Barilla is an Harvard Business School Alumnus? :)

Here follows our latest press release - enjoy the reading.

Harvard Business School dedicates a Business Case to Italian Gourmet Ambassador Academia Barilla

The World’s Ambassador of Italian Gastronomy Academia Barilla is selected by one of the world’s best business schools for in-depth look into Academia Barilla’s business model. Harvard Business School publishes a detailed case study of the business, products and services Made in Italy by the purveyor of gourmet Italian culture and gastronomy.

Parma, Italy (PRWEB) January 31, 2007 – Harvard Business School has selected Academia Barilla for an in-depth look into its business in the prestigious annals of Harvard Business School’s business case studies. Less than three years after its founding, Academia Barilla is one of the few Italian companies to ever get chronicled by Harvard.

The Harvard Business School business case study for Academia Barilla recounts the last 10 years of the development of the Pasta market in the United States and illustrates how Barilla, and later how Academia Barilla, has made an incredible impact in the American food market that reaches far beyond pasta.
In addition, the study sharply focuses on the role of Academia Barilla as a beacon of Italian Gourmet Food Culture and Gastronomy that protects and promotes authentic food products from Italy.

Academia Barilla – from its gourmet food products line to its cooking classes and learning vacations at the Academia Center in Parma to its newest Italian Food Lovers blog – prides itself on being the vanguard of gourmet Italian food culture. Its work in the gourmet food space has done wonders for the authentic trademark Made in Italy stamped on exported Italian foods since its inception in 2004.

The business case study was presented in Boston at the beginning of this month to over 220 top business executives from around the globe, with the participation of Academia Barilla President Gianluigi Zenti and Paolo Barilla, Vice President of the Barilla Group.

Zenti celebrated Academia Barilla’s Harvard business case study by noting that “as one of the few Italian Food companies to be examined by Harvard, we are grateful to know that the best American business school recognizes our strategic leadership in the Italian gastronomic world. We are proud to be one of the symbols of authentic Made in Italy in the United States and in the world.”

In 1994, Academia Barilla’s parent company, the Barilla Group, received the same honors from Harvard Business School, and that study is one of the most reviewed case studies in the entire library of nearly 7,500 business case studies by Harvard Business School. Academia Barilla’s business case is now available online at the Harvard Business School Online Library.

Academia Barilla distinguishes itself from its parent company by offering a full line of gourmet Italian food products, including Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, DOP Extra-Virgin Olive Oils, and Gourmet Gift Boxes, as well as cooking courses and learning vacations located on the beautiful Academia campus in Parma, in the heart of the Italian Food Valley, Northern Italy.

About Academia Barilla:

Academia Barilla is the Barilla Group company dedicated to the art of Italian gastronomic culture, with the mission to preserve, develop and promote the art of Italian cuisine and gastronomic culture around the world.

Academia Barilla preserves traditional Italian food products and their artisan producers, protecting them from imitation; develops and supports Italian culinary arts through Academia Barilla Culinary Center’s courses and education; promotes and raises worldwide awareness about the Italian gastronomic culture through events and publications.

More information on Academia Barilla:

Academia Barilla USA: Stephanie Sette: +1 847-405-7564
Academia Barilla Italy: Ilaria Rossi: +39 0521-263-826
Academia Barilla website: www.AcademiaBarilla.com
Academia Barilla’s blog: www.Italian-Food-Lovers.com

Hi Italian food lovers, we are glad to be back in full force to our beloved blog, after a very intensive internal activity that literally took us over in the last two weeks.First of all, we took care of fixing the blog platform. We experienced some bugs since we launched our blog, but we are happy to say that we are now over it - we can now publish pictures, our videos from YouTube, and even write a blog post title that goes on two lines of text!!!

We also dedicated the last two weeks creating content for the blog. Massimo has been filming some of our Culinary School classes, and also browsing and digging in the treasures of our Gastronomic Library to bring you top recipes, while hanging out with some of his fellow Chef friends, optioning some of them as guest writers for this blog - so stay tuned!

Leigh has been traveling around Italy visiting our partner farmers and producers of authentic gourmet specialties, interviewing them on their experience as producers, and unveiling the secrets of their centuries-old production processes - so expect a lot of posts on this topic (with videos!).

Leigh also flew to the United States, as our Italian Culinary Specialist Team in the US got very busy recently, so we will report also from all the gourmet events Academia Barilla is throwing across the US with our top restaurant partners.

I have been very busy with the press office activities, as Academia Barilla started this year with two very important recognitions from the Harvard Business School and Forbes.com (after closing 2006 with an award for this blog). I will soon re-publish our press releases here on this blog, as we want to share our pride and excitement with you all Italian Food Lovers.

And the three of us have been involved in a very cool project that Academia Barilla will launch in the United States in a couple of weeks - I won’t drop any major hints here, as I don’t want to blow away the surprise effect, but be ready for it. This is something that we designed to challenge, but also award, all you Italian Food Lovers!

So, back to blogging! We are very excited about it, we hope you are happy too!!!

I think that Leigh has done a good enough job discussing the details of Olive Oil and its production. Now I’d like to talk about how to use DOP Extra Virgin Olive Oils in a culinary setting.

There are two major distinctions I draw when using DOP Olive Oils in the kitchen. First, I taste each oil I am going to use and I create a history for each. I also like to know where the oil comes from and what olives it is composed of. Both of these ‘tests’ helps me understand how to use the Olive Oil.

For example, if the oil is fruity, velvety and smooth, I will use it most likely for salad dressings, traditional Ligurian Pesto, or when I plate a fish dish at the last moment. In other words, fruitier olive oils don’t get cooked, since I feel that the change of flavor they take on when they’re cooked can ruin the overall complexity of the olive taste.

A great example of a fruity olive oil like our Riviera dei Fiori Extra-Virgin Olive Oil DOP, which is made from Taggiasca olives.
I do make an exception to the rule with this olive oil, however: the only time I’ll use this oil to cook or bake is when I make traditional Ligurian flatbread Farinata (different from Focaccia, and made with chickpea flour. Eccellente!)

On the other hand, there are some olive oils that I would only use when making a pasta sauce, or when I am grilling meats. Their complexity and flavor is opened up further when they are heated. I call these complex Olive Oils “heat activated” because I can notice a distinct difference in their flavor after cooking with them. Many of these oils come from Tuscany or Puglia and are composed of Frantoio and Moraiolo olives.

They can be noted for their peppery flavors, and are perfect with heavier pasta sauces, artichoke dishes and traditional Tuscan pork roasts. Again I make an exception here: I like to add these DOP “heat activated” oils to one cold dish – Prosciutto e Melone. The pepper flavor really works well here.

Of course, cooking and using oils is really a personal decision, so depending on what flavors you like in your salad, pasta, meat and cheese dishes, you can tailor your oil use accordingly. I advise my students to taste a few oils before settling on one or two to use on a regular basis.

Academia Barilla has lots of Extra-Virgin DOP Olive Oils to choose from and to cook with. You can view our online catalog of Olive Oils here, and buy the Italian DOP olive oils that best match your gourmet cooking style.

Until next time, keep things well-oiled!

Meet Academia Barilla’s Italian Culinary Specialists tomorrow January 20 at the Italian Day Feast organized by Chef Central in Hartsdale, NY.

Last Chef central’s Italian Day Feast in Paramus, NJ, was a great day, and we look forward to seeing many Italian food lovers tomorrow at the Italian Day Feast in Hartsdale, too.

Check out this picture from last week - our Italian Culinary Specialist and Tasting Host Rosario Procino has literally run out of all our delicious regional Italian salami.

Also our free tasting of Parmigiano-Reggiano, traditional Pecorino Gran Cru, and other Italian cheeses, that we served with our delicious artisan compotes, was in high demand all day from Paramus’ Italian food lovers. We’ll definitely bring plenty of all our gourmet specialties tomorrow in Hartsdale!!!

Come see us not only for great Italian food tasting, but also to get free culinary tips all day - we’ll also love to hear from you how do you use Italian gourmet products in your kitchen! Share with us your Italian gourmet experience! (by the way, you can always leave us a comment at the bottom of this page).

At the Italian Day Feast in Hartsdale we’ll have also a top selection of the Academia Barilla’s Italian regional DOP products, such as extra-virgin DOP olive oils, traditional balsamic vinegars, and more gourmet surprises.

You will be able to buy products and take them with you at home or, if you are a Chef, a gourmet restaurant owner, or a fine food distributor in the North-East, you can have a chat with Rosario to secure your regular professional provisioning of top Italian gourmet specialties.

Come to the Italian Day Feast Saturday January 20 in Hartsdale, NY. Demo and tastings begin at 11 a.m. and finish at 3 p.m.

Cannot make it to Hartsdale? You can always find our Italian gourmet products available online at the Academia Barilla online store! And if you want to get in touch with Rosario and the Academia Barilla US nationwide team of Italian Culinary Specialists, you can call the toll-free number 866-772-2233 from the United States.

Another Parmigiano recipe for you Italian food lovers, after my previous one (did you already try the Risotto in Bianco?), and Leigh’s exploration of the king of cheeses: Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Here in Parma we love Parmigiano-Reggiano so much, that we keep inventing always new ways to enjoy it, and explore its delicious taste.

Have you ever had Parmesan Ice Cream? Here in Parma we love Gelato di Parmigiano, you can surely find it at any top gelateria and gourmet restaurant in town.

Or you can make it at home, because this is also an idea for a simple dessert recipe that will surprise your Italian food lovers friends at the end of your lunch or dinner. It requires quite a long preparation, but the process is easy. Here we go.

GELATO DI PARMIGIANO
(Gelato of Parmigiano-Reggiano)

Makes 3 cups

INGREDIENTS

- 1½ cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 5 cups whole milk
- 3 extra-large egg yolks (or 4 medium ones)
- a pinch of salt
- freshly grated black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream

PREPARATION

Pour four of the five cups of milk in a glass bowl, and mix the freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano in. Leave the Parmigiano soaking in milk for about one hour.

Pour the content of the bowl into a medium-size casserole, and keep it at medium heat. Use a wooden spoon to stir constantly, so to keep the Parmigiano from sticking to the bottom of the casserole.

Simmer for two minutes. Line a strainer with heavy cheesecloth or paper towels, and place it over another bowl or crockery.

Pour the contents of the casserole onto the cheesecloth and let drain completely for about one hour, after which you can discard the gummy residue of cheese on the strainer.

This residue will have lost the flavor of years of aging, and will taste like the fresh curd of Parmigiano, while the Parmigiano flavor is now passed to the drained milk. Before going to the next step, make sure that there are no cheese grains in the liquid of the bowl.

Add the three egg yolks to the drained liquid to prepare a custard cream following the next instructions: place the egg yolks in a glass bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and use a wooden spoon to mix the egg yolks until they turn much lighter in color. Add the liquid and stir again.

If you don’t have a double boiler you can simply pour some water into a medium-size casserole wide enough to insert a copper or metal bowl to serve as the bottom of the double-boiler, and set it over medium heat.

Transfer the custard cream mixture to the top of the double boiler, and cook until you will see a loose cream start forming. At this point, transfer the cream into a crockery bowl, and let stand until completely cool.

Pour the cold custard cream in a bowl with the remaining cup of whole milk and the cup of heavy cream, churn for fifteen minutes, transfer the gelato to a plastic container, and freeze it for about three hours.

Serve in frozen glass bowls with a peppermint leave as decoration, or even with one or two drops of traditional Balsamic Vinegar from Modena for maximum gourmet effect, or simply enjoy it old-school with a spoon out of your favorite bowl or cup.

Enjoy your Gelato of Parmigiano-Reggiano!

Remember that you can always buy authentic Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano DOP at the Academia Barilla gourmet online store, we even have the entire wheel available!

Well, you don’t need that much for a Gelato di Parmigiano, unless you are a Chef and you have to cater to a big party… but you can also buy smaller cuts of Parmigiano to make this delicious dessert or for your gourmet pleasure.

I’ll post soon on Italian Food Lovers more traditional an innovative recipes from Parma, so stay tuned. Next week we’ll be exploring all the culinary secrets for making pasta at home, of course Parma-style!!!