Italian Food Lovers

We have been asked to publish more info about the Giada de Laurentiis and Academia Barilla event in New York City, so we managed to get more pictures and the dinner menu, designed by celebrity Chef Giada De Laurentiis.

The evening, organized in conjunction with Fancy Food NY, officially launched the new celebrity gourmet food line Giada de Laurentiis Selected by Academia Barilla, a series of authentic Italian food specialties you don’t want to miss in your Everyday Italian cuisine.

The guests at the Astra Lounge, the exclusive NYC penthouse, had the pleasure to taste a number of dishes prepared using the new Giada De Laurentiis product line. Giada’s NY menu was definitely tempting, with innovative recipes such as:

Artichoke Pesto on Ciabatta
Parmesan Popovers (you can find the recipe here)
Whole-Wheat Penne with Green Beans, Ricotta and Lemon
Balsamic Chicken Skewers
Grilled Swordfish with Lemon, Mint and Basil
Balsamic Marinated Beef Tenderloin Skewers
Roasted Baby Potatoes with Tuscan Herbs
Anytime Vegetable Salad

The newly-launched gourmet product line designed by Giada De Laurentiis and selected and produced by Academia Barilla, is composed by:

100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil - artisan production from the sunny Southern Italy, this extra virgin olive oil has a subtle and smooth taste, with hints of arugula, artichoke and grass.

Balsamic Vinegar of Modena - a gourmet selection from Modena’s artisan producers, this balsamic vinegar presents a tart fruity taste with hints of raisin and red apple.

Natural Sea Salt with Fresh Lemon Zest - hand harvested from famous salt pans in Sicily’s seaside town of Trapani, this natural sea salt is enhanced with zest of fresh local Sicilian lemons.

Giada’s Tuscan Herb Mix - an aromatic mix of wild rosemary, sage, bay leaf, basil, marjoram, thyme, wild fennel and chili pepper. Hand harvested and dried in small batches on a Tuscan estate.

The entire product line is available at the best gourmet food store in the United States, and also online at the Academia Barilla online store, just follow the links above to get to each product!

Academia Barilla Italian Culinary Specialist and Iron Chef Judge Mario Rizzotti is back on TV for another educational session on how to recognize authentic traditional Italian cheeses from fakes.

TV Host Vince Gerasole invited Mario Rizzotti for a special extra insight on CBS2 Chicago’s popular food show Table for Two. You can watch the entire video segment from the TV show at this link - we couldn’t embed it, but we got some screenshots for you, and we can summarize the Italian food insight and tips shared by Mario Rizzotti at the show.

Mario started presenting Parmigiano Reggiano, the king of cheeses, as something totally different from what you get “in the green can”, as asked by Vince Gerasole. Parmigiano Reggiano, tells Rizzotti, has more than 900 years of history, as recorded by historic menus and publications. Parmigiano Reggiano is entirely made of specially-fed cows in the area of Parma, and shouldn’t be confused with “Parmesan cheese“, a sort of mass production product for the export markets.

To recognize the authentic Parmigiano Reggiano, as Mario Rizzotti reminds, it is enough to check the external part of the wheel, that must feature the “Parmigiano Reggiano” original print all around.

But the major revelation about the authenticity of the product comes with the tasting. Parmigiano Reggiano must be cut into blocks (chunks) to fully appreciate its crunchiness and sandiness, the latter created by the amino-acids released by the proteins of the high-quality milk used for its production.

The quality of the ingredients and its rich flavor make Parmigiano Reggiano a great choice for many applications: grated or shaved on pasta, as an aperitivo with a glass of wine and, as told by Mario Rizzotti, also as a “munchie” for young babies aged 6 months, because of the good milk, that carries great calcium and protein for kids.

Academia Barilla Italian Culinary Specialist Mario Rizzotti also introduced other Italian regional cheeses, focusing on all the varieties of Pecorino (Romano, Toscano, Sardinian, Sweet), the popular cheese made of sheep’s milk cheese.

To counterbalance the tasting of Parmigiano Reggiano, Mario Rizzotti invited TV Host Vince Gerasole to taste Academia Barilla’s Pecorino Gran Cru, which is the first sheep’s milk cheese produced with the same production technique and aging process used for Parmigiano Reggiano, making it… the king of sheep’s milk cheeses!

You can find Academia Barilla’s Parmigiano Reggiano (both in wedges or as a whole wheel) and Pecorino Gran Cru at the Academia Barilla online store, and at the best gourmet food and specialty stores in the United States.

If you want to catch up with Mario Rizzotti, you have two choices: check your local listing to see him in action as a Judge for Iron Chef America, or meet him in person for an Italian food demo at the Barilla Italian Cooking Weekend at the Chicago Botanic Garden this weekend!

This is definitely the best time of the year to visit the Chicago Botanic Garden. The mild climate, the summer light and the awesome settings of the garden’s landscapes surely invite for a day of nature exploration and discovery, long walks, bike rides, or to enjoy one of the many learning workshops and events offered by the Chicago Botanic Garden.

This is also the time of the year when, among the other events and attractions, the Botanic Garden also presents the Garden Chef Series, a lineup of top Chefs with a full calendar of cooking demos every Saturday and Sunday starting the last week of may, and closing the first week of October.

Barilla America, the presenting sponsor for the 2008 Garden Chef Series, will showcase the Barilla Italian Cooking Weekend, a weekend of Italian cooking programs and special giveaways at the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden this Saturday, July 26 and Sunday, July 27. Barilla USA and Academia Barilla sponsored also last year’s edition of the Garden Chef Series - you might remember our blog posts from last year’s edition.

This year, Barilla USA Executive Chef Lorenzo Boni, Academia Barilla Italian Culinary Specialist Mario Rizzotti, the participating Chicago top Chefs and their respective teams, will give demonstrations using fresh Italian ingredients such as those found in the Fruit & Vegetable Garden.

Among the participating Chefs is Chef Doug D’Avico, who is already participating in our Italian Food Lovers Chef Network.

In addition to plant and recipe giveaways, the Barilla Italian Cooking Weekend will offer family activities and tastings of gourmet olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pasta, traditional Italian cheeses and other Italian gastronomy delights.

The event is free but seating is limited, so please make sure to arrive early.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is easy to find, located approximately 20 miles north of Chicago at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, Illinois. Google Map below for driving directions.

We have already received a number of gourmet recipes from the Chefs of the Barilla Italian Cooking Weekend that we will be sure to share with you after the event.

So be ready for yummy dishes and top Chef tips for the preparation of Farfalle Piccolini Salad, Sautéed Wild Mushroom Bruschetta, Crescenza Ravioli with Parmigiano Reggiano and Truffle butter sauce, Lobster Bread Salad, Chicken Parmesan with Campanelle Pasta and more - all on our Italian Food Lovers blog, stay tuned!

New summer wine classes and updates from our friends at Learn About Wine, a good opportunity to discover wine culture or just enjoy a wine tasting event in the great Los Angeles Area and in Southern California.

After the successful TASTE Italy event at the D+D Museum at LACMA in LA few weeks ago, today July 11 Learn About Wine propose the second TASTE evening: TASTE Paso Robles & BBQ at A+D Museum with LACMA, time 7-9:30PM, entrance $55. More info here.

Academia Barilla Italian Culinary Specialist Francesco Zimone, who is often present for food demos at the events organized by Learn About Wine, sent us a full summer schedule of Wine Tasting Classes and events in LA and Southern California organized by Learn About Wine, so make sure to mark a few of these dates down:

7/13 Sunday School: Palate Builder, 3-5:15PM, $75. More info here.

7/19 Vintage Burgundy in Orange County, 2-4:00PM, $125. More info here.

7/20 Sunday School: Vintage Burgundy, 3-5:15PM, $125. More info here.

7/26 “STARS of France” at Two Rodeo, 7-10:00PM, $140. More info here.

7/27 Wine Business 101 - “I Want to Work in the Wine Business!”, 3-5:15PM, $129. More info here.

8/1 TASTE Sonoma at A+D Museum with LACMA, 7-9:30PM, $55. More info here.

8/3 Wine Camp - Intro to Wine, 3-5:30PM, $50. More info here.

FOUR SUNDAY SESSIONS - L.A.W. School, Aug. 10th, 17th, 24th & 31st, $400. More info here.

8/16 Vintage Champagne at Josie Restaurant, 3-5:15PM, $175. More info here.

8/23 “STARS of California” at Two Rodeo, 7-10:00PM, $140. More info here.

8/30 Vintage Cult at Bill Lowe Gallery, 4-6:00 PM, $190. More info here.

9/5 TASTE ABC & Tango, 7-9:30PM, $55. More info here.

9/6 Rosenthal Malibu Estate Tour - Members First Ticket Access until July 15. More info here.

9/7 Wine Camp - Intro to Wine, 3-5:30PM, $50. More info here.

9/14 Sunday School - Top Wines of Paso Robles, 3-5:15PM, $75. More info here.

9/18 Vintage Bordeaux at Bill Lowe Gallery, 3-5:15PM, $95 (price subject to changes). More info here. 

9/21 Sunday School: Wine, Cheese & Chocolate, 3-5:15 PM, $59. More info here.

9/28 Vintage Pinot Noir at STK, 4-6:00PM, $95* (price subject to changes). More info here.

For more info, sign up and booking, you get directly in touch with Learn About Wine through their website, or just give them a ring at +1 (310) 451-7600.

The perfect companion drink for the crispy Parmigiano Flatbread just introduced by Chef Tony Mantuano? According to wine expert Cathy Mantuano, Tony’s wife and also co-author of the cookbook Wine Bar Food, is the Bellini Cocktail, an Italian classic.

Today Cathy Mantuano will teach us how to make the perfect Bellini cocktail - not only, she also give us a great tip on how to make little changes to the original recipe to prepare also Rossini and Tiziano cocktails!

We know you are going to love all of them, so go ahead and enjoy the three cocktails, just please remember to drink responsibly. Wine expert Cathy Mantuano suggest to serve these cocktails at brunch, or at cocktail hours.

BELLINI COCKTAIL
A cocktail recipe by wine expert Cathy Mantuano
(makes 1 cocktail)

WINE EXPERT NOTES AND TIPS

This sparkling wine drink, invented at the famous Harry’s Bar in Venice, is made there with white peach juice, though yellow peach juice would also be delicious.

INGREDIENTS

- 2 ounces chilled peach juice or peach nectar
- 4 ounces chilled Prosecco or other dry sparkling wine

PREPARATION

In a champagne flute, combine the juice and the wine.

ROSSINI COCKTAIL

To make this fruity sparkling wine drink, substitute strawberry juice for the peach juice.

TIZIANO COCKTAIL

Perfect for fall, this refreshing cocktail substitutes Concord grape juice for the peach juice.

Thanks Cathy, and cheers to all Italian Food Lovers!

Remember that today, July 2, wine expert Cathy Mantuano and her husband and cookbook co-writer Chef Tony Mantuano have a book signing and demo beginning at 2 p.m. as part of the Taste of Chicago event. They will be located outside the Zagat pavilion signing copies and showcasing recipes from Wine Bar Food, their latest cookbook. Can’t miss this!

Just a final note from the Italian Food Lovers blog team, as you know we live and breath food culture but we also love Italian culture overall. Did you know that the cocktails are named after three major Italian artists?

When the famous Harry’s Bar in Piazza San Marco, Venice (Venezia, not LA), created the Bellini cocktail, it was dedicated to Venetian Renaissance painter and Maestro Giovanni Bellini, while the Tiziano cocktail is named after another Venetian Reinassance painter, Tiziano Vecelli (Titian).

The Rossini cocktail honors a more recent artist, the Italian opera composer and Maestro Gioacchino Rossini, the author of famous operas such as The Barber of Seville (Il Barbiere di Sivilla), William Tell (Guillaume Tell) and Tancredi. Maestro Rossini was born in Pesaro and not in Venice, but has performed a lot in Venice, granting him the honor of a virtual Venice honorary citizenship and… naming a great cocktail!

These final images are taken from Wikipedia and so are the links, that we invite you to explore to get to know more about the three Italian Maestros. Maybe while sipping their drinks!