Last week the Auditorium of the Academia Barilla Culinary School in Parma, Italy, has been theater of a gala event at the crossroad between movie culture and food culture: the Academia Barilla Short Film Festival Awards - Premio Academia Barilla 2008.

Academia Barilla hosted the 4th Edition of the special Gastronomic section of the Brescello Short Film Festival, that awards short films directors who tell stories about food through a short film. The section is named “Kitchen Stories” and feature special award prizes from Academia Barilla.

The gala evening at the Auditorium started at around 9.30 with a brief welcome introduction by Academia Barilla President Gianluigi Zenti, here pictured while awarding the First Prize winner Christian Carmosiano.

Gianluigi Zenti pointed out that “cinema gifted us in time with many images that made it into the history of Italian and international gastronomic culture”. The screening of the awarded films has been introduced by Virginio Dall’Aglio, President of the Brescello Film Festival, supported by TV Parma news presenter Francesca Strozzi and Filiberto Molossi, a journalist from the local newspaper Gazzetta di Parma.

The Winners of the 2008 Academia Barilla Awards are:

First Prize - La zuppa di pietra
Direction Christian Carmosino (Rome)
Production Year: 2007 - Time: 14’

Synopsis: Once upon a time there was a wanderer.. who roving from one village to the other, used to prepare a special soup. The main ingredient.. a simple magic stone, capable of knocking down the barriers of indifference and the fear towards strangers.
This short film narrates in an ironic way the origin of the famous recipe of Acquacotta, the renowned soup diffused in all central Italy.

Second Prize - Bellissimi
Direction Davide Vanni (Vobarno, Brescia)
Production Year: 2008 - Time: 18’

Synopsis: Few kilometers away from the port of Imperia, Liguria, immersed among the hills covered by olive trees, there is the minuscule village, Bellissimi. At the end of the summer, when the tourists begin to leave, something marvelous happens here.
Renzo, the last builder of hot-hair paper balloons, prepare the new ones which will color the sky during the celebration of Misericordia, the first Sunday of September. While women are up to the preparation of bread and spinach cake following the old traditions.

Third Prize - Dulcis in fundo
Direction Davide Abate (Pisa)
Production Year: 2007 - Time: 2’30’’

Synopsis: Dancing hands molding a special cake in a symphony of senses. 2 minutes of rhythm, sensuality and movement.

Special Mention - Filastrocca appetitosa
Out of competition
Direction, screenplay and photography: 5th grade school kids from the Primary School “Salvemini” of Turin.
Production Year: 2003 - Time: 2’18’’

Synopsis: A funny nursery rhyme which illustrates the correct principles for a good nutrition, a basic element for a harmonious and healthy life.

The Academia Barilla Short Film Festival Gala Awards has been delighted also by the Chef team of the Academia Barilla Culinary School who prepared special gourmet finger food for the gala participants, and also engaged in the preparation of nitrogen ice cream, a special recipe to make ice cream in a very short time: it takes only few minutes and the result presents very fresh and genuine flavor.

Just some picture of this nitrogen ice cream chef demo for now, but we promise you that we will soon inquire with our Chef, and will try to get you the nitrogen ice cream secret before summertime!

If you want to see the trailers of the three award-winning short films, check out this page at the Repubblica Parma website.

Millefoglie is the Italian version of the French pastry Mille-feuille, meaning “thousand leaves” which is a layered cake which can be filled in delicious several ways.

As described by the Wikipedia, other names for Millefoglie around the world are Mille-feuille (French), Napoleon (U.S.), vanilla slice, cream slice or custard slice (Commonwealth), all to describe a pastry made of several layers of puff pastry alternating with a sweet filling, typically pastry cream, whipped cream or jam. You can find the dessert name also written as “millefeuille” and “mille feuille“.

At the Academia Barilla Culinary School we thought this could be a perfect gourmet dessert to celebrate Mother’s Day, so we asked Chef Matteo Carboni to share with us the recipe, and also to prepare the dessert for us, so we could have some pictures, too (that, by the way, we uploaded also on Wikipedia).

We also took a small video of the preparation, available on YouTube and other video spaces, and of course embedded also here below in this post.

Ready for the recipe? Let’s go to the kitchen!

STRAWBERRY AND CHANTILLY MILLEFOGLIE
(serves 4)

INGREDIENTS

- puff pastry, 1 pound
- chantilly cream, 1 pound
- strawberries, 1/2 pound
- sugar (for decoration), to taste
- icing sugar (for decoration), to taste

INGREDIENTS FOR THE PASTRY CREAM

- fresh cream, 1.7 oz
- milk, 10 oz fl
- egg yolks, 2
- sugar, 1.7 oz
- white flour, 0.7 oz
- vanilla stick, 1/2

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Unfold 1 puff pastry sheet and gently roll out into a piece of 12 inches with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface.

Put it into a large baking sheet, previously buttered and prick all over with a fork. Trim edges of pastry with a knife.

Cut each sheet into rectangular of 3 x 1.5 inches. Sprinkle sugar on and then bake the sheet in the heated oven at 350° F until pastry is puffed and golden (approx 15 minutes).

Let it cool on racks. Aside, prepare the Chantilly Cream.

Boil the milk. Whisk egg yolks and sugar, add the flour and keep mixing.

Pour in part of the hot milk in order to obtain a smooth cream. Aromatize with vanilla stick and add the remaining milk very slowly.

Cook over moderate heat and keep mixing until thickened. Then let it cool quickly.

Whip the cream and add it to the Chantilly Cream.

In the serving plate , spread over one puff pastry cake base, part of the cooled pastry cream.

Cover it with a second puff pastry cake base.

Decorate the top and the plate with cubed strawberries, and icing sugar.

Check out our video below for more preparation details!

CHEF TIPS

Add few drops of Academia Barilla Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena aged 25 years on the top for maximum gourmet results. You can easily find it at our online store.

Happy Mother’s Day from Academia Barilla and Italian Food Lovers!

Do you remember the book Parma, a Capital of Italian Gastronomy, by celebrity Chef and cookbook writer Giuliano Bugialli?

We quote the cookbook very often on our blog not only because Chef Bugialli is a good friend of Academia Barilla, but also because the cookbook itself is published from Academia Barilla Editions, and is available at the Academia Barilla online store.

Chef Bugialli’s cookbook won last year the Gourmand World Cookbook Award 2007 in the Best Italian Corporate Book category, and this year has been shortlisted for Best in the World in the Gourmand Awards, same category Best Corporate Book, this time global.

The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards is an initiative launched at the Frankfurt Book Fair for the first time in 1995. After more than 10 years the Awards, annual celebration of “those who cooks with words”, has become one of the most important events in the industry, gathering a crowd of professionals from all over the world in cookbook business, including several universities and cookbook libraries.

Since 1999 there has been an awards category for books on Italian cooking. This year in London there were 845 cookbooks from 107 countries competing in 40 categories for Best in the World.

The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards are big especially in Europe, but are very relevant also around the world. In 2006 the awards visited Kuala Lumpur and the year after moved to Beijing. Last April 13 the 2008 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards were held in London, UK.

Chef Bugialli’s Parma cookbook is a great book to discover both the gourmet and the cultural souls of Parma, the Capital of the Italian Food Valley. Rich in content as well as recipes, the cookbook is also illustrated by great photos (including all the images in this blog post) by photographer Andy Ryan.

Unfortunately, Giuliano Bugialli’s cookbook didn’t make it for the final award gala at London’s Olympia Theatre, the competition was tough with other very good 12 books from other counties in the same category.

Nevertheless, Academia Barilla has been awarded for the work carried on by BIGAB, Academia Barilla’s Gastronomic Library in Parma. As Gourmand World Cookbook Awards Vice President Bo Masser said:

“The creation of the Gastronomic Library of Academia Barilla and the mission of Academia Barilla are very impressive“.

The Jury honored Academia Barilla with a “Special Award” and the following mention:

“The work of Academia Barilla in Parma is very important. It deserves this award with International recognition for its leadership for understanding and taking action for world culinary culture“.

Wow, that’s a huge honor!

Please join the Italian Food Lovers blogging team in a standing ovation for the fellows at the Academia Barilla Gastronomic Library: good job, BIGAB! Compliments!

And compliments to Chef Giuliano Bugialli too for the Italian Gourmand Cookbook Award won last year!

Are you an olive oil virgin? Do you really know your balsamic? Are you ready to move past your salad days (well, at least for these two great condiments!)?

Join Academia Barilla Italian Culinary Specialist and Iron Chef Judge Mario Rizzotti on Monday April 21 at the Grovewood Tavern and Wine Bar in Cleveland, Ohio, for an evening of deep insight and gourmet tasting where you will learn how to distinguish real Italian products from the fakes.

Participants will learn how to taste extra virgin olive oil and Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena the professional way. More to it, the ingredients are matched to a yummy 5-course dinner where you can experience the ingredients “in action”!

The ingrediends and dishes on the Grove Tavern menu:

100% Italian Unfiltered EVOO From Sicily, made from Cerasuola and Nocellara del Belice olives. Medium fruitiness, with very fresh aromas, showing strong undertones of green grass, pachino tomatoes and oregano.
Course One - Antipasto Salumi Misti and Mozzarella di Bufala drizzled with Academia Barilla 100% Unfiltered EVOO from Sicily.

Balsamic Must of Modena, aged 8 years The luscious aromas of the Modena grapes and the sophistication of barrel-aged vinegar blend into a unique product that contains all the richness of a Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena and the full-bodied texture of the honey-like grape must.
Course Two - Primo piatto Risotto with Amarone and radicchio, in Parmesan cup, drizzled with balsamic must, aged 8 years.

100% Italian EVOO From Italy, made from a blend of traditional Italian olive varietals. Delicate intensity, with fresh olive flavors and a well-rounded body.
3 year old Balsamic Vinegar of Modena From Modena, the aroma and flavor are tangy with hints of fruit and wood; rich and full of oak. The texture is thick, sweet and pungent.
Course Three - Insalata Insalata Tricolore – Belgian endive, radicchio and arugula, served with 100% Italian EVOO and 3 year old balsamic vinegar of Modena.

Chianti Jelly Artisinally produced. The condiment shows a delicate but intense aroma, without wine notes but rich in fragrance. On the palate it is delicate, non-alcoholic, fragranced, soft and with a rounded texture.
Toscano Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) From Tuscany, made from Moraiolo, Leccino, and Frantoio olives. Medium-strong intensity, showing aromas and flavors of herbs, artichoke, green pepper, and olive pulp.
Course Four - Carne Seared Lamb Chop with Chianti Jelly and drizzled with Toscano EVOO, accompanied with penne pasta with yellow squash and balsamic vinegar.

25 year old Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale This exclusive product comes from the ancient cellars in and around Modena. Its all-enveloping flavor and unmatched aroma depend on the meticulous selection of the best local grapes, and on the masterful ageing process which entails numerous transfers of vinegar to small barrels over the 25 year period. This most precious of elixirs shows an intense and captivating aroma and concentrated flavors, with a creamy, dense, remarkably rich texture.
Dessert DOLCE Vanilla gelato with fresh berries, drizzled with 25 year old Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale.

Interested? Then rush to make your reservation by calling +1 (216) 531-4900, as seating is limited and by reservation only. The dinner and tasting price is $40 per person (add wine pairings $24, tax and gratuity not included).

The address to the Grovewood Tavern is 17105 Grovewood Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44110. As usual, we provide you with a useful Google Map for your driving directions.

More Italian Easter recipes for your Easter Day menu. As we told you yesterday, the Easter Dove is one of they key symbols of the Italian Pasqua, both in religious iconography and in holiday food tradition.

Symbolizing both peace and the Holy Spirit, the Dove, has become the shape of the famous traditional Easter cake, Colomba Pasquale (Easter Dove), a classic dessert at any Easter meal in Italy. Here is the recipe for our Italian Food Lovers readers!

Ref: The source of the image above is Iginio Massari and Achille Zoia’s cookbook “Cresci - L’arte della pasta lievitata” (Grow - The art of baking dough), edited by Pavoni, and available at the Academia Barilla Gastronomic Library in Parma, Italy.

COLOMBA PASQUALE
(serves 8-10)

INGREDIENTS - for the dough

- 11.6 oz flour
- 1 oz yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 8 oz of lukewarm milk
- 3 oz butter
- 1.3 sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2.7 oz candy lemon zest finely minced
- 1/2 grated zest of fresh lemon

INGREDIENTS - for the syrup

- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons water

OTHER INGREDIENDS

- flour to the base
- margarine to grease aluminum foil
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 oz sifted powdered sugar
- 1.4 oz peeled almonds
- 2 raisins

PREPARATION

Preheat the oven to 360 °F

For the dough

Place the flour in a large bowl, forming it into a mound. Add the yeast, sugar, 4 oz of lukewarm milk in the middle of the mound and knead the dough.

When completely incorporated, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for 15 minutes so that the dough is puffy.

While the dough is rising, melt the butter in a small pan or microwave it in a microwave safe container. In another small bowl, beat the yolks with the sugar.

When the sugar is completely mixed with the yolks, add the melted butter to the mixture and mix. Add the mixture of the yolks, sugar and butter and the remaining milk and flour to the dough, and continue to knead vigorously until the dough is firm and compact, making sure it is not sticky.

Subsequently, add the fresh lemon zest and candied lemon to the dough, and form a ball. Set aside and let the dough rise for approximately 30 minutes in a warm place.

For the syrup

In a small pot, bring the 2 tablespoons of water and 2 tablespoons of sugar to a boil; remove from heat and let cool.

For the dough

When the dough is ready, divide it in half and make 2 rolls (approximately 7 to 8 inches in size). Shape each roll into a dove. You may also choose to place each roll in a dove-shaped mold.

Cover the dough and let each dove-shaped roll rise for about 20 to 30 minutes until each is double in size. When the dough is ready, brush the surface with the syrup mixture and sift the powdered sugar over the top. Top each dove-shaped roll with almonds, pressing them in slightly.

Add one raisin to each dove-shaped roll in order to make the eyes of the dove. To preserve the shape, wrap the cake with greased aluminum foil. Place the dove-shaped rolls in the preheated oven on the lower rack for 40 minutes.

When ready, gently remove the aluminum foil and allow the Colomba Pasquale cool before serving.

Buon Appetito and again Buona Pasqua from Academia Barilla!