Italian Food Lovers

This is part 4, and the last post in our series of virtual gastronomy tour articles that follow the program of the 6-day Academia Barilla VIP gastronomy tour to Emilia-Romagna, guided and organized by Academia Barilla Culinary School Alumni Frank DiMaria.

Thursday, September 25, is day five in the VIP gastronomy tour. After breakfast, the tour guests will enjoy an amazing half day gourmet tour to the largest city and capital of Emilia Romagna: Bologna.

Bologna’s historic centre, Europe’s second largest (after Venice) according to Wikipedia, contains a wealth of important Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque artistic monuments.

Gastronomy tour guide Frank DiMaria will lead the tour guests to the discovery of ancient culinary traditions, starting with a guided tour at the Medieval market where tour participants will explore the history, art and traditions of Bologna.

Among the highlights of the Bologna tour, the visit to a traditional bakery and pasta maker to learn about the history of tortellini and tagliatelle, and to one of the most traditional Salsamenterias, to discover secrets in the history of mortadella-making, from the third century BC up to modern times.

More culinary explorations of Bologna will reveal other secrets, such as those learnt during the visit to a traditional chocolate maker who actually invented solid chocolate, and those revealed by a lunch at a typical Bolognese downtown osteria, where to enjoy the fun-loving side and the love for food of the oldest university city in the western world, before returning to Parma for a group dinner and special end-of-tour event at the Academia Barilla Culinary Center.

Tour details may be subject to variations, so we suggest to read our blog post with complete program and tour details and to get in touch with Frank DiMaria for latest news and updates on this Academia Barilla VIP gastronomy tour.

Reach Frank on the phone by calling +1 847 965-0672 or +1 847 417-7587, or via email at frankdimaria@comcast.net.

Note: pictures in this blog post have been found on Google Images.

See you in Parma soon!

Day three of the Academia Barilla VIP gastronomy tour to Emilia-Romagna, Parma and the Italian Food Valley, organized and guided by Chicago’s Academia Barilla Culinary School Alumni Frank DiMaria, is gourmet day, and of course we continue our virtual discovery of the Italian Food Valley, and we take you to the places of the gastronomy tour to show you around.

As from the VIP gastronomy tour program, the first highlight of day three is the visit to a local Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese artisanal producer right outside Parma. Here is a note by Frank DiMaria about the guided visit:

Visiting a “Caseificio” is like going back in time. Parmigiano-Reggiano actually has very old origins and today, like 8 centuries ago, Parmigiano-Reggiano is still made following the same traditional and genuine method. The “King of the cheeses” is made from the best milk, from the fire, and from the ability of the “cheese masters” experienced hands..

Next stop of the gastronomy tour will be a guided visit to Prosciutto di Parma producer, another unmissable Parma food culture discovery for Italian food lovers!

Along the way, there will be a “pictures time” at the romantic Castle of Torrechiara, one of the most spectacular Medieval castles as well as the one with the greatest number of visitors in the province of Parma, that houses musical events in summer.

Lunchtime in the Parma countryside, how good is that?

After the food producers Frank DiMaria will lead the tour guests to a local Parma winery and wine cellar, remember to “taste” responsibly, or you won’t make it through the rest of the day! 

After the visit to the wine cellar the group will proceed for lunch to a nearby Casale (countryside mansion), that includes a rich tasting session with typical local food products as antipasto.

Immediately after lunch the gastronomy tour will leave the Parma area to enter the province of Modena for the visit to the Ferrari Museum. The Galleria Ferrari is divided into four areas, each capable of satisfying the expectations of competition fans and those passionate about classic cars with Formula 1 and Ferrari memorabilia, themed exhibitions, technological innovations and photographic shows.

While in the Modena area, the gastronomic tour couldn’t have missed the visit to an authentic Acetaia of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena.

We visited a couple of acetaias for you at the beginning of last year and you can find several info, pictures and videos on our blog on the history of Balsamic, its aging process and traditions in balsamic vinegar making. We also published a blog post with plenty of pictures from the Acetaia, enjoy!

Of course the in-person, guided experience is more intense than reading a blog post, and Frank DiMaria will help you discover first hand all the century-old secrets of the production, aging and tasting of the Modena elisir.

A note from Frank about the Traditional Balsamic of Modena’s production process:

When time means preciousness! This is a real Jewel for all gourmets; unique from all other vinegar based condiments because it is produced directly from grape juice.

Traditionally, white and sugary grapes are used, locally harvested. The grapes are crushed and the “must” is then slowly boiled in open vats over fire. The liquid is then placed in wooden barrels and through an oxidation process over several years it is transformed into vinegar.

It has fluid and syrup like consistency, offers full and rich flavour and a distinct sharp and unmistakable but pleasantly acid fragrance with a dark brown color, yet full of warm light.

Wow, such an intense gourmet day, and it is not over yet! After discovering the secrets of Balsamic Vinegar, Frank DiMaria will take the VIP tour guest for dinner at one of the best gourmet restaurant of the area, famous for the use of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar in culinary creations.

Tour program details may be subject to variations - see the program and tour details on our blog but please verify directly with Frank DiMaria for latest news and updates on this Academia Barilla VIP gastronomy tour.

You can reach Frank by calling +1 847 965-0672 or +1 847 417-7587, or emailing him at frankdimaria@comcast.net.

Next blog post for this Academia Barilla VIP gastronomy virtual tour: let’s visit Bologna, the capital of Emilia-Romagna!

Second episode of our “virtual gastronomic tour” that follows the agenda of the Academia Barilla Gastronomic VIP Tour to Emilia-Romagna organized and guided by Academia Barilla Culinary School Alumni Frank DiMaria.

After exploring Parma’s locations and initiatives included in the gastronomic tour with a previous post, today we will discover all the learning, teamworking and fun moments the tour guest will enjoy at the Academia Barilla Culinary Center.

Located right in front of the 5-star hotel where the tour guest will stay in Parma, the Academia Barilla Culinary Center will be like a second home in Parma for the VIP tour participants.

On Monday, September 22, day two of the VIP gastronomic tour, the first learning and fun moment at Academia Barilla is guaranteed. After breakfast, tour guests will be welcomed to Academia Barilla with a guided tour of the Culinary Center and the first hands-on cooking session in the morning, that ends with a group lunch based on the gourmet dishes cooked together.

Two days later, after discovering Parma, the Italian Food Valley with all its century-old food culture secrets (artisan food production, Medieval castles, the culinary culture and food specialties of Modena and Bologna) and right after a morning walking trip to the local outdoor market, a second hands-on cooking class at the Academia will focus on a menu that includes all the traditional gastronomy products discovered during the entire VIP gastronomic tour.

The group lunch in Academia Barilla that follows will be prepared by the tour participants, more food fun after the food learning!

Academia Barilla will be stage for a “farewell event” with group dinner also on the evening of day five of the 6-day VIP gastronomic tour, with a gourmet dinner menu prepared by the Chefs of the Academia Barilla Culinary Center the tour guest have known in the previous days.

We cannot really synthesize in a blog post the experience of learning how to cook, how to taste traditional food products and enjoying top gourmet food at Academia Barilla, you really have to experience it directly.

In case you missed an article we published a couple of weeks ago, did you know that Gourmet magazine just listed the Academia Barilla Culinary Center in Parma among the world’s best cooking school, ranking our Culinary Center among the top 5 schools in the world for the category “Luxury cooking schools“?

Also, there may be the chance you will be interviewed for our blog about your experience at Academia Barilla and with the VIP gastronomy tour, as we will be there too! You could end up also being a testimonial for our Italian Food Lovers blog! See you soon in Parma at the Academia Barilla Culinary Center!

Remember that the tour program may be subject to variations - check out the program and tour details published here and just stay tuned with Frank DiMaria for latest news and updates on this Academia Barilla VIP gastronomy tour. For more info and booking call Frank at +1 847 965-0672 or +1 847 417-7587, or email him at frankdimaria@comcast.net.

Next blog post for this series: artisan food producers, a Medieval castle and the Ferrari Museum!

Here is the full program of the 6-day Academia Barilla VIP gastronomy tour of Parma, Bologna and Emilia-Romagna organized and guided by Academia Barilla Culinary Center Alumni Frank DiMaria.

Remember that tour dates are September 21-26, so you better call soon for your reservations. For more info and booking call Frank DiMaria at +1 847 965-0672 or +1 847 417-7587, or email him at frankdimaria@comcast.net.

Day one - Sunday, September 21

Arrival in Milano Malpensa. Pick up with private bus and transfer to Parma
Check in at Grand Hotel de la Ville (5-star) and relaxing time

06:00 PM - Evening welcoming “aperitivo” at the lounge bar of the hotel

07:15 PM - Group dinner in an authentic local well-known Parma Pizzeria

Day two - Monday, September 22

09:30 AM - After breakfast, welcoming to Academia Barilla
Tour of the culinary center
Morning cooking session
Lunch of what we cooked together

04:30 PM - Walking guided tour of the city centre of the town

07:30 PM - The tour will be concluded in a delightful local restaurant

Day three - Tuesday, September 23

08:30 AM - After breakfast, departure for a visit to a Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese producer

To follow, visit to a Prosciutto di Parma producer
Along the way, pictures’ time at the romantic Castle of Torrechiara

12:30 PM - Visit to a wine cellar, tasting of typical products and lunch

02:30 PM - Transfer to the province of Modena for the visit to the Ferrari Museum

06:00 PM - Visit to an authentic Acetaia of Balsamic Vinegar

08:00 PM - Dinner at one of the best restaurant of the area, famous for the use of traditional balsamic vinegar

Day four - Wednesday, September 24

09:00 AM - After breakfast, walking trip to the local outdoor market

To follow: cooking session at the Academia Barilla Culinary Center with concentration on the products viewed on the gourmet tour

01.30 PM - Lunch at Academia Barilla

Afternoon and evening: free time to relax, individual visits and shopping.
Dinner on your own (not included)

Day five - Thursday, September 25

08:30 AM - After breakfast, departure for an amazing half day gourmet tour to the largest city of Emilia Romagna: Bologna (08:30 AM - 02:30 PM)

Guided tour round the medieval market in Downtown Bologna
Visit to traditional bakery and pasta makers
Visit to mortadella producers and traditional chocolate makers
Lunch in a typical Bolognese osteria

Afternoon: visit to the Ferrari Museum
Evening: farewell group dinner and event at the Academia Barilla Culinary Center

Day six - Friday, September 26

Pick up from the Hotel and transfer to the Airport.

Note: the program may be subject to some modifications - just stay tuned with Frank DiMaria at the contacts above for latest news and updates on this Academia Barilla VIP gastronomy tour.