Italian Food Lovers

As we announced earlier, Italian Chef and TV celebrity Giada De Laurentiis sent us a couple of recipes made using ingredients from her new Giada De Laurentiis Selected by Academia Barilla gourmet product line.

We remind you that the products from the Giada De Laurentiis Selected by Academia Barilla food line are now available nationwide in the United States at gourmet and specialty food stores as well as at some of the biggest food market chains - and of course at the Academia Barilla online store.

Here we go with the first one of Giada’s recipes: Giada’s Balsamic Chicken Drumettes. The recipe has been performed by Barilla USA Chef Assistant Yury Krasilovsky, which we thank also for sending us pictures of the preparation step!

GIADA’S BALSAMIC CHICKEN DRUMETTES
A recipe by Giada De Laurentiis
(makes 4 to 6 servings)

INGREDIENTS 

- 1/2 cup Giada’s Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 5 sprigs of rosemary
- 5 cloves garlic, halved
- 10 to 12 chicken drumsticks
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

PREPARATION

Combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, rosemary sprigs, and garlic cloves in a large, re-sealable plastic bag.  Shake and squeeze the contents of the bag to dissolve the honey and the brown sugar.  Add the chicken drumsticks to the bag and seal with as little air as possible in the bag.  Place in the refrigerator and marinate for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the chicken drumsticks on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Bake until the skin is caramelized and very dark in spots, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the marinade in a small saucepan.  Bring the marinade to a boil (in order to kill bacteria).  Reduce the heat to simmer and cook over low heat until thick, about 15 minutes; reserve.  

Brush some of the cooked marinade on the cooked chicken.  Place the chicken on a serving platter.  Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and the chopped parsley.

NOTES AND CHEF TIPS FROM GIADA

I like the subtle rosemary and garlic flavors.  Brushing the cooked drumettes with the reduced marinade helps the flavors along.  Also, re-moistening helps the parsley and the seeds to adhere.

Thank you very much Giada for sharing with us this great recipe and your final Chef tips, and thanks also to Barilla US Chef Assistant Yury Krasilovsky for the exclusive cooking demo for our Italian Food Lovers blog!

We will meet again Chef Krasilovsky next week with another step-by-step preparation of another recipe from Giada De Laurentiis: Giada’s Parmesan Popovers.

Stay tuned!

It is official now - we have been talking about the new Academia Barilla line of Italian gourmet products signed by Italian Chef, cookbook writer and TV celebrity Giada De Laurentiis since last november, as we were very excited about it and couldn’t resist the temptation to anticipate the news (after all, this is a blog, we take some liberties as bloggers generally do).

So we introduced Giada’s product line a few months ago, then we tracked her book signing and other events, such as when Giada was featured as special guest of the month at Crate & Barrel, with a first preview and special limited distribution of the Giada De Laurentiis Selected by Academia Barilla line of Italian gourmet specialties.

Last Sunday June 29 Giada De Laurentiis and Academia Barilla organized a great cocktail party in NY as a collateral event for Fancy Food - don’t worry, we will blog about the event as soon as we get a couple of pictures and some gossip.

The NY event served also as an official Academia Barilla announcement of the nationwide distribution and availability of the new Italian gourmet food line (which is of course available also at the Academia Barilla online store) - a very official announcement, to the point that we broadcasted a press release to officialize the news.

You might have seen our press release online, republished via RSS by blogs and news aggregators who are into Italian food as we are, and now it is with great pleasure that we republish the press release also on our beloved Italian Food Lovers blog. The original version of the release is also available online at PRWeb, for our friends journalists and bloggers who need to download attachments and images.

Here we go (integral text from July 1st press release) -

Academia Barilla and Italian Celebrity Chef and Author Giada De Laurentiis Launch Italian Gourmet Line

Academia Barilla and Emmy nominated Italian celebrity chef and cookbook author Giada De Laurentiis launch a range of co-branded, specialty Italian food items for distribution in gourmet stores nationwide.

Bannockburn, IL (July 1, 2008) — Academia Barilla and Emmy nominated celebrity chef and cookbook author Giada De Laurentiis launch a range of co-branded, specialty food items for distribution in gourmet stores nationwide.

Giada De Laurentiis Selected by Academia Barilla® is Barilla’s first-ever gourmet celebrity product line, and offers food connoisseurs an authentic taste of Italy.  Products include Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, Sicilian Hand-Harvested Sea Salt with Fresh Lemon Zest, and Giada’s Tuscan Herb Mix, all personally selected by De Laurentiis. Giada De Laurentiis Selected by Academia Barilla® will also be available online at the Academia Barilla online store beginning today, July 1, 2008.

Giada De Laurentiis is host of two popular Food Network cooking shows, a co-host of NBC’s Today show, and author of three New York Times best-selling cookbooks, with two and a half million copies in print. Her most recent book, Everyday Pasta, was released in April 2007. A fourth cookbook, Giada’s Kitchen, will be in bookstores nationwide in Fall 2008. She is the granddaughter of famed Italian movie producer Dino De Laurentiis and legendary actress Silvana Mangano. 

Ms. De Laurentiis was the spokesperson for the Barilla Group’s U.S. Pasta division, appearing in print ad campaigns across the country for the past two years. Her ongoing relationship with the company through Academia Barilla is best described as a natural fit, as both are dedicated to the love of traditional Italian cooking with the best products and ingredients available.

As Giada De Laurentiis says, and reports on the back label of all Giada De Laurentiis Selected by Academia Barilla® products, “I was born in Rome, and I grew up in a large Italian family where the culture of food was an integral part of my life. My relationship with Academia Barilla is an obvious one, combining my love for traditional Italian cooking with the best ingredients available“.

About Academia Barilla - (note: we cut the boilerplate off as our readers already know Academia Barilla, but we leave the press contacts for the United States, just in case)

For more information, please contact Ms. Kim Sayid of Academia Barilla at 866.77.ACADEMIA or 847.405.7524. Visit also the Academia Barilla website and our Italian Food Lovers gourmet blog.

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Academia Barilla gets featured again as a must-do when traveling in Italy from Italian cooking website Cooking in Italy, who dedicates a full page to the culinary classes and cooking courses offered at the Academia Barilla Culinary School in Parma, Italy.

As reported by Cooking in Italy:

You will experience regional delicacies, authentic menus, exclusive tastings, one-of-a kind culinary tours to regional Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, Prosciutto Di Parma, Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, olive oil and wine producers to learn the intricacies and traditions of true Italian foods.

You will also be able to explore authentic Italian markets and gourmet stores, observe the cultural street life, and enjoy the wonderful shops, cafes and restaurants that Parma boasts. Instructed by top professional Italian chefs, countless food enthusiasts have been amazed by the prized elements and variety in our program.

We offer full hands-on training, group or individual classes, professional tasting techniques and instruction, authentic menus with specialty recipes and English-Italian translation in our modern, state-of-the art facilities.

Ditto! Still waiting?

Get in touch with Academia Barilla to organize your culinary learning vacation at the Academia Barilla Culinary School.
You can call toll free in the United States at +1 866 772.2233, in Italy at +39 0521 264060, or by email at academiabarillaculinary@barilla-usa.com.

See you in Parma this summer! By the way, if you are planning a culinary tour of Italy, we suggest you read the travel advisory tips offered by Cooking in Italy on their website on “Choosing the right cooking holiday” - among which the latest tip, that goes “Plan as far ahead as possible. Many of the more popular cooking holidays book up quickly!”

Ditto, again!

Celebrate Father’s Day behind the grill. Invite your friends, your neighbors and, most of all, your father for a Mediterranean BBQ that will surely make your dad happier than getting him another tie or pair of socks!

This BBQ recipe has been published this week on the Academia Barilla newsletter, a great news channel that delivers once a month Italian culinary news, recipes and Italian gastronomy culture to thousands of email subscribers - all Italian food lovers should subscribe to it, so here is the direct link to sign up to receive it.

We always have plenty of gourmet content for our blog, so we rarely republish here articles and news already broadcasted by our newsletter. But this month the Mediterranean BBQ recipe is too catchy, and we strongly believe that there isn’t anything better than a BBQ for a family reunion, specially during this nice season.

The Chef Team of the Academia Barilla Culinary School shared with us a barbequing recipe for grilled assorted meats and skewers with a brand new seasoning, Academia Barilla’s Sapori Italiani Herb Mix, the key element that gives the touch of Italian taste to this recipe adding a special Mediterranean flair to your BBQs and every day cooking.

Sapori Italiani Herb Mix is available at the Academia Barilla online store.

MEDITERRANEAN MIXED GRILL HERB BBQ
(serves 4)

INGREDIENTS

- 1 lb. spareribs
- 1/2 lb. sausage
- 5 oz. turkey breast
- 4 chicken breasts
- 5 oz. fresh bacon
- 1 red pepper
- 1 onion
- 10 oz. lamb cutlets / rib chop
- 2.5 oz. Academia Barilla Sicilian Unfiltered Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 oz. Academia Barilla Sapori Italiani Herb Mix
- 1.7 oz. Academia Barilla Balsamic Vinegar of Modena aged 3 years
- lemon juice from 1 fresh lemon
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 branch rosemary
- salt to taste

PREPARATION

Mix 1 oz of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of Academia Barilla’s Sapori Italiani Herb mix in a large bowl.

Cut the turkey breast, sausage, bacon, red pepper and the onion into 1 inch chunks, add them to the mixture and toss to coat evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, allowing to marinate for 8 hours before grilling.

While the ingredients for the skewers are marinating, brush the chicken breasts with 1.5 oz of extra virgin olive oil, some lemon juice and season with Sapori Italiani herb mix. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, allowing the chicken breasts to marinate for 8 hours before grilling.

Layer the lamb cutlet between plastic wrap and flatten them gently with a rolling pin or mallet. Place the ribs in a large dish so that they all fit in a single layer. Pour over the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena and sprinkle with 1 clove minced garlic and 1/2 a bunch of chopped rosemary. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, allowing to marinate for 8 hours before grilling.

Using the remaining 1 clove minced garlic and remaining half of the rosemary, season the spareribs. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours.

When the marinating time is over, remove all items from the refrigerator. Make sure to spear the skewer ingredients (turkey breast, sausage, bacon, red pepper and the onion in 1 inch chunks) onto wooden or metal skewers, alternating the ingredients for taste and color.

About 30 minutes before beginning to barbecue, preheat the charcoal grill to 350 degrees. Prepare the charcoals according to the directions on the grill for barbecuing.

Cook the assorted meats until they are perfectly grilled to your liking.

Remember to salt the meat only at the end.
Buon appetito!

How about making this Father’s Day BBQ perfect, by adding to the present Chef gift ideas such as a traditional Chef’s jacket, that you can order also in a customized version with your dad’s name, or a traditional Chef’s hat would perfectly match the jacket.

Other gift ideas for a gourmet dad? Have you seen the latest gift ideas such as the Pinzimonio set (fits perfectly a BBQ), a set of Cheese Lover’s knives, or even just a gift certificate from the Academia Barilla online gourmet store?

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

Last December a group of American students from NY Universities (Monroe College and Paul Smith College, NY) spent some time in Parma to study Italian Cuisine at the Academia Barilla Culinary Center .

The group of students were headed by Giacomo Berselli, President of the Marco Polo Foundation, the organization who sponsored the students’ trip to Italy. After spending 7 weeks in Otranto (Puglia) and 3 weeks in Ferrara (Emilia-Romagna), the students attended cooking classes at the Academia Barilla Culinary School in Parma for additional 2 weeks.

During their Parma residency the US students of the Marco Polo project studied the typical products of the Parma region, and attended classes of olive oil tasting, Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma tasting, as well as Balsamic Vinegar of Modena and wine tasting. After theory and tasting classes in the morning the young Chefs spent some time researching Academia Barilla’s Gastronomic Library, with the support of the Library Curator Giancarlo Gonizzi and his team.
The afternoon were generally spent in the kitchen, trying dishes and recipes containing the ingredients the students have been working on all day, under the guidance of Academia Barilla Executive Chef Nicola Bindini and his Chef team.

To complete the students’ full immersion into the art of Italian gastronomy, Academia Barilla organized also culinary and gastronomy tours for the students, allowing them to discover the secrets of producers and farmers of authentic regional products, and to meet the countryside traditions and history of the Emilia-Romagna region, that certainly is a key ingredient of our traditional recipes.

At the end of the 2 weeks of classes the Academia Barilla Culinary School released to each student a certificate of completion of studies that, join with the other certificates awarded by the students at the other learning locations across Italy, would have grant them the formal recognition of the exams and classes by their respective original colleges (Monroe College and Paul Smith College, both in the NY State).

Here below a couple of testimonial notes from the Marco Polo students, as written on the Academia guest book, pictured here above with more Marco Polo testimonials:

“Thank you Barilla for such an informative 2 weeks. I enjoyed myself thoroughly would tell my family friends about this wonderful place. Thank you so much.”

“Ciao, this school has taught me that food to the Italian is religion and the kitchen is their church. Thank you Academia Barilla.”

To know more about the student program we interviewed Marco Polo Foundation President Giacomo Berselli who firmly says that “Academia Barilla is state-of-the-art of the Italian Cuisine“!

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