After presenting the first three new Italian gourmet gift boxes from the Academia Barilla gift collection Italy-in-a-Box, today we introduce to you a few more gourmet gift ideas for this Christmas Season - and for the rest of the year, as the Academia Barilla Italy-in-a-Box collection is available all year round at the Academia Barilla online store.

Today we introduce four new Italy-in-a-Box Italian gourmet gift boxes: Food Lovers’ Classic, Cheese Lover’s Knife Set, The Ultimate Bruschetta Party and Giada De Laurentiis Selected by Academia Barilla.

All these luxury gift sets are included in the latest Academia Barilla collection of luxury Italian gastronomy gift boxes, a limited edition gift set series, and contain authentic Italian food specialties from the Academia Barilla gourmet food collection.

FOOD LOVERS’ CLASSIC

Food Lovers’ Classic is a refined gift set includes an exclusive assortment of classic products from different regions of Italy and serves as a wonderful, compact alternative to any conventional gift basket. An exclusive gift set to savor authentic Italian delicacies in countless ways.

Food Lover’s Classic Gift Box contains:
 • 1 Bottle of Extra virgin olive oil 100% Italiano
 • 1 Jar of Sicilian cherry tomato topping
 • 1 Jar of Spicy Sicilian cherry tomato topping 
• 1 Jar of Sapori Italiani, mix of capers, olives and oregano 
• 1 Jar of Sicilian sea salt with fresh orange zest 
• 1 Jar of Sicilian sea salt with fresh olives 
• 1 Jar of Pesto alla Genovese 
• 1 Bottle of “Aged” Balsamic vinegar of Modena 
• 1 Mini-Recipe

CHEESE LOVER’S KNIFE SET


The Cheese Lover’s Knife Set is a refined set composed of 3 knives designed specifically for cheeses, with different consistencies. Japanese steel, hand
forged blade with mirrored finishing, hand-sharpened. A perfect gift idea for cheese lovers!

The Cheese Lover’s Set contains: • Knife for grana cheeses • Knife for hard cheeses • Knife for soft cheeses

ITALIAN PARTY IN A BOX

The Ultimate Bruschetta Party Gift Box is a fresh and trendy gift idea! This fantastic set helps create delicious bruschetta, pasta, pizza party, and Italian aperitivo. This extraordinary assortment of products helps create appetizing plates that will surely add to the success of any party.

The Ultimate Bruschetta Party Gift Box contains:
 • 1 Bottle of extra virgin olive oil 100% Italiano 
• 1 Jar of Sicilian cherry tomato topping 
• 1 Jar of Spicy Sicilian cherry tomato topping 
• 1 Jar of Sapori Italiani, mix of capers, olives and oregano 
• 1 Jar of Sicilian sea salt with fresh olives
 • 1 Mini-Recipe

DINNER WITH GIADA

An accurate selection of the best Italian products signed by Celebrity Chef Giada de Laurentiis and included in the Giada De Laurentiis Selected by Academia Barilla gourmet product line. The Essentials of everyday Italian cuisine.

Dinner with Giada Gift Box contains: • 1 Bottle of Extra virgin olive oil 100% Italiano
 • 1 Bottle of Balsamic vinegar of Modena
 • 1 Jar of Sicilian sea salt with fresh lemon zest 
• 1 Jar of Giada’s Tuscan herbs 
• 2 Glass cup 
• 1 Mini-Recipe

More Italy-in-a-Box soon! If you are too curious and can’t wait for the next post, we suggest you go have a look at the Academia Barilla online shop!

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!