As you know from our previous posts, Academia Barilla and Barilla USA brought the Italian cooking style to the Chicago Botanic Garden last week, participating to (and sponsoring) the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Garden Chef Series with a full Barilla Italian Cooking Weekend.

As promised, we have plenty of recipes for you, shared with us by the Barilla Chefs and other Top Chefs participating to the Italian Cooking Weekend. Our first recipe from the event is from Barilla USA Executive Chef Lorenzo Boni, a quick and easy to prepare Sautéed Wild Mushroom Bruschetta.

For those who don’t know what a bruschetta is, here is a link to the Wikipedia, where you can discover more on this century-old dish. Bruschetta is a food whose origin dates to at least the 15th century from central Italy.

It consists of grilled or toasted bread rubbed with garlic and topped with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Variations may include toppings of spicy red pepper, tomato, vegetables, beans, cured meat, and/or cheese; the most popular American recipe involves basil, fresh mozzarella, and tomato. Bruschetta is usually served as a snack or appetizer.

As reported by the Wikipedia, the noun “bruschetta” is from the verb in the Roman dialect “bruscare,” meaning “to roast over coals”, and it is referred to the whole dish, not just to the topping as in the American current meaning.

In the Italian tradition, when olives are taken to the local mill for pressing in November or December, the olive producers typically take some country bread with them and, when the first oil emerges from the press, they toasts a bit of the bread on a grill to sample the oil with. The next step is rubbing the toasted bread with garlic and adding a pinch of salt.

Barilla USA Executive Chef Lorenzo Boni has some interesting suggestions for a gourmet twist in the traditional bruschetta, a version that has been deeply appreciated by the participants to the Barilla Italian Cooking weekend at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Ready? Let’s go to the kitchen!

SAUTEED WILD MUSHROOM BRUSCHETTA
A recipe by Chef Lorenzo Boni
(serves 4)

INGREDIENTS

- 8 oz Wild Mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed of any fibrous ends
- 1/2 ea Medium sized sweet onion, julienne
- 3 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
- 2 fl oz Academia Barilla Riviera Ligure Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 fl oz Sweet Marsala
- 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 ea Good quality Baguette
- Academia Barilla Pecorino Sardo, shaved
- 1 tub Truffle Spread
- Fresh thyme leaves for garnish
- Sea salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste

PREPARATION

Pre-heat a 12” sauté pan over med high heat till hot. Add the cleaned mushrooms and tablespoon of the butter and cook till the mushrooms are soft and are starting to release their water. Cook for 3 minutes longer and then add the sliced onions.

Add the remaining tablespoon of butter, season with a little salt and pepper and continue cooking for 3-5 minutes over the med high heat and cook till the onions start to caramelize. Do not burn.

You want to cook the mushrooms and onions till the liquid is all most evaporated. Remove the pan from the heat and add the Marsala carefully as the alcohol will catch on fire when you return it to the stove.

Reduce the Marsala by 2/3 and then add the cream. Bring to a boil and reduce to a sauce consistency, about 2 to 3 minutes. Check the seasoning and remove from the heat keeping the sauce warm till ready to use.

Cut 8 pieces of bread from the baguette about 1/2 inch thick on a 45 degree bias.

Toss the bread with a little splash of olive oil, salt and pepper. You can toast the bread in a hot oven or grill for a couple of minutes to warm the bread.

Next smear some of the Pecorino Sardo cheese on each piece of bread and sprinkle a few fresh thyme leaves on top.

Arrange 2 pieces of bread per plate and divide the mushroom sauce over the four plates. Drizzle a small amount of the olive oil over each plate and few thyme leaves and serve immediately.

Thank you Lorenzo for this easy-to-prepare gourmet recipe. We will publish more of your recipes from the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Garden Chef Series soon!

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!

Another recipe from the cooking performances of the Barilla Italian Cooking Weekend, the special gourmet event presented by Barilla USA and Academia Barilla at The Garden Chefs Series, the gourmet show hosted every weekend at the Chicago Botanic Gardens.

After publishing two recipes prepared by Barilla USA Executive Chef Lorenzo Boni, this time Italian Food Lovers is proud to present one of the other top Garden Chefs who rocked the scene at the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden’s open-air amphitheater of the Chicago Botanic Garden: Chef Gabe Rosado from Trattoria Bacci.

Bacci’s Trattoria, the Italian gourmet restaurant nestled in the heart of historic Downtown Waukegan, IL, is really a place Italian food lovers shouldn’t miss when visiting the Great Lakes Naval Station in Waukegan, in the Great Chicago Area. You will find excellent online reviews about Bacci’s, such as this one posted by an happy customer in a review:

“The restaurant is very cozy with a bar and plenty of seats. The kitchen can be seen from the restaurant which adds to its charm. It’s very romantic and dimly lit which I absolutely love. Our server was very knowledgeable of wines and dish ingredients; this is not your average Italian joint by any means”.

Chef Gabe Rosado, Chef the Cuisine at Bacci’s, was one of the highlights of The Garden Chefs Series at the Chicago Botanic Garden, presenting an easy but yummy pasta recipe that we are happy to publish today on our blog: Farfalle al Prosciutto di Parma.

FARFALLE AL PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA
Recipe by Chef Gabe Rosado
(serves two)

INGREDIENTS

- 4 tablespoons Academia Barilla extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 4 tablespoons Academia Barilla Prosciutto di Parma (minced)
- 1/4 cup halved ripe Academia Barilla cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoons minced shallots
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic
- 2 oz. white wine (dry)
- 2 tablespoons Italian parsley
- 5 large basil leaves chiffonade (roll the leaves together and finely cut across producing shredded basil)
- 2 oz. sliced Kalamata olives
- 3 oz. ground Academia Barilla Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 16 oz. Barilla Farfalle pasta (8 to 9 oz dry, al dente cooked)

PREPARATION

Heat large skillet over medium heat, adding Italian extra virgin olive oil and the minced Prosciutto di Parma. Sauté until prosciutto is lightly crisp.

Add butter, garlic, shallots, sauté until fragrant.

Add wine and deglaze pan.

Add tomato, parsley, parmesan cheese, Kalamata olives, salt and pepper to taste.

Toss with pasta, topping the dish with fresh basil chiffonade.

—

Thanks Gabe for sharing your pasta recipe.

We suggest to all Italian food lovers that happen to be in the Great Chicago Area paying Bacci’s Trattoria, Chef de Cuisine Gabe Rosado and Executive Chef Robert Avila a visit, and discover more gourmet creativity in Italian food – here is the address to reach our friends in Waukegan:

Trattoria Bacci, 30 North Genesee, Downtown Waukegan (just south the Genesee Theatre), Illinois 60085.

Google Maps directions here below; if you need Bacci’s telephone number for reservations, dial 847-623-3121.
View Larger Map

Our friend Karen from Park Ridge, Illinois, should be happy – she asked us to have one of the gourmet recipes performed by Barilla USA Executive Chef Lorenzo Boni at the Chicago Botanic Garden last week, and she is getting two recipes!

After sharing with our blog recipe for Barilla Large Shell Pasta Salad we published a couple of days ago, here is another recipe from Chef Lorenzo Boni’s cooking performance at The Garden Chefs Series food show in Chicago, that runs every weekend until October 7 at the Chicago Botanic Gardens.

Chef Lorenzo Boni impressed the crowd with the simplicity and amazing taste of an easy pasta gourmet creation: Barilla Farfalle with Tomato Basil Sauce and Zucchini.

BARILLA FARFALLE WITH TOMATO BASIL SAUCE AND ZUCCHINI
A recipe by Chef Lorenzo Boni

(serves 4)

INGREDIENTS

- 1 box Barilla Farfalle pasta
- 5 cups zucchini, diced (4 medium-sized zucchini approx.)
- 4 tablespoons Academia Barilla extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups white onion, finely chopped
- 1 jar Barilla Tomato and Basil Sauce
- 1/3 cup Academia Barilla Parmesan cheese, grated
- salt and black pepper to taste

PREPARATION

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Toss zucchini in 2 – 3 tablespoons salt and place in a colander to drain for 30-60 minutes.

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until golden, about 10 minutes.

Add zucchini and sauté approximately 7 minutes, or until tender. Add sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and toss with the tomato and basil sauce.

Top with Parmigiano cheese, and season with salt and pepper.

—

Thanks, Lorenzo, for your yummy pasta recipe. Sorry we couldn’t publish pictures of your gourmet creations, but unfortunately the images we had were of very low quality, so we decided to publish this without pics…

More recipes from The Garden Chef Series (hopefully with pictures) will be coming soon on Italian food Lovers!

Buon appertito a tutti da Academia Barilla!

As promised yesterday to our fan Karen and to our Italian food lovers friends, here is the first recipe performed by Chef Lorenzo Boni at the Barilla Italian Cooking Weekend, a special event included in The Garden Chefs Series, the culinary show hosted by the Chicago Botanic Gardens.

Barilla USA Executive Chef Lorenzo Boni grew up in Bologna, the capital of Emilia-Romagna. Bologna is recognized as one of the most important centers for Italian gastronomy and culinary culture, and is at the heart of Chef Boni’s culinary inspiration.

Lorenzo’s passion for Italian cuisine began at an early age, learning from his father, the passionate, self-thought cook for Bologna’s first League soccer team.

After studying at the Rimini Culinary School, Lorenzo worked at several among the top gourmet restaurants in Italy, before joining the highly acclaimed, three star NY restaurant San Domenico as Second Chef.

Following his experience at San Domenico, Chef Boni returned to Italy to became the owner and Head Chef of Osteria Du Madon in Bologna, awarded by Fodor’s as “Choice of the Year 2000″ and highly recommended by its users.

Chef Lorenzo Boni joined the Barilla Chef team a few years ago, and is now Executive Chef at Barilla USA. Here below is one of the recipes performed by Lorenzo at the Barilla Italian Cooking Weekend at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

BARILLA LARGE SHELLS PASTA SALAD
A recipe by Chef Lorenzo Boni

(serves 4)

INGREDIENTS

- 1 box Barilla Large Shells pasta
- 2 pounds cherry tomatoes, halved and seeded
- 6 tablespoons Academia Barilla Monti Iblei Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 cup fresh arugula, roughly chopped
- 6-7 ounces Academia Barilla Salame di Parma (half salami approx.)
- 1 cup Academia Barilla Sardinian Pecorino Gran Cru cheese, diced
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1 lemon approx.)
- salt and black pepper to taste

PREPARATION

Place tomatoes on a cookie sheet in a 200 degree oven for approximately two hours.

Remove from oven, toss with 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste.

Cook pasta according to Barilla package directions, cooking one minute less than the recommended cooking time.

Drain pasta, drizzle with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, and spread on a cookie sheet to cool.

Combine pasta with tomatoes, arugula, Salame di Parma, pecorino cheese, and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper, let sit 30 minutes before serving.

—

Thanks, Lorenzo for sharing your gourmet recipe, we are sure Karen and all our Italian food lovers will appreciate it.

Karen, please let us know about your experience with this dish by commenting to this post – also feel free to send us some pictures of your culinary creations, we’ll love to hear from you all about your experience with Italian cuisine.

By the way, did you try our Italian gourmet trivia game? It is great fun, it takes little time (only ten random questions to answer to) and, at the end of the game, you can download a digital cookbook (pdf) that traces the history of Italian cooking culture since before the Roman Empire, and up to the 19th century, with key gourmet recipes selected from historic books from the Academia Barilla Gastronomic Library collection.

This is all for this post, but here is a little anticipation: we will publish in the next days other recipes from the Garden Chefs participating at the Chicago Botanic Garden event, so stay connected with Italian Food Lovers!