Italian Food Lovers

A friend of Academia Barilla, who happened to travel business class on an American Airlines flight this week, spotted an article on CL - Celebrated Living, the luxury in-flight magazine for American Airlines Premium Class Passengers, quoting the Academia Barilla Culinary Center as a recommended choice among luxury gourmet destinations around the world. 

Too small to read? We’ll read it for you! In an issue mostly dedicated to gourmet topics, The Food and Wine Issue (with articles about South America culinary, wine auctions, and worldwide culinary trends), the CL editorial team recommends (right side of the image) three top gourmet choices.

After introducing the Hotel Marques de Riscal as a luxury destination in Rioja, Spain, the Spanish Wine Valley, and the two 4-star colonial hotels in Puebla, Mexico, Mesón Sacristía de las Compañías and Mesón Sacristía de Capuchinas, CL Magazine introduces Parma, Italy and Academia Barilla.

The article goes like this (we read it for you):

PARMA - Neighbor to Tuscany, the Emilia-Romagna province is locally considered the culinary capo in Italy. Why? Because it’s home to three of the nation’s best products: Prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and aged Balsamic Vinegar.

The new Academia Barilla (866-722-2233, www.academiabarilla.com) from the Parma-based Barilla pasta company, allows visitors to explore the local wonders, combining tours of cheese factories and vinegar aging houses with cooking classes.

Thank you CL Magazine for quoting our cooking school and the gastronomy and culinary tours we organize in Parma and around Emilia-Romagna.

This press mention comes after the recent one from Gourmet Magazine, who listed the Academia Barilla Culinary Center among the top 5 luxury cooking schools in the world, as you might remember from a previous post here on Italian Food Lovers.

The Academia Barilla Culinary Center and the cultural, gastronomy and culinary tours offered by Academia Barilla, as well as the cooking classes at the Academia, are a luxury experience indeed. But this doesn’t really means our courses are expensive or way too exclusive.

With a range of cooking courses, gastronomy and cultural tours, and culinary initiatives that go from individual to group classes, from week-long to short, half-day immersive classes, to internship programs for Chef students, the Academia Barilla Culinary Center can be affordable at many levels, yet retaining that luxury treat profile that you will start experiencing as soon as you will walk through the Academia’s doors.

Enquire with Academia Barilla about the culinary learning experiences offered in Parma, Italy; we’ll be happy to design for you and your party the perfect formula that fits your culinary skills and needs, your permanence in Italy and your budget!

You can reach us in Parma calling +39 0521 264060 (toll-free number from Italy 800 376-116), or through the US toll free number also kindly provided by the CL Magazine (866-722-2233).

Here is a link to the new Academia Barilla press release announcing the new exciting initiative for the promotion of Italian food culture and the Art of Italian Gastronomy in the United States: the partnership with US top culinary center Sur La Table we blogged about yesterday.

The partnership develops within a Sur La Table initiative called A Taste of Italia, with a full calendar dedicated to Italian cuisine, and several initiatives in partnership with Academia Barilla that include food tasting and Italian regional cooking classes in the US, and an Easter 2009 Culinary Tour of Parma, Italy.

We republish the press release here below for all those Italian food lovers who are interested in getting all the details of the Academia Barilla - Sur La Table gourmet series of events.

Academia Barilla partners Sur La Table to celebrate Italian Food Culture in the United States, with a calendar rich of food tasting, Italian regional cooking classes in the US, and an Easter 2009 Tour of Parma, Italy.

Top Italian Culinary Center Academia Barilla partners Sur La Table, the place for Chefs to shop, for a series of initiatives celebrating the Taste of Italia, that include food tasting of Academia Barilla Italian gastronomy specialties across 63 Sur La Table stores in the US, Italian regional cooking classes at 25 Sur La Table locations across the United States, and a 6-days gastronomic and culinary Easter 2009 Tour of Parma, Italy.

PRWEB, September 18, 2008 - Academia Barilla, the world’s premier Italian culinary center dedicated to the art of Italian gastronomy and one of the top 5 luxury cooking school according to Gourmet Magazine, partners Sur La Table, the place for Chef to shop and top US culinary network, for a series of initiatives celebrating the Taste of Italia.

The gourmet initiatives designed by Academia Barilla in partnership with Sur La Table include:
• Food tasting of Academia Barilla Italian gastronomy specialties across 63 Sur La Table stores across the United States
• Italian regional cooking classes at 25 Sur La Table locations across the United States
• 6-days gastronomic and Culinary Tour of Parma, Italy, scheduled for next Easter 2009 (April 5-10).

In-Store Gourmet Product Sampling

For the entire month of September 2009 Sur la Table, who showcases the entire lines of Academia Barilla and Giada De Laurentiis Selected by Academia Barilla gourmet product lines, will organize free gourmet food tasting of Academia Barilla products at 63 Sur La Table stores across the United States.

Sur La Table customers will have the opportunity to learn how to professionally taste the products, what kind of quality to look for, how they can use the products at home, and more gourmet, gastronomy and culinary tips.

Authentic Regional Italian Cuisine – Sur La Table In-Store Gourmet Cooking Classes

Academia Barilla partnered with Sur La Table to introduce four Italian culinary classes celebrating the best of regional Italian cooking, exploring delicious local recipes from four of Italy’s richest culinary regions: Emilia-Romagna, Sicilia, Liguria and Toscana.

Participants to the Academia Barilla cooking classes will use classic recipes and the best artisan Italian ingredients to prepare signature dishes steeped in the traditions of this food-loving nation.

The in-Store cooking classes will be held at 25 Sur La Table locations across Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.

For more information, full class schedule and booking please visit the Sur La Table website, and the Google Map created by Academia Barilla for the Italian Food Lovers blog.

A Taste of Italia – Sur La Table Culinary Easter Tour of Parma, Italy

Academia Barilla and Sur La Table are proud to introduce the ultimate Italian culinary experience, a 6-days culinary and gastronomy tour of Parma, Italy. Scheduled for Easter week (April 5-10, 2009), this culinary tour designed by Academia Barilla exclusively for Sur La Table is a must for those who love the food culture and cuisine of Italy, who will spend 6 days in Italy’s Food Lovers Mecca.

Participants will learn how to prepare traditional Italian Easter and regional menus, working hands-on with local artisanal ingredients and Academia Barilla chefs. The 6-days gastronomic and hands-on cooking tour is designed by Academia Barilla and Sur La Table to allow tour guest to explore the rich culinary and cultural heritage of this 2000-year-old city, linger over meals in courtyard gardens and participate to tour workshops with producers of local artisanal delicacies including Parmigiano Reggiano, Aceto Balsamico, Prosciutto di Parma and Culatello, while exploring castles, historic landmarks and Medieval villages in Italy’s richest culinary area, Emilia-Romagna.

Register soon for this amazing experience - space is limited and selling out fast; due to the popularity of this trip, only a few spots are left. For more info and online booking please visit the Sur La Table website. Also call the US toll free number 866-392-3302 or email academiabarilla@surlatable.com to learn more about the gastronomy trip.

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We took the boilerplate off the press release for this blog post as our Italian Food Lovers readership surely knows Academia Barilla - for those who still need Academia Barilla’s Press Office contacts, here they are:

In the USA: Stephanie Sette: Tel. +1 847-405-7564; ssette@barilla-usa.com
In Italy: Ilaria Rossi: Tel. +39 0521-2621; i.rossi@barilla.it
Barilla Press Office (Italy): Marco Magli; Tel. +39 0521-2621; m.magli@barilla.it

Today we want to announce a great initiative that we’ll announce soon also in official form: the partnership between Academia Barilla and US top culinary center Sur La Table for a series of culinary events in the United States and Italy. 

The partnership is part of a Sur La Table initiative called A Taste of Italia, a full calendar dedicated to Italian cuisine, and initiatives in partnership with Academia Barilla that include food tasting and Italian regional cooking classes in the United States, and an Easter 2009 Culinary Tour of Parma, Italy. 

Sur La Table, the place for Chefs to shop, has been working with the Academia Barilla US Team to design all the exclusive gourmet initiatives for A Taste of Italia, that include food tasting of Academia Barilla Italian gastronomy specialties across 63 Sur La Table stores across the United States, Italian regional cooking classes at 25 Sur La Table locations across the United States, and a 6-days gastronomic and Culinary Tour of Parma, Italy, scheduled for next Easter 2009 (April 5-10).

In-Store Gourmet Product Sampling

For the entire month of September 2009 Sur la Table, who showcases the entire lines of Academia Barilla and Giada De Laurentiis Selected by Academia Barilla gourmet product lines, offers free gourmet food tasting of Academia Barilla products at 63 Sur La Table stores across the United States.

Authentic Regional Italian Cuisine – In-Store Gourmet Cooking Classes

Sur La Table and Academia Barilla introduce four Italian culinary classes celebrating the best of regional Italian cooking, exploring local recipes from four of Italy’s richest culinary regions: Emilia-Romagna, Sicilia, Liguria and Toscana.

Participants to the cooking classes will use classic recipes and the best artisan Italian ingredients to prepare signature dishes steeped in the traditions of this food-loving nation.

The in-Store cooking classes will be held at 25 Sur La Table locations across Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.

More information, full class schedule and booking are available at the Sur La Table website, awhile we created a Google Map with all the Sur La Table locations where you can sign in for the Authentic Regional Italian Cuisine classes.

To interact with a larger Google Map please follow this link

A Taste of Italia – Sur La Table Culinary Easter Tour of Parma, Italy

Academia Barilla and Sur La Table are proud to introduce the ultimate Italian culinary experience, a 6-days culinary and gastronomy tour of Parma, Italy.

Scheduled for Easter week (April 5-10, 2009), this culinary tour designed by Academia Barilla exclusively for Sur La Table is a must for those who love the food culture and cuisine of Italy, who will spend 6 days in Italy’s Food Lovers Mecca.

Participants will learn how to prepare traditional Italian Easter and regional menus, working hands-on with local artisanal ingredients and Academia Barilla chefs. The 6-days gastronomic and hands-on cooking tour is designed by Academia Barilla and Sur La Table to allow tour guest to explore the rich culinary and cultural heritage of this 2000-year-old city, linger over meals in courtyard gardens and participate to tour workshops with producers of local artisanal delicacies including Parmigiano Reggiano, Aceto Balsamico, Prosciutto di Parma and Culatello, while exploring castles, historic landmarks and Medieval villages in Italy’s richest culinary area, Emilia-Romagna.

Register soon for this unique ultimate Italian culinary experience - space is limited and selling out fast; due to the popularity of this trip, only a few spots are left.

For more info and online booking please visit the Sur La Table website. You can also call the US toll free number 866-392-3302 or email academiabarilla@surlatable.com to learn more about this amazing gastronomy trip to Italy.

We have been blogging a lot in the past about Academia Barilla’s gourmet and gastronomy tours in Parma and Emilia-Romagna, as well as the several initiatives from the Academia Barilla Culinary Center such as the culinary learning vacations that conjugate the pleasure of discovering Italian culture and food tradition with the ultimate experience of learning how to cook with top Italian Chefs.

We also blogged several times about other Academia Barilla initiatives that put together Italian food and culture - and no, we don’t mean “just” Italian food culture, but actually gourmet food plus Italian culture, such as in the gourmet cultural tours proposed by Academia Barilla to discover historic and artistic landmarks, contemporary art or classic opera.

Talking about which, we can anticipate that also for this year Academia Barilla will offer gourmet luxury packages to enjoy the Festival Verdi 2008, dedicated to the Italian Opera Maestro Giuseppe Verdi. We’ll blog about it soon, stay tuned!

We are not the only one blogging about the Academia Barilla gourmet, cultural and culinary tours to Italy. The Academia Barilla Culinary Center in Parma, Italy, is listed as a top culinary destination by several Italian food websites and directories, such as ChicagoTribune.com, Cooking In Italy, Alta Cucina and GreatEveryDayWines.com, among others. Not to mention of course Gourmet Magazine, who recently ranked the Academia Barilla Culinary Center among the world’s best cooking schools, among the top 5 in the world in the Luxury category. 

If you want to get more info and details about the cultural, culinary and gastronomic tours of Academia Barilla please get in touch with Academia Barilla in Parma at +39 0521 264060 (toll-free number from Italy 800 376-116), or in the United States at the US toll-free number 1-866-772-2233.

We also already talked about our VIP tours, too, as in the recent case of Lynn Novo’s VIP gourmet tour to Parma, organized by Chef and food entrepreneur Lynn Novo from Atlanta, Georgia.

The Academia Barilla VIP tours are luxury guided cultural and culinary tours designed by Academia Barilla and managed by Academia Barilla Culinary School Alumni such as Lynn Novo or Frank DiMaria, who is organizing a new VIP tour from Chicago, Illinois.

Over the next few weeks we will publish a series of blog posts that will help recreate the experience, albeit in a virtual way, proposed by the Academia Barilla VIP tour organized and guided by Frank DiMaria. For the moment, we anticipate that there will be a lot of cooking, but also visits to local artisan food producers, Medieval castles, the Ferrari Museum, and guided tours to the historic and monument beauties of the cities of Parma and Bologna.

Stay tuned for the next blog posts. If you want to book or get more info on this specific Academia Barilla VIP tour, please call Frank DiMaria at all +1 847-965-0672 or email frankdimaria@comcast.net to reserve your space!

Of course we are very proud of this, so a blog post is due. Last week Mimi Murphy of Gourmet Magazine listed the Academia Barilla Culinary School in Parma, Italy among the “world’s best cooking schools”!

Gourmet Magazine, who categorizes cooking schools around the world according to characteristics such as “Adventure”, “Healthy” or “Relaxed” in its Gourmet’s Guide to the World’s Best Cooking Schools, actually ranks Academia Barilla among the top 5 cooking schools in the world in the category “Luxury“. Because, as reported by Gourmet magazine:

“What brings the act of cooking to life? For some, it means stepping into a world within a world. Each experience, whether sumptuous (a French château) or simple (a palm-fringed Indian island), should have a certain glamour about it, a certain sense of style.”

The article published by Gourmet Magazine about our Culinary School is very nice, with comments from author Mimi Murphy such as:

“I picked up some over-the-top flourishes, like a “recipe” for a parmesan wafer: spread grated cheese on wax paper, microwave for 20 to 30 seconds (let cool for a few more), then drape around the bottom of a glass to form a cup”. (from: What I learned)

Or also:

“How easy it was to customize a class—via email—based on what I actually liked”. (from: Biggest surprise)

Please visit the link that follows if you want to read the full article on Gourmet Magazine, which includes an exclusive recipe for a Cream of Artichoke Soup with Porcini (the recipe Mimi Murphy learned and cooked at the Academia Barilla Culinary School).

Thank you Mimi and Gourmet Magazine for the wonderful article!