Italian Food Lovers

The Academia Barilla Gastronomic Library never ceases to amaze.

Did you know that library houses over 4,700 historic menus from the 19th and 20th centuries? And did you know that they are all available for public view should you make the very worthwhile trip to visit us in Parma, Italy?

And in perhaps even more exciting news for our friends on the other side of the Atlantic, many of these menus are available online.

Hidden within the Gastronomic Library section of the Academia Barilla website, you will find a wide array beautifully decorated menus that mark Read more…

Final post on the new series of Italian gourmet Season Gift Sets from Academia Barilla, the new line Italy-in-a-box.

A true taste of Italian gastronomic culture, an experience that will evoke all your Italian food lover senses, Italy-in-a-Box is also a journey across the findings of
 Academia Barilla’s continue research into the gastronomic and cultural identities of the different regions of Italy.

Get this limited edition of gastronomic gems as a treat to yourself or as a gift to others, and get a selection of the best Italian regional products, simple and original tips for bringing the Italian flavor to your kitchen and your table, all with limited edition confections that can be personalized according to your taste.

Today we close our presentation of the gift set collection introducing other four Italy-in-a-Box gift sets: The Connoisseur’s Collection, Simply Tuscan, Artisanal Compote Trio, and Salt and Salt. Read more…

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.

Read more…

Last Friday Academia Barilla announced with an official press release some gourmet news we have partially anticipated here on Italian Food Lovers over the last weeks: the launch of a new series of authentic Italian gourmet food products that enrich the existing Academia Barilla Italian gastronomy food line.

As we generally do here at the Academia Barilla press office, we republish the content of the press release while taking advantage of the blog publishing features to publish also the product pictures, so you can easily recognize them when you’ll see them on top shelves at the top gourmet food shops across the United States and the rest of the world!

We’ll also add direct links to each of the new Academia Barilla products at Academia Barilla online store, where you can order your gourmet specialties and get them delivered home in just two days!

Here we go with the first part of the press release (note: we split the press release in two posts as it was getting pretty long with all the images).

Academia Barilla launches new Italian gourmet food products to expand its authentic Italian food collection.

After launching the Giada De Laurentiis Selected by Academia Barilla Italian gourmet food celebrity collection, Academia Barilla presents a new range of authentic Italian regional food delicacies to bring to the gourmet table - the flavors and traditions of Emilia-Romagna, Liguria, Sardinia, Sicily and Tuscany.

Parma, Italy, September 12, 2008 - After the successful launch of the Giada De Laurentiis Selected by Academia Barilla Italian gourmet product line, designed together with Italian Chef, cookbook author and TV celebrity Giada De Laurentiis, Academia Barilla announces a new expansion of its Italian gourmet food product collection with the release of a number of new food specialty products. These new products include rare regional extra virgin olive oils, tasty sauces and pesto, delicious green olives, an herbaceous herb mix and creamy cheese spreads.

Extra Virgin Olives Oils

The first two products added to the Academia Barilla specialty food collection are two Italian olive oils that enrich the already large collection of Academia Barilla estate bottled Italian extra virgin olive oils.

The new 100% Italian Unfiltered Extra Virgin Olive Oil brings to dishes a very fresh taste, with strong undertones of green grass, Pachino tomatoes and oregano. 

100% Italian Unfiltered is the most natural extra virgin olive oil produced in Italy with innovative methods that surpass traditional centrifuge processes, leaving the oil’s original flavors and properties intact, with no sediments or pulp.

Academia Barilla also added a 100% Italian Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, one of the few organic olive oils available made from 100% Italian, organic olives, that brings a mild taste to the table, with hints of ripe olive, grass and sweet almonds.

Sauces and Pesto

Academia Barilla’s Italian Tomato Sauce is made from premium quality, exclusive Italian Scarpariello tomato variety grown in the heart of Emilia-Romagna, Italy’s Food Valley.

With an incomparable fresh and sweet flavor enriched with extra virgin olive oil, this all-natural tomato sauce is a traditional, delicious recipe with an intense red color great for a variety of Italian pasta courses.

Another addition to Academia Barilla is a new Academia Barilla Pesto Genovese, a unique non-pasteurized fresh pesto made in the seaside town of San Remo in Liguria with the freshest basil of the Riviera, top quality extra virgin olive oil, Parmigiano Reggiano and whole pine nuts.

Introducing the new Academia Barilla’s bruschetta and pasta toppings!

Academia Barilla Spicy Sicilian Cherry Tomato Topping and its mild version Sicilian Cherry Tomato Topping are two delicious succulent blends of naturally sun dried cherry tomatoes and chili peppers, from the small Sicilian town of Pachino, made following the authentic Sicilian recipe with local sweet tomatoes, fresh basil and hot chili peppers for the spicy version.

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We split the press release here to announce all the other exciting new Academia Barilla gourmet products at the next blog post! For more info about Academia Barilla and the new gourmet food products, please contact Stephanie Sette in the United States by calling +1 847-405-7564, US toll-free 866-772-2233, or emailing ssette@barilla-usa.com.

Stay tuned with Italian Food Lovers and Academia Barilla!

As a final post after the series dedicated to the Academia Barilla VIP gourmet tour organized by Academia Barilla Culinary School Alumni Frank DiMaria, we want to publish an email we received from Frank when we got all the info for his VIP gourmet tour to Parma and Bologna, Italy.

We publish this email to share Frank’s passion for Italian cooking, Italian gastronomy, and Italian food culture in general. No more words, here we go:

Ciao a tutti,

Our 2007 trip to Parma Italy and Academia Barilla was a huge success, because of that we have decided to do it again this year. This may become an annual event!  

For those of you who are not familiar with the tour, I have joined with Academia Barilla, the world’s premier culinary center dedicated to the art of Italian gastronomy, to personally escort you for 6 days and 5 nights in Parma, Italy’s Food Valley, for the ultimate culinary experience. Parma, a secret treasure tucked away in the heart of the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, is one of Europe’s greatest food capitals.  

I have joined with Academia Barilla to offer a full emersion culinary experience in the breathtaking region of Emilia-Romagna. Academia Barilla offers 2 hands-on cooking classes in their state-of-the-art kitchens, and an opportunity to learn from the top local chefs.  

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 shops, observe the cultural street life, and enjoy the wonderful shops, cafés and restaurants that Parma boasts.  

You won’t want to miss this culinary adventure!

A presto,
Frank DiMaria

If you need more detailed info or need to book your exclusive VIP gourmet tour to Parma, see all details at our previous blog post, and get in touch with Frank DiMaria by calling +1 847 965-0672 or +1 847 417 7587. You can also email Frank at frankdimaria@comcast.net to reserve your space!

See you in Parma!