Savor the food and the art of Parma, and enjoy the cultural life with VIP access to the Correggio monographic exhibition in Parma, Italy, and many other cultural and monumental highlights of Parma and the Italian Food Valley.

Antonio Allegri da Correggio is the foremost painter of the Parma school of the Italian Renaissance, responsible for some of the most vigorous and sensuous works of the 16th century. In his use of dynamic composition, illusionistic perspective and dramatic foreshortening, says the Wikipedia, Correggio prefigured the Rococo art of the 18th century.

Academia Barilla organizes luxury cultural tours in conjunction with the Correggio exhibition, offering a full package of 3 days and 2 nights (or 4 days and 3 nights, in the deluxe version), with tour already selling since the end of September, and until January 25, 2009. 

An amazing opportunity to visit Parma during the Correggio Exhibition that places Parma among the elite destinations of the international cultural panorama. Artistic treasures from the National Gallery and frescoes of the Cathedral, San Giovanni Evangelista Church, and Camera di San Paolo are only a few of the masterpieces that will take your breath away! The city will be at its best for this unique event…don’t miss it! Follow this link on Wikipedia to discover more of Correggio’s Reinassance work in Parma.

This is the program of the gourmet cultural Correggio travel package proposed by Academia Barilla -

Day 1 – “The Correggio Experience”

MORNING: Arrival in Parma on your own (private transfer on request). Check-in at your luxury (at least 4 stars) hotel accommodation in the city. Enjoy your first Parma-style lunch.

AFTERNOON: Guided tour of Parma city center to begin a first discovery of the works of Correggio. You won’t want to miss the Cathedral and the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista with their astonishing chapels, the unique Baptistery, and the astonishing Camera di San Paolo with its frescoes.
The day will end with a delightful dinner in a well-known restaurant in the city center. Night at the hotel.

Day 2 – “The Correggio Experience”

MORNING: Breakfast at the hotel. Your day will start with a guided tour of the Correggio Exhibition to discover masterpieces of the National Gallery such as “Madonna della Scodella” and “Madonna of San Gerolamo”, just to mention the most famous ones. Enjoy your lunch in a typical restaurant in the city center.

AFTERNOON: Transfer to the hillside of the Parma province to visit the permanent collection of Fondazione Magnani-Rocca, counting works by Gentile da Fabriano, Filippo Lippi, Albrecht Dürer, Tiziano, Rubens, Van Dyck, Goya, Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, de Pisis, Morandi, Burri, Canova, Lorenzo Bartolini, and many others.
Your visit will conclude with a special dinner in a private Italian Villa, which will open its doors exclusively for our guests (upon availability). After dinner, return to Parma and night at the hotel.

Day 3 – “The Gourmet Experience”

MORNING: Departure for the discovery of the gastronomic treasures that this land produces.
Visit a Parmigiano Reggiano producer to observe the time honored production method that has remained unchanged for centuries. The tour concludes with a tasting session of samples of Parmigiano Reggiano at the various stages of its aging process.
To follow, visit a producer of Prosciutto di Parma, the most famous ham of the world!
Your experience of the different flavors of Parma will end in a charming winery that will offer a rich tasting of wines paired with typical products.

AFTERNOON: You can choose between a relaxing shopping excursion at one of the most exclusive Chic Outlets in Italy or return to Parma for an arrivederci on your own to the beauties of the city.

Note: the 3 days/2 nights program here above may be subject to some modifications
Price per person (min. of 2 people): US$ 1,020.00 (VAT included)
Price per person in group (min. of 12 people): US$ 790.00 (VAT included)

In the deluxe version of “The Correggio Experience”, the package that will allow you to enjoy more of your Parma cultural and gourmet experience through a 4days/3nights stay and more initiatives, you will start Day 4 in a very intriguing way.

Day 4 – “The Cooking Experience”

MORNING: Breakfast at the hotel. Welcoming and tour of Academia Barilla, the world’s premier italian culinary facility.
Practical cooking class focused on the old recipes of the time and territory of the Correggio, taken from the prestigious books of the largest culinary library of the world inside Academia Barilla.
Lunch with the chef based on what you prepared during the course.

AFTERNOON: Free afternoon for individual visits and/or shopping through the charming streets of the center of Parma. Dinner in an elegant restaurant in the city centre. Night at the hotel.

Note: the 4 days/3 nights program here above may be subject to some modifications
Price per person (min. of 2 people): US$ 2,099.00 (VAT included)
Price per person in group (min. of 12 people): US$ 1,299.00 (VAT included)

For more info, details and booking for Academia Barilla’s cultural, culinary and gastronomic tours, including the Correggio Tour, 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.

Welcome back to Italian Food Lovers with more Chef recipes from the Barilla Italian Cooking Weekend at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Garden Chef Series event earlier this year.

Today Chef Rob Levitt (pictured here below at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s event) of Chicago’s gourmet restaurant Mado shares with us an interesting gourmet recipe from the Italian gourmet event: Grilled Peach and Prosciutto Salad with Parmigiano-Reggiano and Balsamic Must! Ready? Let’s go to the kitchen!

GRILLED PEACH AND PROSCIUTTO SALAD WITH PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO AND BALSAMIC MUST
A recipe by Chef Rob Levitt
(serves 4)

INGREDIENTS

- 4 slightly under ripe peaches (free stone are best)
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- Academia Barilla Unfiltered Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 tablespoon Academia Barilla Natural Sea Salt
- 4 twists fresh cracked black pepper (or to taste)
- 7 tablespoon Academia Barilla Parmigiano Reggiano (shaved with a vegetable peeler)
- 4 paper thin slices Academia Barilla Prosciutto di Parma
- 8 tablespoon Academia Barilla Balsamic Must
- arugula leaves (optional)

PREPARATION

Light a charcoal or wood grill, and let the coals burn until you have a nice, even, medium heat.

Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits. Toss with the lemon zest, olive oil, thyme leaves, 2 tablespoon salt and pepper.

Place the peaches on the grill cut side down. Let them cook for about four minutes, or until they can be lifted easily from the grill and have nice lines charred into them (the grill marks are mostly aesthetic. If they stick a little, it’s ok, they will still get the smoky grill flavor we are going for).

Turn the peaches 90 degrees and let cook 2 more minutes. Turn over and let cook for 2 minutes.

Take the peaches off the grill and place in a bowl with the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss together and let cool.

Cut the peach halves into thirds, divide amongst 4 plates, and season with remaining sea salt.

Scatter the Parmigiano shavings over the peaches. Lay 2 Prosciutto slices over the peaches. If using, scatter the arugula leaves around the plate and drizzle with the remaining olive oil.

Drizzle with the Condimento Balsamico, and finish with a twist of black pepper.

Thank you Chef Levitt for sharing this yummy recipe with our readership! We look forward to having you as a blog guest again soon!

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.

Day three of the Academia Barilla VIP gastronomy tour to Emilia-Romagna, Parma and the Italian Food Valley, organized and guided by Chicago’s Academia Barilla Culinary School Alumni Frank DiMaria, is gourmet day, and of course we continue our virtual discovery of the Italian Food Valley, and we take you to the places of the gastronomy tour to show you around.

As from the VIP gastronomy tour program, the first highlight of day three is the visit to a local Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese artisanal producer right outside Parma. Here is a note by Frank DiMaria about the guided visit:

Visiting a “Caseificio” is like going back in time. Parmigiano-Reggiano actually has very old origins and today, like 8 centuries ago, Parmigiano-Reggiano is still made following the same traditional and genuine method. The “King of the cheeses” is made from the best milk, from the fire, and from the ability of the “cheese masters” experienced hands..

Next stop of the gastronomy tour will be a guided visit to Prosciutto di Parma producer, another unmissable Parma food culture discovery for Italian food lovers!

Along the way, there will be a “pictures time” at the romantic Castle of Torrechiara, one of the most spectacular Medieval castles as well as the one with the greatest number of visitors in the province of Parma, that houses musical events in summer.

Lunchtime in the Parma countryside, how good is that?

After the food producers Frank DiMaria will lead the tour guests to a local Parma winery and wine cellar, remember to “taste” responsibly, or you won’t make it through the rest of the day! 

After the visit to the wine cellar the group will proceed for lunch to a nearby Casale (countryside mansion), that includes a rich tasting session with typical local food products as antipasto.

Immediately after lunch the gastronomy tour will leave the Parma area to enter the province of Modena for the visit to the Ferrari Museum. The Galleria Ferrari is divided into four areas, each capable of satisfying the expectations of competition fans and those passionate about classic cars with Formula 1 and Ferrari memorabilia, themed exhibitions, technological innovations and photographic shows.

While in the Modena area, the gastronomic tour couldn’t have missed the visit to an authentic Acetaia of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena.

We visited a couple of acetaias for you at the beginning of last year and you can find several info, pictures and videos on our blog on the history of Balsamic, its aging process and traditions in balsamic vinegar making. We also published a blog post with plenty of pictures from the Acetaia, enjoy!

Of course the in-person, guided experience is more intense than reading a blog post, and Frank DiMaria will help you discover first hand all the century-old secrets of the production, aging and tasting of the Modena elisir.

A note from Frank about the Traditional Balsamic of Modena’s production process:

When time means preciousness! This is a real Jewel for all gourmets; unique from all other vinegar based condiments because it is produced directly from grape juice.

Traditionally, white and sugary grapes are used, locally harvested. The grapes are crushed and the “must” is then slowly boiled in open vats over fire. The liquid is then placed in wooden barrels and through an oxidation process over several years it is transformed into vinegar.

It has fluid and syrup like consistency, offers full and rich flavour and a distinct sharp and unmistakable but pleasantly acid fragrance with a dark brown color, yet full of warm light.

Wow, such an intense gourmet day, and it is not over yet! After discovering the secrets of Balsamic Vinegar, Frank DiMaria will take the VIP tour guest for dinner at one of the best gourmet restaurant of the area, famous for the use of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar in culinary creations.

Tour program details may be subject to variations - see the program and tour details on our blog but please verify directly with Frank DiMaria for latest news and updates on this Academia Barilla VIP gastronomy tour.

You can reach Frank by calling +1 847 965-0672 or +1 847 417-7587, or emailing him at frankdimaria@comcast.net.

Next blog post for this Academia Barilla VIP gastronomy virtual tour: let’s visit Bologna, the capital of Emilia-Romagna!