Sydney based CIRA, the Council of Italian Restaurants in Australia, is an example of a clear commitment towards correct education in Italian Cuisine. The Council’s aim is to protect the traditions and integrity of Italian cooking by providing advice to members of the association on writing menus, selecting produce and wine; and ensuring Italian chefs, as well as the Italian food lovers, are properly schooled in the true basics. It’s within this context that CIRA is currently hosting an interesting calendar of classes at its Cooking School, in Casa Barilla’s world-class cooking facility (Annandale). Some of the best Italian chefs in town will teach at the classes, including Mario Percuoco, Lucio Galletto (Lucio’s), Nino Zoccali (Pendolino), Danny Russo, Gabriele Taddeucci (Uccello). “We are happy to be passing on our knowledge and sharing our passion with the Australian public so they can appreciate the intricacy and beauty of Italian cuisine”, says Lucio Galletto, CIRA’s President. The Council is committed to educating Australians about the huge variety of Italian cuisine on offer in many of Sydney’s great Italian restaurants. “More than cappuccino, pizza and pasta; regional Italian cuisine is so varied, and so exciting to learn about. And what better way than by joining classes hosted by some of the best practicing Italian-Australians chefs who really know how to showcase their region,” Galletto said.

CIRA was formed almost ten years by a group of Italian chefs and restaurateurs, including Armando Percuoco (Buon Ricordo), Lucio Galletto (Lucio's), Danny Russo, Vanessa Martin, Massimo Bianchi and Giovanni Pilu (Pilu at Freschwater).

Ornella Fado the brilliant creator and broadcaster of Brindiamo!, the only TV show that showcases the finest and most authentic Italian restaurants in the U.S., is organizing an important initiative for the Columbus Day Parade this October 11. She’s promoting a Brindiamo! float in which for the first time, the “protagonisti” are the Italian Chefs, “I´ve always believed that Italian restaurants have been a major work force in America, particularly in New York City, and not just for the Italian community”, says Ornella who adds “So Chefs should be out there celebrating this day about immigration, hard work, and success”. Moved by the respect that she feels for each Italian chef and for their hard work, she wants to toast to them all and invite them to be on her float on the fun, festive event that is the Columbus Day Parade.

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Ornella, in collaboration with IFSE, a cooking school based in Piobesi Torinese, is also promoting  the First edition of “The Brindiamo! Scholarship”, which is a great opportunity to travel to one of the, historically and culturally, richest regions in Italy: Piedmont, to learn cooking skills. Only three talented individuals will be selected to win the Brindiamo! Scholarship, although regular courses are open to everyone who loves italian food and culture.

‘Ricotta di bufala campania’, (‘Buffalo Ricotta from Campania’) has been listed with the European Designation Commission DOP in the official register of protected designation of origin. Italy can boast of as many as 210 DOP and IGP products. The peculiarities of ‘Ricotta di bufala Campania’ are strictly determined by the qualities of the prime materials which, only if and when produced within the defined area, will certainly be of superior characteristics to those obtained in other areas: buttermilk, fresh buttermilk cream and milk from buffalos. The production area of ‘Ricotta di bufala Campania’ DOP consists of most of the administrative area of the Regions of Campania, Lazio, Puglia and Molise. More precisely it is composed of the basin around the Rivers Garigliano and Volturno and between the River Sele Plane and the zone of Cilento, in the coastal area as also along the valleys in Campania; centred between the River Amaseno Valley and the nearby Pontina Plana in Lazio; the plane and the hilly face of the Province of Foggia at the foot of the promonory of the Gargano in Puglia and only the township of Venafro is interesting in Molise; it yields little and it is under the management of the Region of Molise.

Bruno Barbieri, the former chef of the Relais L’Arquade (San Pietro in Cariano – Verona), who controversially left Italy in search of better professional opportunities, has disembarked in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He will open a new restaurant in the Carioca city next November. As anticipated by the Gambero Rosso website, Barbieri will run an open space, with creative cuisine, “but not extreme”. Barbieri, who has never worked abroad before, talks already as a veteran of Italian Cuisine outside Italy, and offers himself as a candidate to represent the best of Italian productions. He is finding the Brazilian reality very exciting.

From August 26 to 30, lard will be the king of a festival in Arnad, a small town in the lower Valle d'Aosta. The lard of this area is the only one of European protected designation of origin (PDO).
It was, until recently, considered useful only for seasoning, but its status has been elevated with the local gastronomic event, the ‘Lard Festival’, so that it now enjoys a nationwide reputation. Nowadays, it has its rightful place on the table as a delicious antipasto.
One special feature of Arnad lard concerns how the pigs are fed, since this does not involve using integrated fodder, it, thus, necessarily involves feed like chestnuts and vegetables. It is then seasoned, using locally found flavourings such as garlic, salt, rosemary, bay leaves and brine, and kept in a handmade chestnut wood container known as a ‘doil’.
During the Festival, on Saturday 29 August, there will be a special Italian P.D.O and P.G.I cold meat exhibition and tasting and visitors will be able to taste all the best Italian delicatessen products in the typical wooden huts that have always characterised the ‘Lard Festival’ event. Here is the list of the cold cuts present at the tasting:

2    Valle D’aosta Lardo di Arnad    DOP
3    Valle D’aosta Jambon de Bosses     DOP
4    Mortadella Bologna    IGP
5    Prosciutto di Parma    DOP
6    Bresaola della Valtellina     IGP
7    Soprèssa Vicentina    DOP -
Prosciutto Veneto Berico-Euganeo    DOP
8    Soppressata di Calabria    DOP
Capocollo di Calabria    DOP
Salsiccia di Calabria     DOP
Pancetta di Calabria    DOP
9    Salamini Italiani alla Cacciatora    DOP
10    Zampone Modena    IGP
Cotechino Modena    IGP
11    Prosciutto di Modena     DOP
12    Salame Piacentino    DOP
Coppa Piacentina    DOP
Pancetta Piacentina    DOP
13    Culatello di Zibello    DOP
14    Salame Cremona    IGP
15    Salame di Varzi    DOP
16    Prosciutto Toscano    DOP
17    Prosciutto di Carpegna    DOP
Prosciutto di Norcia    IGP
18    Lardo di Colonnata    IGP
Salame S. Angelo    IGP
19    Coppa di Parma     IGP (*)
Salame Felino     IGP (*)
20    Crudo di Cuneo    DOP (*)
Salame Piemonte    DOP (*)
21    Speck dell'alto Adige    IGP
Prosciutto Di Sauris    IGP (*)
22    Prosciutto di San Daniele     DOP
23    Salame d'oca di Mortara    IGP
Salame Brianza    DOP

Munich:: The famous L’Ingrasciata, a legendary Trattoria in Palermo of the 1950’s, is among the 25 stunning pictures of the Sicilian capital taken by photographer Enzo Sellerio that are being exhibited from June 10 in the Biedermann Gallery in Munich (Germany). Enzo Sellerio was among the most famous neo-realist photographers of his time, and food and the life at the table, were often the subjects of his pictures as in the case of L’Ingrasciata (The fattened) which used to be temple of the typical and traditional food in Palermo.The tile of the exhibition is “Enzo Sellerio – Fotografie 1950 -1960”.

Massimo Bernardi, the smart Italian oenogastronomic reporter, author and curator of the Dissapore website, celebrated the beginning of the summer in Italy by naming the eight restaurants with the best view in Italy – according to him –. The good thing about this is that in these restaurants with great views – in difference to many others –, you also eat very well.

1. Relais Blu

Via Roncato, 60, Massa Lubrense, Province of Naples, Tel 081 8789552

This hotel, of minimal decoration, Mediterranean pines, Christoph Bob’s, the chef that is, Mediterranean cuisine and the splendid view out over Naples (1), Nisida (2), Procida (3) Ischia (4), Capri (5), and, on clear days, Ventotene (6), together offer the most moving ‘restaurant with a view’ in Italy. Average price €80/90.

2. Il Pellicano

Village of Sbarcatello, Porto Ercole, Province of Grosseto, Tel. 0564 858111

A building nestled in the slopes of Mount Aegentario, seemingly more by divine will than by the hand of man; absolutely unique in Italy. Average price €90/100.

3. Imago dell'hotel Hassler

Piazza Trinità dei Monti, 6, Rome, Tel. 06 69934726

Rome as you’ve never seen it, not even from the terrace of the pergola of the hotel Cavalieri. Average price €90/100.

4. Grotta Palazzese

Via Narciso, 59, Polignano a Mare, Province of Bari, Tel. 080 4240677

The hotel is in the centre of the village, and nevertheless, the sea is seen everywhere, below you, beside you, everywhere! The sea has carved out the enchanting natural grotto in which you dine. Average price €90.

5. Rossellinis of the Hotel Palazzo Sasso

Via San Giovanni del Toro 28, Ravello, Province of Salerno, Amalfi Coast, Tel. 089 818181

There is no corner of the Palazzo Sasso, one of the most elegant hotels of the Amalfi Coast, in which the sea doesn´t give views of dazzling beauty. The two Michelin stars presented to Rossellinis, the hotel restaurant, are a slight touch of generosity, but it’s difficult for the cuisine of the chef, Pino Lavarra, to be disappointing. However, the price is a shame. Average price €120.

6. Piccolo Lago

Via Filippo Turati, 87, village of Mergozzo, Verbania, Stresa, Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Tel. 0323 586792

Beautifully isolated, on the edge opposite the delightful village of Mergozzo, the new veranda of the Piccolo Lago guarantees the longest of sunsets disturbed only by the crawl of the little ducks that await the wave. How relaxing! A two-Michelin-star-awarded cuisine completes the picture. Average price €80.

7. Il Faro di Capo Orso

Via D. Taiani, 48, Maiori, Province of Salerno, Tel. 089 877022

Here, facing Capri, with the isle of ‘Li Galli’ in front of you, is some of the region’s finest cuisine, that of Pierfranco Ferrara. It’s a unique attempt to pair off haute cuisine and inexpensive local fish, and what a success! Average price €110/120.

8. Toulà

Village of Ronco, 123, Cortina, Province of Belluno, Tel 043 63339

A room at the Toulà of Cortina is the possibility of living a myth. It also helps to look at the blue horizon interrupted by the Dolomite Alps while eating genuine dishes. Average price €90.

[Images: Flickr/Thilos, Flickr/WallyWorld2006, Flickr/Paris Helena, Flickr/Dainee, Viaggiatore Gourmet]

The Japanese Akinari "Pasquale" Makishima was elected the miglior pizzaiolo (best pizza maker) of the 9th International Championship of Pizzaiuolo Naples-Caputo Trophy. Akinari, who has added ‘Pasquale’ to his name in honour of his maestro pizzaiolo, Pasquale Parziale of the Pizzeria Parziale on Corso Umberto, Naples, subjected himself to a competition lasting two days between 150 pizzaioli gathered together for the occasion of the ‘Vulcano Buono’ (‘Good Volcano’) of Nola near Naples. Second place went to the Neapolitan Vincenzo Caciali and third was won by Vincenzo Sandrico.

At the 8th International Championship, in 2009, Akinari already won third place and was nominated the Ambasciatore dei Pizzaioli Napoletani (Ambassador of Neapolitan Pizzaioli) to Japan. This year among those receiving the ‘title’ Ambasciatore della pizza napoletana nel mondo (Worldwide Ambassador of the Neapolitan Pizza) is Fabian Martin, an eccentric Spanish pizzaiolo from Livia, Gerona who, for the occasion of the Championship invented micro pizze-gelato, with mozzarella, parmigiano and gelato di pomodoro (yes, tomato ice-cream!).

For the organizers, presided by Sergio Miccù, who is responsible for the Associazione Pizzaioli Napoletani(Association of Neapolitan Pizzaioli), this Pizza Festival was “a true success in the number and quality of the participants.” From the Japanese delegation 20 pizzaioliarrived in Naples, along with seven French, five Spanish and ten American pizzaioli, among who was the many-time champion, Tony Gemignani.

“Ours is the only Italian championship that awards the pizzaiolo and not just the pizza – declared Carmine Caputo – because the difference is to be found in the skills of the person working beside the oven.” The webpage OAS_RICH('Middle'); Pizza Napoletana Stg is dedicated to and states all the positive traits and the stories that make this tradition, this craft, our pizzaioli’s hands that guarantee gastronomic excellence to the world.

S.T.G. (Traditional Specialty Guaranteed)

1st Akinari "Pasquale" Makishima (Japan)
2nd Cacialli Vincenzo
3rd Sandrico Vincenzo

Creativity

1st Albachiara Attilio ex aequo Fabian Martin (Spain)
2nd Izzo Stefania
3rd D'Erasmo Marcello

Pizza for celiacs

1st Schettino Cecilia
2nd Montoli Egidio
3rd Schettino Annapia Cravero

Sceneography

1st Salvo Umberto

1st Acrobatic- free style singular Marisa Camonita (34 vaults)
1st Pizza speed Sergio Donaro (40.03 seconds)
1st Longest pizza Michele Maresca

Pizza by length

1st Giorgio Riggio
2nd Fiorello Angelo
3rd La Marca Alberto

Ambasciatori della Pizza Napoletana nel Mondo

Tony Gimignani (U.S.A.)
Fabian Martin (Spain)
Akinari "Pasquale" Makishima (Japan)

Senator of Pizza Napoletana

Pasquale Parziale

Prizes in memory of the maestri pizzaioli Ernesto Cacialli, Esterina Sorbillo, Ciccillo Raggio

Let’s make Marsala the symbol of the unification of Italy. This is the request of the highest of state officials, of the Paladins of the Wines of Sicily, the Voluntary Association of Tutelage and Promotion of our House’s most Famous Wine in the World for the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy to be celebrated this year. In 1860, the One Thousand soldiers in red shirts led by Guiseppe Garibalbi, who led the process of the unification of Italy, disembarked in Marsala. Marsala was already then a wine town par excellence; in fact, almost a century earlier, its wine had been discovered and then enhanced by the Englishman, John Woodhouse and then by the Ingham-Whitakers and the Florios. History recalls that the landing of the One Thousand was favoured by the presence of the British ships and by those for wine transportation in the Port of Marsala. Garibaldi, himself, having returned to Marsala, named a type of Marsala that he particularly liked: Garibaldi Dolce. And the 99 ships of the Florio Company carried Marsala everywhere around the world, thus bolstering the competitive strength of the English commercial fleet.

There have been some enormous changes in the Italian diet from the post-war period till today; the consumption of meat has increased 300%, the consumption of bread and pasta has diminished and that of fruit and vegetables increased. On an average, the daily consumption of kilocalories have increased by 56% (2.281 in 1950, 3.685 today), while in the same period, food expenses have decreased from 45 to 15% of average earnings opure the average household budget. Notable is also the fall of the amount of wine consumed per capita per annum; in the ‘50s more than more than 100 litres, today no more than 28 litres, but in compensation, the tendency is now towards higher quality.
These are some of the results of the recent polling, Rapporto Censis Coldiretti, reporting about the consumption of Italian agricultural food products. Coldiretti is an association which unites an important amount of the Italian farmers. Furthermore, mid morning and afternoon snacks have been given up by two out of three Italians who are generally young, female, single and residents of the South and the islands, Sicily and Sardinia for example, who prefer a bun, crackers, a roll or yogurt. Lunches are little different from dinners, both almost always consisting of pasta among other things, in fact 2.1 million Italians eat it twice a day.
“From this report – said Giuseppe De Rita, the president of Censis – emerges a cautious, even if individualist, consumer. Unquestionably, with respect to the past, we’ve taken many steps forward.” The fact that the Italian consumer loves more and more kebab or enjoys eating ethnic food, to the detriment of Italian products, doesn’t worry the experts. What’s most important is that the safety of the foodstuffs, even more so than the prima materia. It’s good that it comes from abroad, just as we suppose that an Italian restaurant in London uses products made in Italy.
Appeal to the President of the Republic to declare Marsala that product that symbolizes the Unity of Italy.  The proposal of the Association of the Paladins of the Wines of Sicily.

Terroir Vino, a smart wine and food exhibition format, will be held in Genova next June 7, in the Magazzini del Cotone. It presents to the trade press, professionals and aficionados, a top selection of winemakers and wines resulting from the choices made by the panel of tasters of the wine magazine TigullioVino.it. The show rewards those that, beyond their high quality level and excellent quality-price ratio, have also managed to impart a strong emotion and the respect of their grape varieties or their terroir.
TigullioVino.it, created in April 2000, has become a reliable reference for wine and food information on the Web in Italy. This publication presents not only "trendy wines" or "top flight wines", but rather wines that deserve attention for their quality, originality and ease of drinking.
After the success of the previous editions, the meeting point has been moved to the Magazzini del Cotone, one of the most well served congress areas in town. Terroir Vino was born out of the need to stimulate communication and feedback between winemakers, professionals, consumers and independent media (mostly on line media); the name "Terroir Vino" responds to an effort to bring about a common ground for dialogue and exchanges between viticultural areas.

Italian deli meats triumph on tables around the world: during the darkest economic year since 1929, exports of ham, bacon and mortadella increased by 3.6% in quantity and 3.3% in value. 110,000 tons of products were exported, and brought Italy a turnover of 860 million euros, says ASSICA, the Association of Meat Industries. The most popular exported meats in 2009 were cured ham (+2.1%), cooked ham (+2.6%), bacon (+6.1), mortadella (+11.3%) and bresaola (+12.3).
“Export is a primary goal,” said President Francesco Pizzagalli, “and the positive numbers in 2009 are the result of a strategy ASSICA put in place to confirm our deli meats in the world. We recently obtained an extension of the range of meats so that virtually all of them can now be exported to Canada and South Africa. Negotiations are in progress also with India, Thailand and Taiwan. The excellent positive trend of our exports confirms that one of our strong points of our products, their quality and inimitability, which allow us to succeed on world markets where there are opportunities for growth and profitability. In this tough year, this result was also due to the ability of Italian deli meats to remain competitive on other markets”.

The European Currency (Euro) keeps losing ground to the US dollar and many other international currencies. What for some may sound as bad news is instead wonderful news for the worldwide industry that´s based on quality Italian cuisine, wine and beverages. Import of Italian products in many countries around the world has suddenly become more convenient than it was a few weeks ago. Coldiretti, the Italian association of agricultural producers said that, as a consequence of this new situation, the export of Italian wine towards the US had a 6% increase. Even more encouraging are the perspectives in other markets, more specifically in Asia (starting with Japan, China, Korea and Thailand), in the Middle East and in Brazil. In the next few months, it will likely be remarkably more convenient to open or manage a quality Italian Restaurant in any of these countries. The only exception is Argentina where the Government, as soon as it foresaw that foreign quality ingredients would be less expensive for the weak Euro, forbade the import of quality ingredients. The prohibition is officially presented as a way to protect the national industry although the imported goods represent only a mere 3% of the national food offer.

The 15th edition of Cibus, the international exhibition dedicate to food, will be held in Parma from May 10 to 13. This year, organizers expect more than 1.000 buyers from 55 countries, looking for the best food specialities and almost 900 journalists on the trail of the latest innovations, the most traditional, the most creative and above all, the best products. The successful Cibus formula gives space for professionals, concentrating in a few days the attention of the market’s protagonists.
Within the Cibus exhibition will be “Dolce Italia”, a space dedicated to the great confectionery products.
Parma market itself as the very centre of Europe’s food valley, near the research pole for Italian food, in the city seat of EFSA (European Food Safety Authority). In the last few years the fame of Cibus has been slightly overcast by Tuttofood, a new Italian Food Fair, based in Milan.

Picture by Alexander Lavrin

Marco Zampieri, 44, one of the most talented Italian chefs working abroad, has just passed away. He was the Executive Chef of Cantinetta Antinori in Moscow (Russia), a restaurant opened by the famous Italian wine producing family. Marco died from cancer after a long fight against his disease. His premature death left the international community of Italian chefs and culinary in shock. Many messages of condolence were sent by the members of the itchefs-gvci network, from all over the world. Some of them were sent by former work colleagues of his.

Alexander Lavrin

“In Moscow Marco was considered an icon of Italian Cuisine”, said Pietro Rongoni, chef Patron at La Serenata Restaurant in the Russian capital, who was among the first to meet with Marco, in 2004, when he went to work for Antinori.

“Not only Moscow lost one of its best chefs, but we lost a very good friend”, said Alexander Lavrin, one of the most respected Russian food writers.  “He was such a good man”, adds Anastasia Borisenkova, a food writer belonging to Argo (Association of Russian Gastronomy Observers). “We shared many meals together, I am very sad”, remembers  Rongoni, senior member of itchefs-GVCI. Born in the Piemonte Region, in Crusinallo, Marco received the Italian knighthood for culinary merits just last year. He had worked with some very talented Italian chefs as Claudio Zarenti and Paolo Viviani (Hotel san Rocco – Orta). Ciao Marco, we will miss you, may you rest in peace.

A view of the Cantinetta Antinori in Moscow

“The French, not the Italians, are the world’s best pizza makers.” Bruno Soleri, the executive chef at Florentia Ristorante in Toronto, Canada, couldn’t believe what he was hearing. That was last April 2 and it was accompanied by a video titled “France declared best pizza maker.”

It had just been put on line by Reuters, the prestigious English news agency. He sent the link to www.itchefs-gvci.com with this comment: “I am no kind of ultranationalist who is convinced that whatever we Italians do is the best in the world, but this piece of news really annoyed me”.  Bruno has worked in acclaimed restaurants such as Gualtiero Marchesi and Claudio Sadler in Italy, Chez Panisse in California and Canoe in Toronto. According the Reuters video, the organizers of Paris Pizza and Pasta Expo, celebrated last March 30 and 31, had crowned a French pizzaiolo, as the best in the world, after a competition among 200 pizza makers coming from all over the world. “Sometimes our French cousins, who certainly have some of the greatest culinary traditions in the world, go a bit over the top with their pride”, adds Soleri, who makes pizza as well (“it’s a joy”), having learnt the art from a Neapolitan pizzaiolo, and still believes that the Italians have some kind of world leadership in authentic pizza making.

Bruno Soleri

“In pizza competitions, juries cannot always be trusted”, says Pasqualino Barbasso, Sicilian chef and GVCI associate, known around the world as the “acrobatic” pizzaiolo. So, what really happened in Paris? Was the competition fixed? No, nothing like that. The news that the French make the best pizza in the world is simply not true. Reuters invented it. The competition at Paris Pizza and Pasta Expo was just among French pizza makers, called France Pizza Tour. Perhaps it looked too boring to Jon Dereck, the Reuters journalists who covered the event and manipulated reality. Furthermore: there was no competition between French and Italians whatsoever, the Expo is marketed as the Salon de la Restauration Italienne (Italian Restaurants Fair), it’s a celebration of Italian Cuisine in France. So the French are not the best pizza makers in the world but they are generally very serious and competent about their pizza: they consume huge quantities of it (only in the U.S. is its consumption higher), they call the pizza maker a ‘pizzaiolo’, exactly as in Italy, and favour pizza made with Italian techniques and ingredients.

The Italian Cuisine World Summit organized by itchefs-gvci.com will be held in Hong Kong from November 2nd thru 7th. It has been announced by Rosario Scarpato, Summit Director, and chef Paolo Monti, Culinary Supervisor of the Summit, after a meeting held in Hong Kong with the chefs of the 15 Italian Restaurants involved in the event. Mario Caramella, President of GVCI (Virtual Group of Italian Chefs), has announced that, in the occasion of the World Summit a General Meeting of all GVCI members, will be held on November 3rd, to celebrate the 10 years of the foundation of GVCI Forum, that today has almost 1200 participants, working in 70 countries.

The sixth edition of Vitigno Italia, a fair dedicated to wines made with autochthonous grape varieties, will be held in Naples from 16 to 18 May.  As wine writer Tom Hyland pointed out: “while you won’t find any examples of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Chardonnay here, you will be able to taste some glorious wines made from Greco, Fiano, Aglianico, Nero d’Avola and hundreds of other local varieties”. Starting last year, Vitigno Italia is held in the historic Castel dell’Ovo, on the shores of the Gulf of Napoli, to stress the historic importance of indigenous grape varieties. Though the fair is mainly dedicated to wineries of Campania Region and other Southern areas, there are many exhibitors from other important oenological regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Piemonte and Veneto. Within Vitigno Italia, Luigi Cremona, a renowned Italian food and wine writer will host, one more time, the successful culinary festival Cooking X wine. To read more about 2009 edition of Vitigno Italia got to Tom Hyland blog.

Gattopardo, the last joint venture of the Garibaldi Group of Restaurants, and the Sicilian Chef Lino Sauro, has opened in Singapore. It´s an Italian pizza bar that features food from southern Italy and has a range of style and taste from zesty to delicate.
The new eatery, that belongs to the Group founded by the Chef Roberto Galetti, serves elegant dishes such as roasted fish with a sprinkle of wild mint and grilled fresh prawns in lemon leaves presented in a charming terracotta pot – reflective of how Italians from the South appreciate the purity and texture of their food.
Nestled within the lush foliage of the Fort Canning Park, Gattopardo is a must-dine for all lovers of fine Italian cuisine. Gattopardo, tiger-cat in English, is the title of one of the most important Italian novels of the 20th century, authored by the Sicilian writer Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa and published in 1958.

Four Seasons Hotel Doha is celebrating its fifth anniversary by introducing "Food & Art Week at Il Teatro", an exhibition that displays the art collection of famous Italian Artist Fabrizio Trabucco who interpreted in the culinary creations of two Italian Star Chefs: Michelin Star Chef Matteo Vigotti and Il Teatro Italian Chef Mauro Bellodi, a GVCI associate.

Doha is Capital of Arab Culture 2010 and Four Seasons Hotel Doha makes its contribution to this event hosting
Fabrizio Trabucco's exhibition that displays the cultural exchange between Italy and Qatar, between modern, contemporary art and haute cuisine.

Cesare Casella, renowned Italian chef in New York City (Salumeria Rosi) and itchefs-GVCI leader in the US, tasted the newly launched second “Collezione” of dishes by Mark Ladner. Executive chef at Del Posto Restaurant in New York City, one of the establishments belonging to Mario Batali and the Bastianich family (Lidia and Joseph), Mark is among those non-Italian-born chefs who are amazing interpreters of theItalian Cuisine at a worldwide level. “The difference between Mark and most chefs cooking Italian, is that Mark investigates and is more knowledgeable than most the other chefs – whether Italian or not. Italian cooking is his passion and I think that because he is not Italian, he researches and learns about everything Italian to make sure his food is more authentic”.

Mark Ladner & Cesare Casella

Read what Cesare Casella writes here: "Last week I went to taste the second Collezione of Mark Ladner at Del Posto.

Mark has created something fantastic! Like in every respectable collection, each season brings something new and exciting. With Mark’s Collezione, it is not only the combination of food and wine that makes it fantastic – it is the food, wine and china – I love that!

Mark Ladner is a "biblioteca". The knowledge that Mark has about Italy, its food, history and culture is visible throughout the entire Collezione, down to the head of the tuna, Ginori plates and vintage implements of service. The difference between Mark and most chefs cooking Italian, is that Mark investigates and is more knowledgeable than most other chefs – whether Italian or not. Italian cooking is his passion and I think that because he is not Italian, he researches and learns about everything Italian to make sure his food is more authentic. And it is! Mark’s passion, combined with the infrastructure, brain trust and resources at Del Posto makes his new Collezione... True Italian cooking!

Ladner at work

The Collezione started with Pane Filone hot pot with Vittorio Cassini 2010 (the extra virgin olive oil). I recognized the pot that Mark brought to the table from afar as a vintage Alessi pot, designed by Marchesi. The bread (baked in the pot) came out of the oven just 2 minutes before. In front of the table he took the bread out of the pot, ripped it with his hands and put in on my plate. Then Mark came with a small bowl with dusty stuff, that he told me was frozen extra virgin olive oil. This was the first time in my life that I saw dry, extra virgin olive oil from Liguria, that was frozen! I think that he chose the olive oil from Liguria because they produce delicate oils. So on top of the hot bread he put the frozen oil. As I waited for the oil to turn BACK INTO LIQUID, I smelled all the aroma from the oil on the bread, and I ate it with my hands. There were no utensils on the table. I ate it all.

Anellini (rings)


Cesare picking up the anellini (rings)


100 layers lasagna


100 layers lasagna


Polenta Friuli style


Ossobuco sauce


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Tree di Cacao


Tangerines on ice

I started to understand the beginning of the Collezione. The plate for the bread was from Richard Ginori, plates that all the Kings in Italy have. So at this point I begun to see what the menu was about – it is not only the food, but the vintage pots, the 1880 Richard Ginori plates, Masa Italian linens, and the glasses designed especially for Del Posto.

The next course was Pinzimonio in Bagna Caoda. Bagna caoda is a traditional dish from Piemonte. But here Mark served a non-traditional type of bagna caoda with ingredients they don’t have in Piemonte like beefy jerky, pretzels, cheddar cheese and black truffles – it was very good and very interesting because still there were no utensils.

The Soft Scrambled Eggs were served on more very rare china from Richard Ginori, this time the Museo collection. The eggs had the garlic anchioves sauce from the bagna caoda, caviar and were so soft... the combination put together was fantastic. Mark spoke a lot about this dish, but I was more interested in drinking the wine to care about the perfect combination that he put on the plate. The wine was Alteni di Brassica, 2007, from one of the most prestigious Italian wine producers (Gaja).

When the Wild Black Bass in Moorish Spices arrived, it was presented on the table in another beautiful vintage oval shapped copper pot from Alessi. On top of the pot was the fried bass skin. When Mark presented this, I first thought the fried skin was the dish itself because it was so good. But instead Mark opened the pot and there was a whole bass, the length of the pot. The pot was built specifically to cook fish (it was a Pesciera). Then he took the pot back to the kitchen, and returned with the fish flaked in small pieces and served in a vintage stainless steel round bowl (by Alessi), that was shallow, light and beautiful. Inside was the bass with sweet clams and a spiced flavor. The fish was paired with a Rose from Moltepulciano d’Abruzzo.

With the Insalata Caprese with Testina di Tonno, I tasted the head of the tuna fish in an incredible way. When I closed my eyes and ate the tuna, in my mouth I felt and tasted the head of the fish, and the cheek of the fish, because the head had so much flavor and is the best part of the animal. Mark prepared and canned the tuna fish himself. The burrata tasted like it had arrived from Italy that very morning. And the tomatoes were so sweet, like candy, I ate the vine too.

This combination and the colors was amazing. Mark’s interpretation with Italian food – it is a classic example of True Italian cooking because the burrata is a product imported from Italy, and served with a local product.

It was almost spiritual - the incredible combination of these dishes – the fact that the tuna tasted like I was eating the head of the fish and the burrata and tomato, and the choice of the sparkling Rose.

The Fonduta e Robiola Anellini with Black Truffles and Vacca Rossa (the cheese) was fun. The intention of this dish was to pick the anellini ring up with your finer and run in through the cheese and black truffles. The anellini was shaped like an engagement ring.

The 100 Layer Lasagna is 50 layers of ragù that is cooked for 6 hours and 50 layers of pasta. Again, the dish came on plates from Richard Ginori.

Before Mark served the next course of Bigoli con Anatra and Goose Liver, he brought out friulian style polenta and poured it on top of a marble table and let it sit while I ate the bigoli.

This traditional pasta (by Tony) was made with duck. It was a whole-wheat pasta made with the torchio, a typical instrument for making pasta in Veneto. Tony grated the frozen liver over the pasta. I loved the liver, it was fantastic! And the pasta was so "scrunchy" – like when it has a bite but it’s not crunchy – it’s perfect!

The dish, Veal in Ash with Grass and Corn, was served in 2 stages. The veal itself was dusted in powdered hardwood charcoal then grilled to 100 degrees. The kidney is cooked in its own fat. Alongside the veal at the table, Mark had a sauce made from ossobucco in a copper pot. He plated the set polenta, sliced the veal and finished with the vinogrette of ossobuco made with the same Barolo we were drinking! Bergadano Barolo “Sarmassa” 2001

Then he served the polenta crusty from the inside of the cast iron vessel, made only with water and extra virgin olive oil. It made a crunchy chip, and he served it on top of tall grass, with the kidney condiment. The picture is beautiful.

I was introduced to the beginning of the desserts by Brooks, and Mark joined me at the table. The Salt Baked Pineapple was the first of five desserts and began with the international symbol of hospitality, salt roasted with spices and frozen yogurt. The peel was soaked in spices and dipped in Greek yogurt and frozen. A perfect segway to the dessert courses.

The Eggplant Costata with Sheep's Milk Ricotta Straciatella and Chocolate Olive Oil was a trip into Naples. It was nice because it was equally savory and sweet. And the ricotta ice cream was the best I’ve ever had – even in Italy. It was fantastic.

The Tree di Cacao was so sexy and the Tangerines on ice were very good, along with Lidia’s Fregolotta. The way they finished the Collezione with dry cookies, and the juice of the fruit all over the table, it was so Italian – this is what it is like in Italy.

The sequence of the dishes was great too. I ate the chocolate and was so full. And then the tangerines, it made my mouth ready to eat more chocolate – because the tangerines were soft with acidity and the chocolate was crispy. The dried cookies were the perfect way to finish.

The Service of café alla Napoletana was being prepared from the start of the desserts. I know, because I smelt it! They whipped a splash of the coffee with sugar in front of me and it was delicious.

This Collezione by Mark Ladner is what I mean when I talk about True Italian cooking."

Read the article also in True Italian Cooking the new blogspot by Cesare Casella http://truitalianusa.blogspot.com/

Gualtiero Marchesi, possibly the most famous Italian chef worldwide, has just celebrated his 80th birthday. There are many, the people who, in Italy and abroad, have written extensively on his life, career, cuisine and beliefs. Among the most poignant profiles on the Master Italian chef ever published is the one signed by Spanish food critic Rafael García Santos, founder and director of the prestigious publication Lo mejor de la gastronomia. Here some excerpts from the article published in 2006.

“(Gualtiero Marchesi) has acomplished a corpus of work that is utterly personal and Italian. It includes dishes whose glory will endure the passing of time. His spirit and erudition have created a school with disciples of such relevance as Paolo Lopriore, Carlo Cracco, Enrico Crippa, Davide Oldani, Andrea Berton, etc. It is as a consequence of all this that he is world famous.

Rafael García Santos

His cooking is branded by the kind of passion that comes from art. He paints, in such a way!, using china as a canvas. The beauty as well as the minimalism in the layout of his compositions has given them character and an unmistakeable mark. He tends to display esential, very thought-over constructions, using very few elements, that express talent, loads of talent, so much so that the the way in which he carries it out makes the difference. Two, three, four elements, amazingly enough, compose an astounding, radiant body. The examples are endless. To name a few: the cold spaghetti, caviar and chives salad: a revolution of display, three details, lots of magic, the fundaments of epicure... Another artistic wonder: the open raviolo; a bold, round star of open leaves, extended and pointy like a round, see-through mille feuille ”.

Some of Marchesi´s famous dishes:
1. Rice, Gold and Saffron,
2. Fuchsia Beetroot Risotto (among others) and
3. Open Raviolo

“The reason is that Gualtiero has always been a character very sensitive to beauty, innovation, simplicity and pure, imaculate flavours. All these: the milanese feeling, the french technique and the exceptional gift of taste, both of flavour and inteligence, are a part of the most laureate of the risottos: rice, gold and saffron. A perfect tactile contrast between the cereal and the creamy sauce melting into one other self. And when you taste it, the rice keeps its identitly, the saffron appears unmistakeable and delicately”.

“Traditional flavours, sauces with the body of a model and striking artistic beauty. What can be said of such exceptional works as the spaghetti “Dritti” or the marchesian extravaganza, the virtuous fuchsia beetroot risotto, the erudite veal steak alla Rossini ... a cuisine that´s beyond good and evil. Of a character that transcendes time, that enjoys art and urges you to taste it”.

The European Union gave the green light for the inclusion of two other Italian products in the Denominations of Protected Origin and Indications of Protected Origin (DOP and IGP in Italian). The products in question are the "Ricciarelli di Siena" and the "Patata di Bologna". The Ricciarelli are a traditonal Christmas sweet made in Siena and its surroundings since long time and today consumed all year round. The famous potato from the province of Bologna has always been a favorite of good food lovers, for its peculiar color and taste, generated by the conjunction of climate, soil, cultivation techniques and conservation systems. Soon the delicious Marrone (chestnut) della Valle di Susa is expected to enter the register of DOP and IGP as well.

Two Italian extra virgin olive oils and one from Chile have been declared the best in the world at the recent Sol d’Oro 2010, an international competition celebrated within the International Salon of Quality Extravirgin Olive Oil (Verona, 15-20 March 2010). The award for the best “light fruity” went to Agricola y Forestal Don Rafael of Santiago de Chile. For the "medium fruity" category  the prize went to  Villa Stabbia di Massa Cozzile (Pistoia - Tuscany) and for the "intense fruity" to Frantoio Quattrociocchi Americo di Alatri (Frosinone - Latium). Many Italian producers, given the bad year they had in terms of harvest quality and quantity preferred not participate in the competition. On the other hand the award received by Chile is a deserved acknowledgement for the work done by the almost 40 Chilean producers who export the 20% of the 2500 tonnes of production

There is a deep disappointment among the Italian "molecular" chefs. With the publication in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic, the "Urgent measures concerning the protection of consumer health with respect to the catering sector" are now effective. With these measures chemistry is practically banned in the kitchens and chefs who use new methods of preparation, cooking, pairing and presentation of food such as the freezing liquid nitrogen or the use of vacuum for the preparation of mousses and meringues, are penalised. Ettore Bocchia, executive chef of the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellaria declared that he is breaking the law since is still using liquid nitrogen. He added that he is ready to report himself to the authorities because removing the liquid nitrogen would make a great leap backward in the history of cuisine. In 2003, chef Bocchia signed the "Manifesto of the Italian molecular cuisine", with the goal of preserving traditional Italian flavors and taking advantage of the benefits of liquid nitrogen, considered an excellent refrigerant. Bocchia has studied with Davide Cassi, the Chairman of the degree course in Gastronomic Sciences and lecturer in molecular gastronomy at Colorno's Alma cooking School. Cassi, who was the first promoter of chemistry in the kitchen in Italy, said that the measures issued by the Italian Government are yet to be fully understood, so, it’s a bit premature to protest.

The famous Italian restaurant Cipriani in London, owned by Arrigo and Giuseppe Cipriani, and frequented by stars as David Beckham and Naomi Campbell has been ordered to change its name. The Court of Appeal of London has confirmed a sentence issued by a High Court Judge, two years ago. The Court has agreed that the ownership that the mark Cipriani no longer belongs to the Venetian family, but to the Orient Express group, that purchased it together with the homonymous hotel on the Laguna in 1967.

Italian TV food journalist Bruno Gambacorta has received a special Premiolino award for his articles and TV programs on the Italian food culture and the made in Italy products. Premiolino – The taste of sincerity is the most prestigious journalism award in Italy given to professionals who have contributed to the defence of the independence of opinion and freedom of the press. Bruno Gambacorta, who is the creator of the popular RAI – TV program Eat Parade Tg2, received the Birra Moretti Award, established in the edition of 2009.

A couple of weeks after the huge celebration of the International Day of Italian Cuisines 2010, GVCI´s President Mario Caramella prepared the Tagliatelle al Ragù Bolognese at the Bali Hyatt Sanur. Since Mario was in New York City during the celebration, where he participated in the World Premiere of IDIC 2010, he decided to postpone the preparation of the tagliatelle and to cook them according to a particular technique: as suggested some decades ago by Giacomo Agnesi, the founder of a well know Italian pasta manufactures. Here are Mario’s hints:

- Put water in a large pot and bring it to a boil
- Add salt
- Add the egg tagliatelle (dry pasta)
- Put the lid on the pot
- Boil for one minute
- Pull the lid on, stirr the pasta, and put the lid back on. Turn off the heat
- Leave the tagliatelle in the pot for the time recommended by the pasta manufacturer (sometimes you need to leave it a couple of extra minutes)
- Drain and serve with the ragù alla Bolognese

Chef, author and TV personality Mario Batali has been proclaimed Honorary Culinary Ambassador of the city of Bologna. Bruno Filetti, Chairman of Bologna´s Chamber of Commerce, presented Batali with the symbolic title during the International Day of Italian Cuisines World Premiere in New York, in a video conference with Bologna. Batali, the American chef who, perhaps more than any other, has contributed to acquainting the USA with modern oenogastronomic Italy took his first steps as a chef, coincidentally near Bologna and its surrounding province. To read more on Mario Batali and his participation in the IDIC 2010 launch in New York City

Pietro Rongoni, chef and patron of Serenata Restaurant in Moscow, has been one of the protagonists of the last International day of Italian Cuisines. The celebration at his restaurant was enjoyed by his guests and covered by local media including Press tour.  On January 17, Pietro was also the protagonist of a video conference from Moscow with Stuttgart, where Sante De Santis and his guest chefs Donato de Santis, Mauro Fabbri, Marco Sacco, where enjoying a Great Italian Sunday Lunch at San Pietro Restaurant, prepared by chef Roland Schuller. Many other chefs celebrated the IDIC in Moscow, including Ezequiel Barbuto, Rongoni´s former assistant, at Piccolino Restaurant.

The last issue of the magazine So isst Italien ("That’s how Italians eat") contains a great coverage of the German celebrations of the International Day of Italian Cuisines, in Stuttgart. The article written by Kathrin Hoberg is illustrated with the outstanding pictures of  Frauke Antholz. So isst italien is on Facebook as well with other news on 2010 IDIC

Fabio Cappellano, chef patron of Il Tartufo Restaurant in Delft (The Netherlands), is likely the chef who served more Tagliatelle al ragù Bolognese during the last International Day of Italian of Italian Cuisines. With his staff  they dished out 425 portions in two hours, at lunch time. Click here to see the article on Fabio that appeared on the Schakel Middendelfland

The Italian Cuisine Worldwide Awards 2010 were announced during a Gala Dinner prepared by Guest Master Chefs Chicco and Bobo Cerea and hosted by Chef Cesare Casella at the Italian Culinary Academy in New York with the presence of two Award recipients: Lidia Bastianich and Sirio Maccioni. In the picture from left: Gianfelice Guerini, Mario Caramella, Rosario Scarpato, Lidia Bastianich, Cesare Casella, Dorothy Hamilton, Sirio Maccioni, Paolo Monti.
Read More about this event...

Stuttgart has been the epicentre of the great ola of tagliatelle al ragù. Falling on Sunday, the 2010 IDIC has been a unique opportunity to celebrate the Italian Sunday Lunch, “Il Pranzo della Domenica": that according to the Italian tradition it´s the day reserved for a special meal. Sante De Santis, GVCI chef and a true local celebrity, hosted three great chefs who had arrived in town to interpret the Italian Sunday Lunch from different periods; Donato De Santis (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Roland Schuller, once chef of the Don Alfonso and today working in Hong Kong and Marco Sacco of the Piccolo Lago, Verbania, Piedmont, holder of two well-earned Michelin stars. They were joined by Mauro Fabbri, executive chef at the Restaurant Diana in Bologna and his favourite sfoglina Luisa Lolli, who came to prepare very special Tagliatelle al Ragù Bolognese

New York City:- Under the title "Italy Comes to New York" the New York Times has announced the World Premiere of the International Day of Italian Cuisines on January 5, 2010. "A number of food and wine producers from Italy will be in New York on Jan. 13 and 14 for a variety of tastings, workshops and dinners. This is in conjunction with a Jan. 17 event called the International Day of Italian Cuisine, which is intended to promote authentic Italian recipes and products. On Jan. 13 from 3 to 5 p.m., a tasting of the foods and wines from eight Italian companies at the Italian Culinary Academy, 462 Broadway (Grand Street), will be open to the public, free".

New Delhi:- The fourth annual Vinitaly India, the only event dedicated exclusively to Italian wine in India, will take place in New Delhi, at The Park Delhi Hotel, on January 19th and 20th, 2010.
In addition to presenting quality wines from various regions of the Italian peninsula this year Vinitaly India 2010 will introduce, for the first time, quality olive oil produced by estate members of the Consorzio Olivicolo Italiano (Consortium of Italian Olive Oil Producers). The Unione Italiana Vini (UIV, or Italian Wine Union) will manage a special area dedicated to educating visitors about how to identify wine characteristics and how to taste wine critically. The UIV educational effort will be supported by an interactive seminar as well as a guided tasting of selected wines.
Vinitaly India 2010 opens on 19th January with a food and wine evening dedicated to selected guests and the press. Various seminars and free tastings will be held on the 20th January, open to trade and specialized media, featuring over 40 Italian wine-producers.

New York City:- The Italian Culinary Academy of New York City, whose founder is Dorothy Cann Hamilton and dean is GVCI member Cesare Casella will play a prominent role in the next International Day of Italian Cuisines and they are full steam working on this event (read more on the ICA participation here).

AUSTRALIA:- "The Adelaide Review" magazine has published an article on the Grupo Virtuale Cuochi Italiani (GVCI) called "The Great Debate". Written by GVCI member chef Salvatore Pepe who explains the dynamics of this unique virtual group of cooks and how it works: debating, sharing and exchanging experiences and opinions. But most of all, as a standard of authentic Italian cuisine. Also, more information on the upcoming International Day of Italian Cuisines. Click here to read the whole article.

Beijing: GVCI associate chef Vincenzo Pezzilli, formerly Executive Chef of Piazza Italia in Beijing, is now the Chief Operating Officer of Agrilandia, an organic farm that has recently started its activities in the Chinese capital. Agrilandia has various operations revolving around the farm, among which are the Casale restaurants located inside the farm itself and in the Chinese Academy of Fine Arts, plus 2 pilot ministores for a potential franchising.  Chef Pezzilli aims at creating a pole of Italian cuisine excellence in Northern China, which may continue what Piazza Italia begun but wasn´t, unfortunately, able to do so due to management flaws.

The “pomodorino del piennolo del Vesuvio“, a round cherry tomato with a pointed end that is kept on the vine until winter, has been granted the Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO) by the European Union. This luscious pomodorino, which is cultivated in the Vesuvius (and Mount Somma) area, in the province of Naples, is now part of the more than 180 Italian food specialties protected by the European Union. The Committee promoting the PDO had to wait over 6 years to achieve such a result.

Donato De Santis’ Villa della Pasta, a program aired by El Gourmet Channel in South America, was awarded the Martin Fierro prize as the Best Cooking Show of the Season (2008). This is the highest recognition of Argentinean television and is the second time Donato has been honored with this award (the first one was for his program Donato Cucina in 2002). Villa Della Pasta, is a program where De Santis reveals his audience the secrets in the making of the best handmade Italian pasta.

The Delegation of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina of San Luca - Bologna has decided to bring together in one document the many recipes that are the symbol of  the traditional Bolognese cuisine all around the world, including the famous Tagliatelle al ragù. Pier Luigi Nanni (www.tigulliovino.it) writes that the document is deposited in the Palazzo della Mercanzia, the headquarter of Chamber of Commerce, to endure the memory of the gastronomic culture of Bologna. The list of the Accademia recipes is limited to a symbolic number: twenty-four of the most famous and popular, that have been encoded and registered by the Chamber of Commerce. Here is the list (and date of file of each recipe):

- Pane di San Petronio- San Petronio´s bread -  13 October, 2005.
- Spuma di Mortadella mousse - 14 October, 2004.
- Chicken or capon galantine - 14 October, 2004.
- Imperial Soup - May 17, 2006.
- Minestra nel sacchetto- Soup in the bag - 17 May 2006.
- Tortellini in brodo - Tortellini in broth- 7 December 1974.
- Risotto with frogs of the Bassa  - 11 October 2007.
- Tagliatelle Bolognese - April 16, 1972.
- Classic Ragu alla Bolognese - October 17, 1982.
- Lasagne verdi alla Bolognese - May 28, 2003.
- Tortelloni della Vigilia - 17 May 2006.
- Chestnut Tagliatelle - 12 October 2006.
- Friggione (onion based sauce) - 19 November 2003.
- Fried Stecchi alla Petroniana - May 17, 2006.
- Trifolato Vitello alla Bolognese - October 13, 2005.
- Cotoletta alla Bolognese - 14 October 2004.
- Cotechino Fasciato (bandaged) - 11 October 2007.
- Gran Bollito alla Bolognese (boiled meat) - October 14, 2004.
- Great boiled alla Bolognese - May 17, 2006.
- Certosino di Bologna - 21 November 2001.
- Torta di riso (Rice cake) or degli addobbi - 14 December 2005.
- Pinza Montanara - May 17, 2006.
- Torta di Tagliatelle (tagliatelle cake) or Torta ricciolina - October 13, 2005.
- Zuccherini (little sugars) Bolognesi - 11 October 2007.

The British TV channel Good Food (BBC and Virgin Media) will launch in January 2010 the series “Rhodes Across Italy”, hosted by celebrity chef Gary Rhodes. For the occasion Rhodes puts aside his passion for English cuisine and undertakes a culinary dream journey through Italy. He´s on a mission to learn the secrets of Italian cooking from the very best.  Gary and his Sous chefs Clare and Marc, handpicked to take part in the series due to their love of food and Italy, will travel the length and breadth of Italy – from Rome to Sicily from Tuscany to Venice, discovering the delicacies of ten regions. Using the stories of the Italian contributors as a guide to find authentic dishes, Gary will learn to cook their recipes using the abundance of fresh vegetables, olive oil, seafood and of course pasta at each stunning location and will discover the traditional roots of the classic Italian dishes we all know and love. Gary Rhodes says: ‘Italy showed off to me its wonderful natural beauty, abundance of gourmet delights and proved to be one of the most memorable and fascinating culinary experiences that I can remember. I think I’ve fallen in love!’

The restaurant Da Vittorio di Brusaporto (Bergamo) has been awarded the 3 stars in the 2010 edition of the Michelin guide. The restaurant is owned and managed by the Cerea family, which follows the footsteps of the charismatic Vittorio, “the most representative restaurateur that Bergamo has ever had,” who opened this place in 1966. Da Vittorio joins the other 5 three-stared restaurants in Italy: Dal Pescatore (Canneto sull'Oglio - Mn),  Enoteca Pinchiorri  (Florence), La Pergola (Rome), Le Calandre (Rubano - Pd) and Sorriso in Soriso (No). For Enrico “Chicco” Cerea (in the picture), the chef of Da Vittorio, the third Michelin star is the reward for his talent and commitment to the high Italian cuisine, which he modernizes but keeps strongly linked to the tradition, the terroir and the pristine quality of the ingredients.

“Voglio vivere così”, I want to live this way, is the title of the campaign promoted by the Region of Tuscany and presented in Miami during the exhibition "Wine & Fashion Florence 2009".  Tuscan chefs Marco Stabile (Ora d’aria, Firenze),  Fabrizio Innocenti (Grand Hotel Excelsior Firenze) e Stefano Frassineti of Toscani da Sempre (Pontassieve) have delighted the guests with their dishes, particularly the members of the exclusive "Cellar Club" of the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gable, where the Executive Chef is GVCI associate Gaetano Ascione. More than 30 Tuscan companies, representing sectors such as fashion, agriculture, quality craftsmanship and tourism, took part in the event and were given the opportunity to consolidate their presence in an important and strategic market like the U.S.

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Salumeria Rosi is a small, neighborhood salumi shop and restaurant. The Salumeria is located in New York City's Upper West Side and offers a wide variety of traditional Italian cured meats to be enjoyed on the spot or taken to go.

The Rosi family has produced high-quality salumi in Italy for generations. They are as passionate about pork as they are tradition. One year ago they teamed up with Chef Cesare Casella - Italian chef per eccellenza - to create a special menu of prepared-foods and dishes, typically found in salumerie across Italy. Now, a year has passed since they opened its doors. Happy 1st Birthday!!!

The famous White Truffle Auction was once again held with simultaneous events in Alba, Italy and Hong Kong at Crown Wine Cellars with an outstanding HK$1 million being paid for the largest truffle which weighed in at 760 grams. 

A consortium lead by Mr Joseph Bae, a local prominent businessman, out-bid a final Italian attempt at HK$900,000 with a successful final bid of HK$1 million to rapturous (Hong Kong!) applause 60 feet under a Shouson Hill mountain in the former secret military bunkers of Little Hong Kong.

The superb 8-course dinner was awash with truffles and was specially created by Michelin rated Italian chef Massimo Camia who flew to Hong Kong especially for the glittering event.  The outstanding vintage Italian wines were generously donated by Mr Fabio Catteneo of AVRI Switzerland, one of the largest European merchants.

A grand total of HK$2.19 million was raised for charity, of which the organizers are proud to state that every cent raised went directly to the following charities: MOTHER´S CHOICE and CHANGING YOUNG LIVES FOUNDATION.
Guests included society favourites, as well as prominent businessmen and women including Ranjan Marwah, Gene Reilly, Jim Thompson, Shirley Chiu, Louis Gave and famous wine makers such as Federico Ceretto and Sergio Barale. 

The truffle arrived in Hong Kong by air and has been presented to its proud owner, Joseph Bae, by the Grand Master of the Knights of Alba, Mr Alfredo Boratto at a closed dinner and presentation ceremony hosted by the Knights of Alba (Asia).

PHOTO: THE PRINCIPLE TRUFFLE A FEW MINUTES AFTER ITS ARRIVAL AT CROWN WINE CELLARS - SAFELY IN THE HANDS OF THE GRAND MASTER OF THE KNIGHTS OF ALBA, MR ALFREDO BORATTO

The dish of the next International Day of Italian Cuisines (IDIC) will be Tagliatelle al ragù alla bolognese.  Hundreds of Italian chefs around the world will repeat on January 10th 2010 the ola of the last two years, when the dishes to be celebrated and protected were Carbonara and Risotto alla Milanese. The announcement was made during the last Italian Cuisine Asia Summit, during the Industry Workshop on “Italian Cuisine in Asia: the next 20 years”. Tagliatelle al ragù, originally and icon of the city of Bologna and its surroundings, is by now one of the most popular dishes of Italian Cuisine and therefore the most counterfeited around the world. “We want to let Italian food lovers all around the world know how to cook and enjoy a quality authentic tagliatelle al ragù which, in the majority of the cases, has nothing to do with the awful, wrongly called ´bolognaise sauces`”, says Bali based GVCI’s President Mario Caramella. The International Day of Italian Cuisines is born out of the mission of both educating worldwide consumers to enjoy authentic and quality Italian cuisine and protecting their right to get what they pay for when going to eateries labelled as “Italian”. Organized by itchefs-gvci.com the International Day of Italian Cuisines promises to be an exciting and successful world wide event, as the last two editions were.

Saturday the 21st and Sunday the 22nd of November 2009 at Bassano del Grappa, in the province of Vicenza, Italian made dessert wines will be the center stage of DolceVi, a trade show and exhibition that will take place at Palazzo Bonaguro.

In addition to wine and food professionals, the event is open to the general public. The show offers the opportunity to get to know and taste some of the best Italian produced dessert wines, paired with sweet specialties and traditional products from the Veneto region. Conventions and laboratori del gusto (taste laboratories) will complete the event, discussing the status of these types of wine and how to pair them successfully.

High quality and competitive prices are the key to success for dessert wines. Producers, journalists and marketing professionals will analyze the market perspectives for these types of wine at the important Fall 2009 meeting.

CHINA - people are still talking about the Italian Cuisine Asia Summit. The South China Morning Post has covered the event and published the article "Master chefs keep Italy on the culinary map" together with a video on the Summit.

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Buenos Aires. A network of 38 Italian Restaurants, based in the capital of Argentina and its province, has just been created. Leaded by TV celebrity chef (and GVCI member) Donato De Santis, the network aims at increasing quality and genuineness in the establishments that serve so-called Italian Cuisine. The Italian cultural heritage left by hundred of thousands migrants is still alive, despite it’s almost a century since the last wave arrived, but the quality and authenticity of Italian cuisine in Argentina are quite low. For this reason another good news is the advertising campaign just launched by one of the oldest Argentine pasta maker, Matarazzo, of clear Italian roots. The campaign “Vivi la Vida al dente” (“Live your life al dente”), projected by Liebre Amotinada Ideas agency and aired by TV and radio, is quite a revolutionary initiative for a country where pasta is eaten almost mushy.

New York. From "abbacchio” (a Roman term for baby lamb) to “zabaglione” (Fluffy amalgam of egg yolks, sugar and wine (usually Marsala), from abboccato" (lightly sweet wine) to "zuppa" (soup), thousands of food and wine related Italian terms are featured in the Glossary published by the New York branch of ICE (Italian Trade Commission). A free, quick to use and accurate source to help Italian food and wine professionals and food enthusiasts all around the world. Bookmark Italian Cuisine and wine glossary

New York - Odette Fada, talented chef and GVCI’s associate, is back to the front line at the helm of the SD26 the re-born San Domenico Restaurant. The new creation of Tony May, an Italian Cuisine trend setter in the Big Apple, is located in 19 E 26th Street, near Madison Square Park. Fada and May are determined to refresh the image of the old restaurant, which according to the critics was good but “not especially exciting”. They aim at appealing younger customers in a district where the competition is strong: very close to SD26 there are well established restaurants such as Tabla and A Voce. But Odette and Tony are confident that their new proposal of quality and surprising Italian Cuisine will be appreciated by their customers. In bocca al lupo, Odette.

Lima. For the first time the local Cordon Bleu has Italian sweets in its Pastry courses. “I thought it was a good idea and very appropriate for the students curricula of the third and fourth cycle to include parts of Italian Pasticceria”, says Martin Tufrò, and Italian-Argentine pastry chef who despite his young age has plenty of experience and talent. Semifreddo all’amaretto with savoiardi, fresh fruit and caramel, three colours pannacotta with white chocolate sauce and classic Panettone and Zabaglione are among the recipes and techniques that students are learning. In 2006 Martin Tufrò won the worldwide competition Targa Amarena Fabbri for his dessert and his participating to a Fao book against hunger in Latin America.

OTTAWA - Starting this month, Culatello and a number of specialty Italian pork cold cuts (coppa, pancetta, salame) are finally available for Canadian consumers. The “liberalization” is the due to the end of a negotiation between the UE and the Canadian food inspection agency (Cfia) and includes cuts matured for at least 90 days. Italian products such typical Prosciutto (Parma and San Daniele) were already freely imported by Canada. Chefs and Italian food lovers welcome the news, which expands the offer of salumeria italiana in Canada.

Hong Kong - Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver will open 30 Italian family-style restaurants in Asia, with the first one set to open its doors to his gastronomic followers in Hong Kong early in 2010. The move marks the first step in taking his chain Jamie's Italian - which now has five eateries in England - outside his hometown, to a region which takes pride in its rich diversity of international cuisine and where the economy is picking up faster than anywhere else in the world.

"Why Asia? Of all the markets, it has by far the fastest-growing economy," said Edward Pinshow, president of Tranic Franchising, which formed a venture with Jamie's Italian International for the Asia expansion. "The Chinese have become extremely fond of Italian food. In Japan, Jamie's become a household name," he said on Tuesday. They plan to roll out another 24 eateries in other parts of the region over the next five years, with China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea among the most likely candidates for location. He said the menu would offer a full-course meal with antipasti, main dish, dessert, plus a glass of Italian wine, for an average of 300 Hong Kong dollars (about 38USD) per head. "At Jamie's restaurants, you will often find a blue-collar worker, a student, and the chairman of a blue-chip company side by side having a meal," said Pinshow, while stressing that everything they served would be "natural and organic."

Bauli, the Italian firm based in Verona that produces the famous Pandoro and Panettone bought the historic brands Motta e Alemagna, from the Swiss multinational Nestlé, together with the factory of San Martino Buonalbergo. “The only true strategic plan of a family company as ours is to deliver a stronger and more solid business to the next generation”, Alberto Bauli, the Chairman of the firm, said in an interview with Stanislao Porzio, founder of Re Panettone and food historian. Porzio has a particular expertise on the history of Panettone, the Italian traditional Christmas sweet, born in the city of Milan. It was Angelo Motta, a pastry chef, that in 1919 began to change the history of Panettone production. He was soon followed by the business Gioacchino Alemagna, both brands were very successful for various decades. Bauli, the son of a former Italian migrant to Argentina, said also that Bauli has guaranteed the employment of former Nestlé workforce. More info on the Panettone history in La Vita è dolce

Happy cows aren’t on Facebook, The Lone Tuscan rides again, Splish Splash, are just some of the hilarious posts you may find on Italian Cooking in the loop, the blogspot run by Gvci’s and New York based Cesare Casella, Chef Patron of Salumeria Rosi in New York’s Upper West Side and Dean of Italian Culinary Insititute of the Big Apple.

There are several  Italian Cuisine Chef and Executive Sous Chef positions available in Dubai, Shanghai, Beijing, Saudi Arabia. An expert Pizzaiolo is wanted in New York. For more information or to send your CV please write to us.

After 5 years at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, in which he was also the Chef de Cuisine at the Italian Restaurant Carnevale, Andrea Strim is now the Executive Sous Chef of al Burj Al Arab, the 7-star super luxury Hotel. From September 1^st, Susy Massetti, after leaving the Sas Radisson Hotel in Bahrain, where she was Executive chef, will come back to the Sheraton Hotel and Resort.

Children’s Day, last Sunday in Chile, and GVCI Roberto Illari, chef patron of Bel Paese Restaurant, in Santiago, organized a special celebration. Games, fun, a cooking class and plenty of Italian food in entertaining shapes, for his little guests. Funny Pennette al sugo, hilarious lasagne and flying cotoletta alla Milanese. Children’s cusine of excellent quality. Watch the photos here.

Bel Paese Restaurant

The kids showing their final plates

“It seems to me that a study of Italian fish soups, of which there is a considerable variety, with ancient traditions, should have beneficial effects on our daily food”, wrote Elizabeth David, in her book Italian Food, since its first edition in 1954. It’s not sure if the organisers of the International Festival of Brodetto and fish soups were inspired by the great English food writer, but certainly their Event has been a success to date. The VII edition of the Festival will be held at Fano Lido (Ancona, Marche) from September 10^th thru 13^th, 2009. Brodetto is among the many Italian fish soups and is very common on the Adriatic coast. Elizabeth David, with her precision, included in her book the recipe of brodetto, with the traditional ingredients. “Two or three varieties of squid (seppie, calamaretti, calamaroni), eel, red mullet, spigola (sea bass), sole, and canocchie (squilla mantis), a flat-tailed Adriatic and Mediterranean crustacean with a delicate flavour and lilac marks on its white flesh. Also called pannocchie and cicala di mare”. But in the section dedicated to the Italian Fish soups gave also the recipes of Burrida, from Genoa, Cacciucco (Livorno), Zuppa di pesce alla Caprese, Zuppa di Cozze – e di peoci in Venezia.

Parade Magazine— with a readership of 33 million people—has just given the Mediterranean Diet the "Best Diet for Life" title. Only a few days before, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) announced new scientific studies, authored by Prof. Nikolaos Scarmeas (Columbia University), reconfirm the connection between the Mediterranean Diet and a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Scarmeas and colleagues found out that people who ate according to the Mediterranean Diet pattern (or a similar one) and regularly exersized moderately had a 48 % lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than those who did not follow this lifestyle.

The producers located in Chianti Classico have agreed to sell only 80 % of this year’s production in an attempt to stabilize prices in the market. Chianti Classico Consorzio have taken this first-time-ever decision due to their concen for the falling bulk prices, which could tarnish the reputation of the Tuscan DOCG. Wineries will hold back 20 % of the wines produced with the 2009 harvest for a minimum of 24 months. "It’s an experiment. And it’s not too painful for the estates, especially for those who produce Riserva wines”, said a representative of the Consorzio. The Riserva category requires an extra 24 months of ageing. The main idea is to avoid speculation after bulk prices for Chianti Classico fell drastically during 2008 and early 2009.

"People like me do read blogs, I´m very human." said Italian-born Sirio Maccioni, co-owner of the French Restaurant Le Cirque in New York. He had just learned that in a blog someone wrote a post titled “Only a Jerk Would Eat at Le Cirque”. After reading such a remark, Maccioni proceeded to invite the author of the post, who had also written that at Le Cirque not only the food was merely mediocre but also they were rude to him, back to the restaurant. "I thought he might think we wouldn´t care about something like that and I wanted to let him know that people do pay attention. … And we want to make things right."
Robert, the author of the blog, and his family were invited and they were doted upon during a free meal.

Italians are increasingly at risk of loosing their culinary culture. That traditional recipe left by grandmothers could be soon forgotten. The truth is that, apparently, a growing number of Italians are unable at preparing their traditional dishes and the many TV programs on the air are not helping. This information comes from the results of a recent research realised by Fipe-AxisResearch on “Italians at the table: products, recipes, places”. From the same study it emerges that the preservation and transmission of Italian culinary traditions is more and more in the hands of chefs and restaurateurs. At home, the kitchen is still women’s realm but Italians tend to eat less with other members of the family and their meals are less complicated than they used to be. From the survey it also emerges that Italians believe that recipes can be properly learned only from mum or from a book, not from TV programs. Despite the fact that Italians are in favour of a healthier lifestyle many of them can not distinguish a fresh egg from one that is not. Meanwhile, the price of food remains the main concern in Italy. Due to the current economic crisis Italians ended up not inviting friends and relatives at home as they did last year. Nor they go out with the same frequency they used to but when they do, they pay a lot of attention to the quality of the cuisine and the good company.

A Master class on Italian Semifreddo was recently held by the chefs Vincenzo Pezzilli (director) and Maurizio Lai at the Boscolo Etoile Academy in Beijing’s Piazza Italia complex. The “Istituto Superiore Arti Culinarie Boscolo Etoile” was founded in 1985 by Rossano Boscolo, a veteran of the hotel, restaurant and pastry business. Currently Rossano is not only the president of the Academy but he also runs the Boscolo Hotel together with his brothers.
Piazza Italia started the cooking school to teach Italian Cuisine lovers how to cook, however the Etoile Academy is also based on the idea that whatever a customer sees and tastes in Piazza Italia, he or she can also buy, including their recipes.

Maurizio Lai

Pezzilli and assistant making semifreddo

A Manager is wanted for a prestigious Italian Restaurant in Hong Kong. He or she must have previous experience and knowledge of Italian food and wine. Please contact us to receive further information

Pasticceria or pastry is an essential part of Italian cuisine and “La Vita è Dolce” is an initiative promoted by itchefs-GVCI for the appreciation of Italian pasticceria around the world. It aims at promoting the sweet end of the meal experience, a traditional expression of Italian amenities and good living, at the centre of which is found il dolce, the dessert, accompanied by wines, liqueurs and coffee.

La Vita è Dolce is a ride around the world in 20 sweet-steps. In each one a GVCI chef, of a renowned Italian restaurant, presents a dessert (dolce) of Italy’s great pasticceria tradition, according to the original recipe but in an upbeat and creative way. Each restaurant will have the dessert as a special on its menu for a week. See the calendar below. During that same week, you will find here, on itchefs-gvci.com, the video with the step-by-step recipe of the basic traditional dessert, executed by head pastry chef, Francesco Elmi, articles on the history of each dessert, curiosities and, moreover, the interpretation of the dessert made by a talented chef working abroad. Francesco Elmi realised the recipes in the laboratories of Fabbri 1905, in Bologna. The historic Italian company is also the main sponsor of this initiative.

Gordon Ramsay is to open and oversee a fine dining restaurant in Tuscany. The chef has put his name on the Cantina Restaurant at the Castel Monastero hotel, a 76-room luxury hotel that will open in the Tuscany region in Italy next July. Castel Monastero, once home to the Chigi Saracini family of Siena, is set in the mediaeval village of Monastero dell’Ombrone. Ramsay will oversee a fine dining restaurant set in the hotel's 13th Century cellars that will showcase ´the best in Tuscan cuisine'. Announcing the news on the Gordon Ramsay Holdings (GRH) website, Ramsay said: "Tuscany is world renowned for its food culture and it is a privilege to be a part of it. At Castel Monastero we will use the best produce the region has to offer, from its white truffles to its exceptional olive oil."

There are less than 40.000 still alive. In 40 years France has lost more then 150.000 of them. We are talking about bistros: the quintessential French way to eat out. The data came from an article published in the Italian Newspaper La Repubblica, written by their senior food writer Licia Granello. They were once the kingdom of hearty cuisine and wines, old familiar service, dusty furniture and relaxed atmosphere. Fast food boom, strict no smoking policies in public spaces and a market increasingly demanding lighter dishes have conspired against this culinary institutions. The crisis doesn’t seem to be over, despite the fact that celebrity chefs, as Alain Ducasse, have a bistrot (Benoît) in their restaurants’ portfolio.

The longest spaghetto in the world has been prepared last week in Italy at Villa Le Pianore (Lucca), during Demetra, a fair dedicated to food and agricultural products.
The unique home made spaghetto was 7560 meters long and was eaten by the participants to the fair.