L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 20 L'Italo-Americano T he M editerranean Diet as a model of proper eating, as a balanced and sustain- able lifestyle for both health and environment, was the main topic of the third edition of The Week of Italian Cuisine in the World. P romoted by the Consulate General, the event was held from November 12 to 18 and offered a rich calendar filled with masterclasses, work- shops, exhibits, films, lectures, and galas. All the events had one goal in mind: making Italian food excellence known in the world. "Together with art, history and beautiful landscapes, the cultural contribution of typical Italian products is among the most significant legacies of our country. For this reason," Consul General Antonio Verde - who celebrates the event for the last time in LA, as he reaches the end of his US mandate - under- lines "the week of Italian Cui- sine in the World is a precious occasion to celebrate Italy and to promote the healthy and sustain- able lifestyle of the Mediter- ranean Diet, that embodies the distinctive features of our identi- ty." The full schedule of events was coordinated in Los Angeles by the Consulate General along with Sistema Italia/Team Italy, Italian Cultural Institute IIC, Italian Trade Agency ICE, Ital- ian Tourist Agency ENIT and Italy-America Chamber of Com- merce West IACCW) and the Italian Academy of Cuisine. This year under the spotlight was Apulian cuisine, with its natural and tasty flavors typical of the Mediterranean, with spe- cial menus realized by "Q" (for Quality) Italian restaurants of California, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico. Hollywood is targeting Italian products not only in the gastron- omy field, but also in the movie industry: this was stated once again by the renewed collabora- tion between the "Week" and Cinema Italian Style, a world- renowned festival that features the best of contemporary Italian film production, organized by Luce-Cinecittà. On the opening night of the Festival, on Novem- ber 13, which featured Italy's foreign language Oscar entry Dogman, by acclaimed director M a t t e o G a r r o n e , t h e s t a r r e d Apulia chef Felice Sgarra collab- orated in the creation of a spe- cial menu with the brilliant chef Giuseppe Manco of the Mr. C. Hotel. A n d d u r i n g t h e r e c e p t i o n organized by the Consul General on November 16 to officially say goodbye to the Italian com- munity in L.A. before leaving for Egypt, Chef Sgarra has also prepared a special meal in col- laboration with Obicà Restau- rant and its talented chef Simone Santopietro, putting a new spin on traditional Apulian recipes. Felice Sgarra is an Italian restaurateur and chef patron of Umami, a one-Michelin-star r e s t a u r a n t b a s e d i n A n d r i a , Puglia, which has been listed in the Italian Touring Club guide since 2015. As one of the most influential figures of the Italian culinary industry, young Sgarra h a s b e e n f e a t u r e d o n t h e S w e d i s h m a g a z i n e F o o l a n d acclaimed also among the final- ists of the 2010 Bocuse d'Or Europe in Geneva, for its mod- ern and unique flavors. Chef Sgarra has also appeared as spe- c i a l g u e s t o n L a P r o v a d e l Cuoco (Rai 1) and was awarded the Ferrarelle prize for Best Tra- d i t i o n a l R e c i p e .  I n 2 0 1 1 h e opened the Umami restaurant - a place where innovation and tra- dition merge into an elegant and authentic atmosphere marked by a modern use of genuine ingredi- ents. Following the success of Identità Golose in Milan and in Culinaria in Rome, he found a way to combine the different tra- ditions while holding true to his Italian roots. Outside of the restaurant, Sgarra currently teaches at the International School of Cuisine (ALMA) and organizes seminars and masterclasses inspiring and bringing out talent in others. Felice, you are the leading chef of this edition, did you bring some Apulia with you? Absolutely, I brought some Apulia for this edition: orecchi- e t t e m a d e w i t h b u r n t w h e a t , turnip tops, marzotica ricotta which is the hard one, chickpeas, potatoes and lemon, and piglet with caciocavallo podolico and a cream of asparagus. And then almonds with orange. Y o u c o n s t a n t l y d e d i c a t e yourself to the promotion of the Apulian gastronomic spe- cialties abroad and you take your love for Southern cuisine around the world, in Shang- hai, Singapore, Taipei… Yes. After Los Angeles I will leave for Edinburgh and Glas- gow where I go for the Italian Cuisine Weeks representing the Apulia region with La Strada dell'Olio, La Strada del Vino and with burrata. Four weeks ago I was at the Italian consulate in Vienna and at the OSCE head- quarters. I work a lot in Asia, in Shanghai, Singapore and Taipei. As an ambassador of Italian t a s t e a b r o a d , w h a t i s y o u r goal? Every time I go out and then I go back to Italy, I realize how strong our traditions are. But we are still a little bit unknown, here for example they still associate us with tagliatelle Alfredo, so every time I go abroad I take with me simple food that tells about farmers, real food, made with the heart. As Italians we don't have to reinvent anything, we have to simply export our tra- dition. With regards to the wines chosen for the reception Fabrizio Renna, from D'Aquino Italian Importing Company, tells us " W e c h o s e a p i n o t g r i g i o , refreshing and that tastes very well with the chosen aperitifs, a dolcetto d'alba, which is very popular at the moment, and a classic Prosecco DOC of Trevi- so, famous all over the world." "Fifty years ago wine consump- tion was at 4%," continues Gae- t a n o D ' A q u i n o , h e a d o f t h e D'Aquino IIC since 1977, "but I believed in this business and today the consumption of Italian wines has gone up to 150%. Finally, the reception was also the occasion to confer the h o n o r o f C o m m a n d e r o f t h e Order of the Star of Italy - OSI to the entrepreneur Piergiorgio Luciani for his commitment to culture and economic develop- ment and for his continuous sup- port to our community. The "Week" also promoted the "Pasta Pesto Day" initiative (www.pastapestoday.it) in sup- port and solidarity to Liguria fol- lowing the tragedy of the Moran- di Bridge which has recently hit Genoa.  Music was also in the fore- ground with the presentation of t h e m o s t f a m o u s d i s h e s t h a t i n s p i r e d G i o a c c h i n o R o s s i n i (gourmet expert and great lover of Italian cuisine) on the 150th anniversary of his death. The event also showcased DOP national products and fea- tured food and tourist itineraries related to Matera, the European Capital of Culture 2019. More- over, numerous initiatives were organized in support of the cam- paign to include the Prosecco Hills of Valdobbiadene in the UNESCO cultural heritage list, and Parma's candidacy to host the UNESCO World Forum on f o o d c r e a t i v e i n d u s t r i e s i n 2019.  SILVIA GIUDICI Felice Sgarra with Consul General Antonio Verde Elisabetta Canalis, Consul General Antonio Verde and Felice Sgarra at Obika for the t hird edition of The Week of Italian Cuisine in the World Chef Sgarra says he likes to travel with the flavors of his region, Apulia, to make sure everyone can experience how delicious they are The Week of Italian Cuisine highlights Mediterranean diet and Apulia's traditional food LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY

• Cover