L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2016 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano 7 SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY H as Italian f ood really taken over the world? Q uite pos s ibly, the answer is "Yes," and perhaps the phase "All roads lead to Rome," might be changed to "All roads lead to Italian cuisine." To that end, the Farnesina (The Ministry of F oreign A ffairs of the Republic of Italy) has launched the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World, Settim ana della Cucina Italiana nel Mondo, from N ovember 21 s t to the 27 th , 2016. The International Week of Italian Cuisine is an annual event put in place to celebrate Italy's incredibly varied regional cui- sine and food traditions with a wide array of events promoting culinary culture and flavors to millions of consumers world- wide. Although the week is under the p atronage of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it is organized by the entire net- work of Italian Embassies and Italian Cultural Institutes around the world in collaboration with all the Italian Trade Agencies, Italian Chambers of Commerce, the A ccademia della Cucina Italiana, as well as top Italian restaurants, chefs, wine distribu- tors and producers. Italy is often considered as ranking firs t in Europe w ith regards to quality certified food products and as the world's top w ine producer. A s s uch, the International Week of Italian Cuisine is a well-deserved occa- sion to celebrate the richness and excellence of Italy's culinary tra- ditions. One of the outcomes of the 2015 Milan Expo is the "Food A ct" project, promoted and advanced by the Italian govern- ment. Within its framework, the Memorandum of Understanding on the promotion of Italian high- quality cuis ine abroad w as signed last March. Out of this effort came the idea of the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World, to be held from November 21 to 27 with over 1,300 events, in 105 coun- ties, dedicated to Italian food and wine. From the United States to China, from Japan to Brazil, Canada, Russia, the United Arab Emirates and African countries. There will be seminars on nutrition, symposia on certifica- tions, on the preservation and the values at the core of the Mediterranean diet, design and photography exhibitions, movies and documen taries on the theme. The overall theme is to promote "Made in Italy" and increase the level of quality of Italian cuisine abroad using veri- fied, authentic Italian products. For example, the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, in coop- eration with the Embassy of the Republic of Italy in P .R.C. and the Italian Trade Agency Beijing O ffice, promoted the Eighth Italian Cuisine and Wines World Summit in Beijing from June 7 th to the 16 th . For one week, the capital of China hosed the Italian Cuisine World Summit Roadshow featuring its bes t Italian res taurants and wines of Italy. The Dubai Italian Cuisine World Summit is scheduled to begin on November 7 and will run through November 17. This world level event will bring together the best Italian restau- rants, food and grape producers, Michelin-starred chefs and culinary experts under one roof, with the aim of cele- brating, promoting and educating consumers about the beauty of Italian cui- s ine. The 2015 S ummit included 60 Italian restau- rants and hotels from Dubai, 40 Michelin starred chefs and 80 partners , attracting over 150,000 people. 2016 looks like it will build upon this impressive reputation. If you are not going to be in the Dubai area, drop by the Italian Cultural Institute, Istitu- to Italiano di Cultura (IIC), at 601 Van Ness A ve. in S an Francisco. The IIC is partici- pating in the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World with a truffle tasting with Viola Buitoni on Wednes day, November 30. Viola Buitoni, culinary expert, blogger and instructor, will create a special menu of black truffles specially sent from Italy, thanks to the help of the truffle mas ter of Arezzo, Piero Cipriani. For more information, visit the ICI website at www.iicsanfrancisco. esteri.it. The San Francisco chapter of the Accademia della Cucina Italiana will have a dinner for members on December 1, also w ith truffles and gues t-chef Viola Buitoni. In addition, the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club is planning an evening of "s paghetti & movie" at the Club's facility located at 1630 Stockton Street, on November 19. The evening will include a screening of the documentary "When Italy Ate in Black and White." For more information, check the Club w ebs ite at http://www.sfiac.org/, or contact the S F IA C via email at adm inis tr a- tion@sfiac.org. CATHERINE ACCARDI The International Week of Italian Cuisine Is Coming This November

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