L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano T his November, as the traditional American T h a n k s g i v i n g D a y approached, the San Francisco Bay Area was pleased to host the La Setti- m a n a d e l l a C u c i n a I t a l i a n a , Week of Italian Cuisine, for a second year. From November 13 th through the 19 th , special Italian menus were offered at 18 r e s t a u r a n t s c e r t i f i e d b y t h e Accademia Italiana della Cuci- na (Italian Academy of Cuisine) San Francisco Chapter (authen- tic recipes, quality and freshness of Italian ingredients and prod- ucts). The week's events brought the history of the culinary excel- lence and the best traditions of Northern and Southern Italy, the territory of Mantova and the Region of Sicily. The culinary secrets of Sicily, such as its arancini, fish delicacies and pis- tacchi, were among the delights featured by participating restau- rants. During the week, San Fran- c i s c o w e l c o m e d t w o s p e c i a l guest chefs – Michelin starred Accursio Craparo from Modica i n S i c i l y , a n d E l e o n o r a d e Marchi, a classically trained chef from Mantova. Tradition and innovation in Sicilian cooking-acclaimed Chef Accursio Craparo brought to San Francisco the magnificent origi- nality of his Michelin-starred restaurant in Modica (Sicily), where he achieved fame by combining tradition and innova- tion. Let your imagination run free and envision the miraculous creations with such ingredients as fennel, saffron, sea urchins, and prickly pear. Accursio Ris- torante has just been appointed by Il Golosario - GattiMassobrio as "La migliore tavola dell'an- no." The Week of Italian Cuisine included an exclusive dinner at Villa Taverna Club in San Fran- cisco. Chef Eleonora De Marchi from Mantova crafted a menu joined by Villa Taverna's execu- tive chef, Josh Heiskell. Food blogger and educator Viola Buitoni and Chef Eleono- r a D e M a r c h i p r e s e n t e d a tasting of the food of East Lom- b a r d y a t t h e I t a l i a n C u l t u r a l Institute in San Francisco. Michelin Star Chef Accursio Capraro, from Accursio Ris- torante in Sicily, offered a cook- i n g d e m o n s t r a t i o n a t A 1 6 Restaurant with a special Sicil- ian menu. CATHERINE ACCARDI Eat, Drink, & Be Italian – The Week of Italian Cuisine in San Francisco port of the Northern California fires victims. The Week of Italian Cuisine program was made possible thanks to the joint cooperation of Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Coopera- tion, the Italian Ministry of Agri- cultural Policies, the Consulate General of Italy, the Italian Cul- tural Institute in San Francisco and the Accademia Italiana della Cucina in San Francisco. The Week of Italian Cuisine website is at http://weekofitalian- cuisineinsf.org. Michelin Star Chef Accursio Craparo and Chef Michael Tusk of Quince restaurant receive the appreciation of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina of San Franci- sco from President Claudio Tarchi & the Italian Consul General.. Photo: San Francisco Italian Consulate SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY Chef Eleonora De Marchi offered a cooking demonstration at Donato Enoteca in Redwood City, with a special East Lom- bardy menu. C h e f A c c u r s i o C a p r a r o , together with renowned Bay Area chef, Michael Tusk, pre- pared an outstanding Sicilian menu for lunch at Restaurant Quince in San Francisco Italian Consul General in San F r a n c i s c o , L o r e n z o O r t o n a , mentioned how thrilled he was to see the enthusiastic participa- tion of so many San Franciscans to the week, their passion for Italian culinary traditions and their desire to learn more about the different culinary practices and products. "This week of e v e n t s i n t h e B a y A r e a w a s important to showcase the value and quality of original Italian products, sustainability and cul- tural heritage of Italian food, exposing the very refined public of San Francisco and surround- ings to different traditions of Italy and territories not always known to the greater public. The week was a great opportunity to build new bridges between dif- ferent Italian territories and the B a y A r e a . W e t h a n k a l l t h e chefs who help promote eating well - and eating Italian - not only this week but every day." Background to the Week of Italian Cuisine begins with the city of Mantova and its sur- r o u n d i n g r e g i o n , E a s t L o m - bardy, being selected by the International Institute of Gas- t r o n o m y , C u l t u r e , A r t s a n d Tourism, as the 2017 European Capital of Gastronomy. Once the seat of the powerful Gonza- ga Dukes, Mantova enjoys a unique position between the del- icate flavors of Lake Garda to the north, and the hearty inspira- tions of Emilia Romagna to the south. According the Italian Min- istry of Foreign Affairs, the World Week of Italian Cuisine reaches its second edition with the aim of promoting Italian culinary traditions and food-and- wine connoisseurship as a dis- tinctive trait of Italian identity and culture. In the USA the sec- ond edition takes place under the sign of quality, sustainability, culture, food security, the right to food, education, identity, terri- tory, and biodiversity. Another objective of the Week is to enhance tourist destinations, ter- ritories, culinary art itineraries and the Mediterranean Diet, one of the elements that make Italy the healthiest Country in the world. Conferences, tastings, gala dinners, cooking courses, con- certs and exhibitions animated embassies, consulates, Italian Culture Institutes and other selected locations in every par- ticipating country throughout the week. Hundreds of Italian restaurants staged special menus showcasing the best of Italian gastronomy. Going above and beyond the traditional American Thanksgiv- ing, November's Week of Italian Cuisine adds a uniquely Italian flare to the usual festivities. Leave it to the San Francisco Bay Area to create a new tradi- tion. The Week of Italian Cui- sine could become a unique and cherished addition to the Thanksgiving month of Novem- ber. A portion of the proceeds from meals prepared for the week of Italian Cuisine in San Francisco will be donated in sup- Michelin Star Chef Accursio Craparo feeds Consul General Lorenzo Ortona. Photo: San Francisco Italian Consulate

• Cover