The Italian Ambassador to the United States kicked off the annual Settimana della Cucina Italiana nel Mondo (Week of Italian Cuisine in the World) in Washington, DC, with a dinner starring Chef Giancarlo Morelli last week with bipartisan dinner guests from the nation’s capital.
Italy’s Ambassador to the U.S. Mariangela Zappia opened the dinner with some prepared remarks, “Italian cuisine is not just food or a recipe book, but a set of social practices, habits, and gestures: it is a central element of our identity and for this reason, we promote the candidacy of Italian cuisine as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. But promoting Italian cuisine also means supporting Italian restaurateurs, operators in the sector, and our agri-food companies, which export products worth more than 7 billion dollars a year to the USA, as well as our tourism industry.”
Over 50 events are organized nationwide to celebrate the “Week of Italian Cuisine in the World” promoted by the Italian government’s network of embassies, consulates, and ICE – Italian Trade Agency offices abroad to promote quality Italian cuisine and agri-food products. Here are some events in the U.S. to celebrate the Italian Cuisine Week in the World. The official week is celebrated between November 18-22, although there were events across the country a few days before and there will be programs after the official scheduled cultural program.
NOVEMBER 18TH
- DETROIT – A real Italian experience. Collaboration between the Consulate and the Capuchin Soup Kitchen has led to the development of a menu linked to Italian traditions, the Mediterranean diet, and the balance of seasonal foods so as to be able to offer to the approximately 400-600 guests of the city’s soup kitchen a delicious and truly Italian meal. The Consulate staff will cook and pack meals for around 400-600 people, to which around 150 takeaway lunches will be added.
NOVEMBER 19TH
- CHICAGO – Mediterranean Diet and Recipes from our Roots: Health and Tradition. What is the Mediterranean diet? Two Italian chefs will discuss the characteristics of the Mediterranean diet, providing example recipes. A tasting of Apulian olive oil will complete the evening.
- PHILADELPHIA – Cooking class with DaMò. A cooking class organized in collaboration with the DaMò restaurant, where the history and preparation of the Chitarra Teramana, a traditional Abruzzo dish, will be illustrated. A journey through the history of this recipe, possibly the real “ancestor” of the Italian American spaghetti and meatballs.
NOVEMBER 21ST
- PHILADELPHIA – Tasting of typical products and saffron with Gran Caffè L’Aquila. A tasting of imported typical Abruzzo products and a promotion of Abruzzo saffron was organized in collaboration with Gran Caffè L’Aquila. The event, organized together with “Promoter Abruzzo” and Dr. Santangelo, aimed to guide the host through the emotions of authentic Abruzzo, millenary culture, and local artisanship.
NOVEMBER 22ND
- CHICAGO – “Mediterranean Diet and Italian Culinary Tradition: Handmade Pasta Making” at Scuola Italiana Enrico Fermi Chicago. Students from the Scuola Italiana Enrico Fermi Chicago, under the guidance of Chef Elena Bono, will be able to try their hand at preparing a dish typical of the Mediterranean Diet and traditional Italian cuisine.
- DETROIT– Italo-Apero-Disco. Designed for a younger audience, Italo-Apero-Disco will involve two important aspects of contemporary Italian culture: the apéritif (but favoring healthier dishes among those of the traditional apéritif) and music (with a silent-disco aspect). Guests will be guided on a tasting journey of delicious (and healthy) dishes, each of which will be combined with a channel on headphones to maximize the tasting (and possibly even dancing) experience. The event will take place at the Metropolitan Museum of Design Detroit, where during the months of November and December there will be the “roots” exhibition dedicated to Italy (and where an information corner on Italea – the Ministry of Foreign Affairs program to promote roots-based tourism – has also been set up).
- DETROIT – Lecture “Julia Lovejoy Cuniberti: The Midwesterner who adapted Italian Culinary Traditions for American Kitchens”. In a talk by Prof. Grazia Menechella (Director of the Department of French and Italian, College of Letters and Science – University of Wisconsin-Madison), she will go through the aspects of Italian cuisine and how they were adapted in the Midwest. From the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee- Department of Global Studies, organized by the School Director – in collaboration with the IIC Chicago – it will be available via Zoom.