This November, as the traditional American Thanksgiving Day approached, the San Francisco Bay Area was pleased to host the La Settimana della Cucina Italiana, Week of Italian Cuisine, for a second year. From November 13th through the 19th, special Italian menus were offered at 18 restaurants certified by the Accademia Italiana della Cucina (Italian Academy of Cuisine) San Francisco Chapter (authentic recipes, quality and freshness of Italian ingredients and products).
The week’s events brought the history of the culinary excellence 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 pistacchi, were among the delights featured by participating restaurants.
During the week, San Francisco welcomed two special guest chefs – Michelin starred Accursio Craparo from Modica in Sicily, and Eleonora de Marchi, a classically trained chef from Mantova.
Tradition and innovation in Sicilian cooking-acclaimed Chef Accursio Craparo brought to San Francisco the magnificent originality of his Michelin-starred restaurant in Modica (Sicily), where he achieved fame by combining tradition and innovation. Let your imagination run free and envision the miraculous creations with such ingredients as fennel, saffron, sea urchins, and prickly pear. Accursio Ristorante has just been appointed by Il Golosario – GattiMassobrio as “La migliore tavola dell’anno.”
The Week of Italian Cuisine included an exclusive dinner at Villa Taverna Club in San Francisco. Chef Eleonora De Marchi from Mantova crafted a menu joined by Villa Taverna’s executive chef, Josh Heiskell.
Food blogger and educator Viola Buitoni and Chef Eleonora De Marchi presented a tasting of the food of East Lombardy at the Italian Cultural Institute in San Francisco.
Michelin Star Chef Accursio Capraro, from Accursio Ristorante in Sicily, offered a cooking demonstration at A16 Restaurant with a special Sicilian menu.
Chef Eleonora De Marchi offered a cooking demonstration at Donato Enoteca in Redwood City, with a special East Lombardy menu.
Chef Accursio Capraro, together with renowned Bay Area chef, Michael Tusk, prepared an outstanding Sicilian menu for lunch at Restaurant Quince in San Francisco
Italian Consul General in San Francisco, Lorenzo Ortona, mentioned how thrilled he was to see the enthusiastic participation 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 events in the Bay Area was important to showcase the value and quality of original Italian products, sustainability and cultural heritage of Italian food, exposing the very refined public of San Francisco and surroundings 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 different Italian territories and the Bay Area. We thank all the 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 surrounding region, East Lombardy, being selected by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism, as the 2017 European Capital of Gastronomy. Once the seat of the powerful Gonzaga Dukes, Mantova enjoys a unique position between the delicate flavors of Lake Garda to the north, and the hearty inspirations of Emilia Romagna to the south.
According the Italian Ministry 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 distinctive trait of Italian identity and culture. In the USA the second edition takes place under the sign of quality, sustainability, culture, food security, the right to food, education, identity, territory, and biodiversity. Another objective of the Week is to enhance tourist destinations, territories, 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, concerts and exhibitions animated embassies, consulates, Italian Culture Institutes and other selected locations in every participating country throughout the week. Hundreds of Italian restaurants staged special menus showcasing the best of Italian gastronomy.
Going above and beyond the traditional American Thanksgiving, 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 tradition. The Week of Italian Cuisine could become a unique and cherished addition to the Thanksgiving month of November.
A portion of the proceeds from meals prepared for the week of Italian Cuisine in San Francisco will be donated in support 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 Cooperation, the Italian Ministry of Agricultural Policies, the Consulate General of Italy, the Italian Cultural Institute in San Francisco and the Accademia Italiana della Cucina in San Francisco. The Week of Italian Cuisine website is at http://weekofitaliancuisineinsf.org.
Donate