On October 24, 2013 the Maestri Monzu will travel from Naples to the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club to celebrate with the Italian, and the Italian American Communities the Mayor of Naples Hon. Luigi de Magistris, and the artists of Naples’ Teatro di San Carlo on the occasion of the United the Two Bays Concert featuring the Teatro di San Carlo’s, and the San Francisco Opera’s choirs and orchestra at the San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House in Verdi’s Requiem under the direction of Maestro Nicola Luisotti, musical director of both Opera Houses, and Naples’ and San Francisco’s beloved orchestra leader.
Who are the Monzu`?
The earliest experience of deliberate fusion cuisine in history? It was probably the Neapolitan Noble Cuisine. It was the 17th century; Marie Caroline of Austria is betrothed to Ferdinand IV of Bourbon, King of Naples. The refined and gentle Queen finds that even though based on fresh fruit and vegetables as well as poultry, fresh meat, and fish the Neapolitan cuisine is rather rough, lacking the levity, the flavors and the colors of the haute cuisine to which Marie Caroline is used. Seeking remediation to the lack of diversity of the local cuisine, and to internationalize the Neapolitan palate, the young Queen called many of the time’s most celebrated chefs to the capital of the Kingdom of two Sicilies.
Their task was to evolve the culinary palette of Neapolitan nobles and crown’s subjects, and to color the local cuisine with the tastes, the flavors and the ingredients of French, German, English and even Asian cuisines. The Chefs, who were adulated like Kings and famous composers, elicited such respect that the Queen conferred them the title of Monsieur, an honorific traditionally reserved to the King’s brother.
In a few years the Monzù—this is the Neapolitan pronunciation of the French word Monsieur—become a mythical presence in the Neapolitan collective imaginary transforming a basic “pasta and pomodoro” cuisine into one of the most elaborate, exquisite and even though simple and natural, tasteful gastronomic expressions of Europe.
The invitation:
Under the auspices of the Consul general of Italy, Mauro Battocchi, The Mibac,The City of Naples, Regione Campania and The Chamber of Commerce of Naples, San Francisco Italian Athletic Club and The Leonardo da Vinci Society invite you to: Napoli che canta e incanta, A dinner party in honor of Luigi De Magistris, Mayor of the City of Naples and President of Teatro San Carlo.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
6:30 cocktail~ 7:30 dinner
at The San Francisco Italian Athletic Club, 1630 Stockton Street.
The dinner invitations start at $120/ $100 for people under 35. Patrons and sponsor tickets and tables available. Please call or go to: www.davincisanfrancisco.com to buy your ticket. You will help the Teatro San Carlo Artists to come to San Francisco and you will have an unforgettable culinary experience.
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