Referred to as Settimana della Cucina Italiana, in Italian of course, Italian Cuisine Week is a worldwide celebration of this European and Mediterranean culinary tradition we all love so well. Celebrated for the first time last year in over 100 countries and with over 1,000 events, Italian Cuisine Week has proven it is here to stay. This year, the week officially kicks off on Monday, Nov. 20 and will run until Sunday, Nov. 26, during which there will be a wide variety of events to commemorate, celebrate, learn about and most importantly consume the world's most beloved culinary tradition that is Italian Food.
In Istanbul, the Consulate General of Italy and the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) have organized a number of interesting events with the participation of the Italian Cultural Institute, the Italian High School IMI, the Accademia della Cucina and Eataly. The focus of the events this year will be on training and learning the importance of healthy nutrition within the context of Italian food.
The full list of events are as follows:
Nov. 20 Mamma Mia Book Introduction On the first day of the festivities, Rome-based journalist Elvan Uysal Bottoni will be discussing her book "Mamma Mia: İtalyan Mutfağı Hakkında Çok Şey," a cookbook and travelogue of sorts that shares authentic recipes and the stories of those they belong to from authentic kitchens along the Italian peninsula. The event will take place at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 20 at Casa d'Italia Tiyatrosu, housed in a building dating back to the early 19th century located on Meşrutiyet Street in Beyoğlu, which is the Italian Cultural Center.
Nov. 21- 'Rupi di Vino' Film ScreeningOn Tuesday, Nov. 21, the Casa d'Italia Tiyatrosu will be hosting a screening of the 2009 documentary Rupi di Vino that starts at 7 p.m. This feature-length documentary foray by famous Italian director Ermanno Olmi hones in on the nature and culture of the Valtellina valley, a region in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland, which is shortlisted as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Nov. 22- 'Forgotten Breads' Book IntroductionOn Wednesday, Nov, 22, author Rita Monastero will be introducing her book "I pani dimenticati" (Forgotten Breads) followed by a bread tasting at Casa d'Italia Tiyatrosu at 6 p.m. This cookbook contains 100 recipes of classical, stuffed and sweet breads, as well as pizzas, flat breads, breadsticks and other bakery products and is unique in that it reveals the stories and secrets hidden behind many of these Italian specialties.
Nov. 23 - Nino Rota Ensemble ConcertOn Thursday, Nov. 23, the Casa d'Italia Tiyatrosu will host a special concert performance by the Nino Rota Ensemble at 7 p.m. Consisting of six Italian female musicians: Tiziana Santarelli (soprano), Giannina Guazzaroni (violin), Federica Torbidoni (flute), Graziana Giansante (oboe), Cecilia Amadori (cello) and Deborah Vico (piano and arrangements), the Nino Rota Ensemble performs classical repertoires by mainly Italian composers with an emphasis on the works of film soundtrack composer Nino Rota. Expect to hear renditions of music from cinematic classics such as "Gone with the Wind," "Once Upon a time in America" and "Singin' in the Rain."
Nov. 27, 28 & 29- Gourmet Evenings at Morini Don't fret once the week is over as a special guest chef from the Italian Culinary Academy (ALMA), Giovanni Ciresa, will be preparing unique gourmet tasting menus on the following Monday through Wednesday, Nov. 27-29 at Morini Restaurant, located in Zorlu Center.
Nov 20 to 24-Lectures and workshops For Italian Cuisine Week, Istanbul's Italian High School (IMI), located in another 19th century building in the TomTom neighborhood of Beyoğlu, will be hosting a five-day seminar and workshop series for its students as well as the general public. Five different esteemed chefs will be discussing a variety of topics on Italian gastronomy highlighting regional foods, authenticity, nutrition and healthy lifestyles. The seminars will run daily from 2:30 p.m. to 3:10 p.m., followed by workshops that will take place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The schedule is as follows: On Monday, Nov. 20, Pietro Santamaria, a Professor from Bari "Aldo Moro" University, will be giving a seminar on the biodiversity of Italian cuisine, followed by a workshop on what Italians eat and grow.
On Tuesday, Nov. 21, Executive Chef of Eataly Claudio Chinali will be delivering a talk on the mission of an Italian chef abroad followed by a workshop on Italian tastes and traditions.
On Wednesday, Nov. 22, Carlo Bernardini, the chef and founder of Bernardini Group will be giving a talk entitled "The Taste of Success: The Story of a Chef," followed by a workshop on Italian fine dining.
On Thursday, Nov. 23, Emanuele Giacomini, the Head Sommelier at Rixos Premium in Tekirova will be discussing wine, health and healthy lifestyles followed by a workshop on Italian aperitivos.
On Friday, Nov. 24, the series closes with Brussels Fine Arts Academy Food Stylist Anna Cellamare, who will be discussing food as a means of cultural mediation followed by a workshop on the Cozinha Nomade food network project.
The lecture and workshop series will be held at the I.M.I. Theater. While participation is free, space is limited and workshops will only accommodate 20 people each and therefore participants are asked to register their attendance with gio@liceoitaliano.net.
Eataly events for Italian Cuisine WeekEataly will also be hosting a series of events for Italian Cuisine Week, such as their Chef's Table, which will take place every evening from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Eataly Vino Libero Restaurant. At this event, 12 lucky guests will have the opportunity to taste a special healthy menu created for the occasion by Eataly Executive Chef Claudio Chinali for TL 95 ($25) per person.
There will also be a meeting and tasting with Italian producers held every day in the Eataly market. From Nov. 22 to 24, there will be Casar and a tasting of San Marzano tomatoes and passata and from Nov. 23 to 25, Antonella Acetaia Dodi will be giving a tasting of Balsamic Vinegar.
The Eataly Kitchen School will also be holding a workshop on delicious and healthy Mediterranean Cuisine by Chef Claudio that will take place on Thurs. Nov. 23 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The cost to attend is TL 180 per person.
