Celebrating a culinary union
With three Prue Leithers already studying Italian cuisine in Colorno, Italy, Prue Leith Chefs Academy officially launched the Italian joint-programme with Alma – La Scuola Internazionale di Cucina Italiana last month with a week of phenomenal Italian food.
There was not a checkered table cloth or straw woven Chianti bottle in sight, as this was a week of contemporary Italian cuisine.
The visiting team from ALMA that guided Prue Leith staff and students throughout the week included Riccardo Carelli, Managing Director, Andrea Sinigaglia, Executive Manager and Luciano Tona, Headmaster and Maestro di Cuisine.
The week kicked off with lectures from Andrea on “the grammar of taste” and Contemporary Italian cuisine. This striking analogy between food and language explaining that a chef should compile plates like a linguist structures sentences had students realizing that becoming a good chef requires as much knowledge and thought as good ingredients and techniques.
The emphasis for the week was however on contemporary Italian cuisine or “tradition on the move” as Andrea explained in his lecture.
To put the theory into practice chef Luciano worked closely with the chefs and students to produce simple, elegant and delicious menus. Wednesday and Friday night were dedicated to the restaurant patrons who enjoyed a five course menu including the famous signature dish of Gualtiero Marchesi, saffron rice with gold. A video camera in the kitchen allowed the patrons a peak into how their meal was prepared.
Thursday night was a cocktail evening for all the Academy’s friends, media and members of the Italian community to officially celebrate the culinary union. A melon, ham and prawn aperitif welcomed guests, but it was Chef Luciano’s black rice, calamari and apricot dish that had heads turning.
As the Prue Leith chefs reviewed all the crib notes they made during the week working with chef Luciano, all agreed that the essence of what we learned is the art of simplicity. No overpowering sauces, no overwhelming garnish, just quality ingredients, paired and prepared well. Fantastico!
