The Consulate General of Italy in Los Angeles announces the Second Annual World Week of Italian Cuisine (November 13-19), an initiative of the Italian Government to support abroad the quality Italian cuisine of the Mediterranean Diet, highlighting sustainability, food security, education, biodiversity. Coordinated by the Consulate, the LA program includes exhibitions, demos, masterclasses, workshops, movies, conferences, galas and other initiatives promoting Italian territories and DOP products. 

Consul General Antonio Verde underlines that «This new edition of the “Week” confirms the importance of the joint effort of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation with the Ministry for Agricultural Policies, Food and Forestry in support of culinary and gastronomic excellence as a distinctive sign of Italian identity and culture ».

The Consul General also recalled the involvement of the entire «Los Angeles Sistema Italia / Team Italy (IIC Italian Cultural Institute, ICE Trade Agency, ENIT Tourism Agency and IACCW Italian American Chamber of Commerce) and of the Italian Academy of Cuisine. Furthermore, renowned Italian restaurants that have earned the trademarks of distinction “Q” and “AIC” have once again presented special menus - evocative of images and emotions from the Italian cinematic culture - to honour the international capital of cinema». 

The “Week” is organized in parallel with CIS-Cinema Italian Style, the great annual initiative dedicated to the best of Italian film production, thus further strengthening the connection between the “Oscar-worthy” cinema and cuisine in LA. Organized by Luce-Cinecittà, CIS will officially introduce to Hollywood Jonas Carpignano’s movie “a Ciambra”, Italy’s entry for the 2018 Academy Awards. 

Joining the Consulate General as a special guest from Italy, thanks to Alitalia, famous Starred Chef Leandro Luppi will represent an ideal link between CIS and the “Week” celebrating Italy’s excellence in the culinary and cinematic arts in a synthesis of flavours and images for the Cinema Italian Style Gala. 

Leandro Luppi will also be the star - together with Fratelli Drago, the renowned Los Angeles based family of Sicilian restaurateurs - of an exclusive reception organized by the Consul General at his residence. On this occasion, a prestigious showcase of national DOP products, different Italian culinary traditions will be celebrated as part of a promotional campaign aimed at bringing into the spotlight the extraordinary richness of Italy’s gastronomy to contrast Italian Sounding food plagiarism and falsification. 

High quality ingredients from areas affected by Italy’s recent earthquakes will be used, as a gesture of solidarity and of concrete assistance to boost local challenged economies and, for the first time, the “Week” will reach also Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico. Moreover, various activities will be organized to support the campaign to include in UNESCO cultural heritage lists the Prosecco Hills of Valdobbiadene and the Art of the Neapolitan “Pizzaiuoli”/pizza-makers (with the participation of Enzo Coccia, famous pizzaiolo of the award-winning Neapolitan Pizzeria” La Notizia”).

List of events, coordinated or organized by the Consulate General of Italy in Los Angeles on the occasion of the second World Week of Italian Cuisine 

PREPARATORY EVENTS 

03.05.2017-08.05.2017 - Olive Oil Workshop - on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the foundation of Filippo Berio’s company - to illustrate olive oil characteristics and various uses. Organized by the Italian Cultural Institute (IIC) and Lingua Viva;

05.05.2017 - “Food for Soul” project presentation by Chef Massimo Bottura at the LA Food Bowl  wine and food festival. Sponsored by the Italian National Tourist Board (ENIT);

08.05.2017 - Event in support of the #pizzaUNESCO Campaign for the inclusion of the Art of Neapolitan Pizzaiuoli (pizza-makers) in the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, held at Drago Centro Restaurant in collaboration with the Fondazione UniVerde, whose President, Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio, was also present at the event;

28.09.2017 - An evening dedicated to “Pirandello’s Sicily”,   organized by the IIC and ENIT -Tours through Sicilian literature, food and wine;

13.10.2017 - Tu vuo’ fa’ il Napoletano - Facce da Pizza. Event in support of the #pizzaUNESCO Campaign, organized by  Associazione  Verace  Pizza  Napoletana  (AVPN),  Dress in Dreams and  Marta De Laurentiis Productions;

03.11.2017 - Opening of the new Eataly’s location in Los Angeles (Westfield Center in Century City);

04.11.2017 - Cooking Class of DOP e IGP  ingredients, organized by the IIC and Lingua Viva, with chef and blogger Ale Gambini, author of the book "A Queen in the Kitchen”;

06.11.2017 - Wine class at IIC focused on wines from Tuscany, with expert sommelier Giammario Villa, organized by the IIC and Lingua Viva, in collaboration with Vinomatica; 

SECOND ITALIAN CUISINE IN THE WORLD WEEK EVENTS 

13.11.2017 - Opening of the World Week of Italian Cuisine at Vincenti’s Restaurant in Los Angeles. Event organized with the Italian Academy of Cuisine (AIC);

13.11.2017-19.11.2017 - Wine Tasting in L.A. Italian wine and food tasting events at Il Fornaio (Beverly Hills), Obicà, Vincenti, Marino, and Pecorino restaurants. Coordinated by AIC;

13.11.2017-19.11.2017 – “Truffle on your table”.  Special truffle-based menus at Drago Centro and Via Alloro restaurants in support of typical truffle productions areas of Central Italy affected by recent earthquakes. Coordinated by AIC;

13.11.2017-19.11.2017 - Pizza in the West. Promotional activities at various pizza places located on the West Coast. Organized by Italy-America Chamber of Commerce West (IACCW) with the participation of certified AVPN (autenthic Neapolitan) Pizzerias in support of the #pizzaUNESCO candidacy;

13.11.2017-19.11.2017 - A reproduction of a typical Italian open- air  market with tastings & sale of Italian  food products. Organized in collaboration with Eataly;

13.11.2017-19.11.2017 - Italian regional cuisine and quality wines in Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico.  Master classes and events promoting Italian regional cuisine, typical products, wine and pizza at: “Ferraro’s Italian Restaurants & Wine Bar” in Las Vegas, “Osteria d’Assisi” of Santa Fe and “Trattoria d'Amico” of Phoenix - Initiatives coordinated by the Consulate General of Italy in Los Angeles;

14.11.2017 - Screening at IIC of a documentary film “Pizza... and Art of Living” by Matteo Troncone, devoted to Neapolitan culinary art and lifestyle (pizza tasting will follow) in support of the #pizzaUNESCO campaign. Introduction by the Consul General. Event organized by IIC and ENIT Tourist Agency;

15.11.2017 - Presentation of the book “Bread, Love and Dreams, The Taste of Italian Cinema” by Laura Delli Colli, journalist, writer and Artistic Director of Cinema Italian Style Film Festival. The book illustrates the interaction between food and cinema, from post WWII era to present age. Event organized by IIC in collaboration with Luce-Cinecittà;

16.11.2017-26.01.2018 – “Cinema and Food:” photographic exhibition on the cinematic representation of Italian food habits in the 20th century. The exhibition will be inaugurated at the official opening of Cinema Italian Style. Event organized by IIC in collaboration with Luce-Cinecittà, Rome Center for Cinematography and Cineteca Nazionale;

16.11.2017 - Starred chef Leandro Luppi creates a special menu at Hotel Mister C on the occasion of the Cinema Italia Style Gala Dinner. Event coordinated by ICE Trade Agency;

17.11.2017 - Reception for the World Week of Italian Cuisine and Cinema Italian Style. High Quality Italian food and wines will celebrate the interaction between cinema and cuisine. Starred chef Leandro Luppi will create an exceptional menu, in collaboration with Fratelli Drago, renowned Los Angeles based family of Sicilian restaurateurs -. The event will be organized at the Official Residence of the Consul General, in collaboration with Alitalia (official carrier of the World Week of Italian Cuisine in Los Angeles), AIC, Vini D’Aquino, Vini Veneto Hills, Birra Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Mozzarella Guys, The Truffle Hunter Umberto Ferri, Acqua Ferrarelle, Caffè Pasquini;

18.11.2017 – “Pizza from A to Z”. Event in support of #pizzaUNESCO candidacy, organized in collaboration with Peppe Miele, President (for USA/Canada/Central America) of the Authentic Neapolitan Pizza Association (AVPN )and AIC. 

POST EVENTS 

20.11.2017 – “When pizza meets high- class cuisine. Tasting panel in support of #pizzaUNESCO candidacy, focused on the evolution of pizza into a gourmet product. Organized by IACCW with the participation of Enzo Coccia, famous pizzaiolo of the award-winning Neapolitan pizzeria “La Notizia”;

20.12.2017 – The “Boy with Basket of Fruit” by Caravaggio will arrive in Los Angeles from Italy to be exhibited at the Getty Museum, thanks to Rome’s Galleria Borghese. His refreshing and healthy fruits, the final crowning of every Italian meal, will ideally conclude the Second World Week of Italian Cuisine

GENERAL CONTEXT OF THE WORLD WEEK OF ITALIAN CUISINE 

The World Week of Italian Cuisine reaches its second edition with the aim of promoting Italian culinary traditions and food-and-wine culture as a distinctive trait of Italian identity and heritage.

The second edition of the Week will take place from November 13^th to 19^th to highlight quality Italian cuisine abroad in the name of sustainability, culture, food security and rights, education, identity, territory, and biodiversity. 

During the Week will be also enhanced tourist destinations, territories, culinary art itineraries, and the Mediterranean Diet - one of the elements that make Italy the healthiest Country in the world.

Crucial are also the activities aimed at spreading and internationalizing the training programs offered in this field, in order to  attract talents from abroad and  strengthen customer retention for high-quality Italian products.

The project is part of the "Made in Italy" Special Promotion Plan, launched by the Government to boost the distribution and commercial presence of authentic Italian food-and-wine products, as well as the objectives of the 2017-2022 Strategic Tourism Plan which aims to highlight abroad the undiscovered Italian territories. 

Key points of the second edition are:

- combining “high-quality cuisine and wine”;

- preserving and promoting products of protected designation of origin while spreading Italian brand-protection methods in order to develop initiatives to fight the so called Italian sounding

- promoting tourism through regional tours and food and wine itineraries

- interest in establishing collaborations between Italian and local chefs through training courses in the restaurant industry;

- actions in support of the UNESCO nomination for the Art of the Pizzaiuoli Napoletani and Prosecco Hills of Valdobbiadene;

- actions in support of the areas affected by Italy’s recent earthquake promoting their high quality ingredients.

The World Week of Italian Cuisine is coordinated by a Working Group established under the Protocol of Understanding for Maximizing Italian High-Quality Cuisine Abroad, chaired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in close cooperation with the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies (MIPAAF). The Week is organized through a cooperative effort of all the public and private organisms representing the Italian cuisine in the world: institutions (MISE, MIUR, MIBACT, Regions), ICE-Agency, ENIT, universities, the Chambers of Commerce network, trade associations, cooking schools, design companies, food-and-wine business operators, and certified Italian restaurant networks. Reference points for more than 1000 scheduled activities are the 296 diplomatic-consular offices and the Italian Cultural Institutes, which coordinate the initiatives of the various partners to optimize the use of resources, make critical mass and ensure their consistency. Some selected Countries are targeted for enhancing promotion and communication actions:  The United States, Canada, Brazil, Russia, China, Japan, and United Arab Emirates. Among the planned activities there are: workshops and conferences, meetings with chefs, food-and-wine tastings and dinners, commercial promotion events and cooking classes. The Italian cuisine will also be represented through cultural initiatives, such as food related screenings and documentaries, conferences, concerts, language courses and photography exhibitions. 

Each day of the Week will be devoted to a specific product or an aspect of the Italian cuisine, according to the following calendar:

Monday: pasta and rice

Tuesday: pizza (in support of the UNESCO nomination for the Art of the Pizzaioli Napoletani)

Wednesday: conviviality and Italian table (open menu)

Thursday: wine

Friday: cheese

Saturday: salami

Sunday: sweets and pastries