CENTItalia: Gusto Cultura!

CENTItalia is back!!

The fourth edition of Italian Food and Cuisine will focus on the Southern Italian region of Calabria with the participation of three renowned chefs, Michelin Star Chef Antonio Abbruzzino, Chef Pino Barbino and Chef Giovanni De Luca, that will represent their region and its excellent food and wines. The week will offer an official opening at Centennial College, a day dedicated to the excellencies of Calabria at the Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex, workshops, master classes and tasting events for industry people, media, general public and culinary arts students.

A portion of the CENTItalia week proceeds will be donated to the Power of Women scholarship fund, an annual scholarship awarded by the ICCO to a female student of a culinary program at the School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts of Centennial College.

CENTItalia 2019 builds on three successful years of collaboration between Centennial College School of Culinary Arts and the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Ontario.

The past editions of CENTItalia included the extraordinary participation of prominent chefs from Italy such as #1 Pastry Chef Andrea Tortora, Michelin Star Chef Silvia Baracchi from Tuscany in 2018, #1 Mastro Pizzaiolo Franco Pepe, Michelin Star Chef Cristina Bowerman from Rome and Chef Ugo Mura  from IFSE Culinary School in Turin in 2017. Chef Rob Gentile from Buca Restaurant in Toronto, Chef Ugo Mura, Chef Rocco Grisoni, Chef Paolo Cacciani, and Michelin Star Chef Filippo Saporito joined us in 2016 to represent the regions of Piedmont, Emilia Romagna, Lazio and Tuscany.

During the past CENTItalia events we also presented ICCO’s lastest publications: “Il Sospeso” in 2018 and “Pizza Cultura” in 2017.

(©Creators at Play)

(© Creators at Play)

(© Creators at Play)

VISITING GUESTS FROM ITALY

Chef Antonio Abbruzzino
Ristorante Abbruzzino

Antonio Abbruzzino grew up in Andali, a small village in the heart of the Calabrian capital of Catanzaro. At a young age he enrolled in a local hospitality institute and began cooking at restaurants in the seaside region, later expanding his travel horizons to the rest of Italy and abroad. Mentally archiving tastes, scents and native recipe secrets everywhere he went, Antonio was greatly influenced by the cultures, techniques and traditions of the countries he visited. Following his culinary exploration of Europe, Asia, and the Americas, he returned home with his wife Rosetta, to blend the experience he garnered with the products of his homeland.

At his eponymous restaurant in Calabria, Antonio has established a reputation for complete devotion to his craft, taking great care to source the freshest fish, vegetables and meat available for his instinctive Mediterranean dishes. His philosophy of humble hard work and reverence for the transformation of local ingredients into culturally reflective cuisine were key in earning Abbruzzino a Michelin star in 2013. Additionally, his son and partner in the kitchen, Luca, is a constant source of inspiration, creativity and encouragement. With his wife and daughter heading up the front of house and wine selection, Antonio has cultivated a life where loved ones and life-long passion for cuisine integrate seamlessly.

Though the choice to leave Calabria was not an easy one, Antonio senses a familiarity in California — a region rich in fresh fish, vegetables, and olive oil. At Il Dandy , Antonio envisions a kitchen that represents his family’s origins and cuisine that will captivate the growing gastronomic community of San Diego.

Chef Pino Barbino
Ristorante La Tenuta dei Frati

Pino Barbino was born in Castrovillari (Cosenza) and graduated with a degree in Agricultural Science at the Univeristy of Bologna in 1981. Already in 1978 he founded and managed a family business in the tourism/hotel sector. Through his great relationships with renowned chefs he was able to work in commercial and collective catering as well as banquets. Today he is head Chef at La Tenuta dei Frati, located in an exclusive area in the countryside of the Castrovillari area.

His initial passion for the culinary arts ended up becoming his profession throughout his 40 year career in the business. Because of his expertise in the field Chef Pino also served as a board member in the FIC Promotion, a single-person company of the Federazione Italiana Cuochi. At this moment he is the president of the Cuochi consentini association and board member of the Unione Regionale Cuochi Calabria.

Chef Giovanni De Luca

Chef Giovanni De Luca was born in Fuscaldo, in the Province of Cosenza, Calabria and he attended the Culinary School in Paola, hometown of Saint Francesco. He has been working as a Chef for over 30 years. Over the years he has traveled and experienced a lot, getting in touch with lots of different food cultures. One of his many trips brought him to the United States and he took the opportunity to bring his traditional cuisine with him, a cuisine that is made of traditions and quality products.

When he returned to Calabria, after spending many years around Italy, he began to manage hotels and resort kitchens with an elevated number of guests. He is also the proud owner of a high quality fast food brand, where you can eat typical local products.

His motto is: Work hard, with passion and concentration, and the rest is up to the quality products!