Celebrity Italian Top Chefs Get Cooking to Celebrate the Extraordinary Italian Taste

(Toronto, November 13, 2017) –From November 14 to 17, 2017, the extraordinary Italian Taste CENTItalia: Gusto Cultura arrives in Toronto, presented by the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Ontario (ICCO) and Centennial College, and supported by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development.

The event is a celebration of bona fide Made in Italy goods with award-winning top chefs, Chef Franco Pepe, Michelin Star Chef Cristina Bowerman and Chef Ugo Mura, directly from Italy. Each Chef will deliver executive style classes, lectures and workshops. Several events will take place at locations across the GTA. For more details and to register for tickets visit italchambers.ca

CENTItalia Program Highlights

★ A PIZZA NIGHT EVENT AND PIZZA CULTURA BOOK LAUNCH – Press Conference

DATE:: Tuesday, November 14, 2017
LOCATION: Liberty Grand, Artifacts Room and Centennial Room, 25 British Columbia Rd, Toronto, ON M6K 3C3
TIME: 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

** PRESS NOTE **
An event focused on authentic Italian Pizza with the participation of master pizza maker Chef Franco Pepe, Michelin Star Chef Cristina Bowerman and Chef Ugo Mura directly from Italy. Local participation includes stations by Viva Napoli Pizzeria, Longo’s Fruit Market, Pizza Nova, Faema, Centennial College and FoodPic App. The evening will also feature the presentation of PIZZA Cultura, the latest ICCO publication by Mark Cirillo, and an announcement of an upcoming Centennial-IFSE and ICCO collaboration to the benefit of students pursuing an education in Italian culinary arts.

★ MASTER CLASSES WITH CHEF FRANCO PEPE, MASTER PIZZA MAKER

DATE: Wednesday, November 15, 2017
LOCATION:Viva Napoli Pizzeria, 679 Mt Pleasant Rd, Toronto, ON M4S 2N2
TIMES: 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. and 2:30 – 4:00 p.m.

★ THE POWER OF WOMEN, FUNDRAISING DINNER

DATE: Wednesday, November 15, 2017
LOCATION: Terroni Restaurant, 57 Adelaide St E, Toronto, ON M5C 1K6
TIME: 6:00 p.m. – 9.00 p.m.

★ GUSTO CULTURA TASTING DINNER WITH CHEF CRISTINA BOWERMAN

DATE: Thursday, November 16, 2017
LOCATION: Nella Cucina, 876 Bathurst St, Toronto, ON M5R 3G3
TIME: 6:30 p.m. – 9.30 p.m.

★ GUSTO CULTURA TASTING LUNCH WITH CHEF UGO MURA

DATE: Friday, November 17
LOCATION: Nella Cucina, 876 Bathurst St, Toronto, ON M5R3G3
TIME: 12:30 p.m. – 3.30 p.m.

“It’s a great feeling to be able to celebrate Italian cuisine through a universally loved platform –food! With over 1.5 million Italians living in Canada, CENTItalia: Gusto Cultura is really the voice of the Italian community and cuisine,” said Corrado Paina, Executive Director of the ICCO. “ICCO continues to confirm its role as an incubator of entrepreneurship, creativity, innovation, and social commitment in Canada and in Italy.”

“Showcasing International food culture is an integral component of Centennial’s culinary arts programs,” said Joe Baker, Dean, School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts. “Italy has long played an important role in influencing the foods served in North American restaurants. Our partnership with the ICCO celebrates the authenticity and quality of Italian food and drink.”

CENTItalia: Gusto Cultura is a week-long food festival dedicated to authentic Italian food and lifestyle, paired with Italian restaurants, importers and distributors, vendors, catering companies and manufacturers from all over the city. There will be live cooking demonstrations, performances, panel discussions and of course, food! The festival concludes with top honours with the ICCO’s Pentola d’Oro Gala at Chateau Le Parc Event Centre in Vaughan, recognizing the creativity and vision of those who have promoted and contributed to the Italian lifestyle in Canada.

For more information, visit https://www.italchambers.ca/extraordinary-italian-taste/

About the ICCO

The Italian Chamber of Commerce of Ontario (ICCO) is a non-profit business organization whose main objective is to promote business development within Canadian and Italian companies. We believe that a stronger relationship between the two countries will create more opportunities for investment, and that the Italian Canadian community can be the springboard for a partnership, where business and cultural exchange can drive growth.