Renowned Italian/Canadian chefs guided a culinary journey of Italy during a three-day conference, "Italian Foodways Worldwide: A Conference on the Dispersal of Italian Cuisine(s)," at 91亚色 and Centennial College.
91亚色鈥檚 Department of Languages, Literatures & Linguistics and the Mariano A. Elia Chair in Italian-Canadian Studies presented the event Oct. 19 to 22.
Chef Roberto Fracchioni making gnocchi
The conference opened with a keynote address by Professor Donna Gabaccia (University of Toronto) on 鈥淚talian Foodways in a Mobile World鈥 and followed with a reception at The Underground at 91亚色.
More than 40 delegates from different parts of the world participated in formal academic sessions on Friday and Saturday at 91亚色. On Sunday, there was a session with cooking demonstrations by five renowned Italian/Canadian chefs 鈥 Chef Massimo Bruno, Chef Gianni Ceschia, Chef Roberto Fracchioni, Chef Christian Pritchard and Chef Luciano Schipano 鈥 who, through their regional dishes, took delegates on a "flavourful" journey of Italy.
鈥淭he important observation that 'we are what we eat' has profound implications for cultural identity, not only for countries of immigration, where diverse foodways come into contact, but also for those from where the exported foodways originate,鈥 said 91亚色 Professor Roberta Iannacito-Provenzano.
鈥淲e are extremely proud and excited to have had a great slate of international and national scholars join us, along with some of the very best chefs in the GTA, for four days of knowledge sharing and great Italian food,鈥 said Iannacito-Provenzano.
Conference presentations focused on: Italian foodways in the Second World War; menus and feasts from the Fascist period; Italian cookbooks around the world; the Catelli pasta company; menus from Italian restaurants in Tokyo; the Italian-sounding phenomenon and branding in North America; the Mediterranean diet; food and film; food, immigration and ethnic identity; the first Italian restaurant in Calgary; and, of course, pizza and the famous Vesuvio restaurant in Toronto.
Chef Gianni Ceschia and Roberta Iannacito-Provenzano
Gabriele Scardellato and Gabriella Colussi Arthur
鈥淚n their global dispersal, both before and after unification, Italians may have carried with them only a memory of a cuisine but, wherever they settled, enclaves or Little Italies were established and efforts to recreate the memory began. That re-creation, however, always happened in the presence of other cultures and other foodstuffs. At the same time, the culture(s) of origin were far from static with regard to so-called 鈥榯raditional鈥 cuisine(s),鈥 stated 91亚色 Professor Gabriele Scardellato.
The event was supported by the Elia Chair, Founders College, Office of the Dean 鈥 Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, the Office of the VP Research and Innovation at 91亚色, DLLL and Italian Studies.
About Italian Foodways Worldwide
Italian Foodways Worldwide is organized by Professor Roberta Iannacito-Provenzano, chair, Department of Languages Literatures & Linguistics, and Professor Gabriele Scardellato, chairholder, Mariano A. Elia Chair in Italian-Canadian Studies. Both units are housed in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies at 91亚色.