"Piatti all'Opera" ~ Masterclasses with Italian Chef Rita Monastero

The Italian Cultural Institute of Washington, in collaboration with Cookology Culinary School, invites you to attend one of our three cooking encounters of the series “Piatti all'Opera ~ Masterclass with Italian Chef Rita Monastero”.

Each person may register for only one session in this masterclass series.

Inspired by the centenary of Italian composer Giacomo Puccini’s departure, the project “Piatti all’Opera” (“Dishes at the Opera”) aims to celebrate the relation between cuisine and Italian opera, including dishes mentioned in the masterpieces as well as those with which certain Italian composers, such as Giacomo Puccini or Giuseppe Verdi, had a special connection.

Each masterclass is hosted at Cookology Culinary School, in Arlington, Virginia, and will offer participants the opportunity to cook three different Italian culinary delicacies.

MENU FOR EACH CLASS:

• Masterclass I - November 19, 2024 ~ 10 am - 1 pm
  Minestrone alla Puccini con riso e fagioli (Vegetable Soup à la Puccini with rice and beans)
  Bucatini alla Caruso con zucchine fritte, peperoni e pomodori (Caruso style Bucatini pasta with fried zucchinie, peppers, and tomatoes)
  Castagnaccio (Chestnut cake)

• Masterclass II - November 21, 2024 ~ 10 am - 1 pm
  Risotto alla Verdi (Verdi style Risotto)
  Cacciucco di pollo alla Puccini (Puccini style chicken stew)
  Pesca Melba (Melba style Peach)

• Masterclass III - November 22, 2024 ~ 10 am - 1 pm
  Tagliolini al forno alla Maria Callas (Maria Callas' baked Tagliolini pasta)
  Piccatina balsamica alla Pavarotti (Pavarotti-style veal escalope)
  Latte alla portoghese di Puccini (Puccini-Style Custard Pudding)

PLEASE NOTE: Participants can only register to one of our three masterclasses for this program.
Please cancel your reservation if your plans change and you can no longer make it, since class space is limited.

LOCATION
Cookology Culinary School
4238 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, VA 22203

ABOUT THE CHEF

Rita Monastero, “The LovelyCheffa,” is a distinguished Cookery Teacher and Food Writer. She collaborates with top cooking schools globally, including Il Gambero Rosso, teaching professional and amateur classes. Rita also teaches Italian Cuisine in Bangkok and contributes English articles on Italian Cuisine for the Bangkok Post.

Trained as an interpreter, she conducts English team-building classes for major companies. An accomplished author with 10 cook books published by Gribaudo-Feltrinelli, her 11th book launched in March 2019. Her book “I Pani dimenticati” was translated into Turkish in 2017. Rita is part of “La Prova del Cuoco” on Rai1 and makes appearances on shows like Geo – Rai3. As a Food Stylist, she creates visually stunning dishes for Rai1 programs.

ABOUT THE SETTIMANA DELLA CUCINA ITALIANA NEL MONDO

The “Settimana della Cucina Italiana nel Mondo” (SCIM, Week of Italian Cuisine in the World) was launched in 2015 to promote fine Italian cuisine and our agri-food products. Thanks to the number and quality of events proposed around the world by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation’s foreign network, it has established itself as a regular event of great importance.

During SCIM, seminars and conferences, meetings with chefs and culinary courses, tastings and dinners, accompany promotional activities. The story of Italian cuisine is also told through its projection in art, with movies, concerts and photo exhibitions. SCIM also includes discussions on topical issues, such as the relationship between food and environmental sustainability, the culture of healthy food, food safety, the right to food, food education, and territorial identity and biodiversity.

Host or Publisher Italian Cultural Institute in Washington