Once again this year the Italian Cuisine Week took place here in Los Angeles, from November 18 to 22, intended primarily to promote our agri-food products and our extraordinary culinary culture in the world. The event is promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that also involves other ministries as well as the Italian Academy of Cuisine founded in Milan in 1953 by journalist and writer Orio Vergani.

The various projects presented were coordinated by Consul General Raffaella Valentini who, together with the Italian Cultural Institute, developed, as the theme of the year, the Mediterranean diet as well as the cuisine of the roots.

During the first day of the proceedings, the well-known chef Giuseppe Frassica from Florence performed at the Italian Cultural Institute in the preparation and meticulous description of his famous sandwiches whose ingredients have traveled throughout our entire peninsula creating ever new tastes for the palate. Indeed, the audience present in tasting the aforementioned sandwiches not only satisfied their taste buds but also took a tasty imaginary journey through the delicacies of the various regions.

The event concluded with an academic banquet, also held with the collaboration of the Consulate General and the Italian Cultural Institute, at the La Puglia restaurant and a book presentation organized by delegate Mariella Salvatori and the president of the Azzurra cultural organization Alessia Patrignani.

Also speaking at the end was Consul Lorenza Errighi, who wanted to mention that Italian cuisine is on the list to be recognized next year as a UNESCO Intangible Heritage.

As for the menu chosen for the banquet, it should be mentioned that the products were exclusively from Puglia and fully respected the traditions of the region's Mediterranean cuisine.

Finally, as for the presentation of the above-mentioned book, which has as its title “ the Garrubbo guide ” , it was made by the New York-based Italian American author Edwin Garrubbo. The book aroused a lot of curiosity among the guests who attended, both for its historical-culinary content and for the descriptions and recipes it contained. Evidently the author's intent is to introduce Americans to the value of food according to the Mediterranean diet.

Promising note: the volumes available were all purchased.