Part of the ICCI’s ‘True Italian Taste’ project, the online masterclass was promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and covered the process of making some iconic Italian dishes, such as pasta and cannoli.
Held on September 22, the event facilitated the union of numerous amateur cooks with connoisseurs of Italian cuisine.
The evening began with an introduction from the chief executive officer and secretary general of the ICCI in Melbourne, John Caniglia.
“We hope to bring you some entertainment, some relaxing time together and improve your cooking skills,” he said.
The host of the event, Wendy Hargreaves, who is a journalist, radio presenter on station 3AW and the founder of Bread and Butter Media, continued the introduction segment.
“I’m not even remotely Italian, but I’m calling myself an honorary Italian, because I’ve lived in Carlton for a couple of decades,” she joked.
Consul General of Italy in Melbourne Pierluigi Trombetta, who participated in the evening via video-call from Italy, talked about his home country.
“Life in Italy is great,” he said.
“A large amount of Italians have been fully vaccinated, and everybody is enjoying life.”
Chef Riccardo Siligato from Arancini Art kicked off the night’s cooking endeavours, teaching viewers how to prepare traditional Sicilian cannoli.
Participants in the masterclass were sent a box of Pantalica ricotta cheese, six cannoli shells, a mix of sugar and cinnamon, chocolate, pistachios and icing sugar.
The evening continued with chef and founder of the Gradi Group, Johnny Di Francesco, who live-streamed from his car on the way home from work.
Di Francesco explained how to cook the classic 400 Gradi focaccia with garlic and aromatic herbs and addressed a question about the profound evolution of the Melbourne food scene.
“Over the last 10 years, there’s been a massive change in the culture of people searching for authentic Italian food,” he said.
“Prior to that, people looked at Italian food as a broad cuisine with well-known dishes like bolognese or a carbonara.
“Whereas now, people are looking for regional Italian cuisines, each with their own specific cooking style.”
In the last hour of the masterclass, young chefs Andrea Vignali and Davide Bondadiman gave a lively demonstration on preparing a pasta dish.
Vignali explained that in March of last year, he found himself without a job and unable to access government aid.
He followed his intuition and started making fresh pasta, a process which led to the creation of his new project, Al Dente Enoteca, in Carlton’s Nicholson Street.
Vignali entered into a partnership with fellow chef and friend, Bonadiman, and the venture has enjoyed success, even throughout Victoria’s numerous lockdowns.
The two chefs coached participants through the last dish of the night with professionalism and grace, from the making of the dough to mixing the cheese and pepper filling, moulding the tortellini shape, cooking the pasta perfectly and dressing the plate with butter and sage.
Participants then enjoyed their carefully-prepared dishes with a flute of DOC Prosecco or Cincinnato Polluce Nero Buono.
