Italian Culinary Exploration and Advanced Mediterranean Cuisine in the South of Italy Professional Culinary and Baking Program 1 WEEK FULL IMMERSION & ALL INCLUSIVE includes travel to Sicily, market visits & dining in several of Italy's top restaurants REGISTER ONLINE

Scroll down for the itinerary and price for this program or use the links to the left for information on ICI's other all inclusive programs This course combines several aspects of modern restaurant cuisine, baking, decoration and cultural travel during one week of full immersion. Advanced Technique Considering Regional Italian Cuisine's dominating influence in the world's top restaurants, this program focuses on techniques to develop innovative preparations for the modern restaurant based on new flavor assemblies, up-to-date alimentary standards for healthier eating and magnificent plating techniques synthesizing haute cuisine with the simplicity of the Mediterranean. The Chef at 360 Deg. Several areas of the menu are prepared and presented including perfect base sauces, pastas and vegetarian and Mediterranean cuisine. Special emphasis is placed on baking and integrating specialty breads, hearth breads, savory pastries and desserts into the chef's repertoire. New Recipe Development A side by side preparation of Traditional and Innovative Italian and European dishes are contrasted for flavors, colors and nutritive values giving participants the opportunity to see and taste the evolution of Italian cuisine and, most importantly, the ability to evolve his or her own technique for new recipe development. Cultural Travel An important part of the program are excursions to several of Italy's most important gastronomic centers. The history of cuisine is evidenced throughout the program and thus includes cultural travel to several different genres of restaurants as well as visits to artisan cheese makers, wine and olive oil producers and the hearth bakers that are unique to Italy. A special excursion to Sicily lets participants experience Italian culture and discover how it has influenced its cuisine. Professional Italian Cuisine Following the tradition of European advanced culinary training, all of our instructors are chefs active in the field. Chefs at the Institute are chosen not only for their long list of awards but, above all, on their present status as Italy's & Europe's most innovative masters. All creations during both the hands-on and demonstration parts of the program are examined in open discussion for structure, colors, diversity and consistency, nutritional equilibrium and harmony of flavors. Common errors that foreign chefs typically make while preparing Italian and European menus are corrected both during the prep process and while examining the completed menus. Critique and peer review are from the perspective of the diner as well as the culinary professional. Perfect Location in the Heart of the Mediterranean The settings for lab time are professional establishments in Southern Italy. Accommodations are in the Hotel Nettuno, located on the beach of the Ionian Sea in Soverato, a bustling seaside resort town with a myriad of restaurants, trattorias, bars and bistros. The Soverato beach is a swimmer's paradise; the water being especially transparent and luminous, sometimes violet in the mid day sun. Scuba diving is a popular sport as is fishing and boating. After you read the course description on this page, click here for a look at images from our latest programs. This link includes photos of the courses, market visits, night life and a full panorama of the exciting hands-on cooking and cultural experience. Program Dates •October 2 - 9, 2010 •October 1 - 8, 2011

ITINERARY

Saturday
Arrival, Check-in and welcome dinner

Sunday
Visit to Messina, Sicily
Cultural Travel

• Breakfast at the Hotel.
  
• Morning departure for the southern most point on the Italian mainland and then to the ferry where we proceed to cross the Straits of Messina for Sicily. Those who've read The Odyssey, will remember what a terrible time Ulysses had getting past Scylla and Charybdis, which flank what is now known as the Straits of Messina. We'll have an easier time on one of Italy's famous traghettos where we'll eat the best "arancini" in Italy.
  
• First we head to Pasticceria Freni (Artisan Pastry Shop), owned and operated by one of the most famous patissier in Sicily, Giuseppe Freni. Here we'll be introduced to the sweet delicacies that made Sicily famous including marzipan sculptures, almond and pine nut biscuits and torts, fried biscuits with lemon chocolate cream, torrone, gelato and the world famous Sicilian cannoli and cassata siciliana. Then we'll have a caffè and tasting with the master while he answers questions about Sicilian patissier.
  
• We then proceed to Messina for lunch where we'll dine at our favorite restaurant for Pasta alle Sarde (pasta with sardines, lemon zest and toasted bread crumbs), Pesce Spada con Finochietto Selvatico (fresh sword fish with wild fennel) and classic Sicilian dolci.
  
• After lunch the afternoon is free to enjoy the sights and shopping of Messina, both of which are endless... Messina truly characterizes the island of Sicily. The seaside city is surrounded by incredible beauty and overlooks the azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Shopping in Messina is a sogno siciliano ... a Sicilian Dream!
  
• Evening return to the hotel in Soverato with a roadside dinner on the way.
  
• Overnight at the Hotel.

Monday
Flavor Perception and Tastings, Olive Oil Analysis, Technical Overview & Base Preparations
Lecture, demonstration, tasting

• Breakfast at the Hotel.
  
• Transfer to the laboratory.
  
• Introduction of the program with John Nocita, director of the Italian Institute for Advanced Culinary and Pastry Arts.
  
• Introduction of the chefs for the program.
  
• Overview of the course and Italian regional cuisine.
  
• Lesson begins
  
• Analysis and tasting of the lesser known raw materials necessary to construct authentic dishes in Regional Italian and Mediterranean Cuisine:
  
  • Cheeses and Cured Meats: DOP
• Demo: artisan cured meats for in-house restaurant use:
  • Making pancetta and prosciutto
• Analysis and tasting:
  
  • Truffles and Mushrooms
  • Vinegars, Balsamic Vinegars, Olives, Sundried and Conserved Vegetables
    
• Lunch
  
• Lesson resumes
• In-depth examination of Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oils including regional differentiation, gustatory perception and the proper methods which define the use of specific oils with particular cuisines as well as their positions in the menu.
• Overview of the materials, tools, procedures and techniques for advanced plate decoration.
  
• Flours - How to make perfect pasta and bread, anytime and anywhere:
  • Analysis of Italy's unique flours for taste, texture, elasticity, longevity of the finished product, cost and international availability or substitutions. Includes the common types of flours used for pasta and bread making such as semola, durum wheat, corn flour and whole wheat as well as more uncommon flours such as spelt, buckwheat, truffle flour, and chestnut flour.
    
• End of lesson and return to hotel.
  
• Dinner at the trattoria, La Lanterna Rossa located in a 17th Century palazzo overlooking the Ionian Sea. Dinner features several types of seafood that can only be found in the Mediterranean basin accompanied by local wines.
  
• Overnight at the Hotel in Soverato.

Tuesday
Pasta, pasta, pasta...
Hands-on

• Breakfast at the Hotel.
  
• Transfer to the laboratory
  
• Lesson begins
  • This all day hands-on course involves the preparation of traditional and innovative Italian regional pastas using standard and special flours.
    
• The preparation of component recipes used in traditional Italian Regional cuisine and adapting them to modern restaurant cuisine.
  
• The preparation of innovative sauces utilized in appetizers, first and main dishes and their improvisation according to market availability, season and price. These sauces will center on modern healthier cuisine emphasizing reduction techniques, infusions and emulsions.
• Hands-on preparation of dry pastas, puff pastry pasta, fresh pastas, colored pastas and egg pastas.
  
• Preparation of gnocchi: potato and vegetable based "lower carb" pasta.
  
• Lunch
  Lesson resumes
  
• Preparation of traditional regional stuffed pastas, "timballi" and baked "gratinati" followed by a new series of innovative stuffed pastas and baked "gratinati" demonstrating the technique of developing new recipes based on market availability and cost factors.
  
• The technique of matching pasta and sauces according to gustatory perception, aesthetics and menu position.
  
• Plating and decoration.
  
• End of lesson
  
• Return to hotel
  
• Pasta party!
• Overnight at the Hotel.

Wednesday
Neither Meat nor Fish, Mediterranean and Alternative Cuisine
Demonstration, hands-on

• Breakfast at the Hotel.
  
• Transfer to the laboratory
  
• Lesson begins with Mediterranean and Alternative Cuisine where modern Mediterranean and vegetarian cuisine are combined and presented with a thoroughness and clarity unique to the industry even in Italy.
  
• Demo and tasting: Avant-garde hot and cold "antipasti" (appetizers) will be prepared incorporating meat, fish, wild game and verdure.
• Substitutions for meat and fish components will be discussed and presented. Factors for determining appetizers as stand alone plates or buffet items will be examined depending on cost elements and the "need for speed".
• Demo and tasting: Risotti
  
• Lunch
  
• Lesson resumes
  
• Following the latest trends in Italy, techniques will enable the chef to interchange vegetarian menu items for appetizers, first courses and main courses. Applications of emulsions reveal flavor medleys and techniques for new recipe development.
• The new technique of 'olio cottura' is introduced.
  
• Hands-on: particular focus towards advanced plating technique and presentation.
  
• End of lesson
  
• Dinner at the hotel
• Free evening
  
• Overnight at the Hotel.

Thursday
Focaccia and Specialty Breads: Tradition and Evolution According to Bertoni
Lecture and Hands-on
World Champion baker and master chef Fabio Bertoni brings even the most experienced chefs to new levels during this intense day in this exclusive program. Click here to learn more about Fabio.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
  
• Transfer to the laboratory.
  
• Lesson begins with Colazione Italiana alla Artigiana. In the age of frozen breakfast pastries, packaged breads and industrially made condiments, the classic Italian breakfast has become as exclusive as fine dining is at any other time of the day. Assorted hearth breads, freshly prepared creams of nuts and chocolate mass and jams made with seasonal fruit highlight this "colazione" or first meal. So rare to find even in Italy, an artisan breakfast can only be found at select cafés at triple the price of a common continental breakfast. A brief explanation of the meal and its importance to your clients is followed by a tasting.
  
• World Champion baker and master patissier Fabio Bertoni brings even the most experienced chefs to new levels during this intense day in this exclusive program.
  
• Hands-on preparation of traditional Italian Regional and international leavened breads using natural yeast, mixed yeast and compressed yeast. Participants use Italy's unique flour combinations combined with seasonal ingredients while creating breads with a wide array of textures, flavors and colors.
  
  • Ciabatta
    
  • Ciabattina
    
  • Baguette
    
• Specialty rolls for restaurant and banquet service includes a series of specialty breads for restaurant and volume catering service that are prepared using both natural and fast rising procedures with dry, fresh and liquid flavor options:
  
  • Dry: Cracked pepper, sesame, oregano
    
  • Fresh: Sundried tomatoes, olives, dill
    
  • Liquid: pureed and emulsified vegetables
    
• Special attention is focused on the conservation of all preparations for eventual commercialization depending on sector: restaurant, hotel, banquet or retail.
  
• Lunch
  
• Lesson resumes
  
• Examination of Regional Italian Specialty Breads and Foccacie and their international gastronomic and economic importance in commercial food service and fine dining.
  
• Preparation of classic Regional focaccia and grissini followed by their innovative counterparts. By utilizing various doughs and ingredients combined with changing cooking methods for each item, participants see vastly diverse results for each with simple modifications in technique.
  
• Every participant will prepare pizza and breads followed by a tasting and discussion of the various techniques and flavor combinations used.
  
• End of lesson
  Return to Hotel
  
• Pizza party with a special tasting from the area's newest micro brewery.
  
• Overnight at the Hotel.

Friday
Market Visit, Pastry and Desserts, Gala Farewell Dinner, Awarding of Certificates
Cultural travel, demonstration, gala dinner

• Breakfast at the Hotel.
  
• Step out of your hotel for the open air market on the seaside.
  
  • A typical Italian open air market offers culinarians an insight to the country's most traditional aspects as well as an opportunity to browse foods, cheeses, wines and cured meats that are still produced by artisans.
  • Participants compare and taste the difference between these products to those of the industrial sector. As well, terra-cotta pots, colorful Italian ceramics, fine lace and more are all available at the lowest prices in the world.
    
• Free time is available for shopping, a walk on the seaside and to sit and enjoy pastries in an outdoor café.
  
• Lunch
  
• Transfer to the laboratory
  
• Lesson begins
  
• Pastry and desserts: ICI's unparalleled creativity and perfectibility has made this course the world's finest for pastry and the reason why Europe's top patisserie regularly attend. ICI's masters have earned numerous medals in International Competitions including Coupe du Monde and the IKA International Olympics. During this brief program, participants will be presented with the skills necessary to construct several classic Italian desserts.
  
• The lesson ends with a tasting of the sweet buffet.
  
• Special Dinner with awarding of certificates
  
• Overnight at the Hotel.

Saturday
End of program.

• Participants wishing to stay longer can be afforded special arrangements with prior notice. E-mail your itinerary here.

PRICE:

• Culinary professionals and nonprofessional enthusiasts:
  • Euro 2295 per person

*Price is based on double occupancy. Single room supplement EURO 195
*Price does not include airfare or airport transfers.

ALL INCLUSIVE PRICE INCLUDES:

• Theoretical and practical lessons, recipe and technique books & all related costs at the Italian Institute for Advanced Culinary and Pastry Arts on location in Calabria, the South of Italy and planned excursions. (5 days full immersion + cultural excursions over 1 week)
  
• Accommodations at private villas or superior Hotel (3-4 star) in Calabria, Italy. 7 Nts.
  
• Full use of condominium and hotel facilities.
  
• Complete board -All meals, wines and bottled water included at the Hotel, the Institute and restaurants.
  
  • 7 breakfasts including artisan breakfast feast
    
  • 6 lunches including Sicily
    
  • 7 dinners
    
    • Saturday: welcome dinner and reception
      
    • Sunday: roadside dinner upon return from Sicily
      
    • Monday: dinner at La Lanterna Rossa on the seaside
      
    • Tuesday: Pasta party!
      
    • Wednesday: Dinner at the hotel
      
    • Thursday: Pizza party with a special tasting from the area's newest micro brewery.
      
    • Friday: Special Farewell Dinner
      
• Pastry tasting and caffé at Pasticceria Freni in Sicily
  
• All ground transfers in the program in a private motorcoach including trip to Sicily.
  
• Italian Culinary Institute Chef's Coat.
  
• Certificate of Excellence, ICI; Certificate of Attendance Italian Chef's Federation.
  
• Fully escorted and accompanied by English speaking culinary professionals for the entire program.
• All meals include wines, bottled water.
• Taxes, VAT and gratuities are included.