TORONTO — March was a month for all things Italian at Toronto’s George Brown College (GBC). It began with a visit from Michelin-star chef Massimo Bottura, chef/owner of the Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy. Then, a couple weeks later, Giancarlo Morelli, chef/owner of Pomiroeu restaurant in Seregno, (northern Italy) arrived to lead a cooking demonstration for aspiring chefs as well as members of the media.
The renowned Michelin-star chef taught students the basics of a risotto ai pistilli di zafferano con midollo and caramello di vino (risotto with saffron and bone marrow), one of his signature dishes as well as polenta con coniglio (polenta with rabbit). The affable Morelli was in town as part of a trade delegation of 70 Italian food and wine producers who showcased Italian products for supermarket chain buyers, importers, agents, food brokers, distributors and media.
The largest trade delegation from Italy visited Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver over the course of a week, promoting original “Made-in-Italy” foods and wines. The trade mission to Canada supports the 2015 “Made-in-Italy” campaign, which is intended to help Canadians better understand the differences between made-in-Italy products and ones produced outside Italy, which bear Italian names.
In addition to the intimate cooking demo, chef Morelli also prepared — alongside the culinary brigade of Toronto’s Ritz Carlton — a gala dinner for 270 at the famed Toronto hotel, creating a multi-course meal highlighting several Italian products (Morelli is pictured in glasses alongside Rajhu Addagada, executive chef, Ritz Carlton and the Ritz culinary team).
Organizers of the Made-in-Italy event included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; The Italian Ministry of Economic Development; the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Policies; the Italian Trade Commission; Confindustria; the Italian Banking Association; the Italian Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Handicrafts and Agriculture; Imprese Italia; The Italian Cooperative Alliance; and the Conference of the Regions of autonomous Provinces and the Federalimentare (Italian Food and Drink Industry Federation).
