Italian-American Chef Amy Riolo to be on "Foodie and the Beast" on July 29th

1500AM WFED's "Foodie and the Beast" will host a segment on chef, author, and spokesperson Amy Riolo on Sunday, July 29th.  Amy is the National Spokesperson for the American Diabetes Association's new "Quick Diabetic Recipes for Dummies" cookbook. 






Amy's feature on "Foodie and the Beast" will air from 11-12 on Sunday.  Tune in as she chats with hosts David and Nycci Nellis dish over this new cookbook, its recipes, and Amy's advocacy for the Mediterranean lifestyle.



Feast of the Seven Fishes at Alta Strada Mosaic!

Christmas in July at Alta Strada Mosaic!  Alta Strada is hosting an intimate Chef wine dinner in the classic Italian holiday style of a Feast of the Seven Fishes. Culinary Director Chef Matthew Adler, Head Chef David Bourne, and Pastry Chef Alex Levin are preparing 7 of our best catches, curated wine pairings, and delicious tastes of the summer season. 








The menu includes:

Assaggini
Poached Shrimp with chickpeas, endive and lemon
Cold Smoked Swordfish with salsa verde and fried capers
Falanghina Capolino Perlingieri - Preta - Campania - 2017

Antipasti 
Sicilian Anchovies with bread, butter and sea salt
Calamari Salad with Calabrian chilies, pickled onions and mint
Cannonau Rose - Serra Lori - Argiolas - Sardinia - 2017

Primi Piatti
Baked Squid Ink Casserece with tomato braised octopus ragu and chilis
Gabbiano - Chianti Classico - Tuscany - 2015

Secondi Piatti
Salt Baked Branzino with heirloom tomato panzanella, cucumbers and fresh basil
Collina San Ponzio - Roero Arneis - Piedmont - 2017

Dolce
Peach and Berry Cobbler Al Forno with vanilla gelato
Moscato Spumante - Annalisa - n/a- Piedmont - NV

Tickets include gratuity and taxes. If you wish to purchase separate tickets from your dining companions, please note the names of those dining together on your ticket or email info@altastrada-mosaic.com with the information.

Massimo Fabbri Brings a Taste of Tuscany to DC's Shaw at San Lorenzo Ristorante + Bar

Chef/owner Massimo Fabbri celebrates the opening of his first restaurant, San Lorenzo Ristorante + Bar, with CiaoDC! Fabbri shared with us his journey from Tuscany to his new home in D.C.'s Shaw neighborhood. Under Fabbri's direction, San Lorenzo brings a taste of Italy to the city's trendiest district.  Listen to our latest CiaoDC Chat to learn about his favorite dishes, his inspiration, and why your next reservation will be at this hot new restaurant. You can listen to CiaoDC's intimate interview with Massimo here.

Check out San Lorenzo's website for more details!

Fabbioli Cellars Takes Us to the Old Country Next Door

Doug Fabbioli, the “Godfather” of Loudoun County wines, joined us for our latest CiaoDC chat to discuss his journey from Syracuse to Florence, The Sonoma Valley, and finally, Leesburg, Virginia. 

The founder and owner of Fabbioli Cellars shares his connection to Italy, which he cultivated on a trip to Florence during college. Since then, Doug has honored his Italian grandparents by studying the art of wine, first joining the Italian viticultural community in California before settling in Loudoun. Now, at his home at Fabbioli Cellars, Italophiles and wine lovers alike can taste his sweet vintages and see the influence of family and Italian culture here in the DMV.


 Listen to the CiaoDC chat here!


To learn more about Fabbioli Cellars, visit http://www.fabbioliwines.com/.

Film Viewing of "Tutti i Santi Giorni" on July 15th

Passatempo Meetup, an Italian-language meetup group, will host a viewing of Italian director Paolo Virzì's film, Tutti i Santi Giorni (Every Blessed Day), with English subtitles.  Virzì's 2012 film follows a young couple, Guido and Antonia, who work opposite schedules.  Watch as romance, drama, and comedy come together when the couple decides to have a child.   

The viewing will take place at Casa Italiana Language School on 3rd St. NW on July 15th.  Doors will open at 6pm and the film will show at 6:15pm, followed by a brief discussion at 8:00pm. Tickets are $10.  

For more information, visit https://www.meetup.com/passatempo/  or visit Passatempo Meetup on Facebook.

Discussion: "Life as a Journalist" with Reporter Mike Debonis

Join the Abruzzo and Molise Heritage Society of the Washington D.C. Area on Sunday, July 22nd for a conversation about journalism and the lives of reporters.  AMHS member and Washington Post writer Mike Debonis will share his perspective on politics and the somewhat controversial subject of journalism in today's society.

This discussion will take place on the 22nd from 1-3:30pm at the Casa Italiana Language School on 3rd St NW.  Reserve tickets online ($20 AMHS Members/$25 non-AMHS members) by 12pm on July 19th.  Lunch will be catered by Fontina Grille.

For more information, visit http://www.abruzzomoliseheritagesociety.org.

Our Journey Across the Mediterranean with Amy Riolo and Culinaria Cooking School

Amy Riolo is a self-proclaimed "culinary anthropologist."  According to Chef Jason Roberts, she is "A true guardian of the techniques and inherent goodness of the Mediterranean lifestyle." But what does being a culinary anthropologist actually entail?  Amy, an Italian-American chef, author, and advocate of the Mediterranean diet, teamed up with Culinaria Cooking School's Chefs Stephen Sands and Pete Sniath to lead us on a gastronomical tour of Italy, Greece, and Morocco.  Over the course of eight meals, we learned techniques and terms related to Mediterranean cooking; yet, beyond this surface, Amy took us to the root of the foods, inviting us to appreciate the true culture behind Mediterranean cuisine.

The evening, to which various bloggers and social media mavens were invited, began with an appetizer of sweet grape focaccia paired with an Umbrian brut.  Culinaria's Chef Stephen is currently on his way to achieving his Level 1 Sommelier license and brilliantly paired each of Amy's courses with an Italian vino.  The antipasti featured Abbruzese-style stuffed olives and Roman risotto croquettes (commonly known by their Sicilian counterpart, arancini).  During these courses, we sipped a white wine with notes of citrus and grapefruit, chosen by Stephen for its minerality to cleanse the palate between plates.

Following the delectable croquettes, the chefs schooled us on traditional Moroccan and Greek cuisine as we dined on chicken with couscous and date tajine.  While indulging in these sweet-and-savory combinations, Amy shared stories of her travels through Morocco and Saudi Arabia, where she learned about the cultural traditions in villages that boast "zero food feet."  The fresh ingredients are a tenet of the Mediterranean diet and are at the heart of culinary traditions from Spain to Israel.  

A Tuscan barolo served as the perfect complement to our Greek, Moroccan, and Egyptian dishes, including spice-dusted lamb chops with jalapeño-mint sauce, Greek-style green beans, and carrot, date, and orange salad.  The various courses that Amy curated for us featured a range of flavors, but all clearly shared common roots in their Mediterranean heritage.  Our evening concluded with rich baklava and coffee, and anthropologist Amy taught us the evolution of the dessert that eventually grew into the baklava we enjoy today.  

Amy shares her wealth of knowledge in history and gastronomy of the Mediterranean in her many cookbooks and on her youtube channel.  Learn more about her work at amyriolo.com.  To enroll in a class at Culinary Cooking School and learn from Chefs Stephen and Pete, visit culinariacookingschool.com.

Published by Maria Regina, Contributing Editor