The Italian Culinary Academy

Italian Culinary Academy Offers $10,000 Scholarships

Scholarships Available for Students Who Enroll in the Italian Culinary Experience Class Beginning January 5, 2009.

New York, NY, December 16, 2008 --(PR.com)-- The Italian Culinary Academy (www.italianculinaryacademy.com) at The International Culinary Center is pleased to announce the creation of a new $10,000 scholarship by an anonymous donor, available exclusively to all students who enroll in The Italian Culinary Experience beginning January 5, 2009.

"The faltering economy is forcing many people to re-evaluate career options," said Dorothy Hamilton, CEO and Founder of The French Culinary Institute and The Italian Culinary Academy both located at The International Culinary Center. "Through a generous donor, we are pleased to help people invest in themselves and pursue their passion for an Italian culinary career."

Designed by renowned Tuscan Chef Cesare Casella, Dean of Italian Studies at The International Culinary Center, The Italian Culinary Experience immerses students in Italian cuisine, language and culture at campuses in New York City and Parma, Italy where they train hands-on with top Chef-Instructors in world-class facilities. Following ten weeks of intensive cooking classes in New York City, students move to Italy to learn from some of Italy's talented chefs. Students spend another nine weeks working at a restaurant in Italy for real-life experience before returning to New York for one final week.

To learn more about the program, prospective students can attend a free Holiday Cocktail Reception at The Italian Culinary Academy on Thursday, December 18 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Prospective students can enjoy cocktails and Italian treats with Cesare Casella, Dean of Italian Culinary Studies and Chef-Instructors at The Italian Culinary Academy. RSVP for the holiday cocktail reception at rsvp@italianculinaryacademy.com.

For additional information about The Italian Culinary Academy, please visit www.italianculinaryacademy.com, or call 1-888-324-CHEF. For press inquiries or RSVP's please contact Wendy Knight at Knight Communications, wk@wendyknight.com or 347-924-2812.

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About the Italian Culinary Academy
The Italian Culinary Academy (The ICA), founded in 2007 as a sister school to the world-renowned French Culinary Institute, offers the country’s most rigorous education in authentic Italian cuisine. The ICA’s programs, all of which are informed by its time-tested, hands-on Total ImmersionSM method of instruction, include an extensive roster of classes for serious amateurs seeking quality, intensive education in a condensed period of time. The school is located at The International Culinary Center in New York City. For more information, please visit www.ItalianCulinaryAcademy.com.
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garum

Garum

Garum, also called liquamen, is a type of fish sauce condiment that was popular in Ancient Roman society.

Although it enjoyed its greatest popularity in the Roman world, it originally came from the Greeks, gaining its name from theGreek words garos or γάρον gáron, which named the fish whose intestines were originally used in the condiment's production. For Romans, it was both a staple to the common diet and a luxury for the wealthy. Garum appears in most of the recipes featured in Apicius, a Roman cookbook. The sauce was generally made through the crushing and fermentation in brine of the innards of various fish such as tuna, eel, and others. While the finished product was apparently mild and subtle in flavor, the actual production of garum created such unpleasant smells as to become relegated to the outskirts of cities so that the neighbors would not be offended by the odour.

When mixed with wine, vinegar, pepper, oil, or water, garum was served to enhance the flavor of a wide variety of dishes, including pear and honey souffle, boiled veal, and steamed mussels. In addition, garum was also employed as a medicine and as a cosmetic. Ancient Romans considered it to be one of the best cures available for many ailments, including dog bites, dysentery, and ulcers.

Umbricius Scaurus put the ancient city of Pompeii on the map by his production of this product. The factories where garum was produced in Pompeii have not been found yet which has led many researchers to believe that the factories lay outside the walls of the city.

Today one can still see a garum factory at the site of Baelo Claudia, in Spain. This Spanish garum was an export to Rome, and gained the town a certain amount of prestige in its day. The garum of Lusitania (present-day Portugal) was equally highly prized in Rome. It was shipped to Rome directly from the harbour of Lacobriga (present-day Lagos).

In 2008, archaeologists used the residue of the last batch of garum in Pompeii to date the eruption of Mount Vesuviu

Recipes for Health

Cabbage, an Inexpensive Nutritional Powerhouse

By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

Published: December 8, 2008

An article last month by Tara Parker-Pope about the challenges of eating fresh food on a tight budget got me thinking about cabbage. It is a very economical vegetable that is easy to find in any supermarket and it gives you a huge nutritional bang for your buck. This humble food has always been a mainstay for the poor and in cold climates people of all classes have relied on it to feed themselves through many a winter. (The vegetable is at its best during the fall and winter months, when it is in season, and it stores well for weeks).

The family of vegetables that cabbage belongs to is called the Cruciferae family or the Brassica family and related vegetables include kale, broccoli, collards and Brussels sprouts. Johnny Bowden, a nutritionist, calls cabbage “the most important [vegetable] in the world from the point of view of nutritional benefits and cancer-fighting ability.” Cabbage possesses phytochemicals including sulforaphane, which studies suggest protects the body against cancer-causing free radicals, and indoles, which help metabolize estrogens. It’s also an excellent source of vitamins K and C, and a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin B6, folate, manganese and Omega 3 fatty acids.

The sulfuric compounds in cruciferous vegetables are the source of many of their nutritional attributes, but they also lead to bad smells if the vegetables are overcooked. When it’s cooked properly, cabbage develops a sweet, fragrant flavor and aroma.

Stewed Lentils with Cabbage

This humble and hearty combination makes a satisfying main dish, especially on a cold night. Lentils are an excellent source of folate and molybdenum and a very good source of dietary fiber, protein and manganese. Any type of lentil will work in this recipe.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, half of it chopped, half sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 pound lentils (brown, green, or beluga), rinsed and picked over

3 1/2 cups water (more as needed)

1 dried red chile

1 bay leaf

Salt to taste

6 ounces waxy potatoes, scrubbed and sliced about 1/2 inch thick

1 1/2 pounds green cabbage (1 medium head), cored and cut crosswise in 3/4-inch wide ribbons

1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

Freshly grated Parmesan for serving (optional)

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a 3-quart saucepan or casserole over medium heat. Add the chopped half of the onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add 2 of the garlic cloves and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the lentils, water, chile, and bay leaf, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt and the potatoes and continue to simmer gently for 30 minutes, until the lentils and potatoes are tender. Add more salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

2. While the lentils are simmering, cook the cabbage with the remaining onion and garlic in a wide lidded skillet. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and add the sliced onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and the garlic and stir together until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the cabbage and turn the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring, until the cabbage begins to wilt. Add 1/4 cup water, turn the heat down to medium, cover and simmer 10 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender and sweet, stirring from time to time. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

3. Spread the cabbage over the bottom of the pan in an even layer. Top with the lentils and potatoes. Sprinkle on the parsley, and serve in wide soup bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan if desired.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

Advance preparation: You can make this dish up to a day ahead and reheat on top of the stove.

Approximate Nutritional Information per Serving (based on 4 servings): 346 calories; total fat: 7.6g; saturated fat: 1.1g; cholesterol: 0mg; sodium: 39mg; total carbohydrates: 54.0g; dietary fiber: 23.1g; sugars: 8.3g; protein: 18.0g; vitamin A: 5% Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) based on a 2,000 calorie diet; vitamin C 129% RDA; calcium 12% ; iron 30%

"Nothin' says lovin' like somethin' from the oven."

Quote: "Nothin' says lovin' like somethin' from the oven."

— Pillsbury advertisement