Too bad I'm not a rapper. There's a lot to rap about here in the foodie's paradise. I am in Parma, Italia-- home of Proscuitto di Parma and Parmigiano Reggiano, worshipping at the altar of food and ham. Did I forget to mention the truffles?
I've been on a culinary tour of Parma (and surrounding areas) and have taken cooking classes at Academia Barilla. (This trip was organized by Sur la Table, a retailer of fine cookingware online and in their U.S. retail stores.)
Just so you can see that this has been serious business...here I am in a chef's hat and apron. I have just made fresh pasta and now I am squeezing the ricotta and swiss chard filling onto the pasta. This is one of my toughest assignments ever! I will be trying this at home. I had always been intimidated by making homemade pasta, but now having been taught by the Italian masters, I'm feeling very confident! (Better not jinx, myself.)
A very memorable day was a day we spent in the country side at the foothills of the Apennines hunting for truffles. You do this with a trained dog who can smell them. Our dog's name was Leah and our truffle master was Franchesco.
The lovely Leah found 12 truffles. The truffles are sold at the local market for about $200 a pound. Of course, we were there for the easy part -- all the worrisome work of making the conditions right for the truffles had already been done.
So, if you are wondering about the marketing connections here. There have been many. Branding has been a central theme every day. The Academia Barilla was established for the sole purpose of building a cultural brand around Italian cooking and culture -- particularly the regional dishes and food and cheese of Parma. Their goal is to educate the consumer so the consumer knows real Proscuitto di Parma versus a copy cat from Canada and of course real Parmigiana. (As you can imagine, the shaky Kraft container from our childhoods is a mortal sin here. Dio Mio!)
Sur La Table is a retailer in the U.S. that is building its brand by creating communities around food culture. So, while they sell cooking ware, they now do culinary tours like the one here in Parma. Very smart marketing.
And, here with my client, Cheetah Learning, we have even made a connection between cooking and project management. I will post that article when it is distributed by Cheetah. Chief Cheetah, Michelle LaBrosse, has done some great blogging about this trip.
Personally, this trip had some bittersweet memories for me. When I was in Italy studying as a student over 20 years ago, I became close with a woman named Jennifer Weck. We explored Italy together and especially Roma with our very good friend, Stefano Rossi. He was our personal guide who taught us about Italy in the way only a true Roman can. Jennifer died of colon cancer last year. So, as I tasted the gelati and walked down the cobblestone streets, I could hear our laughter and remembering us as young college women -- the whole world ahead of us-- and Roma was magical for us. So, Jennifer, rest in peace. Ciao bella. You will never be forgotten. And Steffanismo, thank you for the gift of your friendship. It stays with me still. Mille Grazie.
Posted by: |