Gambero Rosso Holding SpA, the leading food and wine publisher and educator in Italy, akin in importance to the Michelin guides, and The Miami Culinary Institute (MCI) at Miami Dade College (MDC), have announced a partnership that will allow students, instructors and serious aficionados access to Gambero Rosso’s “Città del Gusto” (City of Taste) cooking schools in Rome, Catania, Palermo, Turin, Napoli, and Milano.
This is Gambero Rosso’s first US partnership and MCI at MDC will benefit from an exclusive educational program in the Eastern U.S. (** click here to read an interview with MDC Wolfson Campus President Dr. Jose Vicente.)
PHOTO: Front (L-R) Gambero Rosso President Paolo Cuccia, MDC President Dr. Eduardo J. Padron. Back (L-R) Gambero Rosso representative Tiina Eriksson and MDC Wolfson Campus President Jose A. Vicente.
According to Gambero Rosso CEO and President Paolo Ciucca, the partnership will explore innovative programs in Italian food and wine education and entertainment programming between MCI, Gambero Rosso Channel and MDC TV, the college’s television station. It will establish scholarships for promising MCI students and provide a rich exchange of Italian culture, traditional culinary arts and expertise in Italian wines, as well as post-graduate studies for young professional adults who want to change their careers in mid-life. “Our mission is communication, education, promotion of the Italian products and traditions, and to protect the Original Wine and Cuisine of Italy,” said Mr. Ciucca in reference to the world’s counterfeiting and copying of Italian product names and brands.
To this end, chef Adelaide Michelini – herself a former engineer in telecommunications who changed her career and is one of the first graduates of the Gambero Rosso program geared for adult education -- the Gambero Rosso food ambassador to the world, was busy teaching students and staff the “real taste of Italian cuisine.” “We work a lot with tasting and cooking. If after a week they recognize the true Italian taste, then I have done my job,” she said, adding that “as a woman in a male-dominated field in Italy, I am proud to represent Italy around the world.”
Her work is part of a concerted effort for international reach which includes Dusit Thani College in Bangkok, The International Culinary Institute at Hospitality Industry Training and Development Centre (HITDC) & Chinese Cuisine Training Institute (CCTI) in Hong Kong.
As for Chef Collen Engle, the acting director at MCI, he is excited by the possibility of student and faculty exchange with Italy. “ I hope we will get USDA grants to send students for internships or additional learning about products and such. It’s a great partnership but we have to get it going,” he said.
About Gambero Rosso Holding SpA
Gambero Rosso is an Italian multimedia company -- magazines, guides, and a television channel -- with a culinary school that offers a vast selection of courses and masters programs including Journalism in Food and Wine. Its “Città del Gusto” centers are located in six main Italian cities, where professional and public cooking classes, as well as tasting and show cooking events, are held. For 26 years, Gambero Rosso has best represented Italian-made food and wine, tasting and certifying quality and organizing prestigious international events.
About the Miami Culinary Institute
MCI’s goal is culinary excellence in the 21st Century. Teaching classic skills and innovative techniques used by the world's best chefs, the MCI offers an educational experience that is at the forefront of the industry. The curriculum is designed to prepare students with real-world knowledge and expectations. Through a focused infusion of green-sustainable food and energy technologies, nutrition and culinary knowledge, the goal is to educate professionals in the world's food culture and, in doing so, provide a happier population in a healthier planet.
