Identità Golose Chicago 2016

Identità Golose returns  to  the  United  States  for  the  third  annual  Identità Chicago  from October 1-2, 2016. Eataly Chicago (43 E. Ohio St.) will host the two-day long event, featuring some of Italy’s most revered chefs along with esteemed American chefs, all from prominent Michelin-starred restaurants. For its third year in the Windy City, Identitá Chicago begins on Saturday, October 1 with two chef master classes moderated by CBS 2 Chicago Reporter, Vince Gerasole, and features award-winning chefs from Italy and the U.S. The first class highlights Carlo Cracco of Cracco in Milan and Michael Tusk of Quince in San Francisco; the second class features Giancarlo Perbellini of Casa Perbellini in Verona and Sarah Grueneberg of Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio in Chicago. The chefs are tasked to create a dish that best represents the theme of “Don’t Waste the World”. The two educational and interactive seminars take place inside La Scuola on the second floor of Eataly, featuring discussions about sustainability and today’s global culinary fight against food waste.

On Sunday, October 2, Identitá Chicago hosts a luncheon that brings together Cracco, Tusk, Perbellini, and Eataly Chicago’s Executive Chef Rob Wing to deliver an exclusive four-course menu. Beloved chef and restaurateur Lidia Bastianich leads the luncheon in Eataly’s private event space, Il Salone, offering a fun, communal dining experience showcasing progressive Italian dishes and wine pairings.

Presentation
In life, there are trends, which are fleeting, and then there are certainties, which last a lifetime. Knowing this, we must understand and differentiate between what is destined to last a morning, what will last a season, and what has the ability to last an entire lifetime and beyond, influencing everyday lives around the world.

The 2015 edition of Expo—the World Fair held in Milano—focused on the theme “Nutrition” with “Feeding the planet, energy for life” as its slogan. Every participant at the event interpreted the theme and slogan in the best ways possible. Many of the participants, most notably Chef Massimo Bottura with his Refettorio Ambrosiano project, continue to support this motto on a daily basis.

Expo has underlined how we can feed the world’s population by fighting waste. Once realized only by few, many now understand the senselessness of consuming the planet’s resources as if they are infinite. There is no longer room for excuses. Ultimately, if we are to live here, we must understand the limits of the Earth in order to address the changes that must take place.

Our commitment must not waiver. Hence the 2016 theme of the acclaimed International Chefs Forum, Identità Golose USA: “Don’t Waste the World.” Events this October will take place in Chicago (3^rd edition), and then in New York (7^th edition). This theme is a representation of how the restaurant industry and everyday lives are interconnected. Chefs, pastry chefs, artisans, and producers must come together to reverse the planet’s increasing impoverishment, and become more creative, savvy, and meticulous in the ways they aid in prolonging our Earth’s indispensable life.

Not enough people realize the implications of this food crisis and urgency for change. Every year for the past few years, August has marked the time when our demands to feed the seven billion individuals of the world have exceeded what the Earth is able to renew in a year. When this time of the year comes, we must begin tapping into the Earth’s reserves of flora, fauna, water, and air, all while continuing to face issues of malnutrition, poverty, and pollution. It’s a dangerous and slippery cycle. In a way, we are “eating” away our future, and the future of our children.

Some people believe one chef alone can do little to help this matter, but that is simply not true. Chefs have gained significant prominence since the turn of the century, and therefore have the power to influence and ultimately empower an entire population toward change for the better. So-called influencers are essential in that they can set an example amongst the masses; we see this in our everyday lives when the right move at the right moment causes something to go viral. With that said, recipes that are able to connect deeper meaning with reality prove that cooking is not just an exercise of skill, but has the power to serve a much greater purpose.

Chefs around the entire world, starting with the Italian ones, are no longer just ambassadors of taste and quality, but also ambassadors of sustainability, good practices, and new techniques.

Paolo Marchi

Identità Chicago schedule

Saturday, October 1^st

1 class, 12:00pm-1:30pm Giancarlo Perbellini and Sarah Grueneberg

1 class, 6:30pm- 8:00pm Carlo Cracco and Michael Tusk

Sunday, October 2^nd at 1.00pm​

Lunch at Il Salone with chefs:

antipasto: Carlo Cracco

primo: Michael Tusk

secondo: Giancarlo Perbellini

dessert: Rob Wing