Opening Day at JBF
By Samantha Lucenti and Gabriella Torcise
Walking into the James Beard Foundation this rainy Saturday morning in New York City, there was already a mash of English and Italian language all mixed together in one room, which made me realize that I was in the right place. It was a reunion of past classmates and professors that already started forming a family that would be our week for TuttoToscana. Starting our orientation, we were reminded once again with our privileged opportunity and the students were ready to showcase their skills.
The Chelsea market was bustling with winter excitement. As soon as we walked in, we were happily overwhelmed with delicious aromas from all types of foods and cuisines. We stopped at the lobster market and selected beautiful fresh cod. Then at our next stop we found ourselves back in Italy, speaking Italian to the staff at Buon’Italia. We felt right at home selecting Italian cheeses, specialty flours and fresh produce.
The baking and pastry team had the privilege of prepping for the first time at the Brooklyn Museum and our culinary students prepared for the FUA Alumni Dinner at Mi Kitchen, located in Long Island City. Students spent the morning collecting their ingredients and then brought them to Mi Kitchen where each student focused on their designated recipe.
This year’s TuttoToscana team is a multicultural group of individuals representing Italy, USA, England, India, and Iceland that have united to represent real flavors of Tuscany in NYC.