Kim Preish Reports on Week 1
By Kimberlee Preish
Photo by Isabela Elizondo
Our first week in Florence is finally over; however, I feel like I have absorbed more than a monthʼs worth of knowledge in this brief timeframe. Our team has finalized the James Beard Foundation lunch and dinner menus by adding our own flair to the chefs’ creative visions. Furthermore, we have almost completed the menus slated for the High School of Fashion Industries and New Jersey City University.
Not only has our team learned the menus, but we studied how to communicate this yearʼs theme to diversely styled events. Our theme, “Florence: A City of Many Appetites,” has already become embedded in our lifestyle. Due to this being my first time in Europe, more specifically, Italy, I have truly learned what this statement means. There are so many layers in this culture, beyond food, that I have begun to hunger for. Every corner and turn has more to offer and teach those who are willing to learn. From modern to contemporary, this city has opened my eyes to a new lifestyle built on the importance of simplicity and the appreciation of the finer details. Massimo, sommelier and wine instructor at Apicius, works to train our palates towards new flavors; he has also been teaching the deep cultural roots in Italian/Tuscan winemaking. Pastry chef Simone De Castro has welcomed us into his vision for the James Beard Foundationʼs desserts and shown us innovation without forgetting tradition. The James Beard Foundation works to share different gastronomical views from many different areas around the globe, and I am eager to utilize what we have learned so far to our audience during the upcoming event week!