By Celestina Roddy
ROME, March 16 - Qualified master of wines and talented cook, Gioia Con, has done it yet again. For the past three years Con has been instructing cooking classes at John Cabot University, and the recipes get better every time, leaving students and staff wanting more.
Friday was a gorgeous day with not a cloud in the sky when JCU students Olivia Kovacs, Heather Schechter, Alison Gramham and Katie Stinnette joined Con at the outdoor market in Campo de' Fiori where the sights and smells were a feast to the senses.
Degree-seeking student Schechter remarked, “I can’t believe that this has been here all along and it’s the first time I’ve checked it out!” They purchased fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices to complete the ingredients needed to make the decadent recipes.
Once the food was ready, they all joined
around the table up on JCU's Secchia terrace under the warm Roman sun,
ate and enjoyed each other’s company.
The menu was as follows:
- Involtini alla Romana (thin veal wrapped with ham, cheese and spices)
- sautéed broccoli florets
- pasta alla Genovese (pasta with homemade pesto sauce tossed together with fresh buffalo mozzarella)
- Insalata mista (market mixed spring salad with sliced fennel, sundried tomatoes, onions and made from scratch vinaigrette dressing)
- a grand finale of desserts: strawberry tiramisu, a favorite for many throughout Italy.
The recipes may seem intimidating at first, but really it is not so. They all call for very few ingredients, and using fresh produce is the key. “Italian food is all about recognizing all of the distinctive and individual flavors,” said Con. She added, “we eat with our eyes first, so presentation is very important when cooking Italian cuisine as well, it is important for the food to look just as good as it tastes.”
For JCU students interested in whipping
up these recipes on their own, they will be posted on the Intranet starting this week.
Also, be sure to check with student services for the next scheduled cooking sessions coming up in April. It's a class you won't want to miss.
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