Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/724773
6 2 | t h e c l e v e r r o o t Chef John Nocita founded the Italian Culinary Institute in 1997 when he realized there was no single place to learn all the 20 regional cooking styles in Italy. The objectives of the school are for the students to understand the key to the raw ingre- dients found in regional cuisine, to teach and to give the students the cooking skills and techniques needed. There's also the added benefit, of course, of immersing the students in authentic Italian culture. Most students attend a three-month program, but thankfully for the guest of the tour (me!), Chef Nocita allows us to spend a few days in his classroom learning the basics. On the cream-colored tableclothed tables inside of the Italian Culinary Institute, there are numerous dishes that hold the secrets to Italian regional cuisine. They are classically prepared dishes executed with impeccable technique and paired with the perfectly matching wine from its region. As I devour each bite, I decide that each dish is like a tiny treasure, waiting for me to open it and taste the savory goodness that pours from inside. Each dish is like tasting a region of Italy itself. My cooking demonstration classes soon begin: "Buongiorno a tutti!" says Master Chef John to our eager tour group. Chef John begins class by stating that ingredients are the key to the best tasting dishes. He says that it is important that each chef set a benchmark for every dish that they make. In order to do this, they need go to the right place and eat the right food to understand where that specific dish comes from. Travel is key to Italian regional cuisine. In Syracuse, where the Greek colony was founded in 734 BC, they planted olive trees and vineyards and have an amazing reputation for Sicilian wines. They also have rich soil pastures supporting sheep and goats, whose milk makes the cheese. Chef Mark McDonald of Old Vine Cafè in Costa Mesa, CA, and his mentor, Master Chef John Nocita.