His Excellency, Italian Ambassador to Israel Gianluigi Benedetti and his wife Mrs. Sabina Benedetti D'Antonio hosted an exclusive reception at their very elegant Ramat Gan residence. The evening which included an opening dinner for The Fourth World Week of Italian Cuisine was attended by an array of guests including Italian/Israelis and the whose who of the culinary world in Israel and around the globe.
Italian diplomatic missions in 110 countries around the world and numerous institutions in Italy and worldwide are celebrating this event, which runs from 18 to 24 November 2019. This year’s theme is "The Culture of Taste”. The event aims to promote quality Italian cuisine and Italian farm produce abroad. It is fast becoming a premier event of global acclaim.
After delicious hors d'oeuvres prepared by Chef Arcangelo Dandini with Emanuela Panke and Michele Bozzetto the guests were invited to hear the Ambassador's speech, as His Excellency introduced Chef Dandini and Wine Expert Mr. Fabio Piccoli Director of Wine Meridian magazine. In his speech, H.E. Ambassador Benedetti greeted chefs from Italy who are in Israel to participate in Italian Israeli workshops for scientists. He thanked several Italian bodies in Israel who have worked on forty related events around Israel: The Italian Cultural Institute, the Italian Trade Agency, The Israeli-Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, The Accademia Italiana della Cucina and the Italian Government Tourist Bureau. A poignant moment in the evening’s celebrations was when the ambassador passionately reflected on the flooding which has plagued Venice. He sought assistance for this on-going tragedy in Venice.
A delegation of approximately 10 young Italian chefs arrived in Israel, especially for this event. Chef Arcangelo Dandini leads these talented chefs, and he artfully created sumptuous dishes typical of Rome. This taste of Italy began with wines from a variety of regions from Italy. Aperol, Campari and Ferrarelle water were also flown in for the enjoyment of the guests. From the appetizers to the smooth, rich, dark espresso, the meal amazed our palates with exquisite tastes and textures. Guests were feted with an imaginative array of Italian cuisine. The menu consisted of Suppli cacio e pepe, Mozzarella in carrozza. Frittata di bucatini, Mezzi rigatoni burro e alici , Ombrina e garum, Caponata, VOV, and Zuppa Inglese. The evening was a delightful combination of Italian hospitality and extraordinary food and beverages.
Among the guests were H.E. the Ambassador Emanuele Giaufret, Head of the European Union Delegation and his wife , Vice President of the Italian-Israel Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Roberto Della Rocca, Delegate of the Italian Academy of Cuisine (Accademia Italiana Della Cucina) Dr Cinzia Klein , Vice Delegate Sabrina Fadun, businesswoman Mrs. Giordana di Castro, marketing councilor Dr. Joelle Inowlocki ,Letizia Della Rocca representative & owner of Sitam Israel Fashion School , Anat Carlquist and others members of the Accademia, Ofer Sachs , former Israeli Ambassador to Italy, Egyptian Ambassador to Israel H.E. Khaled Amzi, Ronni Benatoff president of Chamber of Commerce Italy -Israel, Russian Ambassador to Israel H.E. Anatoly Viktorov, Ambassador Amos Radian , Honorary Consul of Italy for Haifa and Nord of Israel Carlo Gross, George Athanassiou Area manager for Alitalia and Ran Pollak Sales Manager of Alitalia in Israel, Plastic Surgeon Dr. Dov Klein, the famous chef Master Chef winner Massimiliano Di Matteo, Comites presidents avv. Beniamino Lazar and Rafael Barki, Revital Ben-Asher Peretz ( Tel Aviv Municipality , Unifil General Del Col, RAI journalists Piero Marrazzo and Raffaele Genah, Gelateria Arte owners, Marco Camorali and Sissi Pagani, Moshe Barel owner of Pasta Della Casa.
Diplomacy.co.il congratulates the Italian Embassy and the organizers on a magnificent opening dinner for the Fourth World Week of Italian Cuisine. We wish them great success in their quest to share their passion and love of Italian cuisine with Israel and the world.
Photos by Silvia Golan
