Meet The Michelin Starred Chef Silvia Baracchi, Who Is Teaming Up With 23 Chefs Across The US To Promote Authentic Italian Cuisine

What was Italian food like before the tomato? It seems an impossible mental exercise to imagine. It is everywhere; cooked for hours into a Sugo Alla Bolognese, cut fresh for a Caprese salad, sun-dried and seasoned to eat with appetizers. But if you dig into the culinary history of Italy, there was a time that the tomato was not part of the ingredient cannon at all. Although there is no confirmed date for who brought the tomato and when historians often cite that the humble tomato came from the Americas.

The first documentation of the tomato in Italy was in 1544 in an herbal guide by Pietro Andrea Mattoli, who named it the Pomo d’oro due to the golden hue of the original variety, which translates to golden apple, giving us the name for ‘pomodoro’ today. Initially believed to be poisonous, it took time and poverty to bring Italians to begin to eat the tomato. But over time, it became a staple, the flavor evolving over years in large part due to the mineral-rich soil of much of the south where it grew best, enhancing the flavor. 

This is a testament to the incredible ingenuity of the Italian cuisine we now know today which is founded on using what is local, what grows seasonally, and what tastes best. It’s unpretentious and needs little to make the melange of ingredients sing in harmony. Italian cuisine of today is certainly led by ingredients, but the preparation methods and philosophy to use what is local, seasonal, and authentic to the place is the definition of the Italian culinary philosophy that goes beyond geographic borders.

Now, for the first time, the Italian Trade Agency, the Italian government arm that helps to support the business development of Italian businesses abroad, and FIPE (Italian Federation for Businesses), will start a new initiative; “The Italian Restaurants in Italy Today”. An Event with an innovative formula to promote authentic Italian culinary traditions by having a Michelin- starred chef based in Italy share with 23 Chefs working in 23 different restaurants across 19 States in the United States, a recipe that promotes Italian ingredients and cooking methods.

The name of the Chef who ideated the recipe is Silvia Baracchi, and she serves as the culinary ambassador for the project. Baracchi has garnered global respect for her approach to elevating what is local and traditional from her Michelin Starred restaurant, Il Falconiere located in Cortona, Tuscany. 

The signature dish created by Baracchi is “Stuffed Pasta Rings with Pork Ragù in a Cannellini Bean Soup,” rustic in its roots but assembled in a modern and fresh way. The dish stands as a tribute to the autumn season and Chef Baracchi’s native land of Tuscany, Italy. At the same time, the ingredients are very accessible to the United States as well. Chef Baracchi studied the preparations and composition to be able to easily be reproduced in a busy kitchen during service. 

“We took a more ecumenic approach in creating this recipe, we tried to get ingredients that are objectively good in the US, not just because they are Italian. The ingredients have to be fresh; they have to be well researched and that’s the philosophy we kept in mind when researching the dish and thinking of the ingredients the chefs in America can access,” Baracchi says from her kitchen.

Baracchi’s restaurant opened in 1989 to offer Tuscan cuisine made with exceptional ingredients that are often grown on-premises and always local. In her Tuscan oasis, she produces wine and olive oil that is available to patrons of Il Falconiere. The ingredients which are cultivated right on premise elevate her food, in a way in which you can taste the nuance and unique flavor profile the terroir gives the ingredients. But more than the flavor, you begin to learn the story of the territory with how Baracchi expertly blended history, ingredient and cooking method. It is fair to say she is a gastronomic philosopher. And it is this philosophy that she also wants to transmit to the 23 chefs in America that are participating in this Project.

“As an Italian chef, I’m also an ambassador of Italian culture, for our traditions and the ingredients help to tell the story of our country. But it is the dish and the service in the dining room that helps to tell the story to who is eating the dish. The chef’s job is to transform these incredible ingredients and help tell the story of Italy.”

23 restaurants across the country participated in the initiative for their ability to uphold Italian culinary techniques and traditions. In alphabetical order by State, here is the list of the restaurants and their Chefs: 

·      Virtu Honest Craft | Chef Gio Osso | Scottsdale, Arizona

·      N10 | Chef Fabio Ugoletti | Los Angeles, California

·      Terún | Chef Kristijan D’Angelo | Palo Alto, California

·      Civico 1845 | Chef Pietro Gallo | San Diego, California

·      Coperta | Chef Paul C. Reilly | Denver, Colorado

·      Osteria Romana | Chef Graziano Ricci | Norwalk, Connecticut

·      Cafè Milano | Chef Domenico Cornacchia | District of Columbia

·      Ferraro’s Kitchen Restaurant and Wine Bar | Chef Igor Ferraro | Miami, Florida  

·      Piccolo Sogno | Chef Tony Priolo | Chicago, Illinois

·      Basta | Chef Brady McDonald | Iowa City, Iowa

·      Vincenzo’s | Chef Agostino Gabriele | Louisville, Kentucky

·      Solo Italiano | Chef Paolo Laboa | Portland, Maine

·      Corso 98 | Chef Bev Lacsina | Montclair, New Jersey

·      Gabriel’s | Chef Alex Pendinelli | New York, New York

·      Piccola Cucina | Chef Philip Guardione | New York, New York

·      LaRina | Chef Silvia Barban | New York, New York

·      Caffè Luna | Chef Max Gaskins | Raleigh, North Carolina

·      Campana | Chef George Kaden | Portland, Oregon

·      Calabrese | Chef Luciano Salvadore | Dallas, Texas

·      Caffé Molise | Chef Fred Moesinger | Salt Lake City, Utah

·      La Grotta | Chef Antonio Capece | Richmond, Virginia

·      Spinasse | Chef Stuart Lane | Seattle, Washington

·      Zarletti | Chef Rogelio Isidoro Guatzozon | Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Antonino Laspina, Italian Trade Commissioner for the United States commented: “We are very proud to launch this initiative today and involve so many great Italian restaurants across the United States. We are aware of the importance the use of authentic Italian products holds to promote our beloved cuisine and culture, as well as educating the American public about it. This is why we’re thrilled to have these restaurants stand as ambassadors for this mission. Involving a cohort of outstanding chefs in America that pride their work on authentic Italian ingredients, leaves us proud to launch the program with such a skilled and esteemed group.”

“Spaghetti al pomodoro, delicious, but if you don’t explain where the tomatoes come from and why they are the way they are thanks to the volcanic soil, it’s a good dish, and that’s it. Explaining food, giving food context. is incredibly important, and this is what we want to achieve with this project” says Baracchi.