Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
The North American Pizza & Culinary Academy in Lisle, in suburban Chicago, is hosting its fifth annual Festa della Sopressata on April 12. The competition pits local sopressata makers in a battle for first, second and third place.
Attended by more than 80 people last year, the event is hosted by NAPCA founder Chef Anthony Iannone, and co-sponsored by Hardcore Italians and Pastorelli Food Products.
Judges will include Frank “The Sodfather” Balestri, a past winner and now instructor of sopressata classes at NAPCA. “I’m honored to be selected and humbled by the passion every contestant shows for maintaining this great Calabrese tradition,” Balestri says.
The event will feature a Calabrese-style luncheon that includes an antipasto, frittata di sopressata, pasta al forno and pizza in teglia. Wine and beer will be available for purchase.
Tickets are $25 per competitor (one person per entry) with a 20-person maximum, and $40 per person for the luncheon, which is open to non-competitors. Wine and beer will be available for purchase.
NAPCA offers a variety of demonstrations and hands-on cooking classes for adults, teens and children, along with a five-day pizzaioli course that includes theory and hands-on learning according to the guidelines and curriculum of the Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli in Italy. The company also hosts events and offers restaurants consulting services.
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