Tag Archives: Anthony Iannone

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 …

More than 80 people gathered for the first annual Festa della Sopressata competition at the North American Pizza & Culinary Academy in Lisle. Hosted by NAPCA founder and master instructor Leo Spizzirri and his partner, founder and chef instructor Anthony Iannone, the four-hour event was as much of a party for friends and family of the 19 competitors as it was a serious tournament for the best homemade sopressata. Judges included Frank DeCicco of the Calabresi In America Organization. “I was honored to be selected and humbled by the passion every contestant showed for maintaining this great Calabrese tradition,” DeCicco …

  The North American Pizza & Culinary Academy in Lisle celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 11. THE NAPCA offers culinary classes to students of all skill levels, including a five-day program that will allow students to earn the designation of Certified Pizzaiolo. A part of the prestigious Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli in Venice, NAPCA is one of two schools in the United States to offer this level of accreditation. Although pizza is the primary focus of the school, a wide variety of other culinary classes are offered, covering everything from basic knife skills and artisanal baking …