Promote, enhance and increase the skills of talented students,
encourage their professional growth in the food and wine sector. Therefore, provide them with the tools to test themselves.
These are some of the reasons behind the participation of the Enzo Ferrari Hotel Institute in Battipaglia (province of Salerno), at the fifth edition of the national competition “Capitan Cooking” promoted by the Gtechnology Research Organization Foundation, sponsored by Tipics, the social community dedicated to Italian food and wine specialties, by Anpal (National Agency for Active Labor Policies), by Asmef (Associazione Mezzogiorno Futuro) which included Capitan Cooking in the “Giornate dell'Emigrazione” review scheduled for over 15 years at the Chamber of Deputies in Rome.
After passing the preliminary stages, the two teams from Ferrari di Battipaglia faced the semi-finals of the Competition by presenting traditional dishes linked to their territory and then revisited.
Each team of 6 students (2 cooking students, 2 pastry students, 1 bar/sommelier student and 1 reception student) created the recipes proposed in the pre-selection phase in front of a special commission made up of Ciro Del Luongo – Vice President of the Salerno Chefs Association, Davide Lauria – Head of Conpait (Confederation of Pastry Chefs) Basilicata and Augusto Notaroberto – Delegate Fisar (Sommelier Federation) Salerno.
The jury was won over by the team that created a first course of scialatiello on bean cream, sweet stewed escarole, buffalo mozzarella fondue from Campania Dop, cafone bread terriccio with Giffoni hazelnuts and anchovies and piennolo tomatoes from Vesuvius. The star of the second course was cod with chickpeas, artichokes from Paestum, and Cilento olive powder. For dessert, ricotta and pears decomposed.
The second team, which missed the final by just two points, presented a first course of lagane and chickpeas with crispy bacon. Followed by a fillet of sea bass with thyme and Sorrento lemon, accompanied by a friarielli and potato tart with Cetara anchovy sauce. For dessert, a semolina pudding and PGI Annurca apple.
Both teams' dishes were paired with strictly Campanian wines and oils.
The combination of modern methods and typical ingredients gave life to creations capable of satisfying the palates of the jury present. The selection of dishes was able to fully capture the soul of the territory, transmitting through the flavors and presentations a passionate story of the cultural and culinary roots of the area.
Each course with its wine and oil pairing was conceived with care and attention to detail, resulting not only tasty but also visually suggestive. The fusion between tradition and innovation emerged clearly, transforming each dish into a culinary customization that celebrates the richness of the territory and the creative genius of the participating students.
“The Enzo Ferrari Institute of Battipaglia will continue to be at the forefront in promoting the professional growth of its students,” says cooking teacher Arianna Celoro. “The school,” comments cooking teacher Antonio La Marca, “is constantly committed to providing an educational environment that not only transmits theoretical knowledge, but also promotes the development of practical skills needed in the real world.”
“Because – as the cooking teacher Antonio Apicella believes – the mission of the Institute is to guide students in their learning path, providing them with the tools necessary to excel in their professional future”. “In this way – adds the dining room and sales teacher Francesco Giuliano – the Enzo Ferrari Institute confirms itself as a point of reference for professional education, supporting the aspirations of its students and contributing to the training of qualified professionals who are aware of their potential”.
To date, the schools that have made it past the semi-finals of the Capitan Cooking Competition are the Istituto Professionale “Luigi Einaudi” of Lamezia Terme, the Rita Levi Montalcini of Botricello, the Institute of Soverato, the Istituto Dea Persefone of Locri, and the Istituto Einaudi Serra San Bruno of Serra San Bruno.
Since this year's Competition focuses on new technologies and digital marketing, the recipes that have passed the regional competition phase will be published through Tipics' social channels, competing for the attribution of an additional "social bonus" to be added to the jury's score in the national final scheduled in Reggio Calabria in January 2024, where the finalist teams will have to create live, in the laboratories of the structure that will host the event, 2 recipes extracted from a list of traditional Italian dishes best known abroad.
The winning teams of the Competition will be offered scholarships for highly specialized courses and digital marketing, as well as training internships at tourist/hotel facilities throughout Italy.
Luciano Carotenuto
Article published on 16 December 2023 - 12:09
