The Culinary Institute of America

This is the Mediterranean, in the old language it meant the middle of the world “medi-terranea” – and that’s what it was for the ancients, the very center of the known world. Today it’s a delectable center of the culinary world, and at the center of that center is Sicily, right in the heart of the Mediterranean, the largest island, one of the most beautiful places and one of the most exciting regions – where it’s possible to experience the whole delicious panoply of what Mediterranean cuisine is all about.Download Podcast Video

It’s an extraordinary thing to us visitors, but in Sicily, ordinary people, trattoria cooks, home cooks, diners in simple restaurants, even school children, expect to find the quality and seasonality and variety that high-end restaurants take for granted. Watch the full series and find recipes at http://www.ciaprochef.com/WCA/Sicily/ Download Podcast Video

It’s an extraordinary thing to us visitors, but in Sicily, ordinary people, trattoria cooks, home cooks, diners in simple restaurants, even school children, expect to find the quality and seasonality and variety that high-end restaurants take for granted. Watch the full series and find recipes at http://www.ciaprochef.com/WCA/Sicily/

Download Podcast Video

Sicily’s culinary history is deeply rooted in salt. The Phoenicians came to Sicily from Tunisia almost 3,000 years ago looking for tuna, and for the salt that they needed to preserve the magnificent fish. They settled close by these salt flats on the western coast of the island between Trapani and Marsala. Salt is harvested from the sea to this day using methods that are just a little modernized from how the ancient Phoenicians did it. Watch the full series and find recipes at http://www.ciaprochef.com/WCA/Sicily/ Download Podcast Video

Sicily’s culinary history is deeply rooted in salt. The Phoenicians came to Sicily from Tunisia almost 3,000 years ago looking for tuna, and for the salt that they needed to preserve the magnificent fish. They settled close by these salt flats on the western coast of the island between Trapani and Marsala. Salt is harvested from the sea to this day using methods that are just a little modernized from how the ancient Phoenicians did it. Watch the full series and find recipes at http://www.ciaprochef.com/WCA/Sicily/ Download Podcast Video

Download Podcast Video

In Sicilian markets like this one in Catania where we spent time with another top Sicilian chef, Carmelo Chiaramonte from the restaurant Il Cuciniere—the cook-- in Catania Carmelo orders his fruits and vegetables, like his fish, directly from the market, from suppliers who make sure he gets the best – and he knows the qualities of all this materia prima, as it’s called in Italian: This is what Carmelo calls “la stagione misteriosa” the mysterious season of fruits that mature when the weather turns cooler. In September, October, and November in Sicily a whole series of fruits start to mature only when it’s fresher. Apples and pears, but also pomegranates, sorb apples, arbutus berries, jujubes, chestnuts, walnuts—they have a very precise, late season character. Watch the full series and find recipes at http://www.ciaprochef.com/WCA/Sicily/ Download Podcast Video

In Sicilian markets like this one in Catania where we spent time with another top Sicilian chef, Carmelo Chiaramonte from the restaurant Il Cuciniere—the cook-- in Catania Carmelo orders his fruits and vegetables, like his fish, directly from the market, from suppliers who make sure he gets the best – and he knows the qualities of all this materia prima, as it’s called in Italian: This is what Carmelo calls “la stagione misteriosa” the mysterious season of fruits that mature when the weather turns cooler. In September, October, and November in Sicily a whole series of fruits start to mature only when it’s fresher. Apples and pears, but also pomegranates, sorb apples, arbutus berries, jujubes, chestnuts, walnuts—they have a very precise, late season character. Watch the full series and find recipes at http://www.ciaprochef.com/WCA/Sicily/ Download Podcast Video

In Sicilian markets like this one in Catania where we spent time with another top Sicilian chef, Carmelo Chiaramonte from the restaurant Il Cuciniere—the cook-- in Catania Carmelo orders his fruits and vegetables, like his fish, directly from the market, from suppliers who make sure he gets the best – and he knows the qualities of all this materia prima, as it’s called in Italian: This is what Carmelo calls “la stagione misteriosa” the mysterious season of fruits that mature when the weather turns cooler. In September, October, and November in Sicily a whole series of fruits start to mature only when it’s fresher. Apples and pears, but also pomegranates, sorb apples, arbutus berries, jujubes, chestnuts, walnuts—they have a very precise, late season character. Download Podcast Video

One of Sicily’s most acclaimed chefs—and the only one with two Michelin stars—is Ciccio Sultano. At his elegant small restaurant Il Duomo in Ragusa he delivers the kind of simple chic food that would not be out of place on a restaurant menu in Milano—or Barcelona for that matter. But it’s always tied to the Sicilian seasons, Sicilian ingredients, Sicilian traditions. Watch the full series and find recipes at http://www.ciaprochef.com/WCA/Sicily/ Download Podcast Video

One of Sicily’s most acclaimed chefs—and the only one with two Michelin stars—is Ciccio Sultano. At his elegant small restaurant Il Duomo in Ragusa he delivers the kind of simple chic food that would not be out of place on a restaurant menu in Milano—or Barcelona for that matter. But it’s always tied to the Sicilian seasons, Sicilian ingredients, Sicilian traditions. Watch the full series and find recipes at http://www.ciaprochef.com/WCA/Sicily/ Download Podcast Video

One of Sicily’s most acclaimed chefs—and the only one with two Michelin stars—is Ciccio Sultano. At his elegant small restaurant Il Duomo in Ragusa he delivers the kind of simple chic food that would not be out of place on a restaurant menu in Milano—or Barcelona for that matter. But it’s always tied to the Sicilian seasons, Sicilian ingredients, Sicilian traditions. Download Podcast Video

From the vivid street markets of Vietnam, perfumed with tropical fruits…to sun-warmed Sicily and the coastal town of Trapani, where seafood couscous is the signature dish…the world of food takes us places beyond imagining. For a chef, every journey brings new tastes, new ingredients, new skills and inspiration. The more we see, the more we grow. Travel with Mai Pham, a chef, cookbook author and Vietnamese food authority, through the street-food stalls of Hanoi and the floating markets of the Mekong. Meet Ciccio Sultano, Sicily’s acclaim Michelin-starred chef and your guide to the finest Sicilian ingredients. Witness the preparation of an elaborate caponata, the Sicilian eggplant dish, at the hands of chef Carmelo Chiaramonte. Then see another expert’s approach at a farmhouse inn near Siracusa as one of the island’s best home cooks makes the dish her own way. Fasten your seat belt for a whirlwind tour of the world’s best tables. “Savoring the Best of World Flavors: Sicily and Vietnam” is the third edition of The Culinary Institute of America’s World Culinary Arts DVD Series: a first-of-its-kind DVD reference library documenting the “gold standards” of world cuisine. In this edition, we’ll explore the markets and hidden kitchens of Vietnam and Sicily, with local food authorities providing background and history, while leading chefs demonstrate key techniques in step-by-step detail. Watch the full series and find recipes at http://www.ciaprochef.com/wca/ Download Podcast Video

From the vivid street markets of Vietnam, perfumed with tropical fruits…to sun-warmed Sicily and the coastal town of Trapani, where seafood couscous is the signature dish…the world of food takes us places beyond imagining. For a chef, every journey brings new tastes, new ingredients, new skills and inspiration. The more we see, the more we grow. Travel with Mai Pham, a chef, cookbook author and Vietnamese food authority, through the street-food stalls of Hanoi and the floating markets of the Mekong. Meet Ciccio Sultano, Sicily’s acclaim Michelin-starred chef and your guide to the finest Sicilian ingredients. Witness the preparation of an elaborate caponata, the Sicilian eggplant dish, at the hands of chef Carmelo Chiaramonte. Then see another expert’s approach at a farmhouse inn near Siracusa as one of the island’s best home cooks makes the dish her own way. Fasten your seat belt for a whirlwind tour of the world’s best tables. “Savoring the Best of World Flavors: Sicily and Vietnam” is the third edition of The Culinary Institute of America’s World Culinary Arts DVD Series: a first-of-its-kind DVD reference library documenting the “gold standards” of world cuisine. In this edition, we’ll explore the markets and hidden kitchens of Vietnam and Sicily, with local food authorities providing background and history, while leading chefs demonstrate key techniques in step-by-step detail. Watch the full series and find recipes at http://www.ciaprochef.com/wca/ Download Podcast Video