Into the Heart of Italy

Even though I was sick as a dog yesterday, Bertolli’s media lunch and premiere were a ton of fun!

As you know, Bertolli just launched a new series of webisodes titled “Into the Heart of Italy: Six Adventures, Three Celebrities, One Mission… To Unlock the Secrets of Italian Passion for Food and Life.” This online series features celebrity chef Rocco Dispirito and actors Marisa Tomei, and Dan Cortese as they explore the food and culture of Italy. To kick-off the series, I was invited to attend a lunch in New York City with Rocco, Marisa, Dan, and a group of 7 food and celebrity bloggers.

The event was held at the fancy-schmany A Voce restaurant in the Time Warner Center.

We were treated to a wonderful 5-course meal in a private room at the restaurant.

I was really excited about the event, but don’t I look sort of sick?

The meal started with freshly baked bread, drizzled with olive oil. Holy yum!

There was a special menu prepared for the event. Everything sounded so delicious– and it was!

Farfalle
rapini, calabrian chilies, pecorino romano

Brasato
red wine braised beef short ribs, farro, root vegetable soffrito, marrow

I’m not really a meat person, but the beef was my favorite course of the whole meal. Yum!

Parmigiano Reggiano
primolio, balsamic

Bomboloni alla Toscana
tuscan doughnuts, bittersweet chocolate

Holy yum!

While eating lunch, we viewed the first webisode in the Into the Heart of Italy series. I usually don’t get into stuff like this, but I really enjoyed watching what happens to Rocco, Marisa, and Dan as they travel through Italy. They’re actually pretty funny together! Plus, there’s a sweepstakes tied to these series that I really want to win. I need a vacation in a bad way!!

After the lunch, the bloggers received an exclusive hands-on pasta demonstration with Rocco and Dan.

We learned how to make Farfalle!

First, the guys gave the pasta-making a try.

And, then the bloggers gave it a whirl. It’s not as easy as it looks!

Success! It’s all about the 3-finger pinch!

While Rocco and Dan chatted with us, I munched on a couple of cookies.

And sipped on some hot coffee with cream.

Group shot (minus Chris): Me, Vera, Paula, Lori, Lori, and Sabrina.

I truly loved meeting these bloggers! They were all so wonderful, and I’m psyched to add their blogs to my Google Reader.

What an awesome event! Thanks for inviting me, Bertolli!

Tagged as: Bertolli, Dan Cortese, Into the Heart of Italy, Marisa Tomei, New York City Adventures, Rocco, Rocco Dispirito