Massimiliano Alajmo to headline International Day of Italian Cuisine

Alajmo, Italy's youngest three-star Michelin chef, has been chosen by New York's Italian Culinary Academy (ICA) to lead the two-day kick off of the fourth annual International Day of Italian Cuisines (IDIC) on January 12 and 13, the ICA announced on December 16.

 

Each year on January 17, chefs and restaurants around the world celebrate Italian cuisine by simultaneously cooking a traditional meal designated as IDIC's official dish - this year's is Pesto alla Genovese.

More than 180 chefs and restaurants in 50 countries will participate in the event by serving Pesto to diners. The countries with the largest number of official participants (outside of Italy) are China (34, including Hong Kong and Macau), US (15), Thailand (12), Turkey (11), the Netherlands (6) and Russia (5).

Established in 2007 in an effort to combat rampant "bogus counterfeiting" and preserve the authenticity of Italian cuisine around the world, IDIC is now also the the day on which ICWA ceremony is held, during which people from all walks of life are honored for their contribution to Italian gastronomy. This year's nominees include Jamie Oliver and Sirio Maccioni.

Take a look at the site of the organizers of IDIC, for the full listing of restaurant and chefs participating in the event:   http://www.itchefs-gvci.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=659&Itemid=1035 

Interactive map can be found here:   http://www.itchefs-gvci.com/idic2011/map.htm

ICWA nominees:  http://www.itchefs-gvci.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=148&Itemid=931