Putnam County packs a lot of culture into the day-trippable town of Cold Spring, especially at the Magazzino Italian Art Museum. A museum and research center that is dedicated to advancing public appreciation of and interest in postwar contemporary Italian art, Magazzino is the only museum in North America that is dedicated to Italian art from this time period. Magazzino’s new culinary event series at its onsite restaurant, Café Silvia, is furthering the museum in its ambitions to be a center not only for Italian art, but for Italian culture at large.
Created by the institution’s newly appointed director, Filippo Fossati, and acclaimed chef of Café Silvia, Luca Galli, the culinary program is named Viaggio con Luca: The History of Regional Italian Cuisine. The event series invites visitors of the museum to experience regional Italian specialties that are accompanied by expertly paired wines at Café Silvia.
Entering the culinary arts at a young age, Chef Luca Galli has 30 years of experience in the industry. After joining the Culinary Institute of Clusone in Italy, Galli went on to work at institutions that include Harry’s Bar in London, Joia Restaurant in Milan, Hotel Cervo in Porto Cervo Sardinia, and Tony May’s San Domenico in New York City.
Chef Luca Galli will prepare and present meals every third Friday at Café Silvia that represent the diverse regions of Italy. Throughout the summer, Galli will guide diners through this culinary journey as he discusses the history and tradition of each dish. Each meal is intended to communicate the evolution of Italian cuisine, providing museum visitors with a deeper context in which to imagine Magazzino’s artwork and exhibitions.
As he conceptualizes and creates his meals, Galli will explore specialties from Italian regions like Emilia-Romagna, Piemonte, Lombardia, Veneto, Campania, Sardegna, Sicilia, Toscana, and Lazio. Meals will feature authentic Italian ingredients like veal, pecorino, pasta, and regional vegetables. Each dish will be available for three weeks on the daily menu at Café Silvia following its debut event.
rice pancake)
The culinary series, which kicked off in April, will conclude on September 6 with the final specialty dish. The next event is this Friday, May 10 at 1 p.m. and will feature a specialty from Lombardia called riso al salto alla milanese, or crispy rice pancake.
Café Silvia is located on the grounds of Magazzino Italian Art Museum at 2700 Route 9 in Cold Spring.
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