ONLINE EVENT
The Italians call it l’arte dell’arrangiarsi—the art of making do with what you’ve got. They’ve been cooking this way for centuries, a unique approach to ingredients and techniques known as cucina povera, or peasant cooking, that results in the highest expression of what Italian food is all about—transforming simple components into unforgettably delicious and satisfying meals. It’s also a way of cooking that, with some notable exceptions like minestrone, ribollita, and pasta e fagioli, is not well known outside of Italy. Author Giulia Scarpaleggia is determined to change that. She’s a Tuscan home cook, food writer, and cooking teacher who is working to teach people about the soul-satisfying humble food of her native country.
Join MOFAD for a virtual lunch hour on Friday, April 21 with Cucina Povera author Giulia Scarpaleggia and internationally acclaimed food writer Regula Ysewijn. They’ll be discussing the ingenious culinary traditions of Giulia’s culture and the resourcefulness of the strong Italian women who came before her.
Giulia will be leading a demo of her recipe for Pappa al Pomodoro (tomato and bread soup), her ultimate comfort food, and a very representative dish of the principles of cucina povera. Attendees will receive the recipe in advance so they can choose to cook along at home.
Tickets include the option to purchase Cucina Povera: The Italian Way of Transforming Humble Ingredients into Unforgettable Meals by Giulia Scarpaleggia *shipped to your door by Kitchen Arts & Letters in New York City *US only
GIULIA SCAPALEGGIA
Giulia Scarpaleggia is a Tuscan-born and -bred home cook. She is a food writer, podcaster, and cooking school instructor who has written five cookbooks in Italian. Her blog, Juls’ Kitchen, was named by Saveur as 2019’s best food culture blog. Scarpaleggia lives in Tuscany in her family country house with husband, photographer Tommaso Galli; and daughter, Livia. Her favorite comfort food is pappa al pomodoro (Tuscan tomato soup)—the ultimate in cucina povera. Find her on her newsletter at www.lettersfromtuscany.com and on Instagram at @julskitchen.
REGULA YSEWIJN
Regula Ysewijn is an award-winning food writer, photographer and author of six books about food culture on topics are such as the history of British puddings and bakes, the traditions of Belgian beer cafés and the history of baking in the Low Countries.
Regula is one of the two judges of the Belgian version of The Great British Bake Off in addition to being a judge for The Guild of Fine Food’s Great Taste Awards and World Cheese Awards for nearly 10 years. In 2022 Regula was one of the five judges of the Queen of England’s Platinum Pudding Competition, along with Mary Berry and the royal chef Mark Flanagan.
Regula was born in Flanders, the Dutch speaking region of Belgium. She travels between Britain and Belgium for her work, this can be TV appearances, talks, demos and research.
KITCHEN ARTS & LETTERS
Kitchen Arts & Letters is a bookstore devoted to food and drink, with titles imported from around the world. They emphasize works on food culture and innovation.