Monday January 22, 2007

Cook the way the Italians do

RENOWNED cookbook author chef Faith Willinger is in town, presiding over Italian restaurant Prego for five days.

Her presence is as part of The Westin Kuala Lumpur’s Celeb Chef series, promising a hearty Italian affair for diners who are simply in love with the romantics.

Willinger will share her experiences of ‘the spirit of the Italian kitchen’ through wine dinners, cooking classes and selections of her specialities.

Charming: Willinger presides at Prego from Jan 24 to 28.

From Jan 24 to 28, Willinger will be Prego’s guest chef, bringing with her the expertise and passion of Italian regional cooking.

Willinger who hails from the United States calls herself a “born-again” Italian chef who moved to Italy in the year 1973 where she was seduced by its hearty cuisine.

Since then, she had spent more than three decades devoting her tastebuds to sampling and reporting on the best offerings from the Italian kitchens, and studying how Italians cook, shop and celebrate life.

Those who would like to cook a la Faith Willinger style can attend her cooking classes on Jan 27 priced at RM168 nett per person.

Willinger’s specialities will be featured in Prego’s Sunday Bubbly Brunch.

For her outstanding work as an ambassador of Italian cooking in the world, Willinger was given the prestigious San Pellegrino Award presented during a conclave of distinguished European and Italian chefs in Milan.

On Jan 24 and 25, she will entice diners with her selections complemented with award-winning Bava wines during Prego’s Flow wine dinners priced at RM188++ per person.

Recently, Flow’s Libera (meaning ‘free’ in Italian) wine was awarded four stars by Decanter magazine.

Willinger is not only a celebrated chef and ambassador of Italian cooking but is also an avid writer.

She is the author of the bestselling guidebook Eating in Italy and cookbook Red, White & Greens.

While Eating in Italy is a traveller’s guide to the hidden gastronomic pleasures of northern Italy, Red, White & Greens is all about everyday, family-based Italian recipes that rely on vegetables and tradition.

Willinger has also written about Italy for various food and travel publications in the United States as well as having her own websites.

A familiar face on television, Willinger is one of the privileged chefs to be featured on the PBS series The Chefs of Cucina Amore.

Another book is in the making – Adventures of an Italian Food Lover with 213 Friends & Recipes to be published in April this year.

For reservations to any of the events, call The Westin Kuala Lumpur at 03-2773 8496.

News

Monday January 22, 2007

Cook the way the Italians do