On Tuesday, March 5, 2019 Luigi Diotaiuti was proud to host a cooking show for the community of Nemoli’s “Carnevale” Sagra della Polenta, or Polenta Festival. The award-winning chef prepared classic polenta made with local ingredients while also using the opportunity to discuss the migration of ingredients from one continent to the other. Originally a product of the America’s, corn is now a beloved staple in the Italian diet, thanks to polenta. Chef Luigi described polenta’s history in Italy as well as how it is used globally. He also demonstrated a recipe for homemade corn tortillas and Chicha Morada – a drink which originated in the Andean regions of Perú and is now consumed all over the world. The chef shared the story of how his team members introduced it to him and underlined his belief that we should appreciate not only new ingredients, but new community members who introduce them to us.
