PFW's Hotel and Tourism Management program hosts Renaissance banquet prepared by famed Italian chef

FORT WAYNE, Ind.—Chef Alessia Uccellini is making her third trip to Purdue University Fort Wayne that will feature her knowledge of foods from the 15th and 16th centuries as she prepares a “Renaissance Dinner: Italian Food Through the Ages,” on Thursday, November 14.

The banquet, which is sponsored by the Department of Hotel and Tourism Management (HTM) in the College of Professional Studies, will be held at the Holiday Inn at Purdue Fort Wayne, beginning at 6 p.m. Students in the Food and Beverage Management class and other HTM students with extensive industry experience will assist the chef with the meal preparation, while the waitstaff will consist of other students in the department.

The meal will begin with an appetizer of fried pasta and olives, followed by a first course of butternut squash soup with handmade ricotta and spinach ravioli in browned butter and sage sauce and pecorino. The second, or main course, will feature roasted pork butt with fennel, garlic, and pepper or a vegetarian soufflé. Side dishes include green beans, carrots, and/or roasted winter vegetables. The first and second courses will also feature homemade breads reminiscent of the Renaissance. The third, or dessert course, will feature crepes with ice cream and berry sauce.

Uccellini first visited the university in October 2017 and taught students the finer points of preparing ravioli. In 2018 she taught students how to make several other types of pasta.

“She’s very passionate about cooking and making personal connections with everyone she meets,” says Nathanael Falater, a senior in the HTM program. “It was a pleasure to work with someone so humble and well-regarded in the international culinary community.”

Another feature of the evening will be a silent auction, with all proceeds going to the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management. Items up for bid include offerings from DeBrand Fine Chocolates, the Olive Twist, Fort Wayne Children’s Choir, a trip to Catalina Island, and more.

Tickets for the four-course dinner are $40 per person for the general public, and $25 for students and are available online until Tuesday, November 12. There will also be a cash wine bar that will feature wines paired with each course. Guests can purchase drink tickets at the door.

For more information about the banquet, contact Michellie Hannah at [email protected].

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