| Each year, the John Folse Culinary Institute honors individuals who have had a long-term, positive influence on Louisiana and U.S. cuisine and culture with the Lafcadio Hearn Award. A Distinguished Visiting Chef oversees the preparation of a complete meal, from soup to dessert, while culinary students learn new skills during the week leading up to the Lafcadio Hearn Award Dinner. Culinary students then assist the chef in preparing the meal for the Lafcadio Hearn Award Dinner. |
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Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904) was born on the Greek island of Lefkas. In the late 1800s, Hearn arrived in Louisiana and wrote a series of books and articles that introduced New Orleans to the world. His philosophy was simple: one must preserve and promote the cuisine and culture of a region for future generations. It is because of his foresight in documenting and preserving our rich Louisiana heritage that the highest award at the culinary institute is named after him, celebrating his lasting contributions toward documenting New Orleans Creole culture and cuisine. |
Lafcadio Hearn Award Dinner 2007
| The 10th Annual Lafcadio Hearn Award Dinner and Distinguished Visiting Chef Series celebrated St. Joseph’s Day and Louisiana’s culinary tradition with an Italian feast Monday, March 19, 2007.The evening began with a cocktail reception at 6 p.m., then the presentation by the visiting chefs and dinner at 7 p.m., all at Cypress Columns, located at 157 Tourist Drive in Gray. Tickets for the event were $100 per person, and tables of 10 were available. |  |
| The event honored Joseph Maselli as well as the staff and owners of Angelo Brocato Ice Cream & Confectionery Inc. Maselli has been the catalyst for countless Louisiana Italian American activities in New Orleans, founding the first state-wide organization of Italian Americans that later became known as the American Italian Federation of the Southeast, an umbrella organization with more than 9,000 members in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Texas. He is the only Italian American in the United States to successfully organize Italian clubs statewide.
Maselli founded the American Italian Renaissance Foundation, of which the American Italian Museum and Research Library are a part. Maselli has served as president of the National Italian American Coordinating Association, a national organization for the presidents of Italian American organizations, with a combined individual membership of more than two million. |
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Over a century ago, 12-year-old Angelo Brocato began an apprenticeship in an elegant ice cream parlor located in Palermo, Sicily, where he learned special recipes for fine desserts. It was the beginning of a journey that would lead him to New Orleans and the realization of a dream — the establishment of his own ice cream parlor. He opened Angelo Brocato’s Ice Cream Parlor in 1905, a replica of Palermo’s finest establishments and New Orleans’ first sit-down parlor. |
| The original Sicilian recipes of Angelo Brocato Sr. have been handed down through three generations. True to tradition, the famous Italian ice cream, pastries and cookies are still served in an atmosphere that transports patrons back to the ambiance of Brocato’s original parlor. Damaged by Hurricane Katrina in its centennial year, the store reopened last fall. It is now operated by Arthur Brocato, Angelo Brocato III and other siblings who all worked in the store from early childhood.
The evening’s dinner featured dishes created by Distinguished Visiting Chefs Gaetano and Joseph “Joey” DiSalvo of DiSalvo’s Station Restaurant in Latrobe, Pa. The menu included Ravioli with Seafood Cream Sauce, Insalata Caprese with Buffalo Mozzeralla and Fresh Roma Tomatoes, Braised Veal Osso Buco accompanied by a Wild Mushroom Risotto and Chef Gaetano’s Profiteroles (cream puffs). Music was provided by Bobby Lonero and the New Orleans Express. Learn about past Lafcadio Hearn Awards Dinners: |
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