Mangia with Massimo – NAIT Hokanson Chef in Residence
In 2009, after a generous donation, NAIT launched the Hokanson Chef in Residence program. With an exciting plan to bring epicurean experts to the school, the celebrity-guest side of the program kicked off with Rob Feenie in February 2009, David Adjey in March 2010 and Susur Lee in March 2011. If you have been lucky enough to eat with any of these chefs, you know the level of skill that not only the celebrity chef brings, but that of the students. Just ask the group of local foodies who were able to spending a night with rock-star David Adjey. This year, NAIT and it’s culinary students had the joy of seeing Mr. City Line himself, Massimo Capra.
The meal, served in the always classy Ernests’ dinning room, started after a brief introduction from the Culinary Arts Program Chair. Each hungry table was delivered a basket of freshly baked breads, which included everything from bread sticks to biscuits to crackers. I’m sure you can imagine the joy a basket of fresh bread brings to any table. The appetizer – Burrata with Arugula, Eggplant, and Oven Roasted Tomatoes – provided a great visual display. The fresh Italian cheese (Massimo influence?) was perfect, with a thicker exterior and curd-like cream center. Combining the cheese with the peppery arugula and salty eggplant made for a really damn good first course.
