WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2024 | 6:30 PM
The Best of Genoa with Dr. Sevin Gallo of NWACC and Chef Vince Pianalto of Brightwater
Be transported to the sunny coastal town of Genoa, Italy with Dr Sevin Gallo, Chef Vince Pianalto and the HKS Kitchen team and learn about the rich cultural and culinary traditions. Genoa is known for its beautiful views of the Mediterranean and of course the food! The cuisine of the region features simple local ingredients that are transformed into stunning dishes. Start off with pillowy Focaccia Bread and an array of accompaniments as an appetizer. Chef Vince will then guide guests in making Pesto and Pasta, a dish that hails from Genoa — where pesto actually means "to pound or crush". Finish the evening with Pandolce, a traditional Genoa Christmas Cake. Dr. Sevin will discuss the evolution of the cuisine, the different cooking styles and ingredients from the region, and the origin story of how the region of Genoa came to be. Buon appetito! Recipes will be provided.
*All class ticket sales are final. No refunds or credit transfers to other classes are available.*
MEET THE HISTORIAN
Dr. Sevin Gallo teaches world history through the lens of food at NorthWest Arkansas Community College. Her Honors classes meet at Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food and at local restaurants. In these non-traditional environments, students examine different historical processes while considering how food systems and food culture shape the human experience.
Sevin has a Ph.D. in Modern Middle East and Latin American comparative world history from the University of Akron, and an MA and BA in European History from Kent State University. Her research focuses on the ways nationalism, popular culture, food-ways, and modern state-formation intersect. In addition to teaching world history, Sevin works as the Global Studies degree coordinator at NWACC, and she leads study abroad programs to Greece, Spain and Morocco, and Turkey. She's lived in Istanbul and loves traveling so much that she started a boutique group travel company in 2019. She loves to coordinate travel experiences that foreground authentic local cuisine within each destination's significant historical and cultural context. Her current group travel programs include Morocco, Argentina, Greece, Turkey, France, Spain, and Tanzania (including the famous spice island of Zanzibar).
MEET THE CHEF
Brightwater Instructor Chef Vince Pianalto is originally from Springdale, Ark., and credits his parents and grandmother for being instrumental in his enthusiasm for cooking. As a curious child, he enjoyed working alongside them to learn how to cook.
Vince’s work experience includes being owner and chef of La Maison des Tartes in Fayetteville, owner and chef of Bouchee Bistro in Fayetteville, and owner and chef of Vicenza's Italian Restaurant, as well as the culinary coordinator for William Sonoma in Rogers and a culinary instructor for Springdale High School and Springdale public schools. Vince joined Brightwater in 2016.
“I love teaching my craft to other interested people. Brightwater allows me to do that for a wide variety of students, and I love the team I work with at Brightwater,” says Vince. “Also, working in such a fantastic environment and facility makes teaching so enjoyable.”
“I feel that Brightwater has opened up a new arena of instruction that is available to a large segment of NWA that wouldn't otherwise be possible,” adds Vince.
In his free time, Vince enjoys spending time with his dogs, gardening, traveling and cooking.
Photo credits: nonnabox.com and nytimes.com