The luxurious Half Moon Hotel in the resort city of Montego Bay welcomed renowned lecturer and gastronomy consultant Chef Giovanni Ciresa for a culinary experience — Wednesday, October 26-Friday, October 28 — aptly titled Sapori d’ Italia (Taste of Italy).

The experience included a master class with Ciresa and two evenings of a seven-course Italian dinner at Half Moon’s multi-award-winning Sugar Mill Restaurant. The events were enhanced by wine pairings from Banfi, distributed by Caribbean Producers Jamaica (CPJ), for each course.

Chef Giovanni Ciresa, who is currently a lecturer and consultant on gastronomy, has over 30 years’ experience, having advised for restaurants such as Enoteca Pinchiorri in Japan and consulted for others such as Caffe Concerto Restaurant and Caffe Garibaldi Restaurant in Italy.

For his appearance here, Ciresa teamed up with Half Moon’s resident Italian chef Cosimo Riccardi, with whom he first worked in 2005 at the Bauer Hotel’s De Pisis Restaurant in Venice.

Both chefs, who are known for experimenting and infusing natural, fresh and seasonal products, took the opportunity to use local produce and the natural herbs from the Half Moon’s herb garden for the evening’s offerings.

THE CHEF’S PHILOSOPHY

“I try to use natural, fresh, seasonal products, often raw and dressed with extra virgin olive oil. Nowadays it’s important to count the calories.

For example, one evening when I was working in Rome at La Terrazza, I had to prepare a steamed John Dory with vegetables in soy sauce for Michelle Pfeiffer, and for the following week that’s all she ate.

It was also an experiment that I was trying out at that time. Cooking means experimenting, research, imagination, and I have based my philosophy on their harmony.”