Please join the Italian Studies Program for its appetizing spring event, “Dolcissimo: from Rome to Shanghai via Paris”, a full-immersion experience in Italian, Chinese and French languages and cultures through cooking. This year the competition, sponsored by the Institute of World Languages, is in collaboration with the French Department and the Chinese Program. More than 50 students are involved in the event as chefs, video reporters and journalists of various newsletters, including La Vendemmia.
Food is one of the staples of Italian, Chinese and French cultures. Social cooking is now frequently and successfully used to promote cross-cultural encounters and exchanges, creating alternative settings and goals for second language acquisition and performance. “Dolcissimo” combines social cooking and second language acquisition by way of a group competition where second year students of Italian, Chinese and French at UVa will communicate exclusively in the targeted language while baking Italian, Chinese and French cakes and cookies.
Each group will first select and research an Italian, Chinese or French dessert recipe, and then meet at the cooking venue to bake their chosen dessert in a three-hour filmed bake-off in front of their UVa faculty members, VIP judges and invited guests.
Mark your calendars, follow our students getting ready for the event on Facebook, and please come to taste some Italian, Chinese and French pastries on Friday March 30 from 5 to 7 pm at the Lorna Sundberg International Center. Refreshments will also be served!
We look forward to seeing you there!
Please feel free to share with your students and colleagues. Questions? Please contact Professor Francesca Calamita.