[music]
CHEF DARIO TOMASELLI: We
give them the foundation
of Italian regional cuisine.
When they go to Italy,
they will start understand
the product and the culture.
Then, when they come back
to Canada again on the
third semester, they will
focus more on what they’re
able to do.
FABIO BONDI: Learning the
cultures and the different
techniques and the different
lifestyles of living, I mean,
it’s a whole package.
It’s not just learning how to
cook, it’s learning how to live
and the different ways of
living, they’re drastically
different from North America
a lot of the times.
CHEF DARIO TOMASELLI: The
opportunity of the Italian
program is -- it’s
global, I would say.
It give you an opportunity
to understand the product
first hand, be there
and experience it.
ALANNA FLEISCHER: I think
it really helps you
become independent.
You learn so much
when you’re abroad.
You’re on your own, you
don’t speak the language
and you’re just thrown
into an environment that
you’re not used to and it really
helps you grow as a person and
as a chef.
FABIO BONDI: The experience
I had actually gave me
a lot of confidence as well.
I felt that I was a step
ahead of most people that were
doing Italian food in the city.
CHEF DARIO TOMASELLI: The
most important thing about
the cuisine is the products
and the simplicity.
It’s not over complicated
but you need to understand
the product and the simplicity
creates some amazing dishes.
ALANNA FLEISCHER: I think
working in a small restaurant,
you learn that you have to kind
of learn all the aspects of
a restaurant so it’s the
cooking, the management,
the cleaning.
You kind of need to do it
all and that’s definitely what
I learned from Italy.
BRIAN CHENG: At George
Brown, it does a very good job
of teaching the students
but in the end of the day,
you have to be able to take
what you learned and apply it.
And so these experiences,
especially overseas, you --
it forces you to be in a
position of being --
you have to be independent.
FABIO BONDI: I basically
captured the movement of
local cuisine and
slow food in Italy.
I brought that here.
CHEF DARIO TOMASELLI: And
when I see them leaving
the following April,
almost a metamorphosis of them.
They really change.
The confidence they have, the
respect for the cuisine,
they’re searching
for the product.
That’s what Italian
cuisine’s all about.
[music]
