Acclaimed Italian chef Celso Laforgia, famous for his appearance on CNN’s Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, will act as guest chef for a special ticketed dinner at V&M Bistro in Wilmington, Delaware, on Saturday, December 7.
The unique event will include a live demonstration of Chef Laforgia’s signature dish, Spaghetti all’Assassina. “The dish is simple, but the technique takes years to master,” Laforgia, owner of Urbana L’Assassineria Urbana in Bari, Italy, said.
Guests will have the rare opportunity to meet the legend himself and indulge in a variety of culinary gems originating from Bari, Italy. The special evening will include an extraordinary prix fixe dinner, showcasing three delicious courses paired with remarkable wine selections from the Puglia region of Italy.
“This exclusive dining experience is perfect for food enthusiasts and anyone seeking a memorable evening of fine Italian cuisine,” said V&M Bistro co-owner Vincenza Carrieri-Russo. “These exquisite dishes, expertly crafted by Chef Laforgia, rely on innovative cooking techniques that just might challenge your conventional beliefs about pasta preparation!”
The chef is a bit of a pasta rebel, and his cooking methods have garnered attention from The New York Times as well as Tucci, an Oscar-nominated actor and Emmy Award winner who has authored two cookbooks.
“Celso’s cooking method goes against everything I know about cooking pasta,” Tucci said in the 2022 episode of Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy that featured Laforgia. Tucci was taken aback when the chef placed raw pasta in a pan of oil and aromatics but no water. The result was Laforgia’s popular spaghetti all’assassina (assassin’s pasta), described as spicy, charred and crunchy. “It’s the flavor that slays in this killer pasta,” The New York Times has said.
Tickets for the V&M Bistro event are limited, priced at $180 (gratuity included) and are available exclusively online at https://www.vmbistro.com/.
Vincenza and Margherita Carrieri-Russo, owners of V&M Bistro, have earned plenty of culinary acclaim in their own right and were featured on the cover of PMQ’s November 2019 issue. The sisters’ restaurant celebrates the rich culinary traditions of Puglia, Italy, with recipes passed down through generations. It’s also renowned for Margherita’s signature cocktails, including the Limoncello Ice Martini. In addition to V&M’s pizzettes, the menu features creative interpretations of classic dishes such as Cozze alla Diavola, Lombata di Vitello, Timballo and Gnocchi Bolognese.
Laforgia was raised professionally under the guidance of chef Antonio Derosa. At Urbana L’Assassineria Urbana, Laforgia and his partner, Michele Salvati, guarantee a true immersion in the culture of Puglia, from the selection of wines to the different types of spaghetti all’assassina and other dishes.
