Tucson City of Gastronomy ambassadors Mat Cable and Devon Sanner made a totally Tucson dinner last month for their hosts in Parma, Italy.
They served them carne asada with frijoles, handmade tortillas, tacos, birria and salsa made with chiltepin peppers.
For most of the folks at the dinner, it was the first time they had ever had real Mexican food.
On Tuesday, Oct. 29, Cable and Sanner will take a culinary stroll down memory lane when they make Tucson a meal similar to the ones they experienced in Italy.
Devon Sanner, left, and Mat Cable represented Tucson in Parma, Italy, earlier this month as part of the Tucson City of Gastronomy Chef Ambassadors program.
Courtesy Tucson City of Gastronomy
The Parma-themed dinner will be held at Cable’s Italian-fusion restaurant Zio Peppe, 6502 E. Tanque Verde Road, where they will serve five courses replicating the dishes from Parma.
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For about a week, Cable and Sanner represented Tucson’s City of Gastronomy in Parma, which also is a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.
“We’re thrilled to share the incredible flavors we discovered in Parma with our Tucson community,” Cable said in a news release. “This dinner will be a celebration of authentic Italian cuisine, prepared with the best ingredients that Parma and Southern Arizona has to offer.”
The tagliatelle pasta dressed in a mushroom and marsala cream sauce with black truffles was one of Mat Cable’s favorite dishes from Italy.
Mat Cable
The menu, paired with wines from Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, opens with a refreshing aperol spritz apertif followed by tagliatelle pasta dressed in a mushroom and marsala cream sauce with black truffles and Parmigiano croccante as the appetizer for a hunters’ stew of duck gagù over fresh Garganelli pasta.
The entrée is an elegant Vitello Tonnato of ash-crusted veal with tuna and olive oil purée dressed with capers, cucumber, saffron caviar and served with tuile, a baked wafer.
Tuesday’s dinner will include Parma, Italy’s, namesake cheese Parmigiano Reggiano.
Mat Cable
Dessert, or dolci as they say in Italy, is a torta sbrisolona (almonds) with vanilla bean gelato.
Each course will be paired with wines from the Emilia-Romagna region, carefully curated to complement and enhance the dishes, Cable said.
Reservations ($125 plus tax) for Tuesday’s dinner, which starts at 6 p.m., are going fast. Call 520-888-4242 for more information.
The antipasto course includes salame Prosciutto di Parma and Salame Felino.
Mat Cable
Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@tucson.com. On Twitter @Starburch