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Well-known chefs, restaurant owners and cookery writers Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi prepare a three-course dinner in honour of American opera singer Jessye Norman based on recipes in their most recent book, Venice:  Recipes Lost and Found.

The book grew out of their quest to uncover some of the lost and forgotten recipes of Venice. They discovered a 14th-century book, Libro per Cuoco (Book for Cook), by an anonymous Venetian and were fascinated to discover a restaurant that was basing its food on the recipes. The book was written at a time when Venice dominated trade in the Mediterranean, in particular the spice trade.

Wealthy Venetians were obsessed by spices such as pepper, cinnamon, cassia bark, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, saffron, coriander seed, sumac and aniseed. While the medieval food of Venice reflected this, it is largely forgotten in today’s cuisine. The Caldesis’ recipes reflect both today’s Venetian cuisine and an attempt to recapture some of what has been lost.

The Caldesis own London’s Caffé Caldesi, Caldesi in Campagna in Bray and the Marylebone La Cucina Caldesi cooking school. They are also authors of the successful The Amalfi Coast.

Norman talks about her life in opera and selects some of her favourite music to be performed by the Orchestra of St John at a festival event just before this dinner. Norman has sung at many of Italy’s leading opera houses. 

The price of this event includes a reception, three-course meal with coffee, and wines. Seating is on traditional college benches.

This event is part of Italian day at the festival.

The evening is generously supported by Eileen and Dr Munir Majid.