For four weeks, Italian and American food lovers took on the challenge to prepare the same Italian dish and share it on social media. After pasta carbonara, tiramisù, pizza, and mozzarella in carrozza, it was time to show off their cooking skills by making eggplant parmigiana for the last week or the #LCIChallenge project.
Participants in interpreting the classic recipe ranged from the finest experts, such Emanuele Pollini, Executive Chef at Ovo by Carlo Cracco, to food bloggers such as @bacchette_e_pomodoro, an Italian-Japanese family leaving in Milan, and Camila Santandrea of @DroptheNapkin in New York. La Cucina Italiana Contributor Stephanie Rizzolo shared her light version, where instead of frying the eggplant, she baked it before layering it with sauce and cheese, while healthy food blogger Chiara Bazzurri gave it a fun spin with her parmesan Neapolitan pizza, with grilled eggplants, buffalo mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano wafers.
La Cucina Italiana digital challenge invited readers and followers in Italy and the US to prepare the same Italian dish every week and post it on social media using the hashtags #LCIChallenge and #LaRicettaCheUnisce. In quarantine days, when home cooking brought a sense of peace and purpose to many, the initiative helped participants get busy and creative in the kitchen while feeling a sense of togetherness by preparing the same dish as others around the world. The challenge featured also posts from Italian and international chefs, celebrities, food bloggers and influencers. Thanks to all the participants and continue to explore Italian food and get inspired to cook with La Cucina Italiana!