Sharing the Flavor Sharing the Flavor

Parma and Emilia-Romagna Cuisine with Stefania BertacciniThis episode features the cuisine of Parma, Italy which is in the culinary rich region of Emilia-Romagna. We interview Stefania Bertaccini who is a cook, teacher, food guide and has a passion for nature. She operates Stefania's Cooking Classes and Tours in Parma, and also provide cooking classes online.
This region of Emilia-Romagna is an extremely important contributor to Italian cuisine. It is the "Food Valley" of Italy and features some of the best cuisine of Italy. Parma is a huge part of that.
Parma is home to Parmigianno-Reggiano cheese, Prosciutto di Parma ham and Balsamic Vinegar to name a few of the most famous. Parma is also home to some other great cured meats like Culatello and Culatta, porcini mushrooms, truffles and many fundamental recipes for pasta, such as Anolini as well as the fried dough torta fritta. This is just the highlights of a list that is vast. 
Stefania guides us through the process of producing Parmigianno-Reggiano cheese and the history of the cheese. She also educates us on the aging of Parmigianno-Reggiano and the affects on taste and digestion.
She then takes us on a tour of the production of Prosciutto di Parma and the artistic and meticulous process of aging the ham and the extremely unique process in Parma and the processing plants by the River Enza
We next talk about the art of making Traditional balsamic vinegar DOP/PDO. Stefania's family produces traditional Balsamic vinegar in their farmhouse.
Lastly we discuss the wonderful wine of Parma, Lambrusco
Parma is a city of Gastronomy and has several food museums as well.
Contacting StefaniaTripadvisorInstagram
MenuParmigiano Reggiano CheeseProsciuttoBalsamic VinegarLambrusco

Tomato Sauce: Classic Recipes from Marcella HazanThis episode features a discussion of Tomatoes and some of the many Tomato based sauces in Italy. We feature recipes from the 30th anniversary edition of the great book by Marcella Hazan, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.
The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking cleverly introduces readers to the spectrum of classic Italian cooking including both simple and complex regionally based recipes. 
Hazan’s famed Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter has already been featured in countless blogs online and is a true staple! Tune in to learn more about the wealth of delicious and accessible recipes Hazan shares with her (very fortunate) readers. 
Hazan also shares her techniques for working with either raw or canned tomatoes, basic sauces with garlic, onion, and butter. And flavor-filled sauces with pancetta, ricotta cheese and even porcini mushrooms.
MenuTomato Sauce with Onion and ButterTomato Sauce with Olive Oil and Chopped VegetablesPasta with Pancetta & Dried RosemaryTomato Sauce with Heavy CreamTomato Sauce with Garlic and BasilBucatini all'AmatricianaTomato Sauce with Porcini MushroomsEggplant Sauce with Tomato and Chili PepperPasta With Fresh Tomato Sauce and RicottaMarcella Hazan's Tomato Sauce Recipe—& 8 Other Favorites

This episode features the cuisine of Turkey and the city of Istanbul. We interview Hardy Griffin and Banu Ozer Griffin who lived and enjoyed the cuisine of Turkey for years before moving to the US. 
Hardy is a writer of fiction, book reviews, and essays and translates from Turkish to English. Banu is a Lecturer of Turkish Language in the Department of Near Eastern Studies at Cornell University.
Turkey is a cross roads of culture and cuisine and contributes a rich tapestry of taste to the southern Mediteranean area. Many people might know Turkey for Doner Kebap and Baklava but there is so much more to enjoy.
Street food guideWe discuss the city of Istanbul, street food, restaurants and home cooking.
Enjoy!
In Movies and TvA Touch of SpiceThe Chef’s Table- NetflixCookbooksA Taste of Sun & Fire - Gaziantep CookeryFetured RestaurantsCiya SofrasıMenuKofteSimitAyranMidye DolmaPepper PasteHerbsDoner KebabPideBorekOlive oil dishesPomegranate SauceKumpir stuffed potatoesOkey card gamea href="https://vidarbergum.com/recipe/turkish-dolma-with-meat/"

Cooking in Sicily with Chef Paulette LicitraThis episode features the cuisine of Sicily. Sicily is the largest island of Italy and is known for it's volcanic mountains and North African influence to it's cuisine and architecture. This Mediterranean island has spectacular beauty and has been featured in the public TV series Inspector Montalbano.
We are joined by our friend, Chef Paulette Licitra. We disuss our Sicilian family heritage, her travels to the island and cooking experiences in Palermo and Ragusa. We delve deep in the cuisine, seafood, street food and certainly the sweets that Sicily is know for.
Paulette discusses her travels and cooking in Sicily, including a visit to Capo Market in Palermo and cooking on a boat in the harbor.
MenuScaccia RagusanaPork RaguAracinaPesto alla trapaneseCannoliBiscotti ReginaModican Chocolate
Enjoy!

Cooking Essentials - Seasoning with SaltThis episode is the first in our series on the essentials of cooking. We begin by discussing seasoning and specifically, the use of salt before the cooking process, during the cooking process, and as a finishing touch. 
Salt in HistoryThis episode includes a history lesson on salt and features topics from the book Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky. The book is a great read to understand the cultural and societal importance of salt. 
Cooking with SaltWe also feature cooking-related tips about why we use salt and the best types of salt for cooking. We discuss techniques to use with salt for different cooking and baking processes from the following books.
Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael RuhlmanSalt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat
We begin the cooking section by referencing the many forms of salt and their use in cooking, curing, brining and finishing.
Enjoy!

From Michelin Kitchen to Classroom Professor with Matthew James DuffyThis episode features a discussion with chef and professor, Matthew James Duffy. Matthew is a classically trained fine dining chef that has a passion for breadmaking and teaches at the Centennial College in Toronto Canada.
After graduating from University of Guelph, Matthew started his culinary career studying at Stratford Chef School.
While attending school, Matthew was able to cook, during semesters of culinary practice, at Sooke Harbour House in British Columbia, Langdon Hall in Ontario Canada, Il Canto in Siena, Italy and Ichiban Ueno Osaka, Japan. He then had the opportunity to cook at Restaurant Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark followed by opportunities in Spain cooking for El Bohio in Madrid and Comerç 24 in Barcelona.
After returning to North America, Matthew became a chef for Chef Daniel Boulud at Café Boulud NYC. After working in New York, Matthew was a Sous chef opening Café Boulud Toronto.
After years of cooking at Michelin star restaurants, Matthew pursued a teaching career at Centennial College where he is Professor of Baking and Pastry Arts Management.
Matthew has a micro bakery and shares this passion for Sourdough and baking online and has created a social media community of bakers. 
To stay connected with Matthew's latest content, sign up for his newsletter.
Learn from Matthew:Matthew's YouTube ChannelRecipesSourdough GuidesOnline Learning
Enjoy!