AMHS PLANS VIRTUAL SPRING-SUMMER PROGRAMS
A documentary on celebrated chef and pasta expert Evan Funke (above) will be the subject of the next AMHS film discussion on June 12. Credit: Courtesy of Kitchen Detail
With the timetable for returning to in-person events still uncertain, the AMHS Program Committee has lined up some interesting virtual events which we hope our members and friends will enjoy. For May, we are planning to have a two-part program called “At the Table with Tony.” Tony Scilla is a relatively new AMHS member who will offer one program on the cuisine of Abruzzo and another on the cuisine of Molise. The events, to be held on separate Sunday afternoons, are being organized by Program Committee member Chris Renneker. Stay tuned for further details. Then on Saturday, June 12, at 8 p.m., we are pleased to offer a program based on the documentary “Funke” which profiles professional chef and pasta expert Evan Funke. Special guests will be the producer/director Gab Taraboulsy, and the producer/editor Alex Emanuele.
The event, which will be in an interview format, is being organized by Program Committee member Lourdes Tinajero Tommy attended Loyola College in Baltimore and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in June 1951. In early 1952, he married Margaret Piracci, the daughter of a parking garage owner, in the Baltimore Basilica. Tommy was the mayor’s first son to marry, and so more than 5,000 persons were invited to the wedding, which was the social event of the year in the city. Since the Korean War was raging, the 22-year old Tommy believed that it was his civic duty to aid his country, so he enlisted in the U.S. Army shortly after his wedding and served for three years. After the Korean War ended, Tommy was honorably discharged in mid-1955. He then applied to and was admitted to the University of Maryland School of Law in the fall of 1955. He graduated in June 1958, with a Bachelor of Law degree. Because his father was still the mayor, Tommy decided to run for the city council as a Democrat and was elected in November 1958.
After serving one full four-year term, he was re-elected in November 1962, and was sworn in as the PresiFunke is passionate about the broad range of pasta and importance of building a culture of authentic pasta in the United States. The documentary was filmed in California where he has an award-winning restaurant and in Bologna, Italy, where he learned the art of making pasta by hand. We suggest viewing the film beforehand, which is available on Amazon Video. Members should be aware that the film contains some strong language. Although the date has not yet been set, we are planning a program this Fall with Professor Luca Cottini, who teachers at Vanderbilt University and who lectures on Italian technology and innovation. Some of his lectures, such as one on Vespa inventor Corradino D’Ascanio, can be seen on You Tube.
Then on November 14, we are planning either a virtual or in-person wine tasting, depending on the public health situation at that time. We will feature a group of Washington Winemakers, some of whom are AMHS members, to talk about how they first became interested in the craft and how they make their wine. We hope you will join us for these events, and we look forward to the time when we can resume our in-person luncheon meetings at Casa Italiana and elsewhere.