L’Anse aux Meadows is certainly a long way from Italy, but last weekend the town experienced a little bit of that country with Celebrity Chef Carmelo Vadacchino’s traditional Italian style of cooking.
Chef Vadacchino is the chef that Ferrari Team members, led by the World’s greatest Formula 1 driver Michael Schumacher, have called upon to create winning cuisine when they have raced in Montreal. But last week Chef Vadacchino could be found at College of the North Atlantic’s (CNA) St. Anthony campus preparing for the annual Iceberg Festival being held at the L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site.
Now in its seventh year, the Iceberg Festival is a 10-day tourism festival held on the tip of the Northern Peninsula.
“The focus is on icebergs and that’s how it came into being,” said Natasha Hynes of the Iceberg Festival committee. “Not only does the festival focus on icebergs, but also during the festival we take the opportunity to tell visitors about everything else there is to do in the area.”
She says working in small communities can present challenges in terms of proper kitchen facilities so they turned to CNA for a solution.
“The college has been in this community for a number of years and I know the college has certainly been supportive and has been a partner in the past when it comes to tourism initiatives. We weren’t surprised with the response we got when we put the call out there wondering if the kitchen could be used. It was met with enthusiasm, and it is certainly an opportunity for the college to support activities for the festival. It’s very important for us and we are very appreciative.”
“CNA’s St. Anthony campus welcomes opportunities to partner with the community in support of local events and activities,” said Campus Administrator Cecil Roberts. “We were very pleased to be able to provide assistance to the Iceberg Festival Committee in making our facilities available for the preparation of food for the event,”
The Flavours of Vinland event on June 12 with Celebrity Chef Carmelo Vadacchino featured fine foods, entertainment and ice sculpting demonstrations.
“It was great,” Chef Vadacchino said of the preparations from St. Anthony campus. “The facilities were easy to work with and they had more than enough equipment for us to use. They gave me a team of two local chefs that really understand the finesse of the food I wanted to put on the table so that made it easier on my end.”
Chef Vadacchino’s first trip to Newfoundland and Labrador was just a few weeks ago for a conference, however he didn’t have a chance to take in any of the sights. That changed with this second trip and he couldn’t be happier.
“This is my first visit to see anything. It wowed me with everything so it definitely won’t be my last that’s for sure. I definitely have to come back. It’s amazing, absolutely shocking amazing,” he said. “I never would have thought there was so much history. I grew up in Montreal and studied in Rome and you hear of Newfoundland and the cod industry, but when you get here and you realize how much history there is, and the respect people have for it, it’s just amazing.”
In fact, Newfoundland and Labrador may just be his new favourite place.
“Honestly, I used to say Rome is Rome and it was the best place in the world, but last night I said forget about Rome, this is it. You have to see it to believe it. It’s a feeling. It’s clearly a feeling that you have to feel it to believe it. It’s the only way to see it. It’s a great experience and I definitely want to come back. The wow factor was there that’s for sure.”
On Wednesday night after finishing in the kitchen, Chef Vadacchino got to experience mummering – although he had no idea what that was at the time.
“That experience was crazy,” he said. “Then that was over at 10 pm and I couldn’t go to bed because I was only here for two or three days, so I went iceberg hunting. I felt like one of those rainstorm drivers. I was driving around looking for icebergs. It’s just a great feeling to be out there and seeing things that I’ve never seen before. It was an honour to be here and an honour to be asked.”
For more information about the Iceberg Festival visit theicebergfestival.ca/.
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Media Contact:
Glenda McCarthy
Public Relations Specialist
College of the North Atlantic
709.643.6408
glenda.mccarthy@cna.nl.ca