Academy of Culinary Arts Fundraising Dinner Raises Funds for Students’ Educational Trip to Italy in May

MAYS LANDING — Atlantic Cape Community College’s Academy of Culinary Arts (ACA) raised nearly $2,500 during its annual Italy dinner fundraiser on March 28 at Carême’s on the Mays Landing campus to support its students planning to attend the ACA’s upcoming Marco Polo Study Abroad Program in Italy.

The ACA once again welcomed guest chef Felice Santodonato from the Tor Carbone school in Rome, Italy. His visit was made possible thanks to the generosity of Giacomo Berselli and the Marco Polo Institute, which has fostered a long-standing partnership with the ACA by facilitating enriching study-abroad opportunities for ACA students since 2016.

Chef Felice, along with ACA Chef Educators Carl Colucci and Thomas Burns, prepared the evening’s regional Italian-inspired menu, which featured salad with chickpea patty and gin vinaigrette, Saffron Risotto with Truffle Butter and Hazelnuts, Braised Veal Cheek with Balsamic Glaze, and Chocolate Shortbread with Black Cherry Ricotta and Chocolate Sambuca sauce, for more than 30 guests.

“The Italy Dinner enables students to experience new culture and cuisine, expanding the culinary horizons of ACA students,” said Joseph Sheridan, director, ACA and Hospitality. “The dinner is more than just supporting the trip, it's about empowering students to immerse themselves in new experiences that will help expand their understanding of the world.”

Culinary students that attend the 17-day Italy excursion from May 21-June 6, 2024 will experience a half dozen authentic Italian cooking classes, trips to wineries, distilleries, an olive oil production facility, a balsamic vinegar aging facility, coffee college, parmigiano reggiano production facilities and day trips to Rome, Venice, Umbria and more. Students may use this trip towards their degree as a general education elective course.

Earlier in the day, Chef Felice and two of his students from Italy, performed a culinary cooking demonstration with risotto while educating the nearly 30 ACA students and six alumni in attendance on the differences between varying types of rice.

Click here to view a photo gallery of the Italy Fundraising Dinner and cooking demonstration.

Visit atlanticcape.edu/aca for more information on the Academy of Culinary Arts.

About Atlantic Cape Community College

Atlantic Cape Community College is a Middle States accredited, 2022 Achieving the Dream Leader College and Hispanic Serving Institution proudly serving the residents of Atlantic and Cape May counties. As a comprehensive, two-year community college, Atlantic Cape offers 47 undergraduate degree programs, and 33 certificate and workforce development professional series programs at its Mays Landing, Atlantic City and Cape May campuses. Atlantic Cape is home to the renowned Academy of Culinary Arts, rated the top culinary school in New Jersey, and for more than 50 years, our highly-acclaimed Nursing program. Atlantic Cape also partners with more than 30 colleges and four-year universities to offer students the opportunity to seamlessly earn a bachelor’s degree upon graduation.