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Cooking Class: Italian Meatballs with Gina Tringali

Cooking Class: Italian Meatballs with Gina Tringali


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Can't make this time? A video recording will be sent to all participants after the seminar.

While a foreign concept in Italy, polpette (meatballs) served with pasta in a rich tomato sauce is an important part of Italian American food culture. Italian settlers, many from Naples, set food on the land of opportunity and were surprised by the abundance of inexpensive cuts of meat available to the average person.
Meatballs that are a staple of Italian restaurants in the U.S. are different than those found in Italy. Italian meatballs - polpette - are smaller, some as small as marbles. It can be argued that polpette date back to the ancient Roman Empire with meatballs being made from chicken to fish. Today they are usually enjoyed as the main course of a meal, served in tomato sauce or without and sometimes in broth and are almost exclusively served in homes and family-run trattorie.
In our hands-on cooking seminar, we’ll prepare Neapolitan style meatballs with a simple tomato sauce. Led by food historian, sommelier, and home cook Gina Tringali, this interactive lesson will have you making meatballs like an expert. Designed to deliver a taste of Naples to your kitchen, participants will come away with an understanding of how to make this beloved simple and affordable dish and learn about how the preparation and type of meatballs found vary from region to region.

Below are the items you’ll want to participate in this class. We will email attendees the full recipe with measurements and instructions prior to the class, so that you can pre-measure ingredients before joining.
Ingredients 
  • Ground beef or a mix of ground beef and pork (1 lb)
  • Eggs (3 extra large)
  • Parsley (1/2 cup)
  • White or wheat bread, crusty/country style (4-6 slices)
  • Pecorino Romano cheese (2-3 handfuls)
  • Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese (to taste)
  • Black pepper
  • Extra virgin olive oil, olive oil, sunflower seed oil or an oil of your choice for pan frying
  • Garlic (3 cloves)
  • Whole peeled tomato cans or bottles (2x 28 oz)
  • Salt
  • 1 Bay leaf 
Special equipment
We don’t list every item you’ll need here (e.g., standard items like knives, bowls, cutting boards). But we do our best to identify items that may not be in every kitchen, and alternatives where possible.
  • Mixing bowl

  • Large frying pan or skillet

  • Parchment paper
  • Baking tray

Gina is a food historian, coffee connoisseur and cook. Born into an Italian-American family, Gina spent countless hours in the kitchens of her mom and her Neapolitan and Sicilian grandmothers – watching, cooking, tasting – dreaming of living in Italy. In 2007 she relocated to Rome where she earned a Master's degree in Italian Gastronomic Culture from the Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”, and became a certified sommelier and member of AIS. She also holds an MBA from NYU. Before relocating to Rome, she worked for Tom Colicchio's Craft family of restaurants in NYC in business development and marketing and she spent some time in the kitchen. Her writing appears on numerous food and travel publications.

This conversation is suitable for all ages.

90 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.

Customer Reviews

Based on 4 reviews
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(4)
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L
L.T. (Chicago, US)
Delicious Italian Meatballs

This was the third class I have taken with Gina. Her instructions are clear and her recipe was easy to follow. She also gave an interesting history of meatballs. Most importantly the meatballs were delicious. We hope someday to be able to take an in-person tour with Gina.

A
A. (Toronto, CA)
Consistently high quality

Gina's classes are fantastic. Not only does she guide you through the preparation of delicious Italian dishes, but she also ties in lots of interesting information about the history and culture.

S
Susan G (Wilmette, US)
A Delicious Culinary Seminar

Gina Tringali took us step by step through a traditional, classic and simple recipe, resulting in delicious Italian meatballs. Gina is a wonderful teacher, guiding us with easy to follow instructions and answering questions through out the class. Don't miss Gina's seminars - you don't need to be a master chef, the classes are great fun!

M
Melissa (Charlotte, US)
Such Fun and learned a lot!

The time flew by as I cooked alongside Gina. The meatballs were delicious, I will definitely make them again (using the right kind of bread!) The instructions were clear and easy to follow along. Thank you, Gina!

Customer Reviews

Based on 4 reviews
100%
(4)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
L
L.T. (Chicago, US)
Delicious Italian Meatballs

This was the third class I have taken with Gina. Her instructions are clear and her recipe was easy to follow. She also gave an interesting history of meatballs. Most importantly the meatballs were delicious. We hope someday to be able to take an in-person tour with Gina.

A
A. (Toronto, CA)
Consistently high quality

Gina's classes are fantastic. Not only does she guide you through the preparation of delicious Italian dishes, but she also ties in lots of interesting information about the history and culture.

S
Susan G (Wilmette, US)
A Delicious Culinary Seminar

Gina Tringali took us step by step through a traditional, classic and simple recipe, resulting in delicious Italian meatballs. Gina is a wonderful teacher, guiding us with easy to follow instructions and answering questions through out the class. Don't miss Gina's seminars - you don't need to be a master chef, the classes are great fun!

M
Melissa (Charlotte, US)
Such Fun and learned a lot!

The time flew by as I cooked alongside Gina. The meatballs were delicious, I will definitely make them again (using the right kind of bread!) The instructions were clear and easy to follow along. Thank you, Gina!