Event Agenda

Saturday, February 1st, 2025

10:00 AM

Venue:
Real Collegio

Speaker:
Mario Pardini, Mayor of Lucca
Plato Ghinos, President of Shaner Hotel Group
Dr. Donna Quadri-Felitti, PhD, Director and Associate Professor, Penn State University School of Hospitality Management

Moderator and artistic Director:
Maestrod’olio Fausto Borella, extra virgin olive oil expert

Highlights:
Official welcome to attendees.
Overview of olive oil production and how it impacts our lives.
Introduction to the conference’s themes and objectives.

10:0011:30

Venue:
Real Collegio

Speaker:
Dr. Kristina S. Petersen, PhD, Associate Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Penn State University and expert in dietary interventions for cardiometabolic health

Highlights:
Scientific insights into the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil, its role in reducing cardiovascular disease risk and the importance for children’s and teenagers’ growth and development

11:30 AM – 12:00 AM

Venue:
Real Collegio

Highlights:
Extra virgin olive oil chocolate pralines by Domenico D’Affronto, one of the best Italian pastry chefs, Master chocolatier and pastry chef of Conca d’Oro in Livorno

12:00 PM – 13:00 PM

Venue:
Real Collegio

Speaker:
Dr. Sara Farnetti, one of the most important specialists in Internal Medicine, PhD in physiopathology of nutrition and metabolism, expert in functional nutrition
Dr. Kristina S. Petersen, PhD, Associate Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Penn State University and expert in dietary interventions for cardiometabolic health
Dr. Donna Quadri-Felitti, PhD, Director and Associate Professor, Penn State University School of Hospitality Management

Moderator:
Maestrod’olio Fausto Borella, extra virgin olive oil expert

Highlights:
Strategies for incorporating olive oil into daily meals.
Addressing misconceptions about dietary fats.
Discussion on global dietary trends.

3:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Venue:
Real Collegio

Highlights:
Market-showcasing of artisanal extra virgin olive oil producers from Lucca, Tuscany and other Italian regions.
Sample and purchase a variety of extra virgin olive oils.
Live demonstrations and interactions with producers.

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Venue:
Real Collegio

Participants:
Sandra Bianchi, Italian pastry chef of Pasticceria Sandra in Lucca

Highlights:
Pastry chef Sandra Bianchi will show how to make cookies without using butter but only extra virgin olive oil. Afterwards, there will be a small tasting for the audience.

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Venue:
Real Collegio

Participants:
Masaki Kuroda, Japanese Chef from Restaurant NIDA in Lucca
Sabrina Falconi, Sake sommelier at Restaurant NIDA in Lucca

Highlights:
Extravirgin olive oil and food pairing with fish sashimi prepared by Chef Masaki Kuroda.

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Venue:
Real Collegio

Instructor:
Maestrod’olio Fausto Borella, extra virgin olive oil expert

Highlights:
Technical tasting of 10 Extra Virgin Olive Oils with Maestrod’olio Fausto Borella.
Sparkling wine for the participants after the tasting.

Saturday from 3 p.m. and Sunday 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. until the end of the event, will be present bartender Mauro Picchi with Quisibeve, a great lover of mixing who has made his work his business. He is constantly on the move between his own bars, appearances, consultations and further training. A point of reference for young bartenders in the Lucchesia region for years, he never misses an opportunity to draw consumers’ attention to quality drinks and to combine his cocktails with extra virgin olive oil.

Sunday, February 2nd, 2025

10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Venue:
Real Collegio

Details:
Market exhibition and final opportunity to interact with producers and purchase products.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Venue:
Real Collegio

Highlights:
Showcooking with the Chef Fabrizio Girasoli, from the Michelin-starred Butterfly Restaurant. 
The chef will guide the participants through a journey in the evolution of Lucca cuisine with extravirgin artisanal olive oil as the protagonist.

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Venue:
Real Collegio

Instructors:
Leonardo Taddei, Champagne Ambassador 2008, Fausto Borella host Maestro’olio e Maestrodivino

Highlights:
Technical tasting of n.5 classical method in collaboration with the wine bar “Enoteca Vanni”

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Venue:
Real Collegio

Participants:
Chef Daniele Zazzeri e Chef Andrea Zazzeri, in memory of their father Luciano, La Pineta Restaurant, Bibbona, Livorno

Highlights:
The chefs will talk about the importance of extra virgin oil in their kitchens and how its use has evolved over the years. They will bring small preparations with extra virgin olive oil to give to attending guests.

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Venue:
Real Collegio

Participants:
Giorgione Orto e Cucina

7:00 PM

Sandra Bianchi
BIO

Sandra Bianchi is the soul of Pasticceria Sandra in Lucca, and with her Master’s degree in Culinary Nutrition, she created “Linea Benessere”.

Fausto Borella
BIO

Fausto Borella, food and wine critic, sommelier and taster, founded the Maestrod’olio Academy to promote the knowledge about food-wine-oil pairings.

Domenico D’Affronto
BIO

Mᴀᴇsᴛʀᴏ ᴄʜᴏᴄᴏʟᴀᴛɪᴇʀ Dᴏᴍᴇɴɪᴄᴏ D’Aғғʀᴏɴᴛᴏ
With his blended pastry art of Sicilian roots, French training, and Tuscany, he will feature chocolate pralines with various extra virgin olive oils.

Sabrina Falconi
BIO

She trained in pastry laboratories, kitchens and hotellerie and is know an AIS sommelier and the owner of NIDA, along with Masaki Kuroda.

Sara Farnetti
BIO

Dr. Sara Farnetti is a specialist in Internal Medicine, expert in functional nutrition, PhD in pathophysiology of nutrition and metabolism.

Giorgio BarchiesiGiorgione
BIO

Giorgio Barchiesi, known as Giorgione, is an Umbrian TV host, social media star and chef known for his convivial and simple style of cooking.

Fabrizio Girasoli
BIO

Fabrizio Girasoli, with his creative cuisine linked to local products and traditions, is the Michelin starred chef at Butterfly Restaurant, Lucca.

Masaki Kuroda
BIO

Masaki Kuroda, owner of NIDA restaurant together with Sabrina Falconi, combines the knowledge of oriental cuisine with a passion for Italian cuisine.

Kristina S. Petersen
BIO

Dr. Kristina Petersen, Associate Professor of Nutritional Science at Penn State University, expert in dietary interventions for cardiometabolic health.

Donna Quadri-Felitti
BIO

Donna Quadri-Felitti, PhD, is the Director and Associate Professor at Penn State University School of Hospitality Management.

Quisibeve
BIO

Quisibeve was born in 2015 thanks to the long friendship and passion of Mauro and Federico. After years of experience in the world of mixology in Italy and abroad, we decided to combine our knowledge to bring the bar to every place.

Leonardo Taddei
BIO

Sommelier and Champagne Ambassador 2008

Daniele e Andrea Zazzeri
BIO

Daniele and Andrea Zazzeri of La Pineta Restaurant in Marina di Bibbona, Livorno, carry on the tradition started by their great-grandmothe