UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A renowned chef will share his unique Italian cuisine on Saturday, Feb. 10, at an event to help support public television.
Nick Stellino, whose PBS cooking show, “Nick Stellino: Storyteller,” premiered in August, will prepare a four-course meal during WPSU Penn State’s 26th annual Connoisseur’s Dinner and Auction. The fundraising event, to be held at the Nittany Lion Inn, supports the programming and operations of WPSU-TV.
Tickets for the cocktail reception, dinner and auction cost $205 per person.
“I want guests to experience joy, happiness, merriment and hope,” Stellino said. “There is more to my food than just my ingredients. My audience’s engagement with my stories and food is at the center of who I am and what my purpose in life is. Come for the recipe, stay for the food.”
The “Carnevale di Venezia” will include:
- First course: A trio of salad greens with black cherry dressing, feta and parmesan glazed croutons
- Second course: Shrimp with garbanzo beans, arugula and sun dried tomatoes in a chardonnay sauce
- Third course: Euro chicken breast stuffed with provolone and prosciutto, served with zucchini and porcini mushrooms in balsamic vinegar, and county-style potatoes
- Dessert: Apple custard tart
“I use fresh, in-season ingredients that are cooked with easy techniques and tools available in everyone’s home,” Stellino said. “I demystify the difficulty of the process and make the viewer feel as if they can do anything.”
Stellino, originally from Palermo, Italy, immigrated to the U.S. in 1975 when he was 17 years old. He initially worked as a dishwasher before becoming a chef’s apprentice. Stellino has published 12 cookbooks and his cooking shows have aired nationally on PBS and are syndicated throughout Latin America, Eastern Europe, South Africa and the Middle East.
Visit the WPSU website for ticket information.