|
Antonio Cecconi
Executive Corporate Chef
Dakota Growers Pasta Company
Antonio Cecconi, Executive Corporate Chef brings nearly four decades
of authentic Italian cooking experience to the table. He has been
providing Dakota Growers and our customers with tailored recipes
and innovative menu applications that further differentiate each
plate of Dakota Grower's pasta.
Born and raised on Sardinia-that lovely, mountainous island west
of Italy-Antonio learned to cook in his mother's kitchen, where
most good chefs begin. He also served a youthful apprenticeship
in his uncle's butcher shop and deli before coming to America. He
managed an Italian restaurant in Philadelphia, before being recruited
by Pillsbury to be part of their new products development team in
Minneapolis from 1979 to 1985. Mr. Cecconi developed many new menu
creations for the Olive Garden between 1994 - 1996 when they switched
from using fresh pasta to dry pasta in their chain operations. Antonio's
culinary creations also appear in a series of Betty Crocker Italian
Cooking cookbooks, with a third to be published in the summer
of 2000.
Today, Antonio is known throughout the Minneapolis area and beyond
as The Italian Gourmet. He owns a corporate catering business and
teaches cooking classes in the Minneapolis area in Italian cuisine.
He is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals.
|
