Samantha Pugliese of Manhasset High School has been named the winner of the Food in Focus IACE Photography Contest at Eataly [2] New York for the 2015-2016 school year. Famed food photographer Francesco Tonelli [3], in collaboration with Eataly and the Italian American Committee on Education (IACE [4]), selected the winners, which will culminate in an awards ceremony on June 18th.

Second place was awarded to Hennessis Veras of LaGuardia High School and third place was awarded to Gilian Marinoof also of LaGuardia High School.   

The Eataly and IACE competition exposed students between the ages of six to 18 to the importance of incorporating healthy food into their lifestyle through an in-depth tasting tour in Eataly’s marketplace and cooking demonstrations of simple and traditional Italian

The students were shown a video [5] of Tonelli teaching the best practices to use for food photography.  

He then invited students to submit one to two photos of Italian cuisine that captured what they learned. Tonelli selected the contest winners based on which submissions best visually captured the spirit of Italian cuisines, and which photos best incorporated Tonelli’s expert techniques, favoring “appetite appeal” over the technical nature of the photos.

On Saturday, June 18, at 9:30 a.m., IACE will close the academic school year with a special awards celebration breakfast for the winners and committee at Eataly’s La Scuola Grande [6].  

The first, second, and third place competition winners will receive, respectively: a dinner for four at Eataly’s fine-dining restaurant, Manzo; a tasting tour for four at Eataly’s marketplace; and an Eataly gift box, filled with delicious products imported from Italy.

IACE is a New York based non-profit organization that promotes the study of the Italian language and culture within the tri-state area.  Operating under the supervision of the Consulate General of Italy in New York, IACE students embark on tours of Eataly’s marketplace, exposing students to the importance of fresh, whole foods, and ways to incorporate healthy food into their lives.

Eataly is the largest Italian marketplace in the world.  Its philosophy is “Eat, Shop, and Learn”, and offers a place where consumers can discover high-quality food and drinks at affordable prices. The marketplace hosts various restaurants where consumers can try new flavors and combinations, shop for products, and learn more about Mediterranean culture through courses on food, wine, and nutrition. With 30 locations around the world today, Eataly came to New York in 2010 in a space of more than 50,000 square feet.    

Francesco Tonelli was born in the Marche region of Italy and raised in Milan.  He learned from his mother, who grew up on a farm in Central Italy and understood how to grow and cook different foods. Tonelli has worked in kitchens and hotels across Europe, and today is a professor of culinary arts at The Culinary Institute of America [7]and a prominent R&D chef and food stylist for La Cucina Italiana of Milan.

Through his work he still incorporates what he learned from his mother’s cooking. Tonelli’s immersion into the culinary world has made him one of the most demanded food photographers in the world.