Carol Field Award Presented to APCI North America at the Italian Cuisine Week Event in San Francisco
San Francisco, November 20, 2025 – The Italian Consulate in San Francisco hosted one of the key events of the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World, the international initiative promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to celebrate and enhance Italian culinary culture abroad. The 2025 edition, centered on the theme “Cuisine Between Health, Culture, and Innovation,” brought together institutions, industry professionals, and leading companies in the Italian food sector.
During the evening, the prestigious Carol Field Award was conferred to APCI North America.
The recognition was formally presented by the Italian Consulate in San Francisco and by the Consul General of Italy, Dr. Massimo Carnelos, underscoring the institutional value of APCI’s work in promoting Italian culinary heritage in the United States.
Our Chefs, Massimo Orlando, Rudy Duran, and Michele Massimo, proudly holding the Carol Field Award
A Collective Honor for APCI North America
Receiving the award on behalf of the association were Chef Massimo Orlando, Vice President of APCI North America, Chef Rudy Duran, and Chef Michele Massimo, all of whom played central roles throughout the evening’s program.
The three chefs were commended for their longstanding commitment to preserving regional Italian culinary traditions, their ability to reinterpret these traditions with a contemporary touch, and their significant work in spreading Italian culinary culture in North America.
The selection committee praised their “collaborative spirit and exemplary dedication to safeguarding and promoting the identity of Italian cuisine.”
The Carol Field Award: A Tribute to the Promotion of Italian Gastronomic Culture
The Carol Field Award is one of the most significant recognitions dedicated to individuals and organizations that contribute to the dissemination and protection of Italian culinary culture abroad.
Named after the celebrated American author and journalist Carol Field, who devoted much of her work to documenting and elevating the richness of Italian regional food traditions, the award is presented each year to those who distinguish themselves through their commitment to promoting Italy’s culinary heritage beyond national borders.
Carol Field Award
Key Partners: Italfoods, Sogno Toscano, and the Compagnia Fassona
A significant portion of the event’s success was made possible thanks to the support of several partner companies that supplied high-quality products for the evening:
Italfoods and Sogno Toscano provided the complete range of ingredients used throughout the dinner and tastings, actively supporting the culinary program.
Diego Barison, breeder and founder of Compagnia Fassona in Red Bluff, California, contributed his locally raised Fassona beef, produced following traditional Piedmontese methods.
One of the evening’s highlights featured the APCI chefs preparing crostini topped with Fassona battuta, a classic Piedmontese dish, made using Barison’s beef. The preparation drew considerable interest, showcasing how regional Italian excellence can be authentically represented even abroad.
The Broader Framework: A Week Dedicated to Italian Culinary Identity
The Week of Italian Cuisine in the World, coordinated by the Directorate General for the Promotion of the Country System of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, involves Embassies, Consulates, Italian Cultural Institutes, ICE offices, local institutions, academic partners, and key players from the food and agricultural sectors.
The 2025 theme emphasizes three core dimensions:
Health, highlighting the principles of the Mediterranean diet.
Culture, celebrating Italy’s culinary heritage, traditions, and regional roots.
Innovation, exploring new techniques, sustainability, and the future of Italian gastronomy.
The San Francisco event fully embraced these pillars, offering attendees a culinary experience that blended authenticity, creativity, and top-quality Italian products.
San Francisco’s Central Role in Italian Food Culture Abroad
The evening reaffirmed the position of San Francisco as a major hub for Italian culinary culture on the U.S. West Coast.
Under the leadership of Consul General Dr. Massimo Carnelos, the Italian Consulate continues to support initiatives that enhance the visibility of Italian products, culinary expertise, and cultural heritage.
The collaboration with organizations like APCI North America, alongside trusted partners and producers, highlights a shared mission to preserve and promote Italian gastronomic identity abroad.
The presentation of the Carol Field Award to APCI North America, and the recognition of the work of Chefs Massimo Orlando, Rudy Duran, and Michele Massimo, marks a significant achievement for the association and the broader Italian culinary community in the United States.
In addition to the many contributors, the support of the sponsors mentioned above further enabled the event to powerfully demonstrate the richness, quality, and dynamic evolution of Italian cuisine on the international stage.
The Week of Italian Cuisine in the World once again proved to be a crucial platform for strengthening cultural connections between Italy and the United States through the universal language of food.
APCI North America
