Barilla Italian Cooking Weekend July 18, 2009

Barilla and local chefs will give cooking demonstrations using fresh Italian ingredients such as those found in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden during the Barilla Italian Cooking Weekend on Saturday, July 18, and Sunday, July 19. Presented by Barilla, this event features plant and recipe giveaways, family activities, gourmet olive oil and balsamic vinegar presentations and three daily chef demonstrations with tastings of delicious Barilla pasta recipes, and more.

Visitors can learn about Italian herbs at an herb cart, featuring flat leaf parsley, basil and thyme. This year, the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden is featuring an Italian vegetable bed, including Listada de Gandia eggplant, Martino’s Roma and Italian Heirloom tomatoes, Genovese basil, Giant Italian parsley, Borettana onion, Marconi peppers and Calabrese broccoli. Kids can learn about "Eating a Rainbow" at the drop-in family program. A variety of Academia Barilla products will be for sale in The Wheelbarrow and The Garden Shop.

Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the Chicago Botanic Garden and the Barilla Italian Cooking Weekend is free. Parking is $20 per car; free for members. The Chicago Botanic Garden Trolley operates between the Garden and the Glencoe Metra station on weekends, June 6 through Sept. 7. Round-trip tickets are $2; Garden members and children 5 and under ride free.

For information about the Chicago Botanic Garden's programs and events, call (847) 835-5440, or visit www.chicagobotanic.org.

Official Website: http://www.chicagobotanic.org