Five chefs, seven Michelin stars, one great objective: to support scientific research that brings the most promising and personalized treatment prospects to patients’ bedsides. On Wednesday 26 June, starting from 8pm, the Villa Abbondanzi Resort in Faenza will be the setting of excellence for an evening that combines haute cuisine and solidarity: “La Cena delle Stelle”, an event organized by the Romagna Oncology Institute now in its third edition. Born thanks to the propulsive drive, friendship and sensitivity of chef Igles Corelli towards the non-profit founded in 1979 by prof. Dino Amadori, the event has always involved big names in Italian catering who team up behind the stove for one evening to propose a unique, unrepeatable and exclusive menu. The objective is always the same: to address lovers of haute cuisine and make them participate not only to enjoy the gourmet recipes offered, but also to raise funds and raise awareness among people about the issues of the fight against cancer which is being carried out at inside the laboratories of the IRST “Dino Amadori” IRCCS of Meldola.
This year too the team in the kitchen is exceptional and has prepared a menu that will not leave the approximately 150 people booked for the dinner disappointed. We start with Marco Cahssai, executive chef of the Atman Restaurant in Villa Rospigliosi, who will propose an appetizer based on veal tongue, scapece, Cetara anchovies and frozen beurre blanc. The first course by five-starred chef Igles Corelli continues: Goio Sant’Andrea rice, mugnoli, wild mustard and charcoal oil. The second will be curated by Antonella Ricci and Vinod Sookar, known as the “Romeo and Juliet of Italian cuisine” and already in the “band” of the 2022 edition of the “Dinner of the Stars”: the duo will propose roasted priest’s hat cube, Creole sauce and soft canestrato. Finally, a double dessert: Corrado Parisi will entice the atmosphere with a dish based on black lemon and timut, and then conclude with a blond chocolate mousse, mango, chocolate macaron, coconut and lime. Each course will be accompanied by a matching wine offered by Terre Cevico, the main partner of the initiative.
If the gastronomic soul of the evening will therefore be characterized by particular, refined, exclusive dishes, the solidarity part will not be outdone. This year in particular, the contributions will be used for specific scientific studies: those relating to multiple myeloma, to identify it at an increasingly early stage and thus give ever greater prospects of survival to those who receive a diagnosis of this type. Known to be the pathology that the artist Giovanni Allevi suffers from, it is a blood neoplasm caused by the uncontrolled growth of plasma cells, cells of the immune system responsible for the production of antibodies. At the moment it does not offer prospects of definitive recovery, but according to Dr. Claudio Cerchione, IRST hematologist, «it is no longer a distant or impossible goal to achieve: the new therapies that have been developed in the last 15 years have changed the history of this pathology, giving such profound and long-lasting responses that they have at least reached the goal of chronicity with an excellent quality of life, the treatments being generally well tolerated. Not only that: at IRST we are carrying out research protocols to even try to prevent multiple myeloma, identifying it in the previous stages before it evolves into the actual disease. We are also focusing on advanced diagnostics of the disease, from the study of biomarkers to new generation imaging, with preliminary data that we have already been able to present at various international conferences on the topic. Let’s not forget the Car-Ts, for the production of which the IRST has received authorization from AIFA as the only institute in Emilia-Romagna: at the moment in Italy they are not available for this specific pathology but studies on their potential effectiveness against multiple myeloma are ongoing.”
To explain what it means, specifically, to live with a diagnosis of this type, a speech will be given during the evening by Michele Mariani, a cancer patient who has transformed the disease into something positive for himself and for those around him. The fifty-six year old from Pesaro has in fact hit the headlines for his particular way of dealing with myeloma: every time he is admitted to the Sant’Orsola Polyclinic in Bologna, or goes to the department where he is followed for tests and therapies, he carries with him a red clown nose and gives moments of joy to “fellow sufferers”, nurses and doctors. His particular colorful creations have earned him the title of “balloon wizard”: «Michele will not be present, even though he would have liked to, because he recently underwent a transplant: it would be imprudent for him to participate, given his immune defenses. very low – explains the IOR General Director, Fabrizio Miserocchi – but we will still screen the video that we made together with him: a message of hope and determination that has already moved the audience of our “Volunteers Convention”, held in Bellaria on Saturday 15th June. The idea is to offer great emotions to those who participate in this event: it is not just a dinner as an end in itself, even if it is haute cuisine and created by starred chefs, but it is a 360° experience and an initiative which we hope will lead to concrete results for all those who have the misfortune of suffering from multiple myeloma. All the ingredients are there for a splendid evening: I’m sure that none of those who have booked their place at the table will go home disappointed.”
