Friday, May 19, 12:00 noon
Members $60, guests $75

Picture yourself on a train traveling along the northwestern coast of Italy. You round a curve and the rocky coastline emerges. Clinging defiantly to the hillside are five villages—beautiful, pristine, and isolated from the modern world. Brightly colored buildings seem to emerge straight from the rock, and vineyards are impressed upon the dramatic inclines. This is Cinque Terre. Literally translated to “five lands,” the small towns appear to be carved out of the last pieces of earth before it plunges into the sea. Admirers of the dramatic landscape have another treat in store: Cinque Terre is also a food-lover’s paradise, known for the anchovies pulled from nearby waters, the olives picked from local groves, and the quintessential Ligurian dish, pesto. To enjoy the flavors of this region, New Yorkers no longer have to travel—by plane or imagination. They can simply head to Jolly Hotel Madison Towers’ Ristorante Cinque Terre.

Pnina Peled, the recently named executive chef of Cinque Terre, grew up in a family of chefs and restaurateurs, including grandparents who came from Italian-occupied Tripoli in Libya. While earning her culinary degree at Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School (now the Institute for Culinary Education), Peled developed a true appreciation for the Mediterranean culinary traditions with which she grew up.

Those roots—and time spent at Lidia Bastianich’s Becco—gave Peled the foundation for her creative interpretations of traditional Italian cuisine (think cannelloni and speck soup shots with truffle foam and bresaola). In addition to her culinary diploma, experience in some of New York’s finest kitchens, including Eleven Madison Park, and executive chef posts at the city’s Aleo and Nisos, Peled earned a degree in restaurant management from New York City College of Technology and an associate’s degree in business management from Berkeley College.

An avid painter, Peled uses her love of color to bring the flavor, texture, and beauty of Italian regional cuisine to the plate. With classic Ligurian staples as her canvas, Peled creates dishes that transport diners to Italy’s rugged coast.