By: Ashmar Mandou

Meijer partnered with the Italian Trade Agency to bring thousands of customers authentic Italian cuisine with the help of The Food Network’s Iron Chef America Judge Mario Rizzotti. “Meijer is pleased to partner with the Italian Trade Agency to offer our customers an authentic Italian cooking experience,” said Peter Whitsett, executive vice president of Merchandising and Marketing. “Interest in Italian food continues to rise. We wanted to create an experience to make it easy for our customers to find and learn about the ingredients they want. With Mario’s help, they’ll gain a greater understanding of true Italian ingredients and how best to use them.” Customers were able to nosh on pasta and gelato prepared by Chef Rizzotti during a cooking demonstration at the Algonquin Meijer location. “I love that I am able to meet people who are so excited about the Italian cuisine,” said Rizzotti. “I see the sparkle in people’s eyes when they talk about their visit to Italy and how they loved the Mediterranean cuisine. People always want to replicate the taste, so I am happy that Meijer will now house authentic Italian product to enhance the cooking experience.” For more information, visit www.meijer.com.