Tavola LisAmore long lunch to celebrate Italian heritage

A LONG lunch celebrating Italian heritage in the Northern Rivers will be held at the Lismore Showgrounds on March 14.

Organised by Lismore Friendship Festival Incorporated, Tavola LisAmore will bring together more than 100 guests for a family-style feast prepared by chef Daniela Maiorano.

The Byron-based chef will cook alongside her brother Attilio as part of their catering business, Convivio.

Maiorano said discovering the size of the Italian community in the Northern Rivers had been a welcome surprise.

“This is a beautiful discovery because for me, it’s very important to cook for my community,” she said.

Having emigrated to Byron a decade ago, the Abruzzese chef said food helps bridge the emotional distance of migration.

“Being an immigrant is a reality that only an immigrant can understand,” she said.

“The feeling of living far away from your family, from the things that you grew up with, it’s big.”

“So, it’s nice to recreate what we miss the most, which is our tradition and our food.”

Maiorano and her brother are fourth-generation chefs who grew up working in their family’s Ristorante Clemente, which has operated since the First World War.

Her cooking draws on the traditions of central Italy’s mountain communities, where every part of the animal was used.

Event president Maree Santarossa said the lunch honours the long-standing Italian presence in the region.

“We have a massive Italian community here and it’s very much a part of this region’s history,” she said.

The event will feature shared platters, Italian wine, coffee and live music.

“It’s a family style, so platters are served, and people can sit opposite each other and just enjoy the atmosphere,” Santarossa said.

Tavola LisAmore will be held from 11.30am to 3pm at the William Smith Pavilion, Lismore Showground.