American Bounty: Celebrating Regional American Cuisines
A Summer Food and Culture Series at Copia
Forty years ago, the CIA opened American Bounty Restaurant in Hyde Park, NY, making a bold statement that American food was a cuisine deserving of both recognition and celebration.
To celebrate this important milestone, The CIA at Copia is proud to introduce American Bounty: Celebrating Regional American Cuisines, a new annual summer culinary experience. From September to October 2022, we celebrate the next generation of innovators who will continue to define and evolve American cuisine.
From the Mississippi Delta to the Southwest back to Wine Country for Harvest, enjoy regional foods, wines, and live music brought to you by renowned CIA alumni. Immerse yourselves in the distinctive tastes and sounds of America—from the bounty of the Napa Valley!
Past Events
The Mississippi Delta with Carlton McCoy, CIA ’06, Featuring the J.C. Smith Band
Hands-On Class / Screening / Q&A / Live Regional Music / VIP Dinner
Saturday, September 10
Carlton McCoy—managing partner at Lawrence Wine Estates, master sommelier, and host of Nomad with Carlton McCoy—joins us for a screening of episode six of his new hit CNN original series and Q&A with special guests. You’ll take a trip to the Mississippi Delta, where Carlton will explore his culinary roots and understand what makes modern Mississippi a vibrant home for many.
Following the screening, a VIP dinner will take place in the garden featuring Carlton’s regional southern favorites from the show and live blues music by the J.C. Smith Band. Plus, you can join Carlton for a hands-on cooking class to further explore the cuisine of the deep south.
Sponsor:
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Southern Home Cooking Secrets with Carlton McCoy: 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Step into the kitchen for a special hands-on class taught by CIA grad Carlton McCoy. Everyone knows that grandma’s recipes are always the best and something you’ll never find in a cookbook. Here’s your opportunity to learn Carlton’s grandmother’s southern home cooking secrets through a variety of classic recipes and techniques that have been passed down through the generations.
Add a screening and VIP Dinner to your class experience by purchasing a bundle ticket and save! This ticket provides you access to the hands-on class with Carlton in the morning, and the screening, Q&A, and VIP Dinner event in the evening.
Price: $225
Ten Timeless Cocktails from the New South Mixology Class: Noon–2 p.m.
Join CIA beverage expert Traci Dutton as you sip your way through the history and technique of classic southern cocktails in this interactive tasting class.
This ain’t no moonshine. In the multi-faceted but sometimes hazy history of the cocktail, you must consider the libations of the American South for their enduring impact on the way we “tipple.” Fruity Hurricanes, the absinthe-laden Sazarac, icy Mint Julep, creamy Brandy Milk Punch, ethereal (and restorative) Ramos Gin Fizz, and the elegant Vieux Carré will all be covered. Plus a few more classics that help shape our ideas about modern mixology.
Tastings, recipes, and demonstrations provided with some good ol’ fashioned Southern hospitality and stories, of course.
Must be 21+ to participate.
Traci Dutton is a beverage, food, and hospitality expert based in the Napa Valley. With over 35 years of experience as a sommelier, consumer and professional educator, writer, and beverage specialist, she currently teaches at the Culinary Institute of America’s California Campus and the Napa Valley College.
Price: $65
Screening and VIP Dinner: 5:30 p.m.
Carlton will screen episode six of his CNN original series, Nomad with Carlton McCoy, exploring Mississippi. Q&A with special guests to follow. Then, join us for a family-style dinner in the garden with a menu featuring Carlton's favorite dishes from the show along with live blues music by the J.C. Smith Band.
Price includes a reception cocktail and a glass of wine (or beer) with dinner.
Dinner menu features:
- Grandma’s Fried Chicken
- Collard Greens
- Butter Beans
- Cornbread
- Grove Garden Salad
- Peach Cobbler
Chicken provided by Pasturebird Pasture Raised Poultry.
Price: $95
Southwestern Cuisine with Edgar Rico, CIA ’11, Featuring Latin Grammy Nominee Gabriel Navia
Hands-On Classes / Demonstration / Live Regional Music / VIP Dinner
Saturday, September 24–Sunday, September 25
Edgar Rico—2022 James Beard Award winner for Best Emerging Chef and owner/chef at Nixta Taqueria in Austin, TX—and co-owner Sara Mardanbigi join us for an adventure through the cuisine and culture of the southwest. We’re throwing a masa party and you’re invited!Hailing from Austin, TX, Nixta is not a typical taquería. It treads a line between the super-traditional (they make their own masa and tortillas using heirloom corn from Mexico) and the unconventional (you don’t see many taquerias where duck confit stands in for carnitas). Edgar and Sara share their culture with others every day at Nixta through their food, and now they’re bringing it to Copia for a VIP dinner in the garden with live Latin music by Latin Grammy nominee Gabriel Navia. You’ll also have the chance to take a masterclass in masa with a hands-on class or special demonstration. Plus, learn about Texas wines, make your own tepache, and take a cocktail class.
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Secrets of the Southwest with Edgar Rico and Sara Mardanbigi: Saturday, September 24 / 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Immerse yourself in the cuisine of the southwest with a hands-on cooking class taught by CIA grad Edgar and Nixta Taqueria co-owner Sara. In this class, you’ll learn how to take the traditional techniques of tostada and taco making and blend them with not-so-classic ingredients as you prepare best sellers from the Nixta Taqueria menu.
Edgar and Sara are joined by special guest and Bay Area masa guru, Jorge Gaviria, founder of Masienda, producer of heirloom masa harina, tortillas, and pura macha, and author of the new book, Masa. Jorge will give you a masa masterclass, exploring the history, technique, and significance of this quintessential ingredient.
Add a VIP Dinner to your class experience by purchasing a bundle ticket and save! This ticket provides you access to the hands-on class with Edgar and Carlton in the morning, and the VIP Dinner event in the evening.
Price: $225
Tequila Masterclass: Saturday, September 24 / Noon–2 p.m.
Join CIA beverage expert Traci Dutton for this unique interactive tasting experience that will certainly change your thoughts on tequila. Plus, she’ll share her top-secret perfect margarita recipe!
Tequila is not just a place or a distillate; it’s a state of mind. Say it with us, “100% Blue Agave.” And now, put this in the hands of a producer, a historical process, the appellations of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, Tamaulipas, and Jalisco, and the staves of a barrel and you have thousands of variations from this singular plant.
We’ll learn it all while tasting typical, textbook to extraordinary. No shots, no worms, no blenders and—this may be the only time you’ll hear this at the CIA—no salt.
Must be 21+ to participate.
Traci Dutton is a beverage, food, and hospitality expert based in the Napa Valley. With over 35 years of experience as a sommelier, consumer and professional educator, writer, and beverage specialist, she currently teaches at The Culinary Institute of America’s California Campus and the Napa Valley College.
Add a VIP Dinner to your class experience by purchasing a bundle ticket and save! This ticket provides you access to the tequila masterclass with Traci in the morning, and the VIP Dinner event in the evening.
Price: $65
VIP Dinner—Nixta Taqueria Pachanga: Saturday, September 24 / 6:30 p.m.
Chef Edgar and Sara share some of their favorite traditional dishes with us in a family-style meal you won’t want to miss. Live music by Latin Grammy nominee Gabriel Navia featuring a live Colombian cumbia band completes the dining experience.
Menu features:
- Sikil P’aak: pumpkin seed dip, seasonal crudités, masa-black sesame cracker, amaranth
- Beet “Tartare” Tostada: roasted beets, salsa macha, avocado crema, horseradish, microgreens, lime
- Cauliflower Taco: roasted cauliflower, romesco salsa, toasted pine nuts, queso fresco, cilantro, lime
- Duck Carnitas Taco: duck confit, salsa cruda, radish, shaved white onion, cilantro
- Paleta: popsicle made with seasonal fruit, chamoy
Price: $95
Wine Country Harvest Celebration with Dominic Orsini, CIA ’95
Hands-On Classes / Live Regional Music / VIP Dinner / Harvest Festival
Saturday, October 15
We’re no strangers to wine country cuisine—and it’s the perfect region to explore as a harvest celebration. Get ready for a day centered on the wine, food, and more of the place that we call home, elevated to new heights by The CIA at Copia’s new executive chef, Dominic Orsini ’95, a wine and food pairing expert.Take a hands-on food and wine pairing class with Dominic or take part in one of our beverage classes taught by CIA beverage experts. Join us for dinner in the Chuck Williams Culinary Arts Museum with a menu based on classic wine country fare.
Sponsors:
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Preparing the Perfect Pairings with Dominic Orsini: Saturday, October 15 / 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Learn how to pair dishes with wines from a certified food and wine pairing expert in this hands-on class taught by CIA grad Dominic Orsini. You’ll work with seasonal ingredients from our culinary garden to explore how taste changes our palate’s perception of wine.
When consuming wine and food together, our palate’s perception of the wine will indeed be disrupted by the acidity of the food it is paired with. The key is to manage the level of acidity in the food to maintain the acidic balance of the pairing—that’s what this class will focus on. You’ll explore complimentary and contrasting pairings, as well as breaking the old-world rules of pairing certain wine with certain foods.
Add a VIP Dinner to your class experience by purchasing a bundle ticket and save! This ticket provides you access to the hands-on class with Dominic in the morning, and the VIP Dinner event in the evening. Limited tickets available!
Price: $225
Tour the North Coast in 10 Glasses: Wine Tasting Class: Saturday, October 15 / Noon–2 p.m.
Join CIA beverage expert Traci Dutton on a tour of the North Coast in this wine tasting class. Explore the quintessential wines of the Redwood Empire, including wines from Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, Marin and Solano counties.
As the crow flies, the North Coast American Viticultural Area is only about 100 miles long and 50 miles wide, but it encompasses some of the most elite, unique and downright incredible producers of wine in the world. We’ll taste prototypical examples from each of the six counties nestled in the AVA, including almost every style of wine possible, and learn why great wine has been made in this region since the gold rush.
Must be 21+ to participate.
Traci Dutton is a beverage, food and hospitality expert based in the Napa Valley. With over 35 years of experience as a sommelier, consumer and professional educator, writer and beverage specialist, she currently teaches at the Culinary Institute of America’s California Campus and the Napa Valley College.
Add a VIP Dinner to your class experience by purchasing a bundle ticket and save! This ticket provides you access to the wine tasting class in the morning, and the VIP Dinner event in the evening. Limited tickets available!
Price: $75
A Crash Course in Crush: Wine Class: Saturday, October 15 / 3–5 p.m.
Curious how wine gets from the vine to your glass? CIA beverage expert Traci Dutton explains it all in this crash course on wine making where you’ll take a deep dive into the process that brings us Napa Valley’s favorite beverage. Tastings included.
The 2022 harvest is underway in Napa Valley! If you’re curious about what really happens in the vineyard and winery, this class will give you an insider’s peek into the world of growing grapes and making wine. Planting a vineyard, the life cycle of the vine, harvest, crushing, fermentation, and aging all require unique decisions that encourage specific characteristics in wine.
Through guided tastings of wines made with different techniques, you’ll discover what all the action this time of year is about plus gain a deeper appreciation of the love and attention that goes into every bottle of wine you drink.
Must be 21+ to participate.
Traci Dutton is a beverage, food and hospitality expert based in the Napa Valley. With over 35 years of experience as a sommelier, consumer and professional educator, writer and beverage specialist, she currently teaches at the Culinary Institute of America’s California Campus and the Napa Valley College.
Price: $65
CIA at Copia Harvest Celebration Dinner: Saturday, October 15 / 6:30 p.m.
Experience wine country cuisine the way it should be—fresh, seasonal, simple, and local—with the unique style of seasoned California chef, Dominic Orsini. Join us for a meal in the Chuck Williams Culinary Arts Museum that reflects the bounty of this season’s harvest and, of course, a selection of wines from Napa to celebrate.
Menu:
- Passed Hors d’Oeuvre: cherry tomatoes with charred corn blini and avocado; garden melon bruschetta with burrata and aged balsamic; Fuji apple skewers baked with cheddar and bacon
- First Course: Chilean Sea Bass—preserved lemon and sorrel-hazelnut pesto
- Second Course: Smoked Paprika Shrimp—kabocha pumpkin, cranberry beans, and crispy serrano ham
- Third Course: Japanese A5 Wagyu New York Steak—charred Cipollini onions, mushrooms, Swiss chard bundles
- Fourth Course: Fresh Fig and Frangipane Tart—caramel gelato
Meat and seafood provided by The Seasoned Carte. Wine provided by Salvestrin Winery.
Price: $150
More information to come! Make sure to subscribe to our Copia newsletter to be the first to know when tickets are dropping for upcoming events.
Forty years ago on August 3, 1982, The Culinary Institute of America opened the doors to the American Bounty Restaurant in Hyde Park, NY, making a bold statement that American food was a cuisine deserving of both recognition and celebration. Along with a number of renowned chefs at that time—many of whom were CIA alumni, like Larry Forgione ’74 (“godfather of American cuisine”), Dean Fearing ’78, Susan Feniger ’77, and Jasper White ’76—American Bounty’s focus on regional and seasonal ingredients set the stage for what was to come.The CIA at Copia is proud to commemorate 40 years of the American Bounty Restaurant as the training ground for countless chefs and leaders who would go on to galvanize the American cuisine movement—trailblazers who broke the rules and defied the notion that fine-dining was limited to European cuisine.
At the CIA, more than 90 percent of our students receive scholarships and other forms of financial aid . Your patronage helps support this important priority, ensuring students can realize their dreams of attending the world’s premier culinary college.
