Friends of Fort Ontario will host a fundraising dinner program featuring the recipes and life of Garibaldi M. Lapolla at the American Foundry in Oswego, NY.  Considered one of the 100 most famous immigrants to enter the United States through Ellis Island, Lapolla popularized Italian-American cooking in America with publication of his still influential Italian Cooking for the American Kitchen in 1953.  Lapolla attributed his culinary success to his WWI army experience at Fort Ontario and has been featured on Alton Brown’s Food Network Show, “Good Eats.”

Dinner will be comprised of dishes inspired by Lapolla’s cookbook, including antipasto, consommé romana (soup), chicken parmesan, eggplant parmesan, and rice pudding with caramel sauce.   Following the meal, historian Paul Lear will speak on Lapolla’s fascinating life as an Italian immigrant, educator, politician, soldier, novelist, artist, poet, labor activist, and cookbook author. There will be gift baskets and other raffles.

Tickets for the event may be purchased by advance reservation only by February 28^th and cost $50.00; they can be obtained by calling 315-343-4711, or Paypal through the Friends of Fort Ontario website (www.fortontario.com).  Proceeds will benefit educational programming, special events, and projects at Fort Ontario State Historic Site.