Loving What We Do

As the old saying goes, if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life.  It's a wise person who came up with that one. That said, let's be honest; even if you love your job, everyone needs a break.

This came to mind this morning, after a very busy Saturday in the kitchen, yesterday. We filled our orders and the clients were happy, but it was a pretty exhausting day. Nevertheless, as I enjoy a rare Sunday off and spending time with my family, the conversation drifts towards "what's for dinner?" and, given the kitchen-induced exhaustion that I felt barely 12 hours ago, you'd think the kitchen is the last place I want to head to. Surprisingly, though, I'm looking forward to prepping and cooking dinner for the family (gnocchi with tomato-basil sauce are on the menu), later this afternoon.

In any job, it's usually pretty obvious when someone performs it with care and passion. At Cucina Mauro, we truly are passionate about our work, and we hope that it comes through in our dedication, service, and quality

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I have to confess, I’m not much of a winter person. Don’t get me wrong, one of my favourite things of living in Ontario is that we enjoy all four seasons, including winter; but given the choice, I’ll take autumn colours, spring flowers, or summer bbq.  That said, there is one thing that winter has that the others don’t: curing season.

Every year, for as long as I can remember, January and February were synonymous with all types of “salumi”: salsicia, sopresata, capocolo, pancetta, and prosciutto.   That is the time of the year when temperatures allow for the family cantina to be at the perfect temperature for curing. It also happens to be the time of year when, either by coincidence or competition, the cost of the required pork meat is most affordable.  When all was said and done, about 250 lbs of various cuts of pork would be hanging in the cantina, meticulously organized and monitored, for months.

Like all Italian cuisine, every region of Italy has its own distinct tastes and specialties when it comes to salumi.  The defining ingredient for our family’s sausge recipe has always been fennel seed, or “Finnochio” in Italian.  The subtle anise flavour of fennel will always mean sausage to me.

One of my favourite traditions of making sausages is testing the meat to check if enough, or too much, salt has been added. Like every other part of this process, it’s done the same way it has been done for decades, if not centuries: by taste. After the salt has been mixed into the meat, all production halts so that we can fry a bit of the meat and then pass it around to let everyone sample some; chew it slowly and carefully, paying close attention to the salt flavour.   Once it gets the stamp of approval, production continues.

Our family has finished for this year. The cantina is full with pancetta, salsicia, sopresata, and capocolo (no prosciutto this year), all slowly curing.  Now, the hard part: we wait.

Buon Anno! We're back!

It's been a while since we posted an update and there's a good reason for that: we were so busy filling catering orders over the holidays that we literally were burning the midnight oil, so, unfortunately, there just wasn't much time left for this.

Now that the holiday season is over, we are still busy, but we have a bit more time to engage and update everyone again.  It's our goal to make Cucina Mauro about more than just food.  For us, it is about passing on traditions and continuing legacies, and this humble blog and our social media accounts allow us to engage in ways that contribute in achieving those goals.   So, we are looking forward to filling these pages up, in 2017, with stories about our past, present, and future; and with reflections on the importance of food in feeding our souls and bringing us together; on family, friends, and so much more. 

We wish you and your loved ones all the best in 2017!  Buon Anno!

The Veal Sandwich Tradition Lives On

If you’ve read our blog in the past, you know that at Cucina Mauro, we believe that food is so much more than just sustenance. Food brings us together, it stirs up emotions, and it creates memories. For us, nothing exemplifies that more than the classic veal sandwich, which is why we are so proud to have been nominated for Ontario’s best veal sandwich (www.ontariovealappeal.com, #bestvealsandwich).

Some of our earliest memories are of going for take-out veal sandwiches with our father, in Toronto.  It was always a treat! The delicious aroma and taste had our young mouths watering before the counter staff even handed over the goods.

Today, however, we treasure the memory of those veal sandwiches even more. Not only because they were delicious, but because we were being indoctrinated into a tradition, even though we didn’t know it then.  Before we were even around, our father would treat himself to veal sandwiches at some of the earliest shops around town after emigrating to Toronto from Calabria, Italy, when few people other than Italian immigrants were enjoying these beautiful creations. Once we were on the scene, the tradition continued, and we are proud to say that we are now passing on that same tradition to our own children.

That’s why we are honoured to be part of the tradition of veal sandwiches and why we are proud to have been nominated for Ontario’s best veal sandwich.  If you’ve tried our sandwich and you agree with us that it deserves the title of Ontario’s best veal sandwich, then we would be honoured to have your vote.  You can vote for us by clicking here  or by using the hashtag #bestvealsandwich and tagging @CucinaMauro on twitter or @cucina_mauro on Instagram.  THANKS!

Good Food is Always Better with Good Company

What is the purpose of food? The obvious answer is that it keeps us alive; but it does so much more than that!  It brings us together. It gives us a reason to gather. Indeed, good food is always better with good company!

Such was the case, recently, when we had the pleasure of hosting one of Canada's pre-eminent food bloggers and the brains behind simplybeautifuleating.com. We had such a great time, and we never would have met had it not been for a mutual passion for food. 

Click here to read all about the evening, and see some beautiful photos taken during our dinner together.  If you read right to the end, you'll even be rewarded with a bonus prize: our veal/chicken parmigiana recipe!

Make it an Italian Thanksgiving!

At Cucina Mauro Catering, we are very proud of our Italian heritage, and the customs that our past generations brought with them when they immigrated to this great country; but we are equally proud of the way they integrated themselves into Canadian culture. At this time of year, we are reminded of one of our favourite examples of this: Thanksgiving.

Although Thanksgiving is not a holiday that is typically celebrated in Italy, it is something that has been embraced by Italian-Canadian immigrants.  When we were growing up, Thanksgiving was the only day of the year that turkey was served. There would always be a huge one cooking in the oven all afternoon.

Nevertheless, an Italian-Canadian Thanksgiving is still quite unique.  Turkey would always be precipitated by a pasta course, and sometimes even an antipasto. And turkey was rarely the only “secondi” served.  Inevitably, there would be some other kind of meat, like veal cutlets or home-made sausages, served along-side.

Likely, the same story could probably be told by Canadian immigrants from numerous other backgrounds; many of them, most likely, combining a uniquely Canadian tradition with the customs of their homeland.  And, quite frankly, what better way is there to express gratitude for this great Canadian mosaic?

So, in that spirit, make this Thanksgiving a little different. Make it an Italian-Canadian Thanksgiving!  Add a tray of lasagna or cannelloni; serve one of our signature porchetta roasts; add a tray of eggplant parmigiana to your sides; or finish your meal off with one of our delicious Tiramisu cakes.

Let us help make this Thanksgiving easier, and memorable!  Happy Thanksgiving!

Free Samples at the Queen West Night Market

Food is more than just sustenance; it is art.  Visually, it can capture our emotions as much as a painting, photograph, or sculpture.  More importantly, however, is that if it is done right, it is prepared with the same attention to detail and emotional commitment as an artist working in any other medium.  

That is how we approach our food at Cucina Mauro, and its why we are excited to be at Nuvango (639 Queen Street West, Toronto) on August 18 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. to participate in the Queen West Night Market.  You can find me set up in Nuvango's second floor gallery surrounded by their current exhibition, FSTVL SZN, which showcases the talent of Toronto photographer, THESUPERMANIAK.

Nuvango is an inspiring fashion and lifestyle brand that combines fashion with artists. You can learn more about Nuvango here.   We will be set up in this unique space giving away FREE samples of our Infornate Olives as part of the Queen West Night Market, which is combining some great foods with some of Toronto's greatest retailers.

You won't want to miss this. Good food and good shopping!  Come see us!

Feeding the Soul

Music and food are like a match made in heaven. Think about it: almost any event that has great food, usually has great music playing too. It's no surprise,  really, because both get to the heart of what being alive is all about.  They are about more than feeding our mouth or our ears. They go deeper than that. They feed our souls.

Both can transport you to a special time or place in an instant. One bite of a special dish can transport you right to your grandmother's kitchen, just like one note of your wedding song can transport you to your fist dance.

Food and music evoke powerful emotions, in all of us. That's the philosophy that guides us at Cucina Mauro. We strive to maintain the authenticity of our food and recipes not because the food tastes good, which it does, but because it makes us feel good. And it's also why we happily partner with The Organetto Project to bring you classic Italian music, which will make you feel like you are sitting in a small town square in Italy. We are featuring The Organetto Project at our stall at the King City Farmer's Market next Sunday August 7th. Come out for some good food and music. Click the link to get more information on The Organetto Project, or contact us for more detail on how to add this great feature to your next event.

Spiducci AND Organetto

We'll be at the King City Farmer's Market again this Sunday (July 24) from 8:00 am - 1:00 pm. Serving up Fritata on a bun for breakfast and, new this week, spiducci straight off the grill. Best of all, we will have live musical entertainment from a member of the famiglia, Marco, and his organetto.  It's going to be a blast! Don't miss it! (King City Farmer's Market, Keele Street just south of King Side Road).

Marco and his Organetto.

Veal vs. Peameal

Toronto Mayor John Tory recently settled a debate that has simmered in Toronto's food scene for years, if not decades: what is Toronto's signature dish? There are a number of dishes that could fit this bill, but Mayor Tory, rightly, declared the peameal bacon sandwich as Toronto's signature dish.  

Before going further, let's be clear: the peameal bacon sandwich deserves this crown. Various historians believe that it had its roots in Toronto; and what exemplifies "Hog Town" better than bacon?

But with that said, we would be remiss if we didn't make the case for another classic Toronto sandwich: veal on a bun. With it's origins in Toronto's Little Italy, it exemplifies what is possibly Toronto's greatest and most obvious characteristic: multi-culturalism.  

Also, the veal sandwich has a long tradition in Toronto, with some of the original shops offering it since the early 1950s.

Finally, and most importantly, there really is no other city that can brag about consistent quality and selection of veal sandwiches like Toronto can.  At Cucina Mauro, we're proud to be a part of that tradition.

That sure is one tasty looking sandwich! Contact us to order a platter for your next party.