Chefs’ Tips and Tricks

CHEF’S TIPS & TRICKS Cucina Italiana

BY KEANE STRAUB

hen we think of Italian cuisine, pasta is the first thing W that comes to mind, and for good reason: it’s delicious, easy to prepare, and there’s a variation for any taste, diet, and budget. But we would be wrong to assume that it is all Italian cuisine can offer.

In this month’s Chef’s Tips, we gave six Alberta chefs one simple guideline when it came to choosing a recipe: no pasta. Here you’ll find everything from appetizers to main dishes, with nary a noodle in sight. From family recipes to new twists on tradition, you’ll be delighted with the simplicity of preparation that allows each ingredient to shine.

Jeremy Hube, owner and pizzaiolo at

Calgary’s Pizza Culture YYC, has been working in restaurants since he was a teenager. Ten years ago, it was his dream to open a pizzeria - and today it’s a reality.

Using a traditional wood-fired oven and long-fermented dough as the base of Neapolitan-style pizzas, Hube says,

“We’re off to a pretty banging start.”

The menu boasts more than just pizza. As Hube explains, “Italian food is very diverse, just like anywhere else in the world. A lot of people think it’s just pizza and pasta, but that’s just not the case.” No matter the dish however, the focus should remain on ingredients.

“Italian food is simple, with only a few ingredients in a dish. So we look for the highest-quality ingredients. When treated properly, there’s no comparison.”

Hube’s recipe for Lentils with

Broccolini and Burrata is a take on more traditional dishes that use beans and sausage. “You get a nice contrast: a little bit salty with the lentils, and the creamy freshness of the cheese on top. It’s one of those things that you just need to eat.” Lentils with Burrata and Broccolini

Serves 2-4

1 cup of beluga lentils ½ cup onion, fine dice ½ cup celery, fine dice ½ cup carrot, fine dice 3 large cloves of garlic, fine dice 2 Tbs (30 mL) olive oil 1 cup (250 mL) white wine 2 cups (500 mL) water 2 pieces of broccolini 2 Tbs (30 mL) extra virgin olive oil 125-200 g fresh burrata To taste salt and pepper

1. Rinse lentils in fresh water to remove any debris, set aside. 2. Sweat the onions, celery, carrots, and 2 cloves of garlic in a large saucepan with olive oil over medium heat until vegetables become soft. 3. Add lentils, wine, and water. Bring to a boil and then simmer with lid on until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes 4. Once lentils are cooked, season to taste. 5. Blanch the broccolini and drain well. Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add broccolini and one clove of garlic, and sauté until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper. 6. Serve lentils topped with broccolini and fresh burrata.

Kathryn Joel is chef and owner at Edmonton’s Get Cooking, a private culinary school which she founded in 2011. A student at Le Cordon Bleu in London and Leiths School of Food and Wine, Joel says she never worked in restaurants after culinary school. She instead landed on teaching by chance while in a work placement at The Seafood Training School in London. “I discovered an affinity for teaching and have followed that path ever since.”

“I love Italian food because it’s uncomplicated,” says Joel, which is important when teaching. “Chefs and at-home cooks can draw on what grows in their regions, and that speaks to me and my philosophy on food.”

A classic Italian dish, ossobuco, or braised veal shank, was a favourite of Joel’s father. Be certain to caramelize the meat, Joel adds. “The fond in the pan that is the result (those little browned bits that are stuck to the bottom) is the start of the sauce.” And anchovies are a must. “They add an umami savoury note that you don’t really notice is there, but you might miss if it wasn’t.” Ossobuco in Bianco

Serves 6 to 8

8 pieces of ossobuco (veal shank) 4-5cm thick Salt and pepper ½ cup all-purpose flour 3 Tbs (45 mL) grapeseed or canola oil 2 Tbs (30 mL) extra virgin olive oil 1 Tbs butter 1 large red onion, finely chopped 4 celery stalks, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 9 anchovy fillets 1½ cups (375 mL) dry white wine 1 cup (250 mL) veal stock 1 bay leaf 2 sprigs fresh thyme

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. 2. Season the ossobuco with salt and pepper and dust with flour, patting off the excess. 3. In a large Dutch oven over a mediumhigh heat, add grapeseed or canola oil and heat until shimmering. Brown the ossobuco until nicely caramelized on both sides, in batches as necessary. Do not overcrowd. 4. Set the browned ossobuco aside, then add olive oil and butter to the pan. Reduce heat to medium, and add the onions, seasoning with salt. Sweat the onions for a couple of minutes then add the celery and sweat the onions and celery together, stirring frequently, until soft and lightly coloured, about 10 minutes. 5. Add the garlic and anchovies, mashing the anchovies with your spoon until they have dissolved, and cook just until the garlic is fragrant. 6. Increase heat to high and add the wine to deglaze. Bring to a boil and reduce by half. Add the veal stock, and slightly reduce, and add the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. 7. Return ossobuco to the pan, placing them with the narrow side of the bone hollow down. Place a piece of parchment paper cut to the size of your pan on the surface of the shanks. Cover the pan with a lid and bake in oven until tender but not falling apart, about 2½ hours. 8. Once tender remove ossobuco from the sauce and transfer your Dutch oven to the stove. Reduce the sauce as needed then return the ossobuco to the pan. Serve with risotto, mashed potatoes, or polenta.

Like many chefs, Alessandro ‘Sandro’ Chinea started his culinary career washing dishes as a summer job. This evolved to moving into the kitchen proper where Chinea’s interest in cooking grew, leading him to SAIT’s culinary program. After graduating, he worked in hotels, golf courses, and downtown restaurants. Since September 2021, he’s the Head Chef at Calgary’s DOP.

“I like cooking all sorts of cuisine, from all over,” says Chinea. “When it came to DOP, it was very much owner Tony Migliarese’s vision. He’d tell me, ‘I want people to eat what I ate as a kid with my family.’” Migliarese’s mother, Rose, is also a presence in DOP’s kitchen, as many of the recipes or variations of, are hers, and she worked alongside Chinea to perfect each one.

“Italian food is so simple,” says Chinea. “For this recipe, it’s one ingredient, green tomatoes. We do a few things to it – salt it, brine it, press it – and the result is this beautiful, pickled condiment. If you treat an ingredient well, it speaks for itself.” Pickled Green Tomatoes

3-4 green tomatoes ¾ cup (200 g) salt 2 cups (500 mL) water 2 cups (500 mL) white vinegar 4 cloves garlic, sliced or chopped To taste chopped parsley Canola oil as needed

1. Slice tomatoes 1 cm thick with a mandolin or by hand. Sprinkle with salt ensuring they all get covered. Transfer the tomatoes into a container with a lid and allow to sit overnight to form a brine. 2. Strain the salt brine from the tomatoes. Mix the water and vinegar and pour over top of the tomatoes, and cover. Allow these to pickle for 4-6 hours. 3. Press the tomatoes: strain your tomatoes from the pickling liquid. Set up a bowl with a colander on top, add your tomatoes to the colander and lay some plastic wrap loosely over the tomatoes. Grab a stack of 4-5 smaller plates, or a can of beans or some sort of weight to press on top of the tomatoes. Press the tomatoes overnight. 4. Now the tomatoes should be mostly dry, salted, and pickled! Add garlic and parsley and mix with tomato slices. Take this mixture and tightly pack into jars. Add canola oil to the jar as needed to cover tomatoes. Store in the fridge for up to 6 months and serve with pasta, grilled meats, cheese, salumi...whatever!

Chef Marcel Bondea has been cooking for more than 30 years. With a background in French cuisine, he came to Canada in 1982 and a short while later enrolled in the culinary arts program at SAIT. After graduating, he worked in several restaurants in Calgary, and today is the chef at Grande Amore.

For Bondea, Italian is the kind of cuisine you can eat every day and not get bored of. “It’s so simple. You can use some extra virgin olive oil, a tomato, an onion, some garlic, and some basil, and you are done. It’s such a beautiful cuisine.”

During those earlier years, Bondea gained experience using alforno ovens and learning the basics of pizza dough, and in turn, focaccia. “I’ve been working on my focaccia recipe for 25 years,” he explains. “It’s like a never-ending story. I always try to make the same recipe, but I’m also thinking, ‘How can I make it better next time?’” He suggests infusing the olive oil with rosemary or other herbs. Focaccia Bread

makes 1 loaf

2½ cups (600 mL) warm water 2 packets (14 g) active dry yeast ½ cup sugar 8 cups (1 kg) all-purpose flour or bread flour plus additional for kneading 1 Tbs fine salt ½ cup (120 mL) extra-virgin olive oil ¼ cup (60 mL) extra virgin olive oil for topping 1 Tbs fresh rosemary or dry Italian seasoning Coarse sea salt for sprinkling

1. Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar in a small bowl. Put the bowl in a warm place until the yeast is foamy and aromatic, at least 10 minutes. 2. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, salt, ½ cup (120 mL) olive oil, and yeast mixture on low speed. 3. Once the dough has come together, continue to knead for about 7-8 minutes on a low until it becomes smooth and soft to the touch. 4. Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface then knead it by hand 3 or 4 times, sprinkling with flour if still sticky. 5. Shape into a ball, place in a greased mixing bowl, and brush dough with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 30 minutes. 6. Coat a baking sheet with olive oil and begin pressing dough out to fit the size of the pan, turning the dough over to coat the other side. Stretch the dough to fit the pan, using your fingertips to create dimples throughout the surface. 7. Let dough rest in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 30 minutes. While the dough is rising a second time, preheat the oven to 400º F. 8. Sprinkle the top of the focaccia with some coarse sea salt, fresh chopped rosemary, or Italian seasoning, and lightly drizzle olive oil on top. Bake the dough until the top of the loaf is golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Remove the focaccia from the oven and let it cool before cutting and serving.

Executive Chef Chris Barton, at Calgary’s Trullo Trattoria, says ingredients influence much of what he cooks. “I don’t always know what I would like to make until I see the product and then determine how I will cook and prepare them,” he says. So, when it comes to Italian cuisine, Barton loves the simplicity of preparation. “Many dishes contain only 3 or 4 ingredients, and everything must be perfect to achieve the correct results.”

A graduate of SAIT’s Professional Culinary Program, Barton also has his Diploma from ESCF Ferrandi in Paris, France. He loves artichokes, and when it comes to using them in dishes, Barton credits his French education and experience. “It taught me how much work actually goes into preparing them, but how delightful they can be when eaten.”

While fresh artichokes are best, Barton explains, “It can be difficult to find decent fresh ones, and they can be a little tricky to prepare if you have no experience with them.” In this case, jarred or tinned work just as well. Artichoke fritto misto with spicy caponata

Serves 4

Caponata

1/3 cup (80 mL) olive oil 1 large onion, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced ¼ cup fresh chilies, diced 1 Tbs fresh chopped parsley ¼ cup whole capers, rinsed ¼ cup pitted green olives, diced 1 can (2½ cups) peeled diced tomatoes 1 large eggplant, peeled and diced 2 tsp granulated sugar 2 Tbs (30 mL) red wine vinegar Fresh basil leaves, whole To taste salt

1. In a large skillet or pan heat the olive oil on medium. Add the onion and celery and let sweat until translucent. Add the garlic, chilies, and parsley, and cook for about 1 minute, then add the capers, olives, and tomatoes and cook for 15-20 minutes. 2. In a separate pan heat a decent amount of oil and fry the eggplant in 2 batches until golden. Remove the eggplant with a slotted spoon and place on paper towel to absorb excess oil. 3. Add eggplant to the tomato mixture along with sugar and vinegar and cook for about 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and add basil leaves while the mixture is cooling. Remove the basil leaves once it lowers to room temperature. Season with salt to taste and serve.

Artichoke Frito Misto

4 cups (1 L) canola oil 1 large can (400 mL) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and cut into sixths 6 egg whites 1-2 Tbs (15-30 mL) cold water ¼ cup cornstarch 2 cups all-purpose flour

1. Heat a large pot with the litre of oil up to 350º–375º F. 2. Set up to dredge your artichokes using 3 different bowls: one with cornstarch, one with egg whites whisked with cold water, and one with flour. 3. Dust artichokes in cornstarch first, then dip in egg whites and finally into the all-purpose flour. Shake off the excess flour and fry in batches in the oil for about 2 minutes. Place on a tray with some paper towel and season with salt immediately. Serve warm with caponata.

Edmonton’s Panini’s Italian Cucina is a family affair. Started by chef and co-owner Robert Caruso, his father, Roberto, and his brothers Tony and Jamie, much of what is created reflects how Caruso and his family ate at home while he was growing up. “In the early days of the business, we put a lot of time and effort into researching traditional methods and techniques, as well as developing systems to produce classic dishes in a commercial kitchen,” Caruso explains.

Inspired by innovation, Caruso enjoys putting his own twist on tradition. “I love exploring what I can do to bend a dish into something that may surprise a guest and treat them to an experience they may not get anywhere else.”

“To be a great Italian cook is simply to know, recognize, and understand the quality of a basic ingredient.” Arborio rice will create the best risotto, along with trusting the process. “The method isn’t difficult, but you cannot set and forget risotto,” he says. “You must be there to stir, but I promise the result will be second to none.” Risotto Milanese

Serves 2-3

½ onion, diced 1 Tbs (15 mL) extra virgin olive oil 8 Tbs unsalted butter, divided 1½ cups (300 g) Arborio rice ½ cup (125 mL) dry white wine 6 cups (1½ L) chicken broth 20 saffron threads ¾ cup (70 g) grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano To taste salt and pepper

1. In a saucepan that’s large enough to hold the rice and then some, heat olive oil and 2 Tbs butter. Add onion and sauté on medium heat until the onion becomes fragrant and translucent. 2. Stir in the rice and toast for about three minutes, then add wine to deglaze the pan. 3. Add two cups of chicken broth and saffron. The saffron will give the risotto a wonderful vibrant yellow colour. 4. Keep the flame on high until the rice comes to a simmer and maintain it. 5. Let the risotto reduce and add your cups of broth one at a time, stirring each time until almost absorbed, and the risotto is al dente with the consistency that you prefer. Make sure you are stirring often, which does two things: makes for a creamy risotto and keeps the bottom from burning. 6. When you are happy with the texture and consistency of your risotto add in the remainder of your butter and ParmigianoReggiano. Season with salt and black pepper.

Keane Straub has travelled from Tofino to Charlottetown, sampling the different flavours Canada offers. The passion people have for their craft and culture inspires Keane to tell their stories.