T Magazine No.1

T TERRONI MAGAZINE

Giddy-up: the goods on horse meat Got 14 hours to spare over the holidays?

Then do we have the menu for you!

Our regulars dish on their food obsessions In the kitchen with Carlo Rota A verbal flight of Piemonte's wine, and just in time because our barolos are here Skinny Bitch Italian-style: Lose 30 lbs in 30 days on our all-proscuitto diet!

Balsamic vinegar gets graphic

ISSUE Nยบ1 FALL WINTER 2010

The Berkshire “Collection” available exclusively at Terroni

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T

Contributor’s

TERRONI MAGAZINE

Publisher Elena di Maria Editor-in-Chief Jessica Allen Design Small Assistant Editors Meagan Albrectson, Tara Downs, Rick Kang Copy Editors Carolyn Pioro, Christopher Allen Columnists Giovanna Alonzi, Max Stefanelli Admin. Managers Patti Shaw, Karina Watson Contributors Jessica Brooks, Rick Kang, Sandra Kang, Cosimo Pagliacolo, Stephanie Palmer, Natalie Urquhart, Jim Norton, Tony Lanz, Ashley Denton Thanks to Steven Di Donato, Simon Gadke, Albion Macleod, Anna Mammoliti, Cosimo Mammoliti, Vince Mammoliti, Ian McGrenaghan, Eva Michon, Cassandra Mosher, Hanna Puley, Jill Riley, John Szabo, Alex Tellez

Carolyn Pioro / Carolyn Pioro, former circus-aerialist turned aspiring editor, is currently completing Ryerson’s Magazine Publishing program. She copyedits, writes, and speaks publicly for the Canadian Paraplegic Association. Poised to write a fashion-forecasting column for IZ (designer Izzy Camilleri’s new adaptive clothing line), the robot-enthusiast, University of Toronto graduate, and former all-star Terroni server incorporates her new interest in health and technology with past loves of fashion, the arts and allthings whimsical.

Stephanie Palmer / This Mom, Wife, Restaurant Manager, and Once in a Blue Moon Photographer, was introduced to her mother’s Pentax K1000 at the age of 16 and fell in love. The affair, in all its ambitious yet unrequited glory, continues. She completed her Honours Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications & French Studies at York University in 1996 and in 2000 she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. Stephanie currently lives in Toronto with her husband Larry and their two bunnies. She’s been with Terroni since 1998. Visit stephaniepalmerphotography.com

Jessica Brooks / When she isn’t in the kitchen baking up a storm, Jessica is serving at Terroni and reading and tweeting about food. She received her formal journalism training at Humber College, from where she holds a postgraduate degree. She’s worked as an assistant producer for iCast News at the United Nations in New York and as an online producer at The Canadian Press in Toronto. But it’s the edible news that really gets her going. Follow her on Twitter @Brookscooks.

Rick and Sandra Kang / They say good taste runs in the family. Rick and Sandra Kang (and their mother) would have to agree. Both siblings worked at Terroni at one time or another. Sandra is a graphic designer living in New York City; Rick is a copywriter living in Toronto. Both still proudly represent Scarboro.

Jim Norton / Jim doesn’t know that we’re writing this, but we can’t let his generosity go unmentioned. This photographer, whose work can be found in Canadian Living, Food & Drink, and Homemakers magazines (to name a few), can be found most evenings sitting with his lovely wife Tonya at the Terroni Queen Street bar. When we asked Jim to do the cover shoot for our inaugural issue, he jumped at the chance—and so too did his assistant Tony Lanz and food stylist Ashley Denton. We couldn’t have done it without them.

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T Magazine Headquarters 720 Queem St. W. Toronto M6J 1E8

Contact Us For all inquiries, please email: jessie@terroni.ca

THE TERRONI INDEX

4 EAT YOUR HEART OUT compiled by Jessica Allen & Tara Downs

Number of years Parma has been making Parmigiano Reggiano cheese : 800 Kilograms of Parmigiano Reggiano used at Terroni every month : 96 (three wheels) Number of European countries finding German “mozzarella balls” that had turned inky blue : 14 Total number of mozzarella balls that had turned blue : 70,000 Number of subsequent red ricotta cheese sightings : 1 Litres of milk produced by a lactating mother in one year : 330 Average number of caffè lattes sold annually at Terroni restaurant : 18,492 Number of lactating mothers it would take to provide Terroni with milk for one year : 12 Average number of litres of wine an Italian consumes in a year : 26 Average number that a Canadian consumes : 15 Percentage of Americans who’d choose drinking over other vices if there was no health risk involved : 5 Percentage who’d choose eating whatever they wanted : 43 Calories and grams of fat in a small cheese pizza from Pizza Pizza : 1080 / 50 Calories and grams of fat in a Margherita pizza from Terroni : 626 / 22 Percentage of Italian population reported by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development to be “obese” : 10 Percentage of Canadian population reported by the OECD to be “obese” : 18 Number of Domino’s Pizza locations in Italy : 0 Average number of minutes Canadians spend eating daily : 60 Average number of minutes Italians spend : 110 Number of editions of the Italian cooking bible, The Science of Cooking and the Art of Eating Well : 111 Average number of vacation days Canadians received in 2009 : 19 Average number of vacation days Italians received in the same year : 31 Number of days that the Uffizi in Florence was closed in 2009 : 55 Number of days that the Canada's Parliament was not in session for 2009 : 232 Days that Terroni on Queen Street was closed in 2009 : 3½ Average number of minutes per day that Italian men spend in leisure more than Italian women : 80 Average number of sexual partners Canadian men have in a lifetime versus Italian men : 23 vs. 19 Average number of sexual partners Canadian women have in a lifetime versus Italian women : 10 vs. 7 Number of years since La Dolce Vita was released : 50 La Dolce Vita’s ranking in Entertainment Weekly’s 100 Greatest Films of All Time : 6th Average number of prosecco glasses rose at Terroni each year : 14,619 Average number of glasses broken at Terroni in one year : 1,446 Year that Annie Lennox’s Walking on Broken Glass reached number one in Canada : 1992 Year that Terroni opened on Queen West, Toronto : 1992

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DISH IT OUT

by Meagan Albrechtson

What Terroni Regulars are Obsessing about This Fall

Richard Baldwin, Managing Partner, Mathews Dinsdale Law Firm

Current food obsession: I enjoy blue cheese and red wine combinations. I suggest Cosimo’s father-in-law’s fabulous Montepulciano Merula (Salento Rosso) with any light or medium blue cheese.

Terroni addiction: Pappardelle alla Iosa is my favourite comfort food. My favourite

new dish is Agnolotti di Manzo con Burro e Salvia.

Devotee since: The Victoria Street restaurant opened in the mid-1990s. The service, food and wine at all locations are always first rate.

Chris Kelos, Senior Marketing Manager, Coldwell Banker Case Realty

Current food obsession: Not an obsession, but I bought a Misono Chef knife from Knife on Queen Street.

Terroni addiction: I love the A Fagiolo

salad.

Devotee since: I started going to the Queen Street location the first week it opened. Yeah, hard core regulars.

Cyril Kendall, PhD, Professor w Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto

Current food obsession: I really enjoy the harvest and the fresh fruit and vegetables.

Terroni addiction: Pasta or Gnocchetti alla Norma –love the Mezze Maniche.

BRING IT BACK. In terms of food, what got me hooked was the pizza, especially

the Santo Spirito.

Devotee since: Terroni Queen Street since it opened. I first noticed it from across the street while sitting in the old Squeeze Club.

Laura Serra, Social Current food obsession: Every Fall I make gnocchi with my Nonna and of course, Page Editor, The we make it by hand. One of the steps is Globe and Mail shredding the potato (my job) and it’s the part I loathe the most—it’s back-breaking and dangerous! I recently used a potato ricer instead and it worked like a charm. So now I use it for everything!

Terroni addiction: I’m a simple gal—the Spaghetti ca’ Pummarola n’Goppa is my

number one. I will also say this: I’ve been known to order two servings (don’t judge) because I just can’t get enough. A close second is the Santo Stefano pizza.

Devotee since: I’ve only ever eaten at the Queen Street location and only ever will.

It’s in my neighbourhood, some of the staff feel like family, and it feels like a second home. Terroni has been part of my life for almost five years. And I love it.

Simon Sutcliffe, 13 year-old son of architects Brigitte Shim & Howard Sutcliffe

Current food obsession: I have always loved corn grilled on the barbeque, which has gotten me hooked on barbecuing with charcoal and wood and the great smoky flavor it adds to food. Our family cottage is on an island and we have a classic Weber black kettle BBQ. Terroni addiction: My all-time favorite dish at Terroni is Spaghetti al Limone.

I enjoy its unique flavor and texture and I think this is their best dish!

Devotee since: I have been coming to Terroni with my parents since I was a newborn. I also enjoy La Bettola but there is no Spaghetti al Limone on the menu there. I am hopeful this may change sometime soon.

Erinn Langille, Manager, Oddfellows

Current food obsession: Making preserves. The big enamel pot, the jar lifters, and all those jars—perfect for making use of the harvest of the garden and prolonging the season’s best through the winter.

Terroni addiction: I’m a big fan of the Smendozzata pizza, though it’s hard to pick.

Devotee since: A devoted customer of Queen street location for at least six years. I love sitting at the bar in the late afternoon!

Amy Cormier, Director of Publicity, Simon & Schuster Canada

Current food obsession: I finally just invested in some good kitchen knives so I’ve been obsessed with improving my chopping skills. You should see me dice a carrot: I’m faster than the speed of light!

Terroni addiction: The two dishes that I adore are the Spaghetti ca’ Pummarola n’Goppa and the Margherita pizza.

Tried and true classics.

Devotee since: The late 90s, back when there were only a few tables and a bar along the back and you could watch your food being made while heckling the poor staff who pretended they thought you were witty. I was 12.

Someone ’s in the Kit c hen with C ARLO ROTA

Jessica Allen tries to get a word in edgewise when newlywed actors Carlo Rota and Nazneen Contractor visit old friends Cosimo Mammoliti and Elena di Maria for dinner. On the menu? Spelt risotto with porcini mushrooms, followed by liver and onions, and plenty of sweets.

And barolo—lots of barolo.

Carlo: This is the first time I’ve had spelt risotto.

Jessica: Whose idea was it to have liver tonight?

Cosimo: Carlo actually suggested that we have it.

C: Quite frankly, I was going to suggest osso buco if we weren’t going to do the liver, but that’s something you prepare the day before.

Cos: I would have made that happen, if they ate meat, but they don’t eat meat.

C: We don’t eat meat but we are going to be eating this liver and I’ll tell you why: because I already ate a couple of lamb chops at my wedding the other night and I ate the lasagna alla bolognese too.

J: (To Carlo and Nazneen) Are you two splitting your time between Toronto and L.A. now?

C: We are mostly in L.A. but I’m keeping my place in Toronto, I love it. Toronto is like home for me.

Cos: That champagne, are we going to drink it sometime today?

C: It’s not very cold but— Cos: We’re drinking it.

Primo Piatto: Risotto di Farro con Funghi Porcini al Tartufo Cos: This here, you’re never going to want to have it with rice again. The texture is amazing.

Elena: Well wait, it’s not like you’re never going to want to have risotto again.

Cos: Okay, okay, but this is nice, I prefer it. And it’s healthier too. Can you taste the truffle?

J: I’m supposed to be asking the questions

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here. Now, Carlo and Nazneen, you both traveled extensively in your youths.

Nazneen, did those travels include Italy?

Nazneen: I’ve been all over Europe, and I went to school in England, but I’d never been to Italy until I met Carlo. We went for the first time together in December, 2007 and since then we’ve been back five times.

It was really special. And it was the first time I met his parents too!

J: Where exactly do your parents live Carlo?

C: They’ve settled in Monferrato—it’s between Casale and Alessandria. It’s a lovely area. When I arrived in Toronto a few days ago there was a chill in the air and I really felt like getting on a plane and going to Piemonte because it’s so beautiful there right now: the food they have in the markets in October is just amazing. They have these massive porcini mushrooms— just tables full of them. We bought one as wide as Nazneen’s torso. You cut into them and you just fry them like a steak. You can have it with some puré, which is just mashed potatoes with a little parmigiano in there, and that’s dinner.

N: We ate that porcini mushroom for four days.

C: We have these lunches at my parents’ place in their kitchen with the persiane open and my dad has this cooperative wine that he just goes and gets by the barrel load. It’s very light—you can drink two, three, four glasses and not feel it.

That’s what you end up doing at lunch.

It’s fantastic. You have a little antipasto, a main course, a little dolce, a caffé, and then it’s like, What should we do right now? How about a little nap?

N: He sleeps so much at his parents’ house.

C: It’s like I’m a narcoleptic there. I just come up for food and then I eat and drink.

I’ll lie down anywhere.

Secondo Piatto: Fegato alla Veneziana con Verdure al Forno C: I’m loving this liver. One of my fondest memories of working with my dad in the restaurant business was seeing him in the afternoon cleaning things. That’s when he was doing his mis en place. That’s when his chef’s training would really come out.

J: And this would be at one point in his career?

C: At Da Dante up on Lawrence. A whole liver would arrive on Monday—they’re huge, you know. They come with a tiny little bit of fat on it that you trim off and there’s also a membrane that basically tears away. And then you portion it out. At Da Dante’s we served it like little steaks.

J: You ended up coming to Toronto from London, England because your dad was offered the job of Executive Chef at the newly renovated King Eddie and that sort of grounded your family after years of moving around the world. Was that in the 80s?

C: It was 1982.

Cos: Excuse me but do you remember the liver we used to make at Orso? That was fantastic.

C: That was fantastic actually. Cosimo and I worked together at Orso. Now, it’s a Friar and Firkins or something.

J: Excuse me but I need to understand your restaurant timeline here Carlo.

C: So do I! J: So your family moves to Toronto and your dad is working at the King Eddie, then you ended up working at Joe Allen’s and that was your first restaurant job. And then you got sent to Manhattan to help open up an Orso there, and then you come back to Toronto and you open up an Orso down the street from Joe Allen’s, and is that when you met Cosimo?

Cos: Way before that!

C: Yes, way before because he was living across the street from the house my parents bought.

Cos: And he saw me when I was wearing my shorty-shorts and— C: And it was love at first sight.

Cos: I remember he was cutting wood in the backyard. He had no shirt on.

J: And you had your short-shorts on?

Cos: I did have short shorts on. And he had no top on.

C: And it was November.

J: So you saw him cutting wood?

Cos: That wasn’t the first time, but it’s what stands out.

C: He saw me cutting the wood and the

rest is history.

N: This sounds very…Greek.

C: After Orso was Noodles for me (Carlo’s father’s restaurant at Bay and Bloor, where Pangea is now), and that’s where a young, incandescent Cosimo Mammoliti had his first restaurant job.

J: Did you get him the job?

C: Yes—he was selling shoes at Yonge and Eglinton and I asked him if he’d rather have a job working in the restaurant. He said, “Really? Can I?” We put him straight behind the bar where he became a very popular fixture. The older women loved him.

Cos: Let me tell you, I was bartending at 17 and wasn’t drinking or partying so I would work, work, work and all I was thinking about was saving up enough money to go back to Italy. I wanted to meet girls. You know what I’m saying?

C: But he wanted to meet the right girl (looking at Elena).

Cos: In those bartending days, we had a clientele—advertising dudes—and they would come down with their gold Amex cards and bring all their secretaries and all their staff and at 5 o’clock they’d drink and drink. Those were the days when martinis were really made and these guys would drink Manhattans, Rusty Nails, and Martinis not because it was retro but because that’s what you did.

J: That sounds glorious.

The evening’s fourth bottle of wine is opened, a 1998 barolo.

Cos: I mean, if you’re not going to drink this kind of wine with your friends, who are going to drink it with?

J: You’d end up opening it up by yourself one night, depressed, maybe watching Glee. That sounds pretty good actually.

C: One thing for sure is that it’s really difficult to come to a Mammoliti dinner with a wine that’ll match anything that Cosimo has in his cellar. That’s why I bring something completely different, like champagne. I remember once bringing a couple bottles of wine and when I came back a month later it was still sitting on the counter where I’d left it.

Cos: You know, times like this, this is what counts. Do you really want to spend that time drinking bad wine?

J: I don’t normally drink barolos with dinner so this is quite nice. But I’m supposed to be working here. Carlo, you’ve been going to Terroni since day one?

C: Literally, since day one. It’s been a big part of my life.

Cos: I think about 40 per cent of people think he owns Terroni.

C: And I never deny it.

TAS TIN G PIEMONTE

8

Getting intimate with Italy’s most noble wine region

by Jessica Allen

① #35 on The San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants is in Piemonte: Combal.

Zero, located in Torino’s Museum of Contemporary Art, is up seven spots from last year’s list.

② Vermouth, that glorious fortified wine that goes into making a Manhattan and a Martini, among other things, was invented in 1786 in Torino, Piemonte, by Antonio Benedetto Carpano.

③ The earliest incarnation of Nutella was invented in the 1940s by Piemontese pastry maker Pietro Ferrero. He was trying to stretch out his small supply of chocolate, which was being rationed during the War, so he mixed it up with locally grown hazelnuts.

On his way to deal with some unruly Gauls, Julius Caesar made a stop in a small town called La Morra in the northwest of Italy.

He'd heard of the remarkable wines being produced along the slopes of this hilltop commune and knew it would be obscene to pass by without a taste.

Some two thousand years later, La Morra, along with neighbouring slopes in what is now the region of Piemonte, is still producing fine wines – arguably some of the best in the world. Piemonte, which translates to "at the foot of the mountain" (the Alps), is a region so intricately tied to the bounty of the land – think arborio rice, white truffles, mushrooms and hazelnuts – that their food and wine mimic each other in their forestale, or forest-like qualities.

Although it's the second largest region in Italy by area, only 30 percent of Piemonte's land is suitable for growing grapes. But that small percentage of land, with its limestone-rich soil and high altitudes, boasts more DOC/G regions, 57 at last count, than anywhere else in Italy.

Hot, dry summers and mild autumns, with fog that dreamily cascades up and around those hills, make for ideal grape-growing conditions. This might explain why 90 per cent of Piemonte's wine comes from this pocket of land in the south, particularly those areas in and around the Langhe hills including the slopes of La Morra, Barolo, Alba, Asti and Barbaresco.

These conditions are especially well suited for the region's most celebrated grape: nebbiolo. This noble variety, which may have been named after that Piemontese fog, or "nebbia", gets compared a great deal to Burgundy's pinot noir, and with good reason. Both are late ripening, a little finicky, austere, even difficult to approach. Yet when the conditions are just

right, they produce some of the world's most sought after wines.

That includes barolo and barbaresco, both of which are made with 100 percent nebbiolo grapes. Both of these wines also require quite a bit of official time in the bottle before being ready to drink (three and two years respectively). But don't worry – the Piemontese, who take eating and drinking very seriously, grow a variety of grapes ready to be bottled in the interim. Take barbera, for example, the most widely populated variety in the region. It produces bright red berry, low tannin, high acid wines that are ready to drink almost immediately (although it can stand up beautifully after several years in the bottle).

And dolcetto – that "little sweet one" which ripens the earliest but still manages to produce tannic, low acid wine with deep, spicy fruit – is good to go right out of the vat. Then there are the whites like cortese or arneis, and lesser-known reds including grignolino, bonarda, and freisa, all ready to placate eager palates while the barolos and barbarescos mature in cellars.

This spring, Terroni L.A. manager Max Stefanelli and Terroni owner Cosimo Mammoliti sniffed and swirled their way through hundreds of wines at Vinitaly – the annual five-day international wine expo in Verona that beckons oenofiles from around the world to come sample Italy's vini.

The toils of their labour are 15 wines from four different Piemontese producers that Terroni is proud to offer exclusively here in Ontario. Max has even profiled six of these wines on the next page.

So please, do as Caesar did and stop by to sample some of Piemonte's finest.

Caesar loved what he tried, and we suspect you will too.

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Max Stefanelli,

TAS TIN G PIEMONTE

our Terroni L.A. wine-obsessed commander-in-chief, explains why Piemonte’s nebbiolo grape is king. But brace yourself because he does it in a way only Max can.

Nebbiolo is the most important grape in Piemonte and if you ask me, it’s also the most important grape in my life. Nebbiolo is the reason why I love my job.

I don’t think I could ever work in a restaurant that doesn’t have this varietal on the list. For winos, it’s the King of the Italian grapes.

It took us several years before we decided to bring in a barolo—which is made with 100 per cent nebbiolo—to Terroni. I guess we were kind of shy or

worried about not being able to choose the right one.

And since there are already plenty of shitty barolos in this market, we were just waiting for “the one.”

Finally, Sergio Germano from Ettore Germano winery came along. Sergio is the ideal barolo producer: he has the modern scientific understanding of winemaking that his forebears lacked while still respecting the traditions that they developed.

Barolo Serralunga Ettore Germano Docg 2005 Serralunga is one of the villages in the Barolo area. It’s filled with younger vines and grapes are traditionally fermented and aged in smaller cooperage. This barolo has all the classic nebbiolo elements: medium garnet color, distinctive aromas of red currants, strawberry, licorice, and violets.

It’s good to pair with lamb and beef dishes and cheeses, of course.

Barolo Prapo’ Ettore Germano Docg 2005 The Prapo’ vineyard planted in 1967 is just beneath the winery facing south on the Cerretta hill. It has a gorgeous orange peel and marmalade aroma. It’s elegantly styled and has beautiful acidity.

Round and feminine, complex and complete, this is a silky and graceful wine.

Barolo Cerretta Ettore Germano Docg 2005 This two-hectare vineyard that was planted in 1978 is also up on the Cerretta Hill with a south exposure. But this wine is more masculine then the previous single vineyard Sergio makes, meaning it’s bigger in body and is the perfect alternative to all the boring amarone you people drink up there in the Cold Land. It’s hot and elegant at the same time. Cheers.

When we choose a wine, we always try to look for one that fully represents the terroir, which means the area in which it’s made and the composition of the soil, climate, winds, altitude, and distance from the sea.

For our friend Neal Rosenthal (one of the most independent importers, and with respect to current wine culture trends, contrarian tasters, in the U.S.),

terroir means first, that 90 per cent of the ultimate wine is created in the vineyard, and second, that the role of the winemaker is to let the wine make itself.

Marco Porello’s wines are for me a good example of this. His are very good wines and fully represent the area where they come from.

Roero Arnais Camestri Marco Porello Docg 2008 Pale yellow with a green glint, aroma of grass, herbs, tangerine and wet stones. Its body is a medium one with good lively acidity. Perfect with branzino (sea bass), vongole (clams), or try it as an aperitivo with semi-hard pecorino cheese. Beautiful, long and clean finish.

Nebbiolo d’Alba Marco Porello Doc 2007 This nebbiolo, even in this accessible version, is still a nebbiolo. It might not be a king but for sure is a prince. It’s less tannic than the versions from the Barolo zone, has a medium body with good acidity, along with strawberry and cocoa notes from aging in smaller wood. Try this with some of our cold cuts: That is a perfect pairing.

Roero Torretta Marco Porello Docg 2007 If you are looking for a good nebbiolo but you don’t want to spend the money for the King or even for the Queen (barbaresco), then roero is for sure the way to go. The sandy soil of the Roero hills yields an intense red wine that differs from most great Piemontese wines in that it quickly attains good balance, while the others require aging.

Marco’s Roero has a thick, sophisticated scent, with fruits, underwood, and withered rose notes.

Mineral notes of spices and tobacco are added when it gets older. It has a warm and surrounding taste, with good tannins and balanced acidity. At the end some cocoa and licorice notes arise.

Lamb is the way to go but beef works. Same with the Smendozzata pizza.

eating PIEMONTE

10

Giovanna Alonzi, Executive Chef of the Osteria Ciceri e Tria, rediscovers one of Italy’s richest culinary regions, & serves up a lavish Piemonteseinspired menu

eating PIEMONTE

① The Arcigola association, the precurser to The Slow Food Movement founded by Carlo Petrini, was formed in the Langhe district of Piedmont in 1986.

This past summer was the first in a long time that we—my fiancé, his 12 year-old son, and myself—didn’t vacation in Italy.

Instead, tempted by adventures in the wilderness of Cape Breton, not to mention the appeal of the ocean, whales and moose, we opted to travel to Nova Scotia. We enjoyed many meals of boiled lobsters and snow crabs, fresh Digby scallops, oysters and fish cakes. However we soon grew weary of having little access to good wine, of always eating the same things, and of dining before 8 o’clock in the evening.

Spending time in Halifax cheered up some of our gastronomic woes, and it also helped to highlight Italy’s different approach to food. I had been studying the region of Piemonte so the comparison came easily and it clearly offered a stark contrast. For thousands of years food, wine, culture, history, and geography have been so intricately bound in this northern Italian region that eating here has never been only about nourishment. The influence of the Savoia monarchy, royal exchanges with the courts of Europe, its ties and proximity to France, its strong rural population, and its migrants from the South of Italy have all contributed to the region’s richness. And it’s a place where food continues to play an all important role: not only was the Slow Food movement born here, but there is also a wealth of annual food festivals celebrating everything from garlic and chestnuts to white truffles and agnolotti. Nova Scotia is simply too young and too geographically-challenged to offer any match.

Consider the geography of Piemonte: from the hills in the South of Monferrato come fresh vegetables and white truffle; from Vercelli’s damp terrain, rice and dishes such as frogs in guazzetto; from the North, polenta, chestnuts, game meat, and fresh water fish; and from the Langhe, fabulous wines.

My old friend Vittorio Venturi was born in Torino, the regional capital of Piemonte, and although he’s not lived there for 37 years, he visits often. Many of his memories involve food; for example, he remembers that there was never any olive oil. Like most kitchens in the region at the time, lard or butter served as the staple fat. The dishes that he recalls most are

the typical northern classics—like bollito, agnolotti, risotto and polenta. He also remembers more antiquated specialties that were only available from the local Osteria—such as snails, frog’s legs or stewed rabbit.

Vittorio has savoured many of these dishes outside of Italy, but there’s one edible delight that’s always best at home: a Giandujotto. These pyramid-shaped Piemontese chocolate hazelnut gems used to be available exclusively in Italy. It’s only the precise moment when he finally gets the sweet delight out of its wrapper and tastes it that Vittorio can say, “Now I am home.”

He also has a phrase that he uses to recognize other Piemontesi dispersed in the world, “Du poivron bagnat nell’u” which means “two peppers dipped in oil.” If they are true Piemontesi, Vittorio says they’re able to repeat the intricate phrase right back to him.

This saying, besides revealing the undeniable French influence on the region’s dialect, also describes a popular eating past time: dipping a variety of foods in warm olive oil, or bagna cauda. origins lie in Medieval Provence where salt mine workers dipped bread in olive oil infused with garlic and anchovy.

With time, the Piemontese version of bagna cauda developed into something resembling the recipe I’ve included in the menu that follows, which I had a blast creating, planning, and researching— particularly the history and evolution of the dishes.

Piemonte’s high culture of food, cucina ricca or monarca, started in the 1700s when professional cooks and pastry chefs diversified their skills in order to lure, to compete with, and to impress the courts of Europe. By the 1800s, it was the food of the cucina popolana, or common people, that took centre stage in Piemonte with their less then noble cuts of meat and the vegetables and rice that they grew and harvested. This menu, which includes an antipasto, a choice between two primi, a secondo and a dolce, borrows from both of these traditions. That is, after all, what makes La Cucina Piemontese.

— Buon Appetito.

‥ All images & cover by Jim Norton

RECIPES Bagna Cauda (serves 4 to 6) Ingredients: 10 garlic cloves 10 anchovy fillets (packed in salt) 400 ml of extra-virgin olive oil Vegetables for dipping: 8 heirloom carrots 8 celery stalks 8 radishes 4 Belgian endives 1 fennel bulb 2 red and 2 yellow bell peppers 200 g (about ½ lb) green beans

Procedure: In a pan, gently warm the garlic cloves, anchovy fillets and extra virgin olive oil.

Clean and blanch the green beans and wash and cut the other vegetables. Pour the warm oil with anchovy and garlic into a fondue pot, and arrange with all the vegetables surrounding it.

Tajerin con Fegatini e Pomodoro

(Tagliolini in liver and tomato ragù)

Ingredients for the Pasta: 1 kg of Italian flour 00 (all purpose may be substituted- slightly more or less flour may be needed depending on type of flour used).

7 egg yolks 4 whole eggs (Alternatively, use storebought fresh tagliolini or fettuccine made with egg)

Procedure for the pasta: Either in a stand up mixer or over a sturdy wooden board, combine the eggs and flour and work into a soft dough. Knead for at least 15 minutes.

Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes at room temperature, wrapped in cellophane. Using a bit of flour and a rolling pin, roll the dough out to about a ½ cm thickness, making a circular shape. Let the dough sit out to dry for 10 to 15 minutes. Roll the dough into itself from two ends. Cut tajerin into ½ cm wide noodles. Form little nests averaging in weight between 80-90 grams.

Ingredients for the ragù: 200 g fresh chicken liver (roughly chopped) 500 g crushed plum tomatoes (roughly, a 28 oz can, drained) 80 g butter white wine ( just a splash) 2 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil 1 yellow onion diced 1 sprig of fresh rosemary 80 g grated ParmigianoReggiano salt and pepper

14

PIEMONTE

Torta alle Nocciole e Cioccolato Amaro

(hazelnut and bitter chocolate cake)

Ingredients: 400 g hazelnuts 400 g dark chocolate (chopped) 300 g sugar 1 pinch of salt 10 eggs (separated) Zabayone: 6 egg yolks 6 tbsp sugar 6 tbsp of Marsala

Procedure: Preheat oven to 160 C (or 320 F). Toast and then grind the hazelnuts. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.

Melt the chocolate. Beat the butter, sugar and salt until very creamy. Add the melted chocolate. Add egg yolks one at a time, then add the ground hazelnuts and fold in the egg whites.

Pour into a lined baking tin, 28 cm (11 in) in diameter.

Zuppa di Pane Piemontese

(You will need four terracotta, or oven-proof bowls)

Ingredients: 2 bunches of kale 70 g of butter 50 g of lardo (guanciale or pancetta will do) Parmigiano Reggiano (grated) 1 clove garlic 1 pinch of nutmeg 1 pinch of cinnamon 16 slices of rye bread 200 g (about ½ lb) Fontina 1 ½ L of beef broth Salt and pepper Fresh truffle shavings (or a drizzle of good quality truffle oil)

Procedure: Wash and slice the kale.

Then, over medium heat melt the butter and lard.

Add the kale, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cover and steam until soft and tender. Add nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. Toast the rye bread. Lightly butter the terracotta containers.

Alternate layers of bread, sautéed kale, Parmigiano, and Fontina, repeating at least twice and finishing with a layer of Fontina.

Cover the layers with the Brasato di Cervo al Barolo

Procedure for the ragù: Over medium heat melt the butter and oil. Add the diced onion and rosemary.

Add the chopped liver and brown lightly. Add a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and then deglaze with white wine. Add the tomatoes and gently bring to a boil. Adjust with salt and a pinch of sugar. Keep to a very gentle boil for half an hour. Meanwhile, boil the pasta in salted water until very al dente (about three to four minutes.)

Add the drained pasta to the ragù. Add most of the Parmigiano (reserving some for the end), and just a touch of butter. Serve with a sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano on top.

Bake for 40 minutes, turn oven off and let the torte rest for 15 minutes inside.

Ingredients: 1 kg of deer shanks 2 onions (finely chopped) 1 carrot (finely chopped) 2 celery stalks (finely chopped) 60 g guanciale (or pancetta) bay leaf pinch of thyme white wine (just a splash) Marinating liquid: 1 ½ L of barolo (or another sturdy red wine, like a sangiovese or barbera) 50 g lard (guanciale or pancetta will do) 1 onion 1 sprig of thyme 1 bay leaf 50 g butter salt and pepper pinch each of juniper, cloves, nutmeg, star anise

stock and bake at 180 C (about 350 F) until the Fontina is golden brown (about 30 to 40 minutes.)

Finish with fresh truffle shavings and serve hot.

(Braised deer in Barolo) Procedure: Marinate the deer shanks for one night in the wine with all of the herbs and spices, black pepper and NO SALT. The next day, remove the deer shanks and allow to air dry. Reduce the marinating liquid to about ¾ of its volume. In a pan, sauté the onions, celery and carrots with the guanciale, bay leaf and thyme until very soft and lightly golden. Lightly flour the deer shanks and pan fry in butter, lard and oil in an oven friendly baking pan or enameled cast iron pot until lightly browned. Deglaze with white wine and add the reduced marinating liquid and sautéed vegetables.

Cover and finish in the oven for 2 ½ to 3 hrs. Serve the shanks hot and covered in braising liquid.

15

MAIN C OURSE

Horse Meat Toronto’s leading chefs are on track but not everyone is game

by Jessica Brooks

① Brigitte Bardot, French actress and animal rights activist, has been protesting against eating horse meat for years.

On a trip to Italy this past summer, I made a last minute decision to fly into Venice. I wasn’t going for a gondola ride, or to peek into the ballrooms of the Ducal Palace: I was determined to buy, cook and prepare for myself a type of meat readily available and typical to the region, cavallo. That’s right, the same thing cowboys ride – horse.

In Piazza San Marco—ten minutes from my rented Venetian apartment—with my back to the clock tower and my face to the sea, I took a left and then crossed three bridges before making another left.

Following the canal, I finally came to the address that matched the one from my Google search: Macelleria Baldan. In the window, beside pale pink cuts of meat and otherworldly looking tubes of white tripe, a sign scribbled in shaky longhand bore the word cavallo.

Marcello and Oscar, two lovely fellows with grins as wide as the Rialto Bridge, welcomed me inside. After I placed my

order they proudly pulled out a piece of gorgeous ruby-red tenderloin. My eyes widened as I asked how to cook it.

“It’s easy,” says Marcello in booming Italian. “Just get the pan hot, take the meat, sprinkle with a little salt, pepper and oil.

Then do the same on the other side, and cook!” Raising his fingers to his lips, he pinched them so they met in a triangle, kissing them before he threw his hand in the air. “Buonissimo.”

The two fillets set me back 12 euros.

Feeling like a true Venetian, I ran back to my apartment and followed Marcello’s instructions to a tee. He was bang on.

When I returned to Toronto I noticed that horse meat was staring at me in the face: While this iron-rich delicacy is easy to find in certain regions of Italy, particularly Veneto and Puglia, I wasn’t expecting to find it on Toronto’s most exciting menus.

After all, in North America, eating horse meat is still considered relatively taboo – a

MAIN C OURSE

decidedly modern point of view.

Our Stone Age ancestors had no ideological issues with gorging on the flesh of wild horses. Even after they were domesticated in about 400 B.C., most societies still ate the handy helpers who pulled their carts and carried them into battle. It wasn’t until the eighth century when Pope Gregory III issued a public decree banning all consumption of horse meat that it became taboo.

But when famine hit Europe most chose eating horse over starvation. With the fall of the aristocracy during the French Revolution, the working class championed horse meat, as they could afford neither beef nor pork. But it was Dominique Jean Larrey, inventor of the ambulance and Napoleon’s surgeon-in-chief, who really pushed the French to get off their high horse and eat it instead: Larrey was amazed to see the quick recovery rates of the wounded soldiers who consumed it.

That’s not surprising, considering horse meat is leaner than beef, and higher in protein, iron, and glycogen, which in simplest terms provides humans with long-term energy. So why then are athletes and foodies alike not scrambling to get this superstar meat? Apart from its tumultuous history, it’s got a few more strikes against it. For starters, it’s a cloven animal, which Judaism denounces. And horses need vast pastures in order to graze, which makes them environmentally inefficient to raise for human consumption. But strike three?

It’s mainly in our heads.

The rise of cowboy culture in North America catapulted the horse to iconic status: they became a romantic symbol of heroism and the transportation of choice for handsome men in spurs.

Their star turn in books and movies like Black Beauty and The Horse Whisperer, made it naturally difficult for North Americans to sink their teeth into some of their most beloved characters. When in 2007, the United States shut down all horse meat slaughterhouses deeming it illegal to slaughter horse meat for human consumption, the taboo seemed cemented.

As history proves, however, prohibition and curiosity go hand in hand. Shamez Amlani, owner of La Palette, has seen Toronto’s equine curiosity grow from the starting gate: He claims to be the first to serve horse meat in the city at his Kensington Market eatery about ten years ago. “We cracked that market open,” says Amlani.

16 It wasn’t easy though: his first shipment came from Michigan before the U.S. ban.

Since then, La Palette has sourced horse meat from Alberta, Ontario and most recently, Quebec.

Because of the U.S. ban, Canadian and Mexican slaughterhouses inevitably get sent American horses, including retired race horses and unwanted pets, that must endure long and inhumane transportation environments across borders that have animal advocacy groups understandably aghast.

North Americans, however, seem to be more leery about the idea of eating horse, rather than the politics surrounding its consumption: “I would say that for every table of six, there is one person who is absolutely mortified that we serve horse,” says Amlani, “and four people that are curious to try it, and one person who is thrilled that we serve it. You do get the full spectrum.”

And while the restaurateur says he understands vegetarianism and agrees with not eating meat at every meal, he questions where to draw the line: “How can we eat cows and pigs but turn our noses up at eating horse?” And besides, he says, “Your average cow or your average pig, well, what kind of petroleum biproduct does it contain? They are corn-fed and pumped through with hormones.”

This year Amlani opened a second La Palette on Queen Street West, hanging a lucky horseshoe above the door and adding more horse to the menu. While both locations serve horse tenderloin marinated in hay and served with oats, carrots and apples (alluding to what horses eat on the farm), only the new Queen Street locale offers Quack and Track, a four-ounce portion of horse tenderloin and one leg of duck confit.

While Toronto’s food culture is only now growing into its britches, outside North America horse meat is neither shocking nor a recent development. Marco Celio, a manager at the Osteria Ciceri e Tria who came to Canada three years ago, remembers eating horse meat regularly growing up in Padova, a city in Veneto.

Today, however, Padovians eat horse only three or four times a year. But when it’s served, “everyone gets really excited,” says Celio. “It’s not like chicken. When they’re having horse, it means it’s a special occasion.”

Giovanna Alonzi, executive chef at the Osteria, is trying to recreate this sense

② 82% of respondents in a 2007 readers’ poll in Time Out supported celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s decision to serve horse meat in his restaurants.

③ In 2009 Canada beat out Italy in horse meat production by 2000 tons (18,000 vs. 16,000 tons) but beating them both was Mexico with 78,000 tons.

MAIN C OURSE

④ Horse meat can be bought in most supermarkets chains in Quebec.

⑤ In a 2007 Time magazine article, Joel Stein writes, “In our country the thought of eating horse is so taboo that the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act was just reintroduced in Congress--although there are even fewer horses eaten than flags burned. Despite our reputation, it turns out we are actually a nation that thinks like a 14-year-old girl.”

⑥ In 2006, France consumed 25,380 metric tons of horse meat. The U.S. consumed none.

of occasion. Alonzi, who was born in the region of Lazio, has a very particular equine memory: “I had it as a kid outside a soccer stadium in Bari with Coke. I was with my dad, he had a beer and I had this horse sandwich made with a really rare cutlet,” says Alonzi. “I didn’t think it was weird at all until much later.” She recreated that dish, offering it on the Osteria's menu as a secondo, by sandwiching the horse meat between focaccia and calling it panino con fettina di cavallo.

Alonzi didn’t stop there. She’s paired carpaccio, thin slices of raw horse tenderloin, with figs and pine nuts.

And she’s marinated horse tartar with celery, capers and sometimes juniper or anchovies, topping it with shavings of pecorino or cubed porcini mushrooms.

“It’s interesting because it’s so sweet,” says Alonzi. “You can either counter it with something spicy, or accent it with something sweet.”

For the most part, customers love it too, although Alonzi recalls one woman bursting into tears and leaving the restaurant when she learned that horse was on the Osteria’s menu. “She had grown up riding horses as a child,” shrugs Alonzi.

If you need further convincing that horse meat is de rigueur in this city, have a look at the Black Hoof’s menu. Chef and co-owner Grant Van Gameren has been hard at work since 2009 pushing the gastronomic envelope in his bid to get the city to eat esoteric meats. Judging from the lineups, it’s paying off. “I think people have a certain infatuation with eating horse or eating an exotic meat. It’s not something that you find on everyday menus. When they come into the Hoof, or La Palette, they want to experience new things.”

Van Gameren has gained a reputation for experimenting with less popular horse parts, like the heart and tongue which are served with fried frites that are cooked in, you guessed it, horse fat, which, he insists, “makes the most amazing frites”.

There’s also horse tartare and even horse salami, but perhaps most popular is his straight up Horse Sammy, which was

actually inspired by one of his server’s trips to Italy. Seared and smothered with hot sauce, it’s a dish he’s been trying to take off the menu, but customer demand won’t let him.

But not all of the patrons get excited about the profusion of horse meat on the menu. One, recalls Van Gameren, left the restaurant because of it. Her husband explained that his wife’s grandma was fed horse during the Holocaust. “I respect people have various opinions,” says Van Gameren.

He has his, too, which includes a strong belief in trying to use as much of any animal as possible. It’s why he avoids only ordering tenderloins so as not to put a strain on one meat industry. He’s even attempted to buy a whole horse, but with little luck.

He’s also trying to do something about the lack of a dedicated breeding program for horses like those that exist for pigs and cattle. Van Gameren, along with other Toronto chefs, has written letters to the Canadian government encouraging them to better organize and regulate the industry. And he’s also approached farmers asking them to raise horses solely to supply his restaurant – albeit with little success. “Most of the farmers have kids,” he says. “They use horses for work and don’t necessarily see them as something to eat.”

Neither does Globe and Mail food critic Joanne Kates: In her April, 2009 review of the Black Hoof she admitted to eating “other four-legged animals, so it’s not a moral issue, but thoughts of Flicka and National Velvet make the idea of raw horse impossible.”

She couldn’t bare to eat horse this September either, when she reviewed La Palette 2. If Kates has trouble consuming cavallo, a woman who’d be happy to indulge in cow’s tongue or slurp bone marrow, then there’s not much hope for the masses. Indeed, just this September, animal advocacy groups staged protests across Canada in front of restaurants with horse meat on their menu in support of a private member’s bill that has recently been put forward that would make it illegal in this country to transport and kill horses for human consumption.

Despite the growing revolt—or because of it—there is no better time to initiate yourself into the mysterious cult of eating cavallo. For those who can’t get past the taboo though, there’s always tofu.

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH

18

Getting to know Larry D’Andrea

“Six to nine months of hard work, problem solving and following plans and architectural drawings to a tee boils down to four weeks of scratching my nuts waiting for an inspection to pass.”

by Stephanie Palmer

It’s 9 pm on the dot and still bright outside as we approach the corner of Victoria and Richmond. It’s a perfect Toronto summer’s eve and we’ve been invited to the opening of Terroni’s latest project, La Bettola. By my side is Larry D’Andrea, General Manager of Terroni on Adelaide and the man responsible for all Terroni construction and renovation projects.

After months of planning, scheduling and building-to-code headaches, Larry is going to finally be able to sit back, relax and enjoy the fruits of his labour…or will he? Beneath that mane of salt and pepper hair and behind his sparkling blue eyes there brews a storm of epic proportions.

He is stewing about the yet-to-be-passed fire inspection. Despite the flood of well-intended congratulations and warm regards, Larry knows that it’s not a done deal until the inspector gives the official seal of approval.

“They yield all the power. We are completely at their mercy,” Larry says, slightly exasperated. We scope out a place to sit but there’s not an empty spot in sight.

With a room this spectacular that’s buzzing with chatter and clinking with glasses, no one seems very interested in giving up their seat anytime soon.

We luckily get ourselves two coveted stools at the bar—and I mean luckily, because most of the friends, family and regulars who fill this room also know that Larry’s stomach keeps a very particular schedule. Disrupt it and the normally wellmannered, soft-spoken 52 year-old (who doesn’t look a day over 40) might have an episode. After quickly glancing at the menu, Larry places his order. “I’ll start with the bis di carpaccio di pesce and then I’ll

have the spaghetti al cacio e pepe. How about you Steph?”

I let the bartender know that I’ll have the same and I ask for two glasses of prosecco which appear in a matter of seconds.

“Salute—to a fantastic job!” I whisper.

“Uh, uh,” he says waving his index finger in a gesture usually reserved to scold a four year old. “It ain’t over ‘til the fat lady sings.”

Back in 1992, when Larry did his first renovation job for a couple of young Italian guys who were opening a grocery store, he would have celebrated after the last light bulb had been screwed in. But after 18 years and a boat load of Terroni renovations later, he’s learned not to jump the gun.

Larry takes a deep breath, content in the fact that his new ‘best friend’, chef Luca Stracquadanio, will soon be preparing our food. And then, a bit out of character, he begins to tell the story of how he joined Cosimo and his team of Italian culinary dream weavers. “ Cosimo and I used to run in the same circle of friends, although he was a bit younger than me, so I knew him—but we didn’t exactly hang out. We had a mutual friend who I was very close with—and whose family owned the building at 720 Queen Street West—where Cosimo and Paolo decided to open their store. They asked me to come take a look at the space, which was an art gallery and framing shop, with the hope that I could renovate on a waiter’s budget of $7,000.”

‘So Larry, do you think we can do it on our budget?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, I’ll make it work.’

Only I was really thinking, How the hell am I going to pull this off for these guys?”

① While Larry’s classic good looks are a gift from his Friulian father, his fastidious stomach comes from his 100% Ciociara mother. She was born and raised in a small mountain village nestled in the Val di Comino region of Lazio, where Larry himself now spends family summer holidays in the house his nonno built to make olive oil in.

② Larry had been working in the construction business for over 20 years and had built over a hundred homes before he met Cosimo in 1992.

Starting off as a carpenter in his early twenties, he worked his way up to the position of site foreman and quickly progressed to Project Manager. He even ran his own company for several years, building custom homes with many prominent Toronto architects.

③ With his passion for duck hunting and fly fishing, Larry has a bit of an inner Elmer Fudd.

Although he might be too busy to indulge in outdoor adventures these days, he’s made some great memories in remote regions of northern Ontario, including guiding the delightful Gianna Nannini—an Italian rock icon—on a fly-in trip. She was in town for a concert and walked into Terroni for a bite to eat when she met Larry. They hit it off and she asked him to take her and a few others up north where they spent several days fishing, camping, and singing by the fire.

④ “Larry is constantly putting out fires—big and small. Whether at Adelaide or on a construction site, he is the man that gets things done, fixes problems and clears the path for everyone else to perform their jobs more easily. He is our fearless leader. We all love him.”

Patti Shaw

But pull it off he did and on budget to boot. And although the Queen Street Terroni location has seen many renovations since (all overseen by Larry), the heart and soul of what he built for those two young guys remains.

Several years later when Cosimo and Paolo walked Larry through a Chinese schnitzel house on the other side of town that had potential to be the location for Terroni number two, he was asked the same question, “Larry, can you make it work?”

And once again, he did. By the end of the project Larry had grown so close to the partners that they asked him to help them run Terroni on Victoria Street.

“I just really believed in Cosimo right from the start,” he explains. “I liked the idea of bringing the flavours and scents of Italy to Toronto, the ones I remembered from summers spent with my grandparents in the village where my mom grew up, and her mom grew up, and so on. I felt that would be a fun challenge, working day to day with these guys, helping them realize their dream.”

As Larry polishes off the last of his prosecco he continues, “Cosimo, Vince (Cosimo’s younger brother who co-runs the business) and I take the time to sit and have lunch together at Terroni nearly every day. We eat, drink and laugh which at times makes us feel like we’re home in Italy, if even for a minute. In a nut shell that’s what Terroni has always been about: creating that experience for all of our guests.”

It’s during these lunches that Cosimo realizes how lucky he is to have Larry on board: “I give him the space and he gives it back to me exactly with the vision I had imagined. It gives me peace of mind,” he says, “because you ask Larry once and things are taken care of. You never need to ask him again. He’s the most trustworthy, loyal friend a guy could ask for. For me, it’s like having one more brother working with me.”

Our food arrives, and within 60 seconds Larry’s devoured the entire dish. He relaxes back in his chair. “Italians have it all figured out: good food, good wine and beautiful women. There’s nothing more to life.”

“It’s all about simple things in Larry’s life,” says Cosimo. “A bottle of wine, a friend to drink it with and he’s a happy man.”

A devoted husband and father of two young boys, Larry always manages to be home every night early enough to make dinner for the whole family. “I can’t wait to get home to see my kids’ faces,” he says with a big smile.

But the food, prosecco, talk of Italy, and his family, have only momentarily distracted Larry from his fire inspection anxiety. Momentarily.

“F—king fire inspector.” Larry has reason to be weary: three years ago when he was overseeing the construction of Terroni’s 300 seat Adelaide location, he encountered several unexpected hurdles before opening day.

That’s when Patti Shaw, a devoted Terroni employee, first met him: “I remember walking into Adelaide and it was in shambles. I thought, What have I gotten myself into? But then I found Larry downstairs in his makeshift office with clip boards on the wall, and neat piles of paper. It was like a lighthouse in the middle of a storm, and I knew that everything would be OK.” Our spaghetti arrives, perfectly cooked, and it's gobbled up. Larry’s continues: “I’ve come to realize that these inspections are out of my control and I always have to be prepared to expect the unexpected,” he says thoughtfully.

That’s the thing about Larry: one minute he’s talking with bravado about gorgeous women and the next he’s eloquently philosophizing about life.

Just when I think I can’t eat another bite, two panne cotte with caramelized peaches are placed in front of us. “Six to nine months of hard work, problem solving and following plans and architectural drawings to a tee boils down to four weeks of scratching my nuts waiting for an inspection to pass.”

That’s another thing about Larry: he’s got a way with words.

It’s late and he needs to get home to sleep because he’ll be back at La Bettola early in the morning to wait for the fire inspector. Besides, he never likes to be the last one at the party, maybe because he’s a behind-the-scenes sort of guy who likes that nobody really knows who he is. We do know a little something though: that Larry’s world is like an Italian opera.

He physically builds stages where life’s dramas unfold.

We’re outside La Bettola now. It’s funny in a way: this place might not be the actual spot where I first met Larry 12 years ago—but it’s close. I walked into the old Terroni on 106 Victoria Street, which is now the Osteria, looking for a job. Those were the days when you could still smoke in restaurants. There was Larry, handsome and composed, sitting at the bar with an espresso and a cigarette.

I got the job. And I married the man.

PAS T TENSE: Where we’ve been

20 } July 13: La Bettola, our new ‘hole in the wall’ by Terroni, opens next to the Osteria on Victoria Street. ~ September 4: John Szabo led our staff through a Prevostini wine tasting. On hand to help out the Master Sommelier was the winemaker himself, Mamete Prevostini.

Grown in Lombardia’s Valtellina region, his wines are all memorable, particularly his “Albareda” Sforzato di Valtellina D.O.C.G.—a long-time staff favourite. » September 25: In collaboration with Regione Puglia, we hosted a “Wines of Puglia” dinner at the Osteria for some of the city’s top gastronomes, including CityBites editor, Dick Snyder, writer Karen von Hahn, and food writer Lucy Waverman. × September 29: Surprise, surprise— another wine tasting, this time with Marco Caprai—one of Italy’s top producers of Sagrantino di Montefalco. Thanks to Stem Wine Group for making it happen.

Counter clockwise from top : Cumbrae's Stephen Alexander, Ciro Biondi, CRFA cooking event, Made in Carcere bags, John Szabo & Maente Prevosini, Wines of Puglia dinner, La Bettola sign, exterior Bettola

* March: Cumbrae owner and butcher extraordinaire, Stephen Alexander, shows senior Terroni staff how to butcher a pig, a lamb and a cow. + March 7: Our very own Giovanna Alonzi, assisted by her very own Fabio Moro, take home top prize at CRFA’s Cooking with the Stars held at the Energy Centre. » May 14: We had dinner with acclaimed wine producer, Ciro Biondi. Not only did we indulge in his fabulous Sicilian wines, but we also ate a spectacular meal prepared by Terroni Adelaide’s Boris Buttner. And making the evening just about perfect was filmmaker Melissa Dozios, who screened her short film that documents some of our crew visiting Biondi’s vineyard. × July: Our “Made in Carcere” bags and bandanas—all sewn a women’s prison with recycled fabrics, giving both the people that make them and the material a second chance—arrive.

21

FUTURE TENSE: Where we’re going

+ November 17 : Catch Terroni Queen Street’s Nathan Jesionka and the rest of The Commandeers play live at the The Dakota Tavern (249 Ossington Ave.) × November 26 : Did you miss The Commandeers? Don't worry because they have another show at the Wrong Bar (1279 Queen St. W.) » Late November : Our annual shipment of Venchi chocolates arrive just in time for the holidays. ~ Late November : Start your panettone shopping before the rush! Ours are artisanally-made by Pasticceria Filippi, a bakery located just North-East of Verona in Veneto. } November 26 : SuperModel Mami— a multitalented rapper/song-writer/model from the Dominican Republic who also happens to work at Terroni Adelaide—releases her mixed tape, Rise of the Mami. It’s gonna be a Hip Hop/Pop/Latin tour de force! ±Terroni Price Street opening soon! Bar Centrale opening December/January!

clockwise from top left: Panattone, the Medallions, Nathan Jesionka of the Commandeers, SuperModel Marni, Lowest of the Low, Venchi chocolate

» November 27 : Don’t miss Terroni Balmoral manager Daniel Brooks and Terroni Adelaide bartender Mick Jackson’s band, Medallions, play a live show at The Shop, downstairs at Parts & Labour (1566 Queen Street West.) * November 28 : While you’re at it, catch the above-mentioned boys at one of their five DJ nights at The Painted Lady (218 Ossington Ave) for Monthly Meds: A Dance Party Hosted by Medallions. They take place on the last Sunday of every month from November to March. ‡ December 3-4 : One of Terroni Queen Street’s most beloved servers, Jill Riley happens to be partnered up with musician and artist Ron Hawkins, who’ll be performing with his old band, Lowest of the Low, at Lee’s Palace to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their first record, Shakespeare My Butt. × February : Go see Terroni Queen Street server Nika Mistruzzi in the Play, Family Story, a Birdtown & Swanville Production,

by Aurora Stewart de Peña.

SAPEVI C HE

by Rick & Sandra Kang

that’s Authentic traditi o nal artisan balsamic vinegar - the O nly kind that may legally be described as AcetO Balsamic O Tradizi O nale.

true balsamic vinegar c O uld be s O ld by the dr O p f O r the same price as g O ld?

DID YOU KNOW?

22

A comic by rick & sandra Kang

then there’s the stuff we’re familiar with C Ommercial grade balsamic vinegars pr O duced O n an industrial scale.

It als O takes patience. tO pr O perly age Balsamic vinegar, it’s passed fr Om smaller barrel tO smaller barrel O f chestnut tO Oak tO ash tO mulberry Over the c O urse O f 30 tO 40 years.

It takes Over 100 kg Of grape must tO prOduce just One tO twO liters Of traditiOnal balsamic vinegar.

Credit NYC tastemakers Dean & DeLuca with launching the balsamic vinegar craze...

S O DeLuca called the New YO rk Times.

I g Ot balsamic vinegar, it’s C O nsidered O ne O f the finest In the wO rld, and it’s sweet -YO u d O n’t need O il with it.

s OO n after An article titled “La D O lce Vinegar” appeared in the Times’ Lifestyle secti O n, describing its flavO ur as “...a mell Ow harmO ny O f sweet and s O ur...”

When Gi O rgi O DeLuca imp O rted it in 1978, he’d wanted five cases. He was made tO O rder 150. Partner jO el dean wasn’t impressed.

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

Dean & DeLuca pr Omptly s O ld their cases and balsamic vinegar’s p O pularity s Oared.

In a strange twist, its pO pularity here has resulted in the C O nstructi O n O f mO re factO ries in the mOtherland tO keep up with the demand.

f O r awhile, chefs O f every discipline drizzled it O n nearly everything.

S O if the real stuff is next-tO imp O ssible tO find here, what’s the stuff stO cking O ur gr O cery shelves?

It’s usually red wine vinegar with s Ome additi O nal sugar and c O l O uring, O r grape must that hasn’t been aged acc O rding tO the rules. but that’s O kay mO st O f us can’t aff O rd tO wait a minimum O f 12 years f O r O ur salad dressing...

23

THE MAILBAG

Three Terroni affiliates answer our readers pressing questions

by Natalie Urquhart Illustrations

by Cosimo Pagliacolo

I like long walks on the beach and I like cheese on my seafood pasta. What gives?

Hot Hostess: I can't eat seafood because I have a deathly nut allergy. Sorry.

Devastated by the Seashore, Alan, Queens Quay

Bottle of Barolo: Seafood, like myself, has many delicate and complex flavours that would be overpowered by the strong flavour of parmigiano. I would be pained to learn I had been served in a red plastic beer cup and I can only imagine that the fresh seafood at Terroni would suffer from similar anxieties should it be buried under a bed of grated cheese.

Italian Mama: Who gave you this idea that you can put the parmigiano on the Canna a Mare?! Was it the rap music? It's so good the way I make it! Don't you put the cheese on there. Now go cut your hair.

I just LOVE Yellowtail Shiraz! But I couldn't Hot Hostess: I'm 18 so I just drink vodka and soda. But next year find it on your list. Why is that? Do you have I'm totally getting into peanut greejoe. My sister, who's 20, said something against a wine with a name you it's like a Crantini, but different. can actually pronounce?

Barolo: I'm just going to need a minute here. I am sorry: it is not dignified to see a Barolo weep. It just makes me so sad to think Sincerely, you would not want to try me. I am so delicious, or you could sip Babs Szabo, Liberty Village on one of my fellow Italian comrades. Your server will know all about me, and the others too, but mostly me. So feel free to ask as many questions as you want, about me, and them, I guess.

Italian Mama: The only good wine come from Italy. Drink the good wine! Eat the good food! Be Italian!

Why don't you serve Diet Coke? I need my Diet Coke. Do you know how many calories there are in a regular Coke? Like a thousand. I can only drink diet. By the way, my fried calamari and Puzza were fabulous last night.

Best, Deb Mascarpone, Woodbridge, ON

Hot Hostess: I don't trust Diet Coke. It says diet, but I feel like it doesn't really mean it.

Barolo: Never heard of this "diet" word. All I know is that I am 100% nebbiolo and I would not want something called aspartame to be put into me. When the original is so good why not enjoy it simply for what it is?

Italian Mama: Why you need to be on a diet? You are too skinny!

You must eat! Mangia, mangia! I make you a sandwich.