This week we were at the Viva Italia culinary market at George Brown College, in partnership with the Italian Trade Commission. We showcased a few of our unique Italian imports including our quince, orange and green tomato mostardas from Mantova.
I will be travelling to food shows in Spain and Italy in the coming weeks to meet up with many of our suppliers and make some new connections. Please write or call us with any products you would like sourced at: Salón de Gourmets and TUTTOFOOD (And please send Tony calm thoughts as he is left to fend for himself with our 8 year old girls while I'm away.)
Now moving along to the next generation in the Pasquale Brothers story… Henry Madott was born in 1917 and started working at the store as a truck driver in 1936. My grandmother describes him as a "man's man" but adds that the women were crazy about him too. They married in 1947 at the Royal York Hotel. They worked side by side for many years. Henry became the heart and soul of the store on King Street and set up the first cheese counter in the 1960s. In the words of my grandmother: "It was a busy Saturday before Easter and he served customers until 3 p.m. He went to the 5 p.m. Mass, ate dinner, watched the hockey game and was gone as soon as the game ended! (April 1, 1979) Henry had a short life but covered a lot of ground and leaves behind many memories." Below, from the left: on his wedding day with my grandmother Georgina (1947), with my aunt Bertha and mother Anna Marie (1952) and with me (1978).
Taleggio
I travelled to the Lombardy region of Italy last October. I was part of an international group of buyers that were paired up with regional producers looking to expand into international markets. There I was able to sample locally made Taleggio, a soft cow's milk cheese named after the Val Taleggio in Bergamo. Taleggio carries the DOP denomination (Denominazion di Origine Protetta) which translates to Protected Designation of Origin. This denomination dictates the area in which a product can be made and the method of production. Taleggio is great for eating on its own however I like it best when melted over pizza or scrambled eggs.
Scrambled Eggs with Taleggio and Truffle Oil
Ingredients:
1 tbsp butter
5 eggs
1/4 c whole milk
100 g Taleggio DOP, broken into small pieces
sea salt, pepper to taste
small drizzle of truffle oil (either white or black)
Melt butter over low/medium heat in a heavy bottomed pan. Crack eggs into a bowl, season with salt and pepper and whisk with milk. Pour eggs into the pan and move around gently until they are mostly set and still a little runny. Remove from heat. Break Taleggio into little pieces and scatter over eggs. Stir in gently. Drizzle with truffle oil and additional salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Spring Open House
Saturday April 8th 10am - 3pm
Please join us to celebrate 100 years of good food with food sampling in our warehouse.