New Toronto Member
Hello Everyone,
After month and months of lurking I decided to take the plunge and join....seems to be a great place.
A little about me
I have been trained in culinary arts. I specialized mainly in the preparation of meats from curing to roasting from braising to smoking. I walked away from the industry many years ago out of frustration in the rigors of the industry to become a "home based chef" which allowed me to expand my horizons and become familar in a variety of cooking styles (but remaining true to meats). I prepared traditional Italian flavours and add unique twists and have developed several personal recipes and favourites. I have spent the past several years "in the smoke" working with pork pork and more pork eventually moving towards beef and specialized creations.
Last summer I built my first wood oven after having a conversation with my Nonna regarding the best bread, pasta and meat dishes. she said "you can make anything you want, but it will never AS good as back home" I asked why she said the ingredients are not the same...I said I can fix that, I started making, growing, importing my own...she said the way you cook and what you use is not the same....I said I can fix that too..So I built an oven....She said "you don't know how"...I said that is where you come in...
I have spent the great part of the past several months adapting my recipes to the wood fire oven, remarkably there are few resources that I truely feel capture this unique a delicatable style of preparation. and so the quest commences.
I live in Caledon, Ontario northwest of Toronto some ways. I have been turned on to baking since the oven was completed I have had several failures....but also a couple of great successes but along the way learning always