Tidings Magazine

Mostly, Elena makes cooking from scratch with fresh ingredients look easy. People who’ve gone home and tried it for themselves know that, yes, with a little practice, it takes no more time to make a batch of fresh pasta than to cook pasta from a box. And the taste? Heaven.

An active advocate of the Slow Food movement, Elena believes in taking the time to go to the market, talking to local suppliers and inviting friends over to help with the canning and the cooking. “I’ve always received a lot, always entertained at home, every weekend. I was brought up that way, even on the little money my family had.” In her classes, she is obviously proud of her own food heritage, brought over from Lazio, a region in central Italy, where she was born.

After more than a dozen classes and continued guidance from Elena whenever I visit her side of the quincaillerie, I now can 350 pounds of tomatoes every September without batting an eyelid, make my own sausage, produce life-altering sun-dried tomatoes — and yes, make fresh pasta at least once a week.

The least I could do is invite her over for dinner. Through her stories and reminiscences, she’s always made one thing very clear: food is about bringing people together and welcoming them into your life. 

When I ask Elena for some wine recommendations, she confesses to me that she’s “not much of a drinker,” preferring, on occasion, to sip “a nice Bayley’s on ice” for relaxation purposes.

On a recent trip to Sicily with some of her students, though, she was bowled over by Donnafugata’s Mille e Una Notte, a stunningly labeled inky black Nero d’Avola with big, rich flavours, great complexity and richness of texture.

And she will admit to going for “a good Amarone” from time to time, having just enjoyed a bottle with friends over magret de canard and some fine Italian cheeses.

Her son Stefano, on the other hand, confesses to “liking a bit of everything” — from French Chablis to Niagara Reserves — and not worrying too much about what wine should go with what food.

Lucky for him, his curiosity is guided regularly by the “friendly sommelier Phil who lives upstairs.” When the mood strikes, Philippe skips downstairs, bottles in hand, and Stefano russles up a little something to eat: fresh in his memory was a “fantastic” Do Ut Des 2004 they’d had with a grilled thick-cut côte de veau. He assures me, smiling, that this Tuscan blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese was entirely suited for the job … 

*****

Quincaillerie Dante, 6851 St-Dominique, Montreal, (514) 271-2057

Mezza Luna Cooking School, 57 Dante, Montreal, (514) 272-5299

Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it to be included on the mailing list for class schedules. Courses book up quickly on a first-come, first-served basis (end of May for Fall classes and end of October for Winter/Spring).

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