Larger than life, bold and enthusiastic- I'm talking about both Italian wines and Italian chef Aurora Stranges. Tasty tips on cooking with wine for the home cook.

Recently good fortune found your Food Trends writer meeting Chef Aurora Stranges at Toronto’s own La Vecchia Ristorante in the Yonge and Eglinton area. No-nonsense, full of life and wit, Chef Aurora is not one to mince words or hide her true feelings on all matters pertaining to food. After savouring her wine-enhanced dishes including the Calamari Sofia appetizer – pan seared calamari with grilled oyster mushrooms splashed with white wine and diced tomato, her vongole (or clam) pasta dish made with white wine and her pepper crusted beef tenderloin served with a red wine reduction and roasted vegetables, the conversation got serious.

Interview with Chef Aurora Stranges:

Food Trends (FT): How did you learn to cook?

Aurora Stranges (AS): I’m Italian- all Italian women know how to cook!

FT: I know a lot of Italian women who don’t know how to cook…

AS: Well, maybe they’re not from Italy. I learned from my mama- the best cook I know. She made her own pickled vegetables, tomato sauce- everything from scratch. I picked that up from her. Home made gnocchi, sauces- everything. I’m from Calabria- we’re very family oriented.

FT: I know you can’t say there’s one Italian cuisine because it’s very regional. What kind of Italian food do you make here at La Vecchia?

AS: I’d say it’s a bit of mix but basically, I cook what I eat. If I won’t eat it, I won’t cook it!

FT: Happy chef, happy cook?

AS: Exactly! You know- sometimes we get really weird requests- one woman wanted the seafood linguine in tomato sauce that we have to be served with cream sauce and goat cheese. I said no. I’m sorry, but this person doesn’t know how to eat! I cannot make it. The goat cheese would overpower the whole dish- it’s the wrong combination of ingredients.

FT: (laughing). How did you begin to cook professionally?

AS: That’s a long story. I earned an IT degree first! But I started out by washing dishes, then I started picking up techniques from the chef and learning along the way. I’ve been in Canada for 18 years! I always wanted to come to North America. I'm glad I'm here- although on nights like this (looks around at the packed room), I sometimes think I'm crazy (laughs)!

FT: What does food mean to you?

AS: It’s oxygen!

FT: What’s Calabrian food about?

AS: It’s unique. We eat a lot of wild game, we eat rabbit and duck, we eat a lot of stuffed meat- almost everything, even pasta we like stuffed. Seafood too- because we’re right by the Mediterranean. That’s why I only use fresh fish! We like to marinate a lot of our food as well.

FT: The dishes we had tonight are they your takes on traditional recipes?

AS: The Vongole and Beef Tenderloin – these are more of what I’ve created here, yes.

FT: What does wine add to cooking?

AS: Wine I would say adds a lot of flavour. Fish for Italians- first it swims in water, then it swims in oil, and then it swims in wine! That’s how it’s going to taste good. Wine adds flavour.

FT: You’ve said don’t cook with wine you wouldn’t drink- why?

AS: Because the wine makes a difference. If the wine is bad and you wouldn’t want to drink it- it will taste bad in your dish. If it’s something you don’t like, don’t add it to your dish- it won’t make it more enjoyable. It will kill the flavour of what might have been a good dish.

FT: What makes Italian wine special?

AS: I grew up with Italian wine- I saw my family making it since I was a kid. I like full-bodied wine and Italy makes some of the best.

FT: Thanks Aurora- it’s been lovely speaking with you!

AS: Good to speak with you too! I see you’re taking some food home. Didn’t you like my cooking?!

FT: I loved it- but I’m stuffed- so this is my lunch tomorrow. I’m one lucky girl!

AS: (laughs!). OK. Enjoy and see you again.

Without further ado, here are some of Chef Aurora’s Tips on Cooking with Wine and how it Influences Flavour:

• It is important to consider that once wines were more aggressive in their flavour than the wines we find today. Even though a very large number of white wines go great with fish, there are many reds that can be combined in the preparation of fish where tomato sauces or soup can be combined.
• The first and most important rule: Use only wines in your cooking that you would drink. Never, never use any wine that you WOULD NOT DRINK! If your do not like the taste of a wine, you will not like the dish you choose to use it in.
• Always remember that it is very important that the wine does not over-power the taste of your meat or fish.
• White wine is considered fresh and light because of the sound or the imagination of the color white. In summer time we associate that to the sea water, lake or rivers and the blue color gives sense of freshness.
• Red wines connote more of a dark and heavy feel, so in the winter we tend to drink more red. But why not have a light red wine in the summer?

Buon Appetito! Catch our next installment where we share some of Chef Aurora's show-stopping recipes and learn about Fabiano Italian Wines- perfect for any get-together!