Albert Dell’Apa

My signature dish is Pasta alla Zozzona, a Roman pasta dish that combines various elements of the four classic Roman pastas (Carbonara, Amatriciana, Cacio e Pepe and Gricia). It is a deliciously decadent dish that is bursting with different flavors arising from the mixture of San Marzano tomatoes, chopped onions, pork sausage, guanciale and finished by mixing in the carbonara to complete the dish. Typically, I like to use my own home-cured guanciale in the dish for a truly home inspired meal.

My mother is my main culinary inspiration. Her and my father came to Canada as immigrants from Calabria in 1966. Growing up, my mother worked 60-70 hours a week in a factory but still managed to make delicious, elaborate home-cooked meals that fed the whole family and were the envy of our community. Her traditional ways of cooking with simple, quality ingredients inspire my way of cooking to this day. I am also a big fan of Giorgio Barchiesi (Giorgione) and, of course, Carla Hall!

I would use the $25,000 to start a food/meal service for underprivileged individuals and families in Toronto, Canada. Food insecurity is a big issue in large cities like Toronto and those most in need are often left with food/meals that provide little nutrition or sustenance. I would like to contribute to addressing this problem by bringing quality home-cooked meals to those most in need. The $25,000 would go a long way to establishing this service.