Vancouver is home to some of the best chefs in the world, many have worked for the top chefs and restaurants around the world as well as around the city. Dishing with the Chefs is a series of Interviews with some of the top chefs in and around Vancouver.
Chef Cristina Marianetti
Cristina grew up in Italy, she had her own restaurant in Rome for 15 years which she opened when she was 19 years old (1998-2003). She then worked in 10 different restaurants for 11 years in Italy working here way up from Pizza Chef to Executive Chef at the last 3 restaurants. In 2014 she moved to Canada and settled in vancouver with her family, her brother-in-law was already living here. Her first job was at Alberello Pizza in North Vancouver where she started off as a dishwasher and then worked her way up to Executive Chef and Pizza Chef. She then worked as Executive Chef at The Bibo until July 2016, then at Adesso Bistro and Windsor Meats and then joined Robba da Matti Restaurant in Yaletown in August 2017 where she is currently the Executive Chef.
You can follow Cristina on Instagram @alberello26
Did you go to Culinary School?
No, I never did formal chefs training, I learned behind the fire.
What Challenges you here in Vancouver vs your time working in Italian kitchens?
Trying to be loyal to Italian food.
Prices – food cost here is incredible. Using the rationale of what to buy here makes your work hard. This is because everything is imported from Italy.
In Italy everything is used with extra virgin olive oil.
Here it is hard to find the traditional Italian ingredients.
Ordering here is a challenge, very different than when I was home in Italy
Do you make your food from scratch at Robba da Matti?
Yes, almost everything is made from scratch here from the pasta to all.
1st dish
Pennette al Salmone
Shallots
Evoo
Asparagus
Salmon
Cream
Vodka
Inspiration:
Make a balance the taste of the dish and the salmon
What are some of your favourite foods to eat?
Fish – salmon
Seafood – crab, lobster
What are your Favourite restaurants outside of where you work?
Nuba
Lupo
2nd dish
Rigatoni
Radicchio
Gorgonzola
Pine nuts
Shallots
Red wine
Inspiration:
The color of the radicchio makes me warm and I am in a great mood with gorganzolla and radicchio
Where are your Favourite pizzerias in Vancouver?
Pizza Carano
What are you Passionate about in life outside of cooking?
Music
Photography
Animals
What are you favourite dishes to cook at home?
Pasta Fresca
Vegetables (roasting)
3rd dish
Ravioli alla Illy
Lobster and crab stuffed ravioli
Garlic
Chili
Fresh cherry tomato
Prawns with wine
Fresh parsley
Inspiration:
It was already on the restaurant menu
Dish 1, 2 & 3
Stay tuned for the next chef in the Dishing with the Chef series.
By: Richard Wolak