cookinginvictoria  Sunday Pork Ragu

We have always pictured this stalwart Food52 voice from the north as Canadian through and through: after all, she is "cooking in Victoria." Fine print, people! But this cook's a transplanted New Yorker who opted for "a yard with plum and apple trees, a raspberry and strawberry patch and a Concord grape arbor" over the fresh ravioli and bagels back east. Frankly, it sounds like a more than decent trade when you tack on her mushrooming vegetable and herb garden and the inevitably divine let's-all-move-out-west-shall-we farmer's market around the corner. Not even a sesame H&H (may she rest in peace) toasted dark with cream cheese holds a candle to that sort of bounty.

Uprooted, replanted, and yet, many a Sunday lunch recipe lets on that cookinginvictoria grew up by the stove. The granddaughter of immigrants from the Southern Italian province of Basilicata, this cook puts the nonna in locavore. Her recipes look (and taste!) loved-up. Do your own patties with her Italian "Sausage" Sandwiches with Spicy Grilled Peppers and Fennel-Onion Mustard or stuff those meatballs with Jenny's fave, ricotta. From her Spaghettini with Clams and "Rings" to Weed Soup, her headnotes (see the soup) always inform and charm, her instructions (see the pasta) delineate and guide. We're pretty sure her grandmother would be proud.

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Read cookinginvictoria's profile Q&A below and follow her on Twitter.

  • What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?
    Some stringy, unidentified meat in China (hopefully, it wasn't dog or cat!)

  • What do you cook when home alone?
    Pasta with lots of butter and Parmesan cheese -- comfort food from childhood.

  • Your most treasured kitchen possession:
    My grandmother's salad bowl and a rolling pin my father made for me.

  • Your ideal meal:
    Homemade pasta, grilled lamb, locally grown vegetables, something chocolate for dessert, lots of good wine, all enjoyed with family and friends.

  • Something you'd like a chance to eat or cook:
    I would like to take a cook's tour through all of the regions of Italy.

  • The number of bottles of wine you own:
    Usually about 2-4 at any given time -- not enough!

  • The ideal number of guests for a dinner party is:4-6

  • Kitchen pet peeve:
    Not having a gas stove or a dishwasher!

  • Your favorite cookbook:
    My list changes all of the time, but right now my current faves are Adhoc at Home, Urban Italian, NY Times Essential Cookbook, and Good to the Grain (thank you, Food52, for introducing me to this book!)

 

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • joyeux
    joyeux
  • mcs3000
    mcs3000
  • fiveandspice
    fiveandspice
  • healthierkitchen
    healthierkitchen
  • TXExpatInBKK
    TXExpatInBKK
In 2009, after living more than twenty years in NYC, my husband, young daughter and I packed up our lives and embarked on a grand adventure, moving to Victoria, B.C. There are many things that we miss about New York (among them ripe, vine-ripened tomatoes, fresh ravioli and New York bagels), but, I have to admit, that living in the Pacific Northwest has been pretty amazing food-wise. Now we have a yard with plum and apple trees, a raspberry and strawberry patch and a Concord grape arbor. I have a vegetable and herb garden, so I can grow at least some of our food. And we have an amazing farmer's market a block from our house. I love cooking (and eating) seasonally and locally. And it's been very rewarding introducing my daughter to cooking and eating, and teaching her where our food comes from.

22 Comments

joyeux August 23, 2011
Congratulations cookinginvictoria. Your Aunt Loretta sent me your recipe for Ragu and though I haven't yet made it, I plan to as soon as it cools off a little bit here. I will be looking forward to future recipes.
 
mcs3000 August 18, 2011
Congrats on the spotlight! Adorable pic.
 
fiveandspice August 17, 2011
Great to see you spotlighted CookinginVictoria! I love the coziness of your style!
 
healthierkitchen August 17, 2011
congratulations Cooking in Victoria!
 
TXExpatInBKK August 17, 2011
Congrats! And I'm totally with you on not having a gas stove or dishwasher...
 
Fairmount_market August 16, 2011
Congratulations and nice to see you in the Spotlight Cooking in Victoria!
 
BlueKaleRoad August 16, 2011
Congratulations! What a terrific spotlight. Great to get to know you better. :)
 
sufitt August 16, 2011
Just thought I'd put it out there: New York bagels are not real bagels. You have to go to Montréal for that. And in Vancouver, a ferry ride from Victoria, we have Siegel's Montréal bagels: boiled, then wood-fired baked. New York bagels taste like buns with holes. xsut
 
francesca G. August 16, 2011
I think it's safe to say they're two different animals! Everyone has their loyalties :)
 
cookinginvictoria August 16, 2011
Wow -- what a huge surprise to turn on the computer this morning and find myself in the spotlight! I so floored and honored by this! Thank you food52 for the lovely write-up, and thanks everyone for all of the wonderful comments I love being a part of such a generous, supportive, and wise community of cooks. I really do feel like I am among friends here. I learn so much about food and cooking every day from all of you. This is such a great place to hang out -- I love food52!
 
lapadia August 16, 2011
Great to see you in the spotlight, CV! Your yard sounds beautiful, love Victoria and taking a little drive north to Nanaimo, too! Hope to meet up soon with you and all the F52 Potluckers :)
 
Panfusine August 16, 2011
Lovely to see you in the spotlight, Congratulations!
 
Midge August 16, 2011
So nice to see you spotlighted cookinginvictoria! Love your recipes and thoughtful comments.
 
gingerroot August 16, 2011
What a fantastic spotlight! Congratulations, cookinginvictoria! I love your recipes.
 
SKK August 16, 2011
Looking forward to our PNW meet-up! Love you are in the spotlight!
 
hardlikearmour August 16, 2011
Lovely! I have more than once contemplated moving to BC, and this makes me think about it yet again.
 
nogaga August 16, 2011
Congratulations! Great to see you spotlighted :)
 
drbabs August 16, 2011
Congratulations! So nice to see you in the spotlight!
 
aargersi August 16, 2011
Great spotlight - love cookinginvictoria's recipes and also totally jealous of the garden and the farmer's market!!!!
 
EmilyC August 16, 2011
You can count me as one of your fans! So nice to see you in the spotlight! You're always so thoughtful with your recipes, testing notes, and comments.
 
Sagegreen August 16, 2011
Congrats, cookinginvictoria: So nice to see this lovely profile! Have enjoyed so many of your recipes.