At The Pass with Jess Maiorano

🕒 6.5 min read

At The Pass is a weekly series showcasing Toronto’s best chefs. You won’t find any celebrity chefs featured here. Perhaps you already know these fine cooks, but maybe not. They’re not famous - yet. But it’s time these talented, passionate, hard-working chefs got a bit of the spotlight. Meet Jess Maiorano.

Currently

Pasta chef, not currently at a restaurant. Working for myself doing pasta delivery! Find me at Pasta Forever.

Formerly

Toronto: Woodlot Restaurant, Paris Paris, Alimentari, Midfield Wine Bar. Montreal: Lawrence Restaurant.

Favourite dish to make right now

Hand-Rolled Trofie with Basil Pesto, made with basil from my garden.

Last cookbook purchase

Bitter Honey: Recipes and Stories from the Island of Sardinia by Letitia Clark.

Have you read it/tried any recipes

Read it fully and made one recipe so far! Can’t wait to delve in more.

One dish or ingredient you’d like to see gone from menus

Butternut Squash Ravioli in Brown Butter with Sage.

And one dish or ingredient that you’re excited about right now and would like to see on more menus

So I’m actually Pescatarian, so this doesn’t fully apply to what I eat, but I’m really glad that offal, and using whole cuts of animals and fish, are making their way to be more more mainstream. It’s so wasteful (and really just a North American thing) to only use certain cuts. At Lawrence, we would keep every bit - we would keep the guts of the mackerels we cleaned, keep the salmon heads, always finding a way to utilize it all - which I think is great.

Order handmade pasta, sauce, focaccia, butter, and snacks online at Pasta Forever.

Biggest influences

Not really a person, but the Instagram @pastagrannies. Every time I see one of their posts, I immediately need to make it. Besides that, Marc Cohen, the chef of Lawrence was insanely inspirational during my time there. The way he treats his staff, runs the restaurant, uses the best produce - if you ever move to Montreal, work for Lawrence!

If you could eat at any restaurant in the world

The River Cafe in London. I lived there for two years and never made it there.

Last thing you ate

Late night after a few glasses of wine: Rigatoni with crushed tomatoes, anchovies and chili.

Three must-have ingredients always in your fridge

Anchovies, Capers, and Frank’s Red Hot Sauce. Don’t @ me.

Guilty pleasure

Miss Vickie’s Sea Salt & Vinegar Chips. Or pizza delivery from Gigi’s, with green olives and mushrooms.

Top 3 favourite Toronto restaurants

Sakai Bar, Loga’s Corner, Pinky’s Ca Phe.

Top 3 favourite Toronto bars

Piquette, Happy Coffee and Wine, Paris Paris.

Go-to drink

A glass of Beaujolais Blanc, or a Negroni, or a Rye & Ginger - really depends on the type of place we’re at! Drinking a Negroni while I type this thought...

One habit you have in the kitchen that you should lose, but can’t seem to shake

I probably talk back to much. But, that’s just who I am. Some people think I’m a bit sassy or a bit rude. And I have trouble with that “Yes, Chef” type of barbaric behaviour, and will talk back instead.

One habit you have in the kitchen that will inspire young chefs

Oh god, I don’t know. Being organized, and having really good time management. I know exactly how long one portion of each specific pasta will take me, so I can really time out my day and make sure I get everything done.

Lorighittas with Calabrian Chili + Caper Butter, Clams and Tomatoes, pictured with Onion + Oregano Sourdough Focaccia.

Hidden talent

I actually went to school for fashion, so I can draw a pattern, and sew an outfit together!

Best career advice you ever received

I’m not sure if this is advice or not, but Nick Morra, my chef of Woodlot, once just said “I trust you. Just make it taste good, and make it look good.” Find a chef like that. Find a chef that will give you constructive criticism, but also trust your skills. If your chef doesn’t trust your skills, you won’t trust your skills, and that will only hinder your growth.

Worst career advice you ever received

I had a sous chef once tell me I worked too hard (even though I definitely don’t). But I was pursuing other avenues in the food industry outside of just restaurants - I was wondering on food styling, and doing a bit of catering - and he belittled that. But now I have food styling skills, and can cater large scale events. So, don’t underestimate yourself!

Your advice for a young cook starting out in the business

So this advice is to all cooks, but mostly for female cooks: Apply for the jobs you don’t think you’re ready for. So many chefs will overlook you, and if that happens in the restaurant you’re working in, or you’re not fulfilled, go apply for another job, even if you don’t think you’re ready! Then show up every day, and ask a ton of questions to everyone around, and learn everything there is to learn.

I’ve gotten to where I am by realizing that the people I work with have so many skills different to my own, and ask them everything you want to know - because you might find a better way of doing things! And find what really interests you - and read about it, work on it at home, talk to your chefs about it, submerse yourself in it! And most especially -know your worth, don’t stay in an environment that treats you badly or is toxic, and ask for more money. Always!

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In order to support chefs during this time, the monthly At The Pass series is now WEEKLY. Know someone in Toronto or GTA who should be featured? Submit their name for consideration.

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