Chef Marcello Marano

Hello my name is Marcello. I am a classically trained international Chef and caterer who grew up in a traditional Italian home surrounded by my big Italian family. I studied at George Brown College in Toronto, Ontario and abroad in Europe and the Caribbean. I have been honing my craft for the last 33 years and continue to learn on the daily.

I have worked alongside such renowned Chefs such as Micheal Smith, Micheal Statlander, Jamie Kennedy, Ivan Brojeski, Philip Trepane, Marc Tuet, John Higgins, Mark McQuinn, Luigi Maresca, Lynn Crawford and the List goes on. But my most notable teachings came from three of the most amazing ladies in my life, my Mother, and my two Nonna’s (Grandmothers) .

Food was very important in our house especially when it came holidays, and family celebrations. This is where my passion for quality food began and learning how to prepare dishes the traditional and regional way was very important.

My family is made up of a melting pot of Italian regions. My Nonna Chef Dirce, yes she was a Chef as well, my mothers mother, was from Friuli Venezia Giulia (Northern Italy) while my Nonna Domenica, my fathers mother, was from Aburzzo (Central Italy). I also have to give credit to my aunt Stella (Sicily), my mother in-law Paula (Lazio) , my father in-law's mother Concetta (Napoli) and other extended family that are from different regions of Italy from the mountains to the southern islands. I would spend hours helping and learning from them. Although they are from the same country the food was drastically different.

Italian food is very regional, this is due to the dramatic environmental differences that such a small country has. With the North being colder and much like many places in Canada and the South being warm and tropical. As one can imagine the ingredients and availability was so different, with exception to love and respect for the food. This comes from understanding where and how food is grown and raised.

As a young boy I would spend countless hours with my Father, Grandfathers, and Uncles. They would teach myself, my siblings and my cousins how to grow fruits and vegetables, raise livestock and most importantly respect the food we produced. Nothing went to waste, everything had a purpose all the while being sustainable, responsible and respecting the environment.

I would like to say thank you for taking the time to learn a little bit about me. I sincerely look forward to meeting you. Life is too short not to make new friends and have new experiences. I encourage you all to participate in the authenticity of real Italian cooking.

Ciao

Chef Marcello