Cooking with Rosa
Click on the photo of Rosa above and watch the short YouTube video of our class.
Once a month Rosa opens the doors at Eglinton on a Monday for a dinner party where you can join her in the kitchen. It's an expanded version of our Family Style menu with plenty of Antipasti, Primi & Secondi with wine included. It's a little learning and a fantastic meal.
THE DETAILS:
Why only Mondays? Because we can only have you in the kitchen when not serving the public.
What time? We start at 7:00 sharp, get there for 6:30, and it will run about 3 hours.
Do I have to cook? Nope. Only if you want to get involved.
Are there recipes for take-home? No, the class is more fun dinner party than instructional, see the description above.
Are vegetarians welcome? Yes! As are most with dietary restrictions, though in honesty those who follow a vegan diet will only have 1-2 dishes per course to enjoy.
Special price for children? Sorry, no. The dinner is adult themed and while we don't exclude teenagers and kids, it's probably not a vibe they would enjoy.
Cost? $125 plus tax and gratuity
What if I pay by Italian credit card (AKA CASH?) The tip and tax are included in the $125 - and we love you more.
HOLIDAY HOURS
Closed Dec. 24-26
Open Dec. 27-31
Closed Jan. 1-5
Open Jan. 6-onwards
516 Eglinton Avenue West
5PM - 10PM TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY
CLOSED MONDAYS
Parking
One block east of us is Castle Knock Road, turn north and you will see the entrance to a Green P parking lot that runs behind our row of buildings - please don't come through the alleyway - it's an alleyway! Come in the front door. You can try your luck parking on the side streets, but we're staying out of it!
307 Danforth Avenue
5PM - 10PM TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY
CLOSED MONDAYS
Thank you to everyone who has kept us rolling through these times, we appreciate your love and support!
Parking
It's Danforth, what can I tell you - the best parking option is to take the subway. There's a Green P at 25 Ferrier Avenue to the east of us and one at 35 Erindale Avenue just to our west, and you might score a spot on the side streets but be careful - and be nice to the neighbours.
161 Main Street West
MONDAYS & TUESDAYS 4pm-9pm
FRIDAY THRU SUNDAY 12pm-9pm
CLOSED WEDNESDAYS & THURSDAYS
Parking
Welcome to The County! Side streets, Main Street, just be respectful of the signage and nice to the neighbours, they're good people!
We are so proud to have recreated our little Southern Italian Soul Food joint in the picturesque heart of Prince Edward County, and we hope you will join us again and again throughout the year.
Olive Oil Masterclass
Join us for a masterclass in all-things olive oil with Fil Bucchino, professional international taster and instructor. An in-person introduction to olive oil traditions and standards of quality, including chemical characteristics and recognized tasting methodology.
These 2022 harvest oils will be paired with light dishes designed to highlight and differentiate between taste profiles. This class is suitable for novices and enthusiasts and will improve your shopping and cooking habits, as well as explore this fascinating and ancient foodsource.
TBA
SUNDAY SUGO MENU!
In the restaurant Rosa prepares her signature tomato sauce vegan-friendly, but every Sunday in her home kitchen there is another tradition; the SUNDAY SUGO. With due respect to our veggie-lovers, this sauce might not be for you;
it is a fridge-emptying, gut-busting smorgasbord. The saucepot is loaded with stewing veal, salsicce (sausages), ribs, and anything else that happens to wander too close! Guest stars may include lamb, oxtail, rabbit, meatballs, and if you are among the truly fortunate… braciole!
At the table, you start with small bites of salumi, olives, cheese and fresh bread, followed by a simple pasta smothered in this rich, heart-warming, mouth-watering red sauce. Then, with another round of fresh bread, the meats hit the table; fall-off-the-bone, tender and tomato-sweet. For those raised in Italian homes under a strict regimen of caloric excess, we continue on with small-bite desserts, coffee and perhaps a little amaro to finish the afternoon, but for the rest of us, there is no shame in tapping out. Throughout the ages, this feast has prompted countless happy survivors to echo the phrase, "I need a nap".
Join us for your very own Sugo-inspired dining event. Book our dining room for a bubble-approved family get-together; multiple courses by candlelight with privacy and time to savour the company of loved ones. The best part? YOU don't have to wait for Sunday.
Rosa's Famiglia
Mention Rosa Marinuzzi's name, or that of her trattoria - 7Numbers - to anyone you meet in Toronto's Eglinton West neighbourhood and chances are they'll exclaim, "Mama Rosa?!" Whether at the local gelateria, the salon, the coffee shop, or the grocer, her laughter and joyful enthusiasm is more than just a reputation, it's a presence.
Born and raised on a farm near the town of Modugno in southern Italy, Rosa loves to tell stories of her childhood. From stealing fresh bread from the kitchen after school to sneaking into the cellar with her brother to pilfer fresh cheese or olive oil, her love of food started at a young age. With a focus on fresh, ripe ingredients, Rosa's kitchen is still a place where flavour comes first!
Rosa's Fritelle
Bet you can't have just one frittelle! Frittelle are traditional Italian Christmas Eve doughnuts. Delicious and light, you can have them savoury or sweet!
Ingredients
- Take a piece of pizza dough (you can use store-bought or frozen) the size of a tennis ball and flatten it with a rolling pin into a flat and round shape.
- The thickness of the dough should be no more than 1/4 of an inch.
Instructions
- Place 3-4 tbsp of your favourite filling in the center of the dough - scallions, mozzarella, tomatoes, grated Parmigiano cheese, Nutella, or leave them plain!
- Fold the dough over the filling and close it in the shape of a 1/2 moon.
- Press down the outer edges of the dough to completely seal the frittelle. Cut the excess dough away.
- Fry in olive oil until they are golden brown and serve (preferably!) very hot. If you are making sweet frittelle, you can cover them in cinnamon and sugar.
Taralli
Ingredients
- 4 cups Flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2/3 cups Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup Dry white wine
- 1-2 tsp Fennel seeds and cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F
- In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt.
- Add the oil and wine, and mix with a fork until the dough forms into a rough mass.
- On a wooden board, knead dough for approx. 5 minutes, until smooth.
Knead spices into dough.
- Cover the dough and let it rest for 15-30 minutes.
- Pinch walnut-sized pieces of dough, rolling first between your hands and then against the wooden cutting board, so that the dough forms a thin rope, about ½ inch (1 cm) in diameter and 4" long (10 cm).
- Shape each rope into a ring and seal the edges by pressing them together lightly, then set aside on a wooden board and cover with a towel.
- In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to boil.
- Put 6-10 of the taralli into the boiling water, and when they float to the surface (this will only take 30-60 seconds!) remove them with a slotted spoon and place them on a cloth to dry and cool.
- Put the cooled taralli on baking sheets and bake for approx. 25 minutes, until golden.
- Remove and cool on racks.
- Store in a closed container to keep them crisp.
Rosa's Award-Winning Lasagne
Yield: 1 serving dish - 12 small portions / 8 large portions
Ingredients
- 1/2 Onion (sliced)
- 2 1/2 lbs Ground veal
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp Chopped garlic
- 1-2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Pepper
- 1 1/2 cups Water
- 1 1/2 cups Shredded mozzarella
- 6 sheets Lasagna noodles, cut in half
- 3/4 cups Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 litres Tomato sauce
Preparation
- Heat oil on low in a medium saucepan and then add garlic, onion, salt, and pepper. Sauté a few minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add veal and brown.
- Add half the water and cook for approximately 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to mash meat and blend the ingredients.
- Add the other half of water, mix, and cook through.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a separate medium saucepan, bring sauce to boil and then set to low to simmer.
- Fill one large pot with water and a splash of olive oil and bring to boil.
- Fill a second large pot with cold water and set aside.
- Once the first pot has come to a boil, add 6 of the halved lasagna noodle sheets and let cook for approx. 1 minute.
- Remove sheets and submerge in pot with cold water.
- Repeat with 6 more halved sheets.
- Leave all sheets in the cold water until ready to assemble.
Assembly
- Preheat oven to 250°F
- Add 1 1/2 large ladles of sauce into bottom of hotel pan
- Lay 2 halved lasagna noodle sheets vertically in bottom of hotel pan
- Pour 1 scoops of sauce over noodles
- Spread 1 1/2 scoops of veal on top
- Sprinkle one handful of parmesan cheese over veal
- Sprinkle one handful of mozzarella cheese over veal
- Lay 2 halved sheets on top, this time, horizontally
- Repeat 4 more times, each time alternating noodles vertically and horizontally, for a total of 5 layers
- At the end of 5th layer, add 1 1/2 scoops of sauce and then add a 6th layer of noodles
- Add 1-2 more scoops of sauce and then a small sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top
- Tuck down corners by using your fingers to gently press the noodles down, ensuring all layers are tucked in
- Bake uncovered on centre rack for 60 min
Buon Appetito!
