L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015 www.italoamericano.com L'Italo-Americano 7 Jan. 8, Thurs. – Amici d'Italia monthly meeting at 7:30pm, St. Michael's Catholic Church, 424 SW Mill Street in Portland. Cooking demonstration with Chef Renato Solpietro. For informa- tion, contact K erry-Lynne D emarinis Brow n at difamiglia@aol.com Jan. 11, Sun. – Italian Hour on KBOO 90.7 FM from 9:00 to 10:00am. Contemporary and classic Italian music, featuring news of the local Italian community. Listen online at www.kboo.fm Jan. 11, Sun. – Annual Festa della Befana at 2:30pm, St. Michael's Catholic Church, 424 SW Mill Street in Portland. Children 3-10 years old must be pre-registered. Contact Kerry- Lynne Demarinis Brown at difamiglia@aol.com Jan. 13, Tues. – Italian Business Club of Portland monthly mee- ting at 6:30pm, Nicoletta's Table and Marketplace, 333 S. State Street in Lake Oswego. Voting for new Officers. For more infor- mation, contact Guido LaCesa at oaktreelo@aol.com Gayle's Italian Market opens in downtown Salem I grew up in what I think is a typical Italian-American family, with big feasts on Sundays and holidays. My uncle owned and operated Gabrielle Macaroni, a company that made a variety of pastas with machinery he imported from Italy. He sold his pastas to several Italian specialty markets and restaurants. Going to the Italian market as a child was a weekly outing to pick up meats, cheeses, olives, and pas- tas. It was the closest I got to "experiencing" Italy before I was old enough to travel there and see it first-hand. So the Italian market holds a special place in my heart. When I learned that a new Italian market was opening up in my area, I was thrilled. I had to check it out. Like a child on Christmas Day opening gifts, I experienced the same excite- ment, joy, and curiosity visiting Gayle's Italian Market in Salem, Oregon for the first time. The owner, Gayle Caldarazzo-Doty and her manag- er, Judy Hillman have created not just a "market," they have created an "experience" – and to an Italian, or anyone else for that matter, that's important. The market is located in the historic McGilchrist and Roth buildings on the corner of State and Liberty streets in downtown Salem. Built in 1916, the build- ings had been empty and dilapi- dated before Gayle and her hus- band, Doug Doty, purchased the buildings in February 2013 and invested several million dollars restoration. Opening the Italian market fulfils a 25-year dream. A wine shop within the mar- ket, St. Urban Cellars, is man- aged by John and Denise Swanson. John is very enthusi- astic about the selection of affordable wines he stocks from a variety of countries including Italy, Spain, Argentina, and CHRISTINA CAVALLERO EDICK France, as well as a few local Oregon wineries. They offer wine events regularly – a must to attend! Heading over to the meat counter, I was greeted by Steve Cunningham, formerly of Roth's Fresh Markets. Steve is a very knowledgeable butcher and fish- monger and proud of the mar- ket's meat and fish selection. I had to purchase some of his homemade Italian sausage to try. The cheese and deli counter brought back memories of my childhood with its portions of big cheese wheels just like I remem- ber my Italian relatives bringing to us when they returned from Italy. Okay, so did an episode of "I Love Lucy" just stream through your head? All kidding aside, the imported and local cheese and deli meat selections looked amazing. I had to take some home for more taste test- ing. Gayle's has coffee (installa- tion of a custom-made cappucci- no and espresso machine will be completed in January), Italian waters and sodas, candies, pas- tries, pastas, polenta, and the oh- so-hard-to-find "00" flour. If you can't find what you need, the staff is happy to take custom orders. The authentic brick pizza oven, built with reclaimed brick first created in 1916, takes center stage in the store for individual pizza orders. If you are planning a dinner or reception, Gayle's also offers catering, and a ban- quet room for up to 130 guests will be opening soon in their downstairs level. I've gone on and on about the food, drinks, and wine, when Stefania Toscano McCormick, owner of Taste Unique Traditional Italian Kitchen, offers up enough of everything to satis- fy your Italian tastes from sweet to savory. The core of Stefania's busi- ness comes from ready to cook entrees such as meatballs in sauce, spinach cannelloni, arugu- la lasagna, and sausage crostone. Her long list of dolci items includes homemade panettone at Christmas, tozzetti umbri, and lingue di gatto. Menu items include antipasti and soups, as well as gluten free and vegan options. The deli case is filled with house-made sausage, salami and focaccia, and her shelves hold everything from Italian card games and towels to orecchiette and olive oil imported from Puglia. Born in Castellammare di Stabia, Napoli, Stefania moved at a young age to Umbria and at twenty-three moved again to Rome where she married. Stefania's next move would take her across seas to Portland. "We loved Portland after a visit here," Stefania says. "We thought, let's start with Portland, if it doesn't work out we can always move again." It worked out perfectly. "I wanted to do something completely different when we moved to the States, so I decided to follow my passion for cooking." A passion instilled in her by her mother and her aunt while growing up in Italy. Taste Unique originally had a small dining area for seating the lunch crowd, but to accommodate production growth they have since replaced the tables with freezers and have also added more shelf space for their import- ed goods. Stefania has also begun to ship her products on dry ice. "It was the next step in our grow- ing production," she says. Stefania hopes to continue working as an artisan, to be respectful of the tradition she brings to her craft, and to enjoy what she is doing in her tradition- al Italian kitchen. Gayle's Italian Market is so much more. Artfully displayed around the shelves of tomatoes, pestos and pastas are tea towels, decorative dishes, cookbooks, candles, and cards. The mezza- nine level features creatively dis- played gifts and other items you didn't know existed but discover you want and need. I had to take time out and look at items more carefully, so I ordered a cup of coffee and perched myself at one of the window tables to leaf through a few cookbooks that I suspect will become favorites. You know that food to Italians isn't really about nour- ishment, it's about the experi- ence and the camaraderie with the people at the table. Gayle's Italian market is definitely a des- tination, a place you can call home – a place that will take you back to your childhood. Be sure to visit when you are in Salem, Oregon and enjoy making happy memories for the future! Gayle and Judy have great plans to bring additional features to the store including cooking classes. Visit them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gayle. doty.50? A Unique Taste of Italy in Portland TONYA RUSSO HAMILTON Chef Stefania Toscano The authentic brick pizza oven is built with reclaimed brick first created in 1916 Located in the Italian market, St. Urban Cellars has many Italian and local wines to choose from

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