#TasteofThursday recipe – Chef Faizal Kassam

Buffalo Mozzarella – roasted eggplant, butternut squash, pomegranates and mint recipe from Chef Faizal Kassam, Cibo Trattoria

Eggplant puree:

2 large eggplants

3 cloves garlic, sliced

4 sprigs fresh thyme

½ cup olive oil

Chianti vinegar to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Split the eggplants in half lengthwise. Score the flesh and insert sliced garlic and herbs in between the incisions. Liberally pour the olive oil over the flesh. Season with salt and pepper and roast off in the oven for 20-25 min or until the flesh is soft.

Let the eggplants cool slightly. Scoop out the flesh into a blender and blend on high for 2 minutes. Pass the puree through a fine strainer and season with salt and chianti vinegar.

Butternut squash:

1 large butternut squash

2 cloves garlic

5 sprigs fresh marjoram

1 tbsp calabrian chili paste

½ cup Olive oil

Salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Peel the squash and cut lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Cut the squash into discs about 1.5cm thick. In a food processor, combine garlic, chili paste, marjoram and olive oil till a paste consistency is achieved. Toss the paste with the squash and roast in the oven till tender and brown on the edges (approx.. 20 min)

Buffalo mozzarella:

1 ball buffalo mozzarella, drained and portioned for 4-6 people.

1 pomegranate

1 bunch mint, picked

Assembly:

Smear the eggplant puree on the bottom of the plate, place 2-3 pieces roasted butternut squash, then 2-3 pieces of the buffalo mozzarella. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and ripped mint. Finish with extra virgin olive oil.

FAIZAL KASSAM – EXECUTIVE CHEF

Born and raised in North Vancouver, Faizal’s early passions revolved around competitive sports where he excelled at badminton and golf. However, the alluring tastes and aromas from the kitchen of his mother and grandmother inspired him to pursue a career in cooking (but he still plays a wicked game of badminton and is basically a scratch golfer).

A known force in esteemed kitchens around Vancouver, Faizal’s eleven-plus years of experience include stints at Bin 941, La Brasserie, Bacchus at the Wedgewood Hotel, and most recently, Hawksworth Restaurant at Hotel Georgia. Prior to Hawksworth, Faizal was sous chef at Cibo Trattoria and returns to us as Executive Chef.

Like the sentiments echoed throughout his rustic Italian menus at Cibo and Uva, Faizal draws his inspiration from the seasonally-driven Italian market culture and locally-sourced products. He is committed to leading a strong kitchen team and ex- ecuting consistently delicious food. Faizal’s competitive nature and relentless pursuit of perfection is reflected by his growing number of fans who consistently return for an extraordinary dining experience.

Cibo Trattoria

900 Seymour Street, Vancouver

604 602 9570 or info@nullcibotrattoria.ca

http://cibotrattoria.com

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Twitter: @cibotrattoria

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