LENA’S ITALIAN TORTA

Lena’s torta al cioccolato e vaniglia

Ask any pastry chef and they’ll tell you, one of the most important rules of pastry is to measure everything accurately.  That rule went out the window the second I walked into Lena’s house. She was to teach me how to make Italian torta and I came ready with a camera and a note pad.  Not because I was planning to write a post about it, this was way before we even started blogging.  The only way I would ever be able to recreate this delicious dessert was if I took step by step photos and notes or so I thought.

It’s in their heads

The problem with many great cooks is that they sometimes keep recipes in their heads.  Lena is no different.  She would gladly show anyone who is interested how to make torta or any other dish she creates (her lasagna is famous) but she will tell you it’s all in the feel and in the eye.  It’s how we all dream that we could cook, straight from the heart with all the instinct of generations before us.

Watch and learn

She had made this torta so often that there was no need for a piece of paper to tell her how much flour or eggs to use.  Her reference points were cued by her hands and eyes, backed up by a little tasting here and there.  I knew better than to ask how many cups of flour or tablespoons of sugar because the response would be a frustrated “I don’t know! Aren’t you watching?” followed by a slightly sarcastic laugh.

Passed on through generations

As she made the dough, she invited me to touch it so I would see how it’s supposed to feel when it’s just right, like her mother did with her and her grandmother before her.  In this day and age of receiving all sorts of recipes by email and setting out in the kitchen alone to try and recreate authenticity, this was true gold.

Four hands in the same dough, physical connections to taste, a link to an amazing culture of food being passed along, an honour.

Cucina con amore

Among those who know her, Lena’s cooking is legendary and those who have eaten her meals have walked away wanting more and possibly a copy of the recipe but everyone receives the same answer , “No. There is no recipe. It’s cucina con amore!”.

If you have a Lena (Mama as we respectfully call her) in your life don’t waste any time in getting in the kitchen with her, cooking experiences like these don’t come along often and the memories and flavours will last a life time. Our day ended with a couple of delicious tortas, one to sample over a cup of coffee and one to take home. We have included a copy of the recipe I cobbled together from my experience but I can’t guarantee it will taste like what came out of the oven that day.