Crystal Russo just wants to make your taste buds sing.
And recently, she had one well-known television host’s mouth practically spending a night at the opera.
Russo, the owner of Nonna’s Cucina, a home-based catering and food business in Innisfil, entered an Ontario Veal Appeal contest in early summer to name the best veal sandwich in the province. Out of 80 submissions, Russo’s entry made the top 10.
This led to a visit on Aug. 15 by a panel of judges that included Food Network Canada host John Catucci.
“It was an awesome day and a great experience,” Russo said. “He’s such a chill guy. His vibe is just the best. I was so nervous, but when he came in, it was like I knew him. He picked up my sandwich and kissed it. He said, ‘What a sandwich. This thing is so heavy. Wow, this is delicious.’”
She could still advance further to the final round, being hosted at a yet-to-be-announced site in Toronto, on Sept. 15.
Russo, a single mother of four girls — Sabrina, 23, Alessia, 18, Tianna, 13, and Milena, 10 — hopes the publicity from the contest will help her grow the business to the point where she can open a storefront and continue to sell lasagna, pasta and arancini, and sandwiches that include veal, chicken, eggplant and meatball varieties. She’s already seen a spike in sales since posting to Facebook about Catucci’s visit shortly after it happened, with customers coming from Bradford and Alliston for food.
“I have another job; this is kind of my side hustle,” she said, crediting her sister for helping to get Nonna’s Cucina off the ground. “But I know my dream will one day happen. I’m a risk taker. The only thing to lose is money, and money comes and goes. I knew my food was good.”
Russo’s cooking chops were developed under the guidance of her grandmother (affectionately called ‘Nonna’), who died in 2021. Nonna’s passion for making good food was apparent through the “Italian feasts” she’d prepare almost every day.
“She showed so much love through her food and made anyone’s belly happy that she fed,” Russo said. “Her passion and determination inspired me in the kitchen. She was the best mentor, who gave me the confidence I have today. I watched her cook; she taught me everything. She always made food, and big portions. It was always, ‘Eat, eat, eat!’”
According to the Appeal, the Ontario’s Best Veal Sandwich competition began in November 2016, but took a two-year hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic. It resumed in 2022, and is used as a way to celebrate the classic food, which is believed to have arrived in the province shortly after the Second World War.
Its roots are in Italian cuisine. The thin, breaded veal cutlets with tomato sauce, cheese and a choice of toppings such as mushrooms, peppers and onion became a hearty and portable lunch.
Russo’s sandwich applies many of those same concepts, though she also offers sauteed jalapenos for a kick, and she recommends the marinara sauce on the side, so it doesn’t make the soft, fresh bun soggy.
“All of my customers say the sandwich is so big, they can’t finish all of it,” she said. “If you’re going to put that other half away, you go back to that later and your bread’s going to be so wet. That’s just not good.”
There is thought that seemingly goes into each bite, right down to a coating for the veal designed to get a good crunch. She says you have to cook with love, and that a great sandwich is like having “fun in your mouth.”
“My sauce is cooked for hours and hours,” Russo said. “If your sauce is not on point and it’s bland, it’s not going to make your sandwich that much better. That’s where you get the flavour. Everything is fresh ingredients. My Nonna always used to say: ‘The longer you cook it, the better it tastes.’”
The Appeal calls the response to this year’s competition “tremendous,” in a post on its website.
For more information on Russo and her business, visit nonnas-cucina.com.
