How long ago did you start at Cioffi’s?
I began working at Cioffi’s shortly after marrying Rino Cioffi in 2004. Cioffi’s is a true family business with my husband, brother-in-law, and mother-in-law. Even my own mother and sister often work with us, especially during busy times. I began working as a cashier and balancing tills. Now, I do many different jobs from social media to advertising to customer relations and more.
Why do you like working at Cioffi’s?
First of all, I LOVE food. I’m one of those people that is perpetually planning out their next meal before finishing the one they’re eating. For me, a bad meal is a huge waste of calories and so I make every meal count. I’m a huge foodie, so working at Cioffi’s is right up my alley. I met Rino because my family had always shopped at Cioffi’s when I was growing up. I’d been a foodie right from the start. I love working at Cioffi’s because I love helping people find great products and sharing my knowledge of food with them and learning new things myself along the way. I also eat all day at work trying new amazing items in our Cucina…a definite perk of working at Cioffi’s!
Can you tell us a few of your favourite products from Cioffi’s?
Where do I begin!?! We have over 200 types of cheeses, so for a cheese lover Cioffi’s is perfect! I love soft cheeses, so I especially love our Burrata, Cambazola, Port Salut, Saint André, local goat cheeses, and fresh Ricotta and Mascarpone cheeses. For my kids, I love having Mascarpone on hand so that I can easily make a cheesy cream sauce for pasta that they love. We sell all types of homemade Italian sausages, but my two favourites right now are the Free Range Tuscan Chicken sausages and the Pork Maple sausages. They are so simple and delicious. Another item that my kids love are the frozen pizza shells from Italy. We have pizza parties and the pizza shells makes it so easy….just leave them on the counter and they defrost in minutes. I often bring home fresh-grated mozzarella, pizza sauce, and fresh sliced meats so they can make their own pizza. Another fave product for my kids is the Organic Nocciolata, which is basically an organic Nutella that is out of this world. I’m also currently obsessed with our Nutella-filled donuts that are made from scratch in our Cucina. Heaven!
What is your background? Can you tell us your favourite traditional meal you make at home using products from Cioffi’s?
I was born in Canada…my mom is from Holland and my dad’s family is from Sicily and Calabria. Seafood is hugely popular in the South of Italy, especially in Sicily. One of my favourite meals to make is a simple prawn pasta. We carry delicious sustainable prawns from the Gulf of Mexico and from Argentina that are amazing. Rino and I have young kids so quick meals are important. When I’ve had a busy day I take home some organic pesto sauce from the deli. I boil some linguine and toss it with the pesto sauce. I grill the prawns very simply with a bit of butter and garlic and serve it on top of the pesto linguine. It’s a gourmet meal in minutes! I serve it with a tomato and burrata salad. For dessert, I quickly blend up some mascarpone with whipping cream, lemon zest, and a bit of icing sugar. I put a dollop in a dish and top it with fresh figs and crushed amaretti cookies…a little Limoncello on top doesn’t hurt either!
