Mangia Bedda! Sicilian flavour in Canada

When I started this blog early this year, I actually haven’t thought deeply about what kind of article I would’ve post in here, and in my mind it was all about sharing recipes. I have to admit that despite the fact that sharing recipes is very important for this blog (and seeing the results!), one of the most interesting things about running it is that I ended up discovering new things on a daily basis: new communities, Sicilian chefs around the world, families that are running their own Sicilian restaurants, or other Sicilian Food Lovers that have their own blog!

And thanks to that, today I want to introduce to our lovely community,Nadia Fazio and her Sicilian Food Blog “Mangia Bedda!“ which is one of the most followed food blog in Canada, where Nadia is based!

I had the chance to have a chat with her about her Blog, her story and what’s the impact of “Mangia Bedda!” in her life!

We hope you’ll enjoy!

SicilianFoodCulture / Riccardo: Hello Nadia, welcome to SicilianFoodCulture.Com, we’re very excited to have you here!

Nadia: Hi Riccardo, thanks!  It’s a pleasure to be part of this wonderful community that seeks to preserve and share our delicious Sicilian recipes!

SFC: Let’s start from the beginning – who’s Nadia Fazio and what is “Mangia Bedda”?

N:  About three years ago, I decided it was time for me to pursue my life-long passion for food and I started my blog: Mangia Bedda. My goal for this blog is to preserve the traditional recipes of my family.  These recipes are currently written in a little black notebook in my mother’s writing that is not quite legible to me! Furthermore, most of them do not have specific measurements for ingredients; it’s “as much flour as needed” or “a half glass of whataver”. Therefore, I was determined to document each recipe before they are lost to me. I also settled on the name “Mangia Bedda” because when I was two or three, my maternal grandmother came to visit from Sicily and apparently I did not want to eat so she would constantly repeat to me “mangia bedda, mangia bedda” which means eat beautiful. These words have remained with me throughout my whole life!

SFC: When does your Food Blog became something a bit more serious than just writing recipes online?

N: My food blog has led me to my career in cooking and I’m very excited about that.  Since starting my blog I have begun teaching cooking classes in various venues in Montreal.  I enjoy teaching people how to make my favourite dishes, especially gnocchi and arancini!  It is wonderful to watch people make fresh pasta for the first time as they realize it is really not as difficult or intimidating as they expected. I am also teaching a weekly cooking class to high school students. I believe that cooking classes should be a mandatory part of the curriculum in all schools as I am adamant that since we all have to eat, everyone should have some basic cooking skills. I have also received requests for some of my dishes and so I also occasionally offer catering services. Basically, I am thrilled to be able to do what I love as my job!

SFC: And you’re on TV as well! You were part of several episodes of “Fatto in Casa” on Ici Montréal! That is simply amazing – How was that experience?

N: Yes! I always dreamed about having my own cooking show and as of this date I have filmed 6 episodes of “Fatto in Casa” and there are more episodes in the works! Although somewhat stressful, it has been so far an exciting and wonderful experience. I have been sharing many of the recipes currently found on my blog in front of the camera. It is also giving me the opportunity to further practice my Italian.

SFC: Have you seen any impact on your blog or social networks after Ici Montréal aired the episode on TV?

N: Absolutely! The results were almost instantaneous throughout the various social media networks such as Facebook, Instagram and on my blog.  I have received very kind feedback as well as an increase in followers.

I enjoy hearing from people who are happy to have found a particular recipe that their nonna used to make when they were little! This gives me great satisfaction.

SFC: Let’s talk about Canada. Is there a strong Sicilian Community?

N: In Montreal there is a large Sicilian community mostly from the Agrigento area of Sicily. They are also a close knit community here in Montreal.  However, my parents are from a small town called Naso located in the province of Messina and there are not many individuals here from that area.

SFC: And what about the Sicilian Cuisine? Is it well known?

N: Sicilian cuisine is quite prominent here. For example, you will find arancini and cannoli just about everywhere including bakeries, grocery stores and cafés. What I have found quite interesting in my discussions with other Sicilians (both here and in Sicily) is how varied Sicilian cuisine is from one part of Sicily to another.  There are many Sicilian dishes that are typical say in the area of Palermo or Agrigento that I knew nothing about until recently. For example, my family never knew about ‘panelle’, couscous with fish or ‘bignolati’. But I can tell you that I’m having a wonderful time trying out all these new recipes which I intend on sharing. What I found most fascinating is that my mother’s arancini recipe did not even come from Sicily! She didn’t even know what arancini were when she was growing up.  Her recipe came from a friend of a friend when she immigrated to Canada.

SFC: But you’re not passing all your time in the kitchen, making recipes for your blog right?

N: That’s right. As I mentioned before I offer cooking classes which are listed on my blog as well as the occasional catering job. I am also happy to announce that I am collaborating with Vuelle Residence in Capo D’Orlando, Sicily in organizing a Sicilian Culinary Vacation in October 2018.  This 10 day incredible holiday will consist of 5 hands-on cooking classes where we will cook together some of our favourite Sicilian dishes such as arancini; cannoli; maccaruna; pignolata; sword fish involtini and much, much more. We will also visit some of the most beautiful parts of Sicily such as Palermo, Mt. Etna and Taormina. The opportunity to teach my favourite dishes in my parents’ homeland is a dream come true for me!

SFC: Nadia, which one is your favourite recipe from your blog?

N: I have so many but my favourite dish is and has always been arancini!  Since I have started making my own arancini I have also experimented with several different fillings such as spinach and cheese; ‘nduja sausage and seafood.  I was inspired to try these delicious new variations during my trip to Sicily a year and a half ago. I never become tired of making and eating arancini!

SFC: Thanks a lot for your time Nadia, we hope to see you here again soon!

N: Thank you Riccardo, it has been an honour to be featured on your wonderful blog that shares the same values as I have, that is to preserve our wonderful Sicilian heritage through our recipes!

Follow this link to visit MangiaBedda!

Sicilian Food Culture