← StartWell Magazine

Ascari At Home - Not Your Average Risotto

Ascari Partner & Executive Chef John Sinopoli (right) & Steffan Carrier (left)

 

The Toronto based Ascari Hospitality Group recently joined us in the StartWell Test Kitchen to demonstrate one of their new meal kit recipes. The session was a blast and filled our space with amazing aromas of truffle and porcini mushrooms as Partner & Executive Chef John Sinopoli prepared "Not Your Average Risotto" with English presentation before Steffan Carrier, a culinary team member from Ascari, did the recipe again in French. After the shoot we caught up with the Ascari team to learn about Ascari at Home and get their feedback on our Test Kitchen - here's what they had to say.

Ascari At Home - tell us about how you are delivering a restaurant experience to people in their own homes. It starts with the same quality ingredients we use everyday in our restaurants. What we’ve tried to do is take out all the heavy lifting for our guests from the preparation side. Package everything into an easy to follow kit with simple instructions to finish and assemble. The final product should look like what they'd find at their table at Ascari, only with a greater sense of accomplishment!

Why did you want to have a video to accompany this meal kit? We think it adds a lot of value to the guest experience and helps to take away any anxiety our home chefs might feel cooking for friends of family. Every video is always going to have a few “Pro Tips” or interesting anecdotes you don’t normally find on the pages of just a recipe.

What is the inspiration for this dish? We wanted to showcase something deeply rooted in Italian cuisine and culture. It was also important for it to be reasonable simple to execute and ultimately delicious.

We shot a version of this video in English and French, each with a different chef in the same kitchen - what was each of their experiences and how was the process of managing this flow once you were in the studio? The flow was great. Everything was set up really well and the room felt great. All chefs have a slightly different approach in front of the camera, but all in all the end result worked out great! What was your experience like cooking in the StartWell Kitchen? Like a 3 Star Michelin Restaurant!!!…. We enjoyed the experience, the set up and the professionalism.

The Meal Kit Films
"Not Your Average Risotto" In English

Ascari-At-Home_12-2-2020_en from StartWell on Vimeo.

"Not Your Average Risotto" In French

Ascari-At-Home_12--2-2020_fr from StartWell on Vimeo.

Behind The Scenes Photos
Production Stills

More in "It happened at StartWell"

Meeting room rentals at StartWell in Toronto

Book any of our meeting rooms or venues on-demand for small or large company gatherings. We include presentation technology with complimentary barista service and a great vibe that your team will love.

  • Level Up

    Level Up

    Level Up

    Seating capacity: 150

    This spacious suite is perfect for all types of large corporate gatherings - from meetings to thought leadership sessions to seminars/trainings to socials. Fully furnished with layout options - plus full AV for stage presentations, content recording and live streaming. The space has a mixture of comfy lounge seating, hightop bar/eating areas and row seating plus a presentation space - all located just above our espresso bar at reception and looking onto King Street from a glass wall.

  • Dedicated Offsite Venue

    Dedicated Offsite Venue

    Dedicated Offsite Venue

    Seating capacity: 100

    Unique private suite with its own retail access from King Street, lounge setup, open concept bar with cold storage, flexible furnishing options for theatre/rows, workshops, cocktails and conferences. Full AV package with professional stage lighting, 2 large connected TVs, mic packages, PA, video conferencing and 3 whiteboards on wheels. 

  • The Third Floor

    The Third Floor

    The Third Floor

    Seating capacity: 50

    Large suite perfect for large team sessions - exposed brick and high ceilings combined with large West facing windows. Three 6-person breakout rooms included, plus open concept lounge and 2 washrooms. 4 large connected TVs with video conferencing and white boards on walls.

  • Bitmap

    Bitmap

    Bitmap

    Seating capacity: 16

    Comfortable large meeting room with large conference setup for 16 people just past our reception cafe. With a large connected TV, video conferencing, 3 white boards and 2 windows.

  • JPEG

    JPEG

    JPEG

    Seating capacity: 10

    A comfy board room featuring exposed brick at the back of the first floor in our main building.  With a large connected TV, video conferencing and 3 white boards.

  • Cube

    Cube

    Cube

    Seating capacity: 12

    A glass-enclosed board room next to the cafe on the first floor of our main building.  With a large connected TV, video conferencing, white board and privacy blinds.

  • Fast Forward

    Fast Forward

    Fast Forward

    Seating capacity: 4

    A cosy exposed brick meeting room on the first floor of our main building near the library. With a connected TV, large white board and window.  

  • Patio

    Patio

    Patio

    Seating capacity: 6

    An intimate board room just past the cafe on the first floor of our main building, across from our common hot desk workspace.  With a large connected TV, white board and sliding glass doors.

1 8