Began many years ago when I opened the Caffe then called Il Caffe Rifugio. Being a Sicilian, American-born in Cleveland, Ohio, and moving to the Great Northwest I always wanted to have a space to craft food and art. Being an Alumni of the University of Cincinnati DAAP and Sculpture Department creating a great lasagna is always a challenge. There are so many components and layers. Most chefs like to blend all the ingredients in each layer. I do not. I like each component to have its layer all to itself. So it can later blend itself into the whole as the diner is making its way through the lasagna. My latest test in the studio of Rifugio is to seal each layer as a ravioli and then to assemble the lasagna and bake and sauce. Cairnspring Mills has just come out with the best durum wheat flour I am working with. The fillings are Monkfish and Cheese. Look forward to the results.
