John Passafiume
Owner and Chef of
Mama's Italian Restaurant
Oakdale, NY
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John Passafiume's Featured Recipes
Pasta Putanesca alla Mama's
Ingredients (serves 4 people):
- 1 lb of your favorite gluten free pasta
- 1qt. Mama's Special Marinara sauce
- 1/4 cup Kalamata black
- 2 t.s. capers
- 2 oz extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves of fresh garlic
Directions:
Chop the garlic in small pieces and brown it in the olive oil in a heated pan. Add the capers and the chopped Kalamata olives. Sauté for three minutes and then add the marinara sauce. In the meantime, in a big pot heat up water to boil the pasta. The sauce should cook for about 15 minutes. When it's ready, pour it on top of the pasta in a dish and serve with fresh leaves of basil on top.
Ingredients (serves 4 people):
- 1 lb gluten free pasta
- 1 lb chicken breast
- 4 oz of fresh, gluten free chicken broth
- 6 oz broccoli
- 4 oz sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 oz extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves of fresh garlic
Directions:
Grill the chicken breast to light brown. Meanwhile, steam the broccoli for 5 minutes. Slice the chicken into strips and cut the broccoli into pieces. Chop the garlic in small pieces and brown in the olive oil in a heated pan. Then, add the sun-dried tomatoes and saute them for two minutes. Add the broccoli, the chicken, and the chicken broth. Let it cook for 5 minutes. In the meantime, boil the pasta. After the pasta is cooked, add it to the pan with the rest of the ingredients, and saute the pasta for 2 minutes. Serve in a dish with Parmigiano Romano cheese on the side.
Ingredients (serves 4 people):
- 1 lb gluten free pasta
- 2 t.s. of gluten free pesto
- 11/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 t.s butter
Directions:
Saute the pesto in a heated pan with the butter for two minutes. Add the heavy cream and let it cook for three minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling water. When it's ready, add it to the sauce in the pan and saute for three minutes. Serve in a dish with Parmigiano Romano grated cheese on top.
This is a favorite quick bread for many kids. The trick to making it highly moist and sweet is to use overripe bananas (the blacker, the sweeter.) If you don’t have time to make this bread when the bananas are prime, freeze them in their skins, then thaw, peel, and mash when you are ready to begin.
Interview:
Marlisa Brown MS RD CDE CDN President of Total Wellness Inc, Developer &
Author of Gluten-Free Hassle Free
and
John Passafiume Chef and Owner of Mama's in Oakdale, NY
Question: Tell me why you have developed a full gluten free menu in your restaurant, and do a lot of your customers order from it?
Answer: I became involved with the gluten-free lifestyle for one of my customers who was diagnosed with the Celiac disease. I did some research and found out how to make my gluten-free customers enjoy Italian food again. I started with a few dishes, but as the word spread, more people started to come in, asking for gluten free specialties, and I developed my own recipes. Today, almost every day, there's a customer who requests the gluten free menu.
Question: What are some of your most popular gluten-free dishes?
Answer: As an appetizer, our fried calamari seem to be a favorite. People also enjoy the homemade manicotti, lasagna, and pizza with various toppings. However, we offer a wide range of gluten free Italian entrees, which many of our customers have not had for years such as chicken parmigiana, eggplant rollatini, or penne alla vodka. And our favorite gluten free desert remains the homemade cannoli.
Question: What is your biggest joy in introducing gluten-free selections on the menu?
Answer: My biggest satisfaction comes when my customers personally thank me for bringing back a delicious dining experience that they thought they could never enjoy again once diagnosed with the Celiac disease. I am really happy I am in a position to help, and it brings me much gratitude to have both my regular and gluten free customers enjoy the same specialties.
Question: How did you learn about cooking for a gluten-free diet?
Answer: I started researching all kinds of gluten free ingredients that I could incorporate into my recipes. And then, I mostly experimented. My recipes are a result of continued work and customer appreciation.
Question: Is your whole staff trained on the gluten-free diet, or just select employees?
Answer: At Mama's, we are all one big family. My whole staff is trained to serve all of our customers with special care and personal attention. Our gluten-free customers can feel safe in the hands of any of my employees. All they have to do is request a gluten free menu, which is separate from our regular menu.
Question: What is the biggest difficulty in a restaurant kitchen to preventing cross contamination?
Answer: To prevent cross contamination, we have separate areas, dedicated to gluten-free only cooking and preparation. We have separate deep fryers, separate ovens, and separate utensils are used.
Question: What has been your biggest gluten-free cooking success?
Answer: I guess the joy in any kind of cooking comes with its appreciation. I consider my cooking a success every time I would go over to a table where a customer tells me how much they enjoy coming to Mama's. Seeing that my gluten-free customers can sit down, relax, and have a quiet dining-out night like any other person makes my job worthwhile.
Question: As a chef what would be your advice to a person who is just getting started with gluten-free cooking?
Answer: I would say that now it is much easier to get started than it was years ago. There is a lot of information, a lot of outlet stores that sell gluten free products, cooking books and guides. I would be happy to help and answer my customers' questions. Also, there are various support groups that are always ready to take new members and provide friendly advice.
Question: Tell me why you have developed a full gluten free menu in your restaurant, and do a lot of your customers order from it?
Answer: I became involved with the gluten-free lifestyle for one of my customers who was diagnosed with the Celiac disease. I did some research and found out how to make my gluten-free customers enjoy Italian food again. I started with a few dishes, but as the word spread, more people started to come in, asking for gluten free specialties, and I developed my own recipes. Today, almost every day, there's a customer who requests the gluten free menu.
Question: What are some of your most popular gluten-free dishes?
Answer: As an appetizer, our fried calamari seem to be a favorite. People also enjoy the homemade manicotti, lasagna, and pizza with various toppings. However, we offer a wide range of gluten free Italian entrees, which many of our customers have not had for years such as chicken parmigiana, eggplant rollatini, or penne alla vodka. And our favorite gluten free desert remains the homemade cannoli.
Question: What is your biggest joy in introducing gluten-free selections on the menu?
Answer: My biggest satisfaction comes when my customers personally thank me for bringing back a delicious dining experience that they thought they could never enjoy again once diagnosed with the Celiac disease. I am really happy I am in a position to help, and it brings me much gratitude to have both my regular and gluten free customers enjoy the same specialties.
Question: How did you learn about cooking for a gluten-free diet?
Answer: I started researching all kinds of gluten free ingredients that I could incorporate into my recipes. And then, I mostly experimented. My recipes are a result of continued work and customer appreciation.
Question: Is your whole staff trained on the gluten-free diet, or just select employees?
Answer: At Mama's, we are all one big family. My whole staff is trained to serve all of our customers with special care and personal attention. Our gluten-free customers can feel safe in the hands of any of my employees. All they have to do is request a gluten free menu, which is separate from our regular menu.
Question: What is the biggest difficulty in a restaurant kitchen to preventing cross contamination?
Answer: To prevent cross contamination, we have separate areas, dedicated to gluten-free only cooking and preparation. We have separate deep fryers, separate ovens, and separate utensils are used.
Question: What has been your biggest gluten-free cooking success?
Answer: I guess the joy in any kind of cooking comes with its appreciation. I consider my cooking a success every time I would go over to a table where a customer tells me how much they enjoy coming to Mama's. Seeing that my gluten-free customers can sit down, relax, and have a quiet dining-out night like any other person makes my job worthwhile.
Question: As a chef what would be your advice to a person who is just getting started with gluten-free cooking?
Answer: I would say that now it is much easier to get started than it was years ago. There is a lot of information, a lot of outlet stores that sell gluten free products, cooking books and guides. I would be happy to help and answer my customers' questions. Also, there are various support groups that are always ready to take new members and provide friendly advice.
John Passafiume
Owner and Chef of Mama's Italian Restaurant in Oakdale, NY
John Passafiume is the owner of the family-operated Mama's Italian Restaurant in Oakdale, NY. Mama's was opened in 1979 and for three decades has served its customers homemade ravioli, manicotti, lasagna, gnocchi, and many others, while taking pride in the recipes of Grandma Angela.
John has been in the food industry for over twenty years. During this time, he has dedicated himself to his customers, their needs, and most importantly, their unique restaurant experience. He first became involved with gluten free cooking when a regular customer, and friend, was diagnosed with celiac disease. John began to prepare some favorites in order to make his friend feel at home at his restaurant, and eventually this evolved into a four-page, gluten free menu that includes entrees, pasta, seafood, desserts, pizza and beer that is available every day.
To take a peek at Mama's gluten free dine-in or take-out menu, visit http://mamas-restaurant.com/gf.php. The delicious, homemade, gluten-free cannoli, rice balls, and pizza are also available in take-away packages that you can freeze and cook at your convenience. Soon, John hopes to introduce more frozen homemade dinners such as gluten-free manicotti and lasagna for his customers to enjoy at home.
John is passionate about experimenting with new recipes in order to provide all of his customers, with gluten allergy or not, a dining-out experience that feels like home at Mama's Italian Restaurant.
Contact Information:
Mama's Italian Restaurant
1352 Montauk Highway
Oakdale, NY 11769
john.passafiume@gmail.com
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