Mazen Kassis’s search for a used “dough-sheeter” was the unlikely genesis of a year-long project bringing together some of Ottawa’s finest chefs whose pizza creations will help raise money for charity.
This week, Milano Pizzeria’s 12 Chefs for Charity fundraiser unleashed its Poutine-Zaa creation on hungry university students across the Ottawa Valley.
“It’s just in time for frosh week,” joked Kassis, president of Milano. “We’ve tested it and everyone loves it. It even comes with a side of gravy for dipping.”
The Poutine-Zaa was the creation of Tim Wasylko, executive chef at 24 Sussex Drive. Kassis met him while searching online for a used dough-sheeter for one of his restaurants. When he called the number he was surprised to find himself speaking to the Prime Minister’s Office.
“When they said, ‘This is the PMO,’ I said, ‘OK … I’m calling about the pizza dough sheeter.”
Eventually, Kassis was hooked up with Wasylko and the two struck up a friendship, first on Facebook, then face-to-face in Las Vegas where Kassis was attending a pizza convention and Wasylko was at a caterers’ convention.
Kassis was impressed by the number of charitable causes Wasylko was involved in and over a Vegas dinner the two new friends came up with the concept of 12 Chefs, 12 Months, 12 Charities. Each month, a respected Ottawa chef would create a pizza recipe for Milano with a portion of the profits going to his or her selected charity. The pizzas would be available at all 34 Milano locations.
Before he left Vegas, Kassis had offers of help from the chefs at the British High Commission, the Château Laurier, the Marriott Hotel and others.
“Tim had all his friends contact me,” Kassis said. “I kept getting emails, ‘I’m in … I’m in … I’m in.’ It was amazing.”
The first pizza launched in August, a southern-style blackened pepper-and-chicken creation by chef Steph ‘the Grilling Gourmet’ Legari. The sales raised $2,000 for Camp Misquah, a summer camp for adults and children with disabilities near Gracefield, Que.
Milano donates $2 from every small, $3 from a medium and $4 from large or extra-large to the charity of the chef’s choice. Wasylko’s charity is the Ottawa Humane Society.
When creating his pizza, “The first thing that came into my mind was frosh week,” Wasylko said.
His Poutine-Zaa includes McCain’s Tater Tots, St. Albert’s cheese curds, McCain shredded and breaded onions, black olives, roma tomatoes, cheese and “a hint of hot peppers.”
Tater tots, shredded and breaded onions and St. Albert’s cheese curds are the heart and soul of the Poutine-Zaa. Oh, and the gravy of course.
Kassis and Wasylko made the rounds of Milano shops on Tuesday to introduce the creation.
“All the store owners are on b0ard,” Kassis says. “We are really asking them to take a leap of faith. They’ll be using toppings that they might not be used to.”
Future pizzas will come from Kathy Smart, a fitness advocate who has written books about gluten-free living, chef Massimo Sprega, chef at the residence of the President of Italy, chef Patrick Kostiw of Algonquin College, and others.
Kassis hopes to have raised more than $40,000 for charity by the end of the 12 months.
Along the way, he hopes to win respect — even just a little — for the humble pizza pie.
“I feel that pizza is always thought of as kind of lower class,” he says. “People will say, ‘Let’s just get pizza.’ I hate that. These are chefs who really care about pizza.
“Here’s Tim. A month ago he was at Buckingham Palace, and here he is today in Milano’s.”
