Chef Fausto Mora

The First Dish I Ever Learned Was Love

At Piacere Mio, the story doesn’t begin with a menu.

It begins with a memory.

Not in a restaurant. Not under bright lights or behind a polished counter—but in a home where the kitchen was never quiet. Where the air carried the rhythm of sizzling pans, laughter, and something deeper—something unspoken.

Chef Fausto Mora didn’t fall in love with food in the way most chefs describe.

He fell in love with what food meant.

Where It Started

His parents were both chefs, and in their home, cooking was never passive. It was alive. It moved. It challenged. It responded.

There was always a quiet competition between them.

Who made it better.
Who seasoned it just right.
Who got the reaction.

But as a child, standing just close enough to feel included, Fausto began to understand something that would shape the rest of his life:

They weren’t competing.

They were expressing themselves.

And in that realization came his first lesson—one that no culinary school could ever teach:

Food is never just food.

Italy: Learning to Restrain

Years later, that understanding followed him across the world to Italy.

Two years immersed in a culture where food is not about performance, but about respect.

There, he had to unlearn everything he thought he knew.

In Italy, no one is trying to impress you. They are trying to honor the ingredient. To slow down. To simplify. To listen.

It was in that space that Chef Mora came face-to-face with one of the most deceptively simple dishes in the world:

Cacio e Pepe.

Three ingredients.
No excess.
No shortcuts.

A dish that offers nowhere to hide.

“If you rush it, it falls apart,” he reflects. “If you overthink it, you lose it.”

But when it’s right—when timing, texture, and intention align—it becomes something more than a dish.

It becomes discipline.

The Return to Feeling

And yet, there is another side to Chef Fausto Mora—one that never left him.

One that cannot be simplified.

It lives in a pot that simmers for hours. In spices layered with memory. In something deeper than technique.

It lives in Birria.

Where Cacio e Pepe demands restraint, Birria asks for surrender. It teaches patience. It builds slowly, deliberately, until flavor becomes something you don’t just taste—you feel.

For Fausto, Birria is not just a dish.

It is memory.
It is heritage.
It is home.

Living Between Two Worlds

To understand Chef Mora’s cuisine is to understand that he does not choose between these two identities.

He lives between them.

Between precision and feeling.
Between restraint and expression.
Between what he learned—and who he has always been.

It is in that space that his voice as a chef becomes clear.

Not defined by one tradition, but shaped by many. Not confined to rules, but guided by intention.

The Life That Grounds Him

But the most defining part of Chef Fausto Mora’s story isn’t found in a kitchen.

It’s found at home.

He is a devoted husband. A present father. A man whose life is rooted in love, commitment, and showing up fully for the people who matter most.

His two children—both proudly transgender—have reshaped his understanding of courage, authenticity, and unconditional love.

In his home, there is no tolerance for anything less than truth.

And in his kitchen, that same philosophy lives.

Everyone matters.
Everyone belongs.

More Than a Recipe

As he steps into his role as Cuisine Editor for Mood Media, Chef Fausto Mora is not simply offering recipes.

He is offering something far more personal.

Each Saturday, readers are invited into his world—into dishes that have shaped him, challenged him, and stayed with him long after the last bite.

He will teach you how to make them.

But more importantly—

He will teach you why they matter.

An Invitation to Experience

Because the dishes we remember most are never the most complicated.

They are the ones tied to a feeling.
A moment.
A person.

A piece of ourselves.

And for Chef Fausto Mora, that truth is at the center of everything he creates.

So if you want to understand his food—

Truly understand it—

There’s only one thing left to do.

Come see me.

Chef Fausto Mora’s Cacio e Pepe

“This is the dish that taught me how to slow down.”

There was a moment in Italy when I realized I had been doing too much.

Too many ingredients. Too much movement. Too much thinking.

And then someone handed me a plate of Cacio e Pepe.

Pasta. Cheese. Pepper.

That’s it.

Or at least… that’s what it looks like.

Ingredients (Serves 2–3)

• 8 oz spaghetti or tonnarelli
• 1 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1–2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp butter (optional, but I use it for balance)
• Salt (for pasta water)

Instructions

1. Start with the water

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. It should taste like the sea—that’s your first layer of flavor.

2. Toast the pepper

In a pan over medium heat, toast the black pepper for about a minute. You’ll smell it open up—that’s when it’s ready. Add a small ladle of pasta water to the pan and let it simmer.

3. Cook the pasta

Drop your pasta into the water and cook until just shy of al dente. Don’t walk away—this dish requires your attention.

4. Build the sauce

Transfer the pasta directly into the pan with the pepper water. Add a little butter if you’re using it.

Now here’s the important part:

Turn the heat low.

Slowly add the cheese, a handful at a time, tossing constantly. Add small splashes of pasta water as needed to create a smooth, creamy sauce.

No clumps. No rush.

5. Finish with intention

Taste it. Adjust. More cheese? More pepper? Trust yourself.

Chef’s Note

If it feels too simple, you’re doing it right.

This dish isn’t about impressing anyone.

It’s about learning control.

RECIPE 2

Chef Fausto Mora’s Birria

“This is the dish that reminds me who I am.”

Some dishes don’t belong to one moment.

They belong to generations.

Birria is not something you rush. It’s something you commit to. It fills your home with aroma, your kitchen with warmth… and your table with people.

Ingredients (Serves 4–6)

For the meat:

• 3 lbs beef chuck roast (or goat/lamb if preferred)
• Salt & pepper

For the sauce:

• 4 dried guajillo chiles (seeded)
• 2 dried ancho chiles (seeded)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 onion
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 tbsp vinegar

Instructions

1. Sear the meat

Season your meat generously with salt and pepper. Sear on all sides until browned. Don’t rush this—color is flavor.

2. Build the sauce

In a separate pot, simmer the dried chiles until softened (about 10 minutes).

Blend the chiles with garlic, onion, tomatoes, spices, vinegar, and broth until smooth.

This is where the magic starts.

3. Bring it together

Pour the sauce over the meat. Cover and let it cook low and slow:

• Stovetop: 2.5–3 hours
• Oven: 300°F for 3 hours
• Slow cooker: 6–8 hours

Until the meat falls apart without effort.

4. Shred and return

Shred the meat and return it to the sauce. Let it soak.

Let it become the flavor.

To Serve

• In bowls as a stew
• Or in tacos with dipped tortillas, crisped on a pan
• Top with onion, cilantro, and lime

Chef’s Note

This isn’t a quick meal.

It’s a reminder.

The best things in life take time—and they’re always better when shared.

By Chef Fausto Mora Executive Chef of Piacere Mio 173 East 99th Street New York, NY 10029 www.piaceremio.com