Italian Cookies That Tingle All The Senses

Marco Civitarese is a born and raised Calgarian and owner of Dolci di Delia, a local Italian cookie business. Dolci di Delia is an homage to Marco’s mother, Addolorata, who passed away in 2018. All of her friends and family came to know her in the shortened form of her name, Delia.

Marco’s parents were first generation immigrants born and raised in a farming community in the Abruzzo region of Italy. When they came to Canada, Delia spent hours recreating the Italian flavours with Canadian products. She tested her recipes many times before sharing the baking with friends and families. Her recipes were based on a sense of feeling and a sense of love. Her fridge and freezer were never empty in case visitors came unexpectedly.  

“Her love was felt in all the senses.”

Marco wants to create a legacy in his mothers name that captures her passion by recreating some of her most iconic cookies. Marco’s cookies are more than a sweet indulgence. They are part of building relationships, life events, and a bit of a guilty pleasure mixed in too. 

Marco found his passion for cooking and baking after watching his mother cook and bake every day, as well as from working in a local Italian restaurant from age 14 to 21. As many cooks do, he started busing, dish washing, and waiting tables, and he eventually found himself in the kitchen. 

Some of the cookies are based on many of Delia’s most common recipes that have been further developed by Marco, putting his own spin on the original. Marco hopes that his cookies will be enjoyed at many happy life events and remembered as part of the experience. 

Marco would like people to see an enticing product upon unraveling the packaging and smell the citrus, roasted almonds, chocolate, anise, or cinnamon. His cookies are best enjoyed over a great conversation with friends, family, or coworkers. The cookie packages are a great alternative for expressing appreciation as a corporate gift or event. 

“They all pair nicely over an espresso, tea, glass of milk, or even a sweet liquor as my father would have preferred.”

After tasting the traditional Italian baking, Marco is sure that you will gain a feeling of warmth. 

His cookies are unique because many of them derive from regional Italian baked goods from Abruzzo. They are elegant and smooth bites of deliciousness, connected to his family history. The recipes are versatile enough to be served with other products and will be showcased as new items are introduced to the menu. 

Marco’s parents often sponsored other families immigrating from Italy, and Marco would like to give back to the community in which he was born and raised too. He is determined to contribute to the University of Calgary Institute for Dementia Research and to Brown Bagging For Calgary Kids, an organization that provides lunch to children in need and where Marco currently volunteers. 

Marco signed up for the ShopHERE Program for the opportunity to have a website created and launched during a busy time of year. It was crucial to Dolci di Delia to have the ability to take orders more efficiently. 

“It was an absolute pleasure and timely for the continued development of my very small cookie business. It met my needs to step forward in how most people order and pay for my products.” 

He found the process very smooth and his coordinator was readily available and agile in managing the project. His coordinator asked questions to provoke different ideas and actions to make the website meet his vision. 

Marco created some elements such as the background, photos, and story line for the web presence and his coordinator developed it into a crisp formatted template for Marco to review and provide feedback. 

While he had some background from a course he had taken, Marco was able to find some nuggets in the ShopHERE Program and a new professional presence to move forward as his business continues to grow. 

Marco is introducing a Valentine’s Day feature, so if your mouth is watering after reading about his cookies, you can order some at dolcididelia.ca 

If you’re a small business owner looking to have your own website built, you can sign up for the ShopHERE Program sur ce site.