Am I Turning Italian?
Hey Foodie Friends, To kick things off with my new style of posts here, most recently many of you have commented curiously about my recent focus on Italian foods, especially with my recently introduced ‘Tucci Night’ at Tavern at the Mission…is 2.0 turning Italian? In order to best explain this, I think a little background as to how I even ended up in this business might shed some light on my current state of mind. My passion for food started when, as a teenager I first recall one snowed in winter night reading my Mom’s ‘A Treasury of Recipes’ Cookbook by Vincent Price….why in the hell a Michigan Mom had this book I regret I never bothered to ask, but I was fascinated by all the exotic recipes that he had included from restaurants he and his wife had visited around the world. That, combined with the fact that my Mom, Cassie as she was called, prepared 3 meals a day for her husband and 6 kids (she was also called Saint Catherine) meant the kitchen was always filled with wonderful, cooked from scratch smells that helped set the stage for me eventually becoming immersed in a life that was all about food, although it wasn’t until years later that I realized that was how the seeds were all planted in me. Jumping way, way ahead now…like 15 years… (maybe I’ll share what happened in the interim period at a later date) when I opened my first restaurant Pavé in CDM in the early 80’s my menu expressed my love and fascination with French Cuisine, albeit with a California flair, whatever that was supposed to mean. But about a year after opening I became smitten with the whole ‘Contemporary Southwestern Cuisine’ movement as popularized be a handful of Chefs in LA, Dallas and, of course, Santa Fe. I began offering a separate specials sheet each night featuring some of my takes with items like BBQ Duck Saddlebag, Sweet Corn & Shrimp Tamale, Black Bean Cake topped with Grilled Spanish Gambas. Although I was unaware of this, one night Larry Cano, founder of El Torito, dined with use and a week later I received a call from his office asking if I would be willing to meet with him at their corporate offices. Very curious about this, I of course gladly accepted the offer, during which Larry explained to me that he was looking to develop a next generation restaurant that embraced the types of dishes I was creating at Pave. Long story short, he offered this ‘DS’ gringo kid from Michigan the title of Director of Concept Development and the carte blanche opportunity to create what eventually became the El Torito Grille, the first of which I opened in Fashion Island in the mid 80’s. Larry was a kind and gentle man with a great smile and love for his culture and he provided me with a springboard that led to an amazing 45 year career in this business. I considered him a dear friend and will forever be in his debt for what he offered me. Fast forward, I got a case of the happy feet and after 4 years at ET left to open my own Southwestern concept in downtown Laguna Beach…Kachina. After that I opened multiple concepts initially in the OC but eventually in San Diego and LA County as well. Never having been to Europe until later in life, I eventually enjoyed trips to Paris and Tuscany, and while I loved and knew all the traditional dishes of the French Bistros and Brasseries, my first exposure to Tuscan cooking took me quite by surprise. Growing up in the Midwest, Italian food pretty much was all about ‘heavy red’…don’t get me wrong, I love a good spicy meatball as much as any of the dudes on the Jersey Shore, but the simplicity of Tuscan cooking was not something I expected. Eating in Italy, especially Tuscany, does tend to feel healthier and cleaner, and there are real reasons for that. The magic isn’t mystical; it’s cultural, agricultural, and deeply tied to how Italians think about food, time, and pleasure. cuisine is built on fresh ingredients, simple preparations, balanced meals, and portion sanity — which naturally makes it feel cleaner, lighter, and more nourishing. Freshness is their religion…they are obsessed with things like Produce that’s in season Fish that was swimming yesterday Herbs picked that morning Olive oil pressed locally When the raw quality of ingredients are that good, you don’t need heavy sauces or processing. The food tastes alive on it’s own. It’s about a minimal number and maximum flavor of the ingredients in dishes…cooked simply and lightly seasoned. I have a record of often criticizing some Chefs for having way too many ingredients in a single dish as if trying to show how creative they are. Tomatoes + basil + olive oil + salt. No preservatives, no mystery ingredients, no “cream of something” shortcuts. Olive oil over butter, although there is a big difference between north and south….EVO is big in the South…butter often used in the North. I think we all know that extra‑virgin olive oil is, anti‑inflammatory, rich in antioxidants and heart‑healthy and is the backbone of Italian cooking. Italians eat vegetables: before the meal (antipasti) during the meal (contorni) mixed into pastas and soups It’s not a side thought — it’s the architecture of the meal. I mentioned portion sanity earier…pasta is portioned, not piled In Italy, pasta is a first course, not a trough, 4–5 ounces, not 10 and it’s balanced with vegetables, seafood, or lean proteins. It’s a pleasure that can be indulged in without worry of being excessive…moderation in all things right? Their proteins are by and large, lean and simple with lots of fish, beans, eggs, chicken and cured meats but in small amounts. The one exception to be sure is their porchetta which must be occasionally enjoyed as I did once in my backyard rotisserie. The is very little
