ALL IN THE FAMILY RESTAURATEUR PIERO SELVAGGIO LEARNED FROM THE BEST - HIS MOTHER.Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor Like mother, like son. Good food and good cooking run in the Selvaggio family. ``My mama never worked from a cookbook,'' recalls Piero Selvaggio, now the owner of three Italian restaurants in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. ``Recipes were handed down from one generation to the next. A recipe was dictated at the stove.'' His food memories date back to his childhood years in Sicily, with wonderful, fresh Italian dishes prepared by his mother. Now Selvaggio has written his personal story in ``The Valentino Cookbook'' - named for two of his restaurants - with Karen Stabiner (Villard Books; $34.95). Mama Lina fed and inspired him - and she still does - during her yearly visits to his Brentwood home (she moved back to Sicily 18 years ago), he says. The 76-year-old matriarch also thrives on cooking for her grandsons - Giorgio, 14, Giampiero, 12, and Tancredi, 8 (Piero and wife Stacy's three sons). And both mother and son share an affection for the kitchen and Italian cuisine. ``I grew up eating, but not cooking,'' says Selvaggio. ``He ate everything,'' adds Lina. But his favorite meals were a soup she made with little meatballs and shredded egg noodles in chicken broth, little fried rice croquettes, homemade pasta with pork ragu and sausage on the side, and her special eggplant parmigiana par·mi·gia·na adj. Made or covered with Parmesan cheese: eggplant parmigiana. [Italian, feminine of parmigiano, of Parma, after Parma, Italy.] with layers of hard-cooked eggs, fried eggplant, mozzarella cheese and chopped fresh basil. ``In my heart, I am a pasta and antipasto eater,'' he continues, adding that his family usually had small amounts of meat as an ingredient in a dish rather than as a main entree. ``We had no refrigeration refrigeration, process for drawing heat from substances to lower their temperature, often for purposes of preservation. Refrigeration in its modern, portable form also depends on insulating materials that are thin yet effective. in those days'' (while growing up in Sicily), so his mother improvised, always making a tasty conglomeration con·glom·er·a·tion n. 1. a. The act or process of conglomerating. b. The state of being conglomerated. 2. An accumulation of miscellaneous things. of colorful dishes to serve the family, from whatever she purchased fresh at the market and butcher daily. ``My childhood memories are always mixed in with images of food and wine, of my family at the table. My mother was and still is an excellent cook.'' Selvaggio prefers to forget the bad food, cooked by unskilled nuns, that he endured during eight years of boarding school. Selvaggio never set foot in a restaurant until he was 16, when the family (his mother, father Giorgio, sister Angela, and brother Santo) went to apply for papers to travel to the United States in 1963. ``That meal was the beginning of our new life.'' His first exposure to an institutional kitchen environment was after the family settled in Brooklyn. At the age of 17, he secured a job at a dorm cafeteria at New York University New York University, mainly in New York City; coeducational; chartered 1831, opened 1832 as the Univ. of the City of New York, renamed 1896. It comprises 13 schools and colleges, maintaining 4 main centers (including the Medical Center) in the city, as well as the washing pots and pans on the breakfast shift. ``I didn't speak a word of English.'' Selvaggio moved to Los Angeles in 1964 and became a busboy at a hotel and for special parties catered by Chasen's restaurant where his mother's brother (Uncle John) was the catering manager. Then it was on to the Marquis restaurant on Sunset Boulevard, where he worked his way up from waiter to captain to the manager's assistant. After graduating from California State University, Northridge CSUN offers a variety of programs leading to bachelor's degrees in 61 fields and master's degrees in 42 fields. The university has over 150,000 alumni. It's also home to a summer musical theater/theater program known as TADW (TeenAge Drama Workshop) that leads teenagers through an , he and a friend opened Valentino restaurant on a less-than-impressive stretch of Pico Boulevard. ``I didn't develop my cooking skills - my mother claims I took them from her - until opening Valentino,'' says Selvaggio, who is not a chef. ``In the beginning, the food was half Mama and half my limited knowledge of more elegant dishes: manicotti man·i·cot·ti n. 1. Pasta in large-sized tubes. 2. A dish consisting of such tubes stuffed with meat or cheese, usually served hot with a tomato sauce. [Italian, pl. with prosciutto pro·sciut·to n. pl. pro·sciut·ti or pro·sciut·tos An aged, dry-cured, spiced Italian ham that is usually sliced thin and served without cooking. and baked lasagne alongside a Cobb salad and chicken breast Gina Lollobrigida. I even put the baked mostaccioli mos·tac·cio·li n. Pasta in short tubes with slanted ends. [Italian, pl. of mostacciolo, cake, bun, from Latin must from my Brooklyn days on the menu. We had lots of energy but not lots of knowledge.'' Three years later, Selvaggio bought out his partner and, at 27, Valentino was all his own. He was hooked. To expand his culinary horizons, he returned to Italy to learn about his native cuisine - and become exposed to ``another level of Italian food that I had never tasted before.'' Gradually, upon his return, he began implementing changes - such as hiring a new chef and offering creations in a lighter, fresher style - which continues to this day. ``We still offer the old dishes, but we revisit them, we interpret them in a new way.'' Success brought siblings. Selvaggio opened a second restaurant, Primi, in 1985, which closed last year, and a third, Posto, in Sherman Oaks in 1992, featuring rustic Italian cuisine. Two years ago, he opened a second Valentino in the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas. The book weaves together the tapestry of Selvaggio's food life with recipes reminiscent of his childhood days as well as his restaurant fare. While some of the complicated restaurant creations with expensive ingredients like lobster, porcini mushrooms, black truffles, sashimi-grade tuna, Muscovy duckling duckling baby duck. and crayfish crayfish or crawfish, freshwater crustacean smaller than but structurally very similar to its marine relative the lobster, and found in ponds and streams in most parts of the world except Africa. Crayfish grow some 3 to 4 in. (7.6–10. are best tackled by advanced cooks, there are several less-difficult recipes designed to appeal to less-experienced cooks. ``Make a recipe once to understand it, and then make it your own with whatever changes you think will work,'' advises Selvaggio. Recipes are meant to guide cooks, not intimidate them. ``Put your own imagination, twists, touches and flavors into your cooking.'' Freshness and presentation are important. ``I don't believe in abundance or huge portions. I believe in variety - tasting more (rather) than tasting a lot.'' He has given up on trying to import Italian products and instead prefers to work with the best the market has to offer. ``There are so many good things coming from artisans in this country and California growers. Santa Barbara spotted prawns are the best; why not use them?'' For Mother's Day, consider serving some of these favorite Italian creations from ``The Valentino Cookbook.'' CHICKEN ``WALLETS'' WITH PROSCIUTTO, CHEESE AND ASPARAGUS Use top-notch products in this quick and delicious dish. 4 skinless, deboned deboned carcass meat from which the bone has been removed. chicken breasts, flattened 1/4 cup olive oil 12 spears fresh asparagus 4 slices imported prosciutto 4 slices imported fontina fon·ti·na n. A ripened cheese of variable texture and flavor, originally produced in Italy. [Italian.] cheese 1 cup dry white wine 1/2 cup chicken stock 1/4 cup butter In a skillet over medium-heat, saute sau·té tr.v. sau·téed, sau·té·ing, sau·tés To fry lightly in fat in a shallow open pan. n. A dish of food so prepared. chicken breasts in oil 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet. Boil or steam asparagus until just tender. Roll 3 asparagus spears in each slice of prosciutto and place on top of each chicken breast. Top with a slice of fontina cheese. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 5 minutes. Pour white wine into same skillet used for chicken and reduce over medium high or high heat until almost completely evaporated. Add chicken stock and butter and whisk until smooth, hot and butter is melted. Place chicken breasts on a platter or on individual serving plates and drizzle with wine sauce. Makes 4 servings. SPAGHETTI WITH TOMATOES AND TUNA This is Mama's traditional dish, and I ate a great deal of it in my childhood. It requires very little work, but is nutritious and tasty. Tuna packed in water or olive oil is better for a quick dish than fresh tuna, which you would have to cook and flavor. But if you want to do this in an elegant way, you can grill the tuna and make the sauce with fresh tomatoes. There's the long road and the shortcut (1) In Windows, a shortcut is an icon that points to a program or data file. Shortcuts can be placed on the desktop or stored in other folders, and double clicking a shortcut is the same as double clicking the original file. . The dish is made to be eaten at room temperature. 2 to 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/4 pounds fresh tomatoes, preferably Romas, peeled, seeded and diced OR 20 ounces canned Italian tomatoes, drained well (reserve 1/4 cup tomatoes for garnish) 2 (5 1/2-ounce) cans imported Italian tuna in water OR olive oil, drained Water Salt to taste 1 pound spaghetti OR orecchiette Orecchiette is a type of pasta native to Apulia, whose shape resembles a small ear (in Italian, "ear" is orecchio). In the Taranto area it is still called by the synonym chiancarelle. Pepper to taste 6 large basil leaves, julienned, for garnish In a skillet over medium-high heat, saute garlic in 2 tablespoons oil 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and tuna and cook 2 to 3 minutes on medium-high heat. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt and cook pasta until just al dente. Drain and add to sauce. When cool, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper
NOTE: The easiest way to peel tomatoes is to score the stem end with an X and plunge them into a pot of boiling water 1 minute. Rinse under cold water until cool enough to touch and the peels will slip right off. FUSILLI fu·sil·li n. Pasta in short spirals or corkscrews. [Italian, from pl. diminutive of fuso, spindle, from Latin f  sus.] WITH BITTER GREENS AND PANCETTA pan·cet·ta n. Italian bacon that has been cured in salt and spices and then air-dried. [Italian, diminutive of pancia, belly, from Latin pantex, pantic-.] Always finish pasta in the pan. It's a restaurant habit and also an important tradition. The last thirty seconds is the amalgamation - the still-moist pasta meets the sauce, the flavors; the sauce doesn't sit on top of the pasta. Pancetta is Italian bacon. Buy it in one piece, not sliced. Water Salt to taste 1 pound dried fusilli 4 tablespoons finely chopped yellow onions 1/4 pound pancetta, diced 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced 4 ounces Belgian endive Belgian endive n. See endive. Noun 1. Belgian endive - young broad-leaved endive plant deprived of light to form a narrow whitish head French endive, witloof , roughly chopped 3 ounces arugula arugula or rocket Yellowish-flowered European herbaceous plant (Eruca vesicaria sativa), of the mustard family, cultivated for its foliage, which is used especially in salads. , roughly chopped 1 small head radicchio ra·dic·chi·o n. pl. ra·dic·chi·os Any of several varieties of chicory, having red or red-spotted leaves that form globose or elongated heads. , roughly chopped Freshly ground black pepper Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Cook fusilli until just al dente. While pasta cooks, saute onions and pancetta in oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring so it doesn't stick or burn. Add endive, arugula and radicchio and saute 5 minutes, until onions are slightly browned and greens have wilted. Drain pasta and toss in pan with greens and pepper. Makes 4 servings. NOTE: Do not add extra salt, as pancetta is salty. AUNT SANTINA'S STUFFED PEPPERS Peppers are a way of life in southern Italy, and stuffed peppers were something I loved as a child. This recipe goes back to the Arab tradition, with raisins and pine nuts, eggs, cheese and crumbs. 2 slices (about) white bread, without crust 1/2 to 1 cup milk, for soaking bread 6 large yellow OR red bell peppers 1/4 cup raisins 1/2 cup water OR wine, for soaking raisins 1 small bunch (1 cup) basil, finely chopped 1 small bunch (1 cup) parsley, finely chopped 8 anchovy anchovy: see herring. anchovy Any of more than 100 species of schooling saltwater fishes (family Engraulidae) related to the herring. Anchovies are distinguished by a large mouth, almost always extending behind the eye, and by a pointed snout. fillets, finely chopped 3 tablespoons capers CAPERS. Vessels of war owned by private persons, and different from ordinary privateers (q.v.) only in size, being smaller. Bea. Lex. Mer. 230. , finely chopped 3 tablespoons pine nuts 1 1/4 cups imported black olives, pitted and sliced Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup olive oil 1 1/4 cups canned tomato puree pu·rée or pu·ree tr.v. pu·réed or pu·reed, pu·rée·ing or pu·ree·ing, pu·rées or pu·rees To rub through a strainer or process (food) in a blender. n. Soak bread in milk until soft, about 10 to 15 minutes. Squeeze out excess milk and set aside. On a grill or over an open flame on stove, roast peppers about 10 minutes, turning frequently, until blackened black·en v. black·ened, black·en·ing, black·ens v.tr. 1. To make black. 2. To sully or defame: a scandal that blackened the mayor's name. 3. . Place in a paper bag to steam 10 minutes. Remove blackened peel, cut off tops, and without tearing peppers, scoop out seeds and membranes and discard. In a small bowl, cover raisins with water and soak 5 to 10 minutes, until softened. Crumble bread into a bowl and add raisins, basil, parsley, anchovies anchovies a cause of diarrhea, vomiting, salivation, lacrimation, depression, miosis, polypnea, tachycardia, hypothermia in cats. , capers, pine nuts and olives. Season with a little salt and pepper and stir in 1/4 cup olive oil. Stuff peppers with mixture, evenly distributing among them. Place peppers close together in a shallow baking pan. Pour tomato puree and remaining 1/4 cup olive oil over them. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 40 minutes and serve hot or cold. Makes 6 servings. LITTLE EARS WITH BROCCOLI AND DRY RICOTTA ri·cot·ta n. 1. A soft Italian cheese that resembles cottage cheese. 2. A similar soft cheese made in the United States. Water Salt to taste 2 bunches rapini ra·pi·ni n. See broccoli raab. [Italian, pl. diminutive of rapa, turnip, from Latin r  pa, pl. OR broccoli, tops only 3 garlic cloves 1/2 cup olive oil 3 anchovy fillets (optional) Pepper to taste 12 ounces orecchiette OR spaghetti 3 tablespoons ricotta salata cheese, crumbled (available at Italian markets and selected Trader Joe's) Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Coarsely chop rapini tops, add to pot and cook until very tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon (reserving hot water for pasta), drain well and put in a large bowl. Mash rapini with a fork into a rough puree. In a skillet over medium heat, brown garlic in olive oil. Add anchovies and mash them. Add this mixture to rapini and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook pasta in same water used for rapini and toss pasta with sauce. Sprinkle ricotta salata cheese on top and serve. Makes 4 servings. NOTE: For stronger flavor, chop rapini and saute without boiling first. After sauteing, cover pan briefly to steam rapini in its own juices, and then add it along with anchovies, as above. SALMON WITH MUSHROOMS 3/4 pound mixed wild mushrooms - chanterelle chanterelle Highly prized, fragrant, edible mushroom (Cantharellus cibarius, order Polyporales), rich yellow in colour, found in woods in summer and autumn. Its similarity to the poisonous jack-o-lantern (Clitocybe illudens, order Agaricales), an orange-yellow fungus of , lobster, morel morel Any of various species of edible mushrooms in the genera Morchella and Verpa. Morels have a convoluted or pitted head, or cap, vary in shape, and occur in diverse habitats. The edible M. OR fresh porcini if you can find them 1 cup white wine 1 cup fish stock 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream Noun 1. heavy whipping cream - cream with a fat content of 48% or more double creme cream - the part of milk containing the butterfat 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced Salt 4 (8-ounce) salmon (white salmon, if available) fillets, skinned and deboned Pepper to taste 8 to 12 sprigs fresh thyme Clean mushrooms by rubbing with a damp towel or mushroom brush, and chop coarsely. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, reduce wine by half. Add fish stock and reduce again by half. Add shallots and cream, reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce thickens slightly. In a large skillet, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, mushrooms and pinch salt and saute until dry, about 3 to 4 minutes. In a nonstick non·stick adj. Permitting easy removal of adherent food particles: a frying pan with a nonstick surface. nonstick Adjective skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear sear 1 v. seared, sear·ing, sears v.tr. 1. To char, scorch, or burn the surface of with or as if with a hot instrument. See Synonyms at burn1. 2. salmon briefly, about 3 minutes per side, seasoning with salt and pepper. It should not be cooked all the way through. Spoon cream sauce into center of individual plates. Place salmon on top of sauce and pile mushrooms over fish. Garnish with sprigs of fresh thyme. Makes 4 servings. NOTE: Garnish top as shown in photo with sauteed fresh spinach or rapini, if desired. CASSATA DI RICOTTA This ancient Sicilian dessert is Piero's favorite. The ricotta, marzipan mar·zi·pan n. A confection made of ground almonds or almond paste, egg whites, and sugar, often molded into decorative shapes. [German, from Italian marzapane, , and candied fruit are basic to the cassata, but beyond that, you can mix and match the other ingredients. Although Valentino restaurant uses from-scratch sponge cake, this version substitutes store-bought pound cake for convenience. This would be a fabulous finale to a Mother's Day meal. 2 pounds fresh ricotta cheese, drained in a sieve overnight Peel of 1 orange, finely chopped Peel of 1 lemon, finely chopped 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla 2 ounces candied can·died adj. Permeated, covered, encrusted, or cooked with sugar: candied sweet potatoes. candied Adjective coated with or cooked in sugar: orange peel, finely chopped 2 ounces chopped torrone (Italian nougat nou·gat n. A confection made from a sugar or honey paste into which nuts are mixed. [French, from Provençal, from nougo, nut, from Old Provençal noga, from Vulgar Latin , available at specialty stores) 2 ounces glazed chestnuts, chopped (optional) 1/2 cup chopped pistachios 2 ounces bittersweet bittersweet, name for two unrelated plants, belonging to different families, both fall-fruiting woody vines sometimes cultivated for their decorative scarlet berries. chocolate, finely chopped 1 1/3 cups heavy whipping cream 3 large egg whites 1 (10-ounce) pound cake, thawed if frozen 1 pound marzipan Candied fruit, for decorating Over a large mixing bowl, pass ricotta cheese, orange peel, lemon peel and powdered sugar through a fine sieve. (OR in bowl of food processor, combine ricotta cheese, orange peel, lemon peel and powdered sugar and process until as smooth as possible.) Stir in vanilla. In a small bowl, combine candied orange peel, torrone, chestnuts, pistachios and chocolate. In bowl of an electric mixer, whip cream to soft peaks. Add whipped cream to ricotta mixture and mix well. In another bowl, whip egg whites on medium-high to soft peaks. Add candied fruits, nuts and chocolate to ricotta mixture, and gently fold in egg whites. Transfer mixture to a 1 1/2-quart bowl that has been buttered and lined with plastic wrap - or into individual small bowls, if you prefer. Cut thin pieces of cake and place on top of mixture, covering completely. Wrap well and freeze overnight. Place a warm towel around bowl of ricotta mixture to help release cassata. Unmold un·mold tr.v. un·mold·ed, un·mold·ing, un·molds To remove from a mold: unmold a lemon mousse. on a serving platter so rounded side is up. Roll out a large, thin circle of marzipan and drape drape v. To cover, dress, or hang with or as if with cloth in loose folds. n. A cloth arranged over a patient's body during an examination or treatment or during surgery, designed to provide a sterile field around the area. over and around unmolded cassata, pressing into cassata. Trim off excess, and decorate with candied fruits. Refrigerate and serve, cut into slices, within 3 hours. Freeze any leftovers. Makes 8 to 10 servings. NOTE: Cassata in photograph was decorated with marzipan flowers, a rope border of marzipan and edible gold leaf. SPOTLIGHT ON PIERO SELVAGGIO Age: 53. Profession: Owner of three restaurants - Valentino, Santa Monica and Las Vegas; and Posto, Sherman Oaks. Hometown: Modica, Sicily, a small hillside town on the southeastern coast. Food background: Selvaggio learned about traditional Italian food from his mother, grandmother and other family members during his childhood years in Italy. His exposure to food and cooking continued in this country during his college years while working at the Beverly Hills Hotel The Beverly Hills Hotel is a hotel in Beverly Hills, CA, at 9641 Sunset Boulevard. It was opened on May 12, 1912 and started by Margaret J. Anderson and her son, Stanley S. Anderson, who had been managing the Hollywood Hotel. and the Marquis restaurant on Sunset Boulevard. In the years since, he has traveled extensively in Italy, learning about his native cuisine and constantly experimenting and interpreting dishes in a new way. Cooking style: Contemporary Italian food with a traditional tone. Most popular dishes at Valentino: Mushroom Timbale tim·bale n. 1. A custardlike dish of cheese, chicken, fish, or vegetables baked in a drum-shaped pastry mold. 2. The pastry mold in which this food is baked. served as an appetizer; Duck Crespella (a duck-filled crepe crepe (krāp), thin fabric of crinkled texture, woven originally in silk but now available in all major fibers. There are two kinds of crepe. with duck ragu on top). Three favorite foods:Barbecued foods including skewers and sausages; creative Chinese dishes; Mexican snacks. Favorite thing to cook and eat: Barbecued or grilled foods such as a combination of shrimp and lobster on a skewer. Favorite junk food: French fries at fast-food restaurants. Food he hates: Codfish. Secret food passion: Foie gras. Favorite kitchen gadget: Food processor or blender. Pet peeve: Rude customers. Favorite cookbook: The recently released ``Comfort Me With Apples'' by Ruth Reichl. Ideal vacation: Cruising the Mediterranean. Favorite restaurant: Dal Pescatore in Italy near Mantova. What does he do when he's not in the restaurant?: ``I like to drive and people-watch.'' If he couldn't be a restaurateur, what would he be?: A writer. Worst kitchen disaster: On New Year's Eve a few years ago, the members of his kitchen staff alerted him that there was no gas in the kitchen so they were unable to cook. There were 200 diners in the restaurant at the time and 200 more expected for the next seating. A car had hit a pipe outside the restaurant and there was a gas leak. Selvaggio was in a panic as he feared there would be an explosion. The fire department turned off the gas and the gas company did an emergency repair that took an hour. If he could dine with anyone (current or historical) who would it be?: Julius Caesar, Nino Bergese (``the most talented Italian chef that ever lived'') and filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock. Most memorable meal: ``My wedding at Rex (now closed) in downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The sprawling, multi-centered megacity is such that its downtown core is often considered just another district like Hollywood or .'' The worst part of being a restaurateur is: The hours. CAPTION(S): 8 photos, box Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) La Cucina Famiglia Sicilian memories share by mother and son Piero Selvaggio and Lina Selvaggio (2 -- color) no caption (Piero Selvaggio) (3 -- color) Pull out all the stops and serve this Sicilian cassata for Mom on Sunday. (4 -- color) no caption (``The Valentino Cookbook'') (5 -- color) no caption (Chicken ``Wallets'' with Proscuitto, Cheese and Asparagus) (6 -- color) no caption (Spaghetti with Tomatoes and Tuna) (7 -- color) no caption (Aunt Santina's Stuffed Peppers) (8 -- color) no caption (Salmon with Mushrooms) Box: Spotlight on Piero Selvaggio (see text) |
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