When we list the dishes that speak of warmth, family, the sheer pleasure of gathering at the table to eat, there are always Italian dishes dominating the list. Italian food almost seems designed to be comfort food. Those dishes bring back childhood memories, often rising to mythic proportions, leaving us wondering if it can ever be as good as "mom's" dish. In Rick Tramonto's talented hands memory combines with technique, and the result is a meal that we almost dare not admit is even better than our mothers' creations. Tramonto gilds memory with a luster that will create magical memories for the young generation of today. These are amazing recipes done with a minimum of fuss, ones that 'mom' wishes she had had.
Working with Mary Goodbody whose mellow writing is as comforting as the recipes, Tramonto, owner of five of Chicago's great restaurants, among them Tru, and Osteria di Tramonto, looks back at the dishes of his youth, ones that hark back to his two grandmothers who were the first to lure Tramonto to the kitchen, to his grandfathers who cured meat and aged wine in their basements, to his parents who tended a garden and ate seasonally, waiting breathlessly for the arrival of the vegetable or fruit of the season. Tramonto states, "The cooking [in an Osteria, an Italian tavern] is simple -but never simplistic- and straightforward... At its best, nothing surpasses it, and I aspire to this authenticity at Osteria de Tramonto and when I cook at home."
Cook he does, with an emphasis on fresh and seasonal in this book of over 150 recipes. Starting with a robust breakfast, that all-important fuel to start the day, rick offers recipes such as a Roman-Style Omelet (sausage included with fresh basil and goat cheese) or a Panettone French toast. Italians love their bread, and he gives sandwich recipes, from a savory Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich which will make you wonder why you didn't think of that, to a Sicilian Tuna Sandwich which makes tuna rise to gourmet heights while remaining simple. Under soups and salads, there are a range of recipes from a fresh Fennel-Orange Soup or Raw Artichoke Salad for a light start, to the heartier meal-in-one recipes such as Ligurian Seafood Salad or or Sausage and Escarole Soup. Under antipasto, there are recipes such as Prosciutto with 'Dirty ' Pears and Chestnut Honey, Roasted Olives with Grilled Citrus, a seasonal Charred Squash with Balsamic Vinegar and Parmigiano-Romano
Among the hearty main course dishes, you'll find a wide variety from pastas and pizzas to meat and seafood dishes such as Rick’s Mother’s Lasagna, Capellini with Six Summer Tomatoes, Wood-Roasted Mussels in White Wine Sauce, Braised Pork Shanks with Borlotti Beans, Lamb Porterhouse with Salsa Verde, Goat Cheese Scalloped Potatoes.
Italians like a cheese course and Tramonto adds to the lustrous assortment of recipes with special cheese recipes and a word or tow about his own personal favorites. Here you'll find such recipes as Buffalo Mozzarella with Red Bell Pepper Purée, Parmigiano-Reggiano with Aged Balsamic, flavors which Tramonto says "marry in blissful harmony, and which he pairs with a simple apple-and-pear salad to round out the cheese course.
No family memory is complete without desserts and Rick has included recipes for Tiramisu, Spumoni cookies, Apple Crostata with Caramel Gelato, Ricotta Pie with Coconut Whipped Cream and Italian Chocolate Pudding.
There are tempting photos throughout by Tim Turner. This is a rich and satisfying book. We envy Chicagoans who can drop by the Osteria, and even more, we envy Tramonto's family who are building such burnished memories.
©
About the Authors:
RICK TRAMONTO has been cooking since he was a teenager growing up in Rochester, New York, as part of a large Italian family. He worked at some of the finest restaurants in the United States and Europe before settling in Chicago, where he is chef and partner of five restaurants. He was the founding chef of Trio in Evanston, Illinois, and then in 1999 opened the award-winning Tru restaurant, a Relais & Châteaux property in Chicago, which has received four stars from the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun Times and Chicago Magazine. Rick has been featured in USA Today, the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, People, Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Wine Spectator, and Conde Nast Traveler. He has appeared on the Today Show, Good Morning America, Oprah, and on PBS. Rick was named Best Chef in the Midwest by the James Beard Foundation for 2002. Tru was awarded the James Beard Best Service in America award in 2007 and was named in the Top 50 Best Restaurants in the World in 2000 by Conde Nast Traveler.