|
When I first came across "The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual" cookbook (Artisan; $24.95), I nearly passed right by it. I had not heard of these two guys with the same first name, nor had I heard of Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo's Brooklyn, N.Y., restaurant, Frankies 457 Spuntino. The book itself is rather nondescript; no fancy jacket with a photo of the smiling chefs holding their signature dish here. Their first book designed by restaurant partner Travis Lee Kauffman has a plain embossed faux leather cover and gilded edges that at first glance could easily be mistaken for a book of classic literature or maybe a book of poems.
These two chefs have quite a story to tell. Growing up in Queens, N.Y., the childhood friends learned about food from their Italian grandmothers. Both sought culinary careers, both traveled to France working at two- and three-starred Michelin restaurants, and both chefs made their mark back in New York -- Falcinelli as executive chef of the wildly popular restaurant and nightclub Moomba and Castronovo as chef of Restaurant Boughalem and Parish & Company, where the two reunited and began plans for a casual Italian-American restaurant.
The two Franks set out to open a restaurant with a fresh design and approach. No checked tablecloths, no Italian opera singers playing in the background and most of all the food; it had to be lighter versions of menus from traditional red-sauced Italian restaurants.
After launching a second Frankies in Manhattan, their own line of extra virgin olive oil, a new German-American bar and restaurant, the specialty coffee shop Cafe Pedlar and with many more projects in the works, a cookbook was the logical thing to do next.
Call it marinara sauce, not gravy
Written with former New York Times restaurant columnist and food writer Peter Meehan, the team set out to create a book that was easy to use with nothing in it that a complete novice wouldn't be able to handle. The Caesar salad dressing may outrage the purist because the Franks call for store-bought mayonnaise, but the point is to make it easier for the cook while still making it delicious for the diner. The first recipe, even before the chapter describing equipment and pantry, is for tomato sauce -- the only sauce in the Italian American tradition. They call it "marinara"; they do not call it "gravy" like grandma used to. Simple, straightforward and easy to make, this sauce is used throughout the book in many recipes. Make a double batch and freeze some; that way you'll always have it on hand, and it will make using this book even easier.
The chapter on antipasto shows us how to put together a platter of cured meats, olives, cheese and vegetables that complement each other and get your guests and their appetites ready for the main event.
A chapter on salads stresses the use of only the freshest ingredients you can find.
A watercress salad with fresh figs and Gorgonzola is perfect for a summer lunch, but try their variation using fresh peaches. You won't be disappointed.
Nearly all the pasta at Frankies' restaurants is made fresh everyday. There are detailed instructions on how to make several different shapes and sizes, but the authors are quick to point out that using store-bought dried pasta at home is a matter of convenience. Here is where that tomato sauce you made earlier comes in handy. Try the linguine with fava beans, garlic, tomato and bread crumbs. The most time-consuming part is shucking the beans. To finish, there are chapters on meat including a clever timeline on how to put together the "Sunday sauce," the meal, or what some non-Italians may even call an "event." Both chefs write how each remembered the Sunday sauce of their childhoods and how they have continued the tradition with their own families. There are also several appendices that include menus for entertaining, wine pairings, cooking with kids and even directions on how to grow an avocado tree.
Re-create dishes from the restaurant at home
In keeping with the design and style of the book there are very few photographs, just a handful of shots of the restaurant and one or two of a finished dish. Instead they make good use of Sarah Rutherford's line drawings throughout, keeping the book's charm and old-fashioned appeal.
Written with an easy-to-follow style, most recipes are only one page long. While the authors stress using the best ingredients you can, you'll find almost every dish, from an economical standpoint, is reasonable to prepare. Whether you want to re-create dishes you've enjoyed at the restaurant or are just starting out in the kitchen, I think the Frankies Spuntino is the book for you.
I can't wait until my next trip to New York. Frankies 457 Spuntino will be first on my list of places to eat.
Tim Fischer managed The Cook's Library in Los Angeles, named one of the "Top 10 Cookbook Stores in the World" by Saveur. He also has been a judge for the IACP Cookbook Awards for four years.
Photo: Frank Falcinelli (left) and Frank Castronovo, standing in their olive grove in Sicily from which they produce their own line of olive oil.
Credit: Darren Ankenman
 |
Those often-disregarded recipes on food packaging can be a source of inspiration and nostalgia.
Traditional methods make high-end Chinese soy sauce brands perfect for Chinese New Year.
After losing his wife to cancer, Greg Brown, founder of T-Vine winery, nursed a broken heart.
Even more elusive than the subterranean delicacies is the process for infusing their essence into oil.
Brace yourself. If a friend drops by with a fox she has shot, here's how to turn it into dinner.
Part 2: Don't let the name tempt you to dismiss these treats -- luobogao are scrumptious!
Chef Pierre Thiam talks about bringing Senegalese cooking and the concept of taranga to the U.S.
A 19th-century recipe for this traditional English dessert yields a fantastic result.
Barbecued duck, caramel potatoes and red cabbage salad -- what's not to love?