Michael Lomonaco: Nightly Specials

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Somehow the grocery list always gets lost. What then? If you are in a good market, then you just buy what looks best, appeals to you, goes together well, and is affordable. Perhaps that is not exactly what Michael Lomonaco, most recently executive chef at Guastavino's, had in mind when he spilled the beans, not only on how to cook, but how to think about cooking: Nightly specials are where restaurant cooking and home cooking converge. In this book, the same elements that go into a restaurant's nightly specials are used as a springboard for intuitive, improvisational cooking at home. (p. 1) So, toss out that grocery list, and bring along your copy of Nightly Specials (Morrow November 2004) and shop like a chef. The farmer's market I went to this past weekend was brimming with baby beets and mint. I turned to Nightly Specials, pages 9-10, for a recipe called Cool Roasted Beets with Mint. Of course, if I hadn't found the mint I might have tried the Beets with Basil, Thyme, and Toasted Breaded Goat Cheese (p. 11). The ever-resourceful Michael also offers parsley as a substitute for the mint in the first recipe -- just in case I hadn't found the mint, of course. Regardless of what the market provides, Michael believes in flexibility: what is important is that you understand what flavors go together. Since corn is in season and at peak flavor up and down East Coast farmers markets, the Roasted Corn Chowder with Shrimp and Tarragon (pp. 70-2) is perfect right now to celebrate the flavor of grilled corn. I will try the sensible wintery dish, Beef and Porter Stew (pp. 80-1) early this Fall day, but for now I am focused on the Floribbean Style Tilefish Pan-Fried with Limes, Chiles, Tomatoes and Avocado (pp. 152-153), a Norman Van Aken inspired dish, that Michael suggests should be served with Coconut-Scented Basmati Rice (p. 97). On the other hand, I love polenta any time of year, and now is a good time to make the Soft Herbed Polenta, (p. 113) that uses fresh herbs like thyme, parsley and chives that taste so much better than their dried counterparts. I was inspired by the photograph of Gingered Green Beans (p. 260) now in abundance, with chopped pickled ginger and bird's eye hot peppers. These are home cooking recipes, many very simple and straightforward, others more difficult. Michael favors cheese in salads, like Roasted Summer Garden Vegetables with Blue Cheese,(pp. 18-19) and Artichoke Salad with Pecorino Cheese (pp. 21-22). Though many of Michael's recipes are Italian inspired (which makes sense since he is Italian-American and Italian cuisine is by and large simple and reflective of market produce) there are plenty of Asian-influenced dishes, like Grilled Ginger Chicken Salad (pp. 23-24) that he suggests can be made with duck or pork or without the meat. But how can someone surnamed "Lomonaco" resist Italian? And why should he? Michael offers easy to make recipes in the Daily Breads section including three bruschetta recipes (pp. 43-45) one of which is chicken livers cooked with sherry vinegar. It doesn't make for the most photogenic picture, but vinegar brings a tang to the liver. There are recipes for flatbread and pizza and even a Philly Cheese Steak (pp. 51-53) that's made with sirloin and fontina. Nighly Specials not only explores the markets but also the flavors of America and the world that Lomonaco discovered working at "21" and Windows on the World and extensive travel. He gives equal weight to a Turkish Briased Lamb Shanks with Roasted Plums (p. 225-6) and a Greek-inspired Boneless Roast Leg of Lamb with Feta, Olives and Eggplant (pp. 228-9) both of which are heart warming. There is even a recipe for the famous "21" burger, Skillet-Charred Pepper-Crusted Burger (pp.215-6) wth a tempting photograph complete with spinach leaves and fries. You have to turn to pages 238-9 for recipe for The Best Fries You Ever Made, that essentially use the French method I grew up with – double cooking the potatoes in batches– and they do make the best fries I have ever had. There are other good meat recipes from the Texas-Style Oven-Roasted Beef Brisket (pp. 200-1) and the Grilled Pork Chops with Coffee Barbecue Sauce (pp. 218-9) that calls for brining the chops before grilling to keep them moist. The final dessert chapter is straight forward comfort food, which Michael calls, "pure, sweet, delicious satisfaction." (p. 263) The recipes range from Double-Crust Apple Pie (pp. 264-7) to Silky Coconut Flan (pp. 274-5) to Poached Pears and Mascarpone with Espresso Sauce (pp. 277-9) and finally Chocolate Truffles (pp. 291-2). There are photos of Michael on the cover of Nightly Specials and then on page 269, the camera catches him holding two boxes of berries, smiling at them, as if anticipating there taste. Nightly Specials is well laid out with easy-to-read print and all the side bars and extra notes a budding chef might want for guidance. Lomonaco keeps his instructional tone light – reminding us that it is always possible to get inspired by the substitution of an ingredient – and that is the road to escaping from the shackles of recipes. This is a fat book that has the space to explore what Michael has learned over the years. Previous articles: Nice Note from Michael Lomonaco Previous reviews: Will Write for Food: Dianne Jacob Mario Batali: Molto Italiano The Oldest Cuisine in the World: Jean Bottero Suvir Saran Spins Indian Home Cooking Biro: European-Inspired Cuisine July 4: Paul Gayler's The Gourmet Burger July 4: East Meets West Robert Klein: The Amorous Busboy of Decatur Avenue Christy Campbell: The Botanist and the Vintner Kathleen Daelemans: Getting Thin and Loving Food! Aroma: Daniel Patterson and Mandy Aftel Tyler Florence: Eat This Book The Perfectionist by Rudolph Chelminski Bobby Flay's Grilling for Life Mother's Day Gift: Finding Betty Crocker The Sensual Language of Baklava: Diana Abu-Jaber Paula Deen & Friends Roland Mesnier's Dessert University Puerto Rico: Grand Cuisine of the Caribbean Don Pintabona: Shared Table Annabel Karmel: First Meals Nigella Lawson's Feast Cook Like a Kyrgyz Ozzie Dining Downunder and Bushfood Personal Favorites: The Chefs of Las Vegas Anne Willan: The Good Cook Gale Gand's short+sweet More Food from Alton Brown Manju Malhi's India With Passion SOS: Baking from the Heart Madhur Jaffrey: Our Lady of India, CBE Amazon UK's Steamy Xmas Chefs All Hail Alfred Portale Agassi's Star Palate: Celebrity Chefs Book links: Publisher Amazon.com Technorati Tags: chefs food restaurants cooking branding cuisine cookbooks --> back to superchefblog