Rick Tramonto: Osteria

By JULIETTE ROSSANT All eyes are on Chicago chefs these days as rumors swirl on whom the Obamas might choose for the next White House Executive Chef (see previous article). They would do well to choose a chef who has experience in high volume banquet meals, as well as small intimate family meals. Chicago's Rick Tramonto fits the bill. The food I cook at the osteria and at home is quite different from the food served at Tru. Both are faithful to quality and the seasons, and both are prepared with exacting care and attention, but the difference is in the experience., like putting on a tuxedo versus a pair of jeans. Both have to fit, but they are poles apart. (p. 2) His new cookbook, Osteria (Broadway 2008) written with Mary Goodbody, is a good introduction to his rustic Osteria di Tramonto cuisine, the kind of food that would be welcome on a cold Washington DC evening. It is full of home-style Italian hearty (and some not-so-hearty) dishes that are prepared with fresh ingredients in a simple fashion. Rick's background is both from Naples and Abruzzi, by way of Rochester, New York. He celebrates joy of food he learned early on in the very first chapter of the book on Breakfast. He acknowledges that a good breakfast in Italy is probably just good bread, homemade jam and coffee, but here are fine, hearty American breakfast dishes that are still quite Italian. Breakfast is a wonderful meal to cook and eat together as a family. Many of us teach our kids to cook by starting with breakfast food. (p. 6) Picture Michelle and Barack teaching Malia and Sasha how to make their first Frittata with Val D'Aosta-Style Frittata (p. 13) that contains potatoes, escarole and cheese, or Panettone French Toast (p. 22) for Christmas morning. Perhaps Chef Cris Comerford would be doing the teaching? The Pasta chapter has more unusual, hearty fare. Forget those meatballs – Osteria includes Gloria's Lasgna (p. 120) direct from Rick's mother. It’s a simple recipe made with a thick meat sauce and plenty of ricotta. Ricotta Gnocchi with Simple Tomato Sauce (p. 131) is an unusual recipe, since the gnocchi are made of ricotta and flour with no potato added. For a cold night, the Obamas could try the Braised Rabbit with Porcini Mushrooms (p. 181). Perhaps they could start a trend that would bring back rabbit to the American table. Osteria is full of well-written recipes for home cooked meals, whether they are for the White House table or a more modest home. As for state dinners, Rick displays his mastery in his other cookbooks, like Tru: A Cookbook from the Legendary Chicago Restaurant and Fantastico: Little Italian Plates and Antipasti from Rick Tramonto's Kitchen. Here is one more chef to add to add to that growing list. Previous articles: Foie Gras War: Chicago Slaughterhouse Foie Gras War 2: Ban on All Poultry Mozart and Chefs: Start Young [Cookbook Reviews - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, Rick Tramonto --> back to Super Chef