In the early 1970’s, Marcella Hazan was busy working on The Classic Italian Cook Book—her first of six books that would change the way Americans view and cook Italian cuisine. Across the country in my tiny San Francisco kitchen, I was perfecting an awesome version of spaghetti and meatballs. Unlike my friends who poured canned tomato sauce on overcooked pasta, or worse yet, opened a can of Spaghetti-O’s, I sautéed onions and garlic with ground beef, added dried herbs, a little wine and canned tomato sauce. Who knew my proud creation bore little resemblance to the classic sauces and pasta of Hazan’s world? Life was about to change.

Decades later I, along with millions of American and international home chefs, have learned the cooking techniques and classic recipes of Italy through Hazan’s books. Others more fortunate have attended her popular cooking schools in New York, Bologna and Venice.

Earlier this week, Hazan came to town for the Cooks with Books dinner celebrating her life and latest book, Amarcord: Marcella Remembers. Fans packed the Left Bank restaurant to meet and share a meal with the woman they know as the godmother of Italian cuisine—a woman knighted in Italy and the recipient of two Lifetime Achievement awards from the James Beard Foundation and the IACP.

I arrived early, but started socializing and ended up at the back of the check-in line. As it turned out, the long wait was a great chance to learn a bit more about the star of the evening. One lady mentioned that Hazan had survived World War II and a series of terrifying air-raids with her family on an Italian farm. Another guest added that Hazan has two PhD’s in science. I knew that that Hazan had married Victor, love of her life, greatest supporter and writing collaborator, 53 years ago. Personally, I hoped that he’d be there as I’m a sucker for a good love story.

Some might say we owe a debt of gratitude to Victor for all that Marcella has given us. A native New Yorker and accomplished food and wine expert in his own right, Victor moved his bride to the city in 1955. Marcella did not speak English and found herself in a completely alien world with no friends or family. She couldn’t work in her field, and worst of all did not know how to cook. What to do? Victor gave her his favorite Italian cookbook, Ada Boni, with lots of encouragement. Before long she was teaching classic Italian cooking in her small apartment.

Somebody poked me excitedly and said, “Look!” There sat Marcella Hazan, now 84, dressed in red with her snow-white hair glowing under the lights. The CWB staff had seated her comfortably with Victor standing at her side. She greeted her fans in a low, husky, accented voice, smiled easily and signed their books.

Hazan’s assistant told me that she was a little tired, having been on this grueling book tour for three weeks. Others observed that Marcella and Victor had a great sense of humor and took good care of each other. Both are still passionate about food and constantly talk about where to eat out next as they travel.

The Cooks with Books dinners are always prepared from the author’s book, but Amarcord is a memoire with no recipes. Therefore the chef chose a menu from Hazan’s earlier work, Marcella Says…

Amuse Bouche
Avocado and Parmesan Crostini
Sweet Pickled Onions

First Course
Mushroom and Potato Soup with Sundried Tomatoes

Entrée
Lamb Chops Calabria Style with Tomatoes, Peppers and Olives

Dessert
Apple Cake with Raisins and Rum

As guests enjoyed their dessert, Hazan took the microphone for a question and answer session. When someone yelled out, “Do you still cook every day?” Hazan replied coolly, “Do you eat everyday? Of course I cook.” The crowd roared.

When a woman in the back asked about salt, I was reminded of a fascinating passage in Amarcord, where Hazan relates how precious salt was to her family during the war years when it was almost unobtainable. Luckily, her uncle worked for the local electric company and did not have to pay for his home supply. His clever wife plugged in a small electric heater and constantly boiled seawater from their nearby lagoon until only salt remained. Carefully she gathered and packaged her treasure and shared it with her sister’s family. They kept some, and used the remainder to barter for honey and fresh milk from their neighbors. In the context of such stories, one finds new appreciation for the value of even the most humble ingredients.

The evening hit a high note when a group of Hazan’s former students gathered to share old photos and mementos. Hazan’s emotion was apparent as her students expressed how profoundly she had touched their lives.

Indeed, all of us have richer culinary lives because of the love and passion for Italian cuisine that Hazan has shared for decades. She is a legend of enormous talent, but also someone we can all relate to. After all, like most of us, she started out in the kitchen with nothing more than a cookbook and the love and encouragement of family.

Cheers and long life to Marcella and Victor!

Get a printable copy of Marcella Hazen’s Apple Cake with Raisins and Rum.

There is a small cabin at Lake Tahoe that always embraces me with its quiet beauty and ability to shut out the chaos of modern life. Earlier, a long walk along the beach enhanced my appetite and sent me happily into the cabin’s tiny kitchen where I made a large pot of homemade French onion soup for dinner. This simple meal-in-a-bowl melds the complex flavors of a rich beef broth, brandy, dry white wine and caramelized onions with crunchy toasted slices of French bread and gooey, bubbling cheese.

The family deserted me for a racy, loud Scrabble game by the roaring fire in the living room. I settled in for some alone time, gathered all my ingredients, and started peeling and thinly slicing 12 cups of onions for the soup. They were more pungent than usual and I teared up quickly. It didn’t matter what I did, my eyes were suffering. Soon everyone in the other room was complaining and opening doors to escape the onions. Ultimately, they fled outside.

Obviously I had to stay with it, but wondered if the poor people of ancient Rome and Greece had this problem when they prepared onions for their original soup, or if their naturally grown produce was milder than what we find in our markets today. Did they know how to prevent tearing? Guess I’ll never know.

As I began sautéing the onions the tears receded and the house filled with that wonderful scent that tells you something delicious is coming. I poured a glass of red wine, the others returned to their Scrabble game and we all breathed deep.

Later, as I served steaming bowls of soup topped with the toasted bread and melted cheese, everyone laughed about the burning eyes but agreed that the soup was almost orgasmic in taste. I told them that King Louis XV of France created this classic at his hunting lodge during the 1700s. Apparently Louis got hungry and discovered that the cupboard was basically bare. He rummaged around and found some onions, butter, and champagne for soup, along with some stale bread and cheese. We all raised our glasses to King Louis, and agreed that even a King couldn’t help but slurp a soup this tearfully good.

French Onion Soup

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
10–12 cups thinly sliced onions*
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon sugar
4 teaspoons flour
8 cups homemade beef stock*
¼ cup brandy
½ cup dry white wine
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 1-inch thick slices French bread, toasted
3 cups cheese, grated***

*For an accurate quantity, do not separate the slices into rings until after you measure them.

**Use homemade beef stock for best flavor. If you use canned broth, try chicken broth, which has better flavor than canned beef broth. Keep in mind that canned broth is quite salty, so you may want to reduce the salt in the recipe.

*** Gruyere, Parmesan Reggiano, Swiss, and Asiago chesses are all good choices.

Instructions
1. Combine the butter and olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium-low heat.

2. Add the onions and salt and sauté for several minutes, then cover with a lid and cook 12–15 minutes, until the onions become translucent.

3. Remove the lid, increase the heat to medium, add the sugar and toss well. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are a deep golden brown—approximately 30 minutes.

4. Add the brandy and deglaze the skillet.

5. Add the flour and stir to coat the onions evenly. Continue cooking for 2–3 minutes.

6. Remove the onions from the heat and add the stock, wine, and pepper.

7. Return the pot to the stove, turn the heat to medium-high, partially cover the soup with a lid and bring to a lively simmer. Continuing cooking for 30 minutes.

8. Remove from the heat and adjust the salt and pepper.

9. Ladle the soup into individual, heat-resistant soup bowls and top each with a toasted slice of French bread and a generous portion of grated cheese.

10. Place under the broiler until the cheese melts and turns pale golden brown.

11. Serve immediately.

Serves 6–8

Get a printable copy of French Onion Soup.

I love Indian food and could happily eat it forever. So when it came time to develop the Beyond Wonderful Indian section several years ago, I asked my great friend, Leela Manilal to help create the recipes and how-to cooking techniques with me. Leela and I have cooked together for 25 years and I knew that she would be the perfect International Home Chef, India.

A retired journalist who divides her time between New Delhi, India and the San Francisco Bay Area, Leela is returning state-side next month and staying through March. That means lots of cooking sessions and new recipes for you—and better yet, it means great eating for me. I’m also making plans for my tenth trip to India, coming this spring. I’ll blog regularly from the road, sharing recipes and culinary adventures.

To get in the mood for all things Indian, I’ve cooked a special dinner for my family tonight: chicken curry, a big pot of Basmati rice and chana masala. While chopping and sautéing, it occurred to me that chana masala—a simple dish of garbanzo beans (chickpeas) with onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes and spices—is an easy introduction to Indian cuisine for novice cooks. Plus, like many Indian dishes, chana masala gets more flavorful the longer it sits. Make lots and you’ll have wonderful leftovers for lunches the next day. For Western cooks, this adds an exotic element to your menu, and it’s gentle on the food budget.

Hungry? Check out all of our Indian recipes catalogued on Leela’s International Home Chef page.

Chana Masala

Ingredients

1 medium onion
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1–2 green chiles, seeded and minced*
½ teaspoon red chili powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cup water
2 cups canned chopped tomatoes, drained**
3 15.5-ounce cans garbanzo beans, drained
1 tablespoon amchur powder***
1 teaspoon garam masala

 * Use Thai or serrano chiles. The heat of chilies changes with the seasons, so use your judgment when adding them.

** Use canned tomatoes from Modena, Italy or Pomi brand tomatoes found in fine grocery stores—Their flavor is superb!

*** Amchur powder is made from dried green mangoes and available online at ecommerce stores like http://www.namaste.com, or at Indian grocery stores. While it enhances the recipe, it’s not absolutely essential.

Instructions

1. Peel and quarter the onion, place it in the food processor, and process until smooth. Disard the extra liquid.

2. Heat the oil in a medium, heavy-bottomed skillet over a medium-high flame. When very hot, add the onion and cook until browned, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed so that the onion does not burn.

3. Stir in the ginger and cook for 2 minutes; add the garlic and cook for another minute.

4. Add the green chiles, chili powder, coriander, cumin and turmeric, and mix to blend.

5. Lower the heat to medium, add 1/2 cup of the water and the tomatoes. Continue cooking and stirring for two minutes.

6. Add the remaining water and mix well.

7. Stir in the garbanzo beans.

8. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes.

9. Add the amchur powder and garam masala and mix well. Cook for two minutes and remove from the heat.

Yield: 6 servings
Preparation time: approximately 30 minutes

Get a printable copy of Chana Masala for easy reference.

My Parisian friend Alx Wagner and I have spent a lot of time in the kitchen teaching each other new recipes and techniques and trading culinary stories. Since it’s apple season she suggested that we make a couple of French tarte tatins—those wonderful caramel-flavored apple tarts—for dinner. I thought they might be too much work for a weeknight meal considering our large group of houseguests and family. “No, no. I have a very easy recipe and it is sooo good. I make it all the time at home.” Who could argue?

We headed to the market for the day’s supplies; some apples, caramel sauce and a box of best-quality, pre-made pie crusts. Neither one of us wanted to fuss with making our own caramel or pastry today. Alx filled a sack with Golden Delicious apples and said, “These are one of the best for this tart because they hold their shape well. Don’t buy apples that you’d use in pie or they could become mushy.”

As we strolled up and down the aisles collecting the ingredients, Alx told me that the tart was accidently created by French woman, Stephanie Tatin, 120 years ago. Stephanie owned l’ Hotel Tatin in the Loire Valley with her sister Carolina, and was known for her apple pies. One day things went badly for her—or did they? The dining room was hopping when she set a pan full of apples with sugar and butter cooking. Distracted, she smelled the soon-to-be-burned apples and worked quickly to save the dish. Stephanie covered the apples with some pie dough and shoved them into an oven to finish cooking. When the crust was golden, she removed it—probably held her breath—and inverted the apples onto a plate. Voila! Unbeknownst to her, a classic was born.

Back in my kitchen, Alx and I peeled, cored and halved enough apples for the two tarts. She melted some butter in my well-seasoned iron skillet and tossed in some apples. A few flips of her wrist and all were well coated. Alx lowered the heat and said, “Let them cook for about 15 minutes—tuning them after 8 or 9 minutes. You want the apples softened but still firm.”

I got out two pie plates and Alx spread several generous tablespoon of caramel sauce on the bottom of each. This is all the flavoring this tart needs—there are no spices like we use in our American pies. Alx arranged the apples round side down, then I laid the pastry over the top of each tart and we tucked it snugly under the apples around the edges. We put the tarts in a preheated, 350-degree oven to cook until golden—about 35 minutes.

While they baked, I poured us each a glass of wine and learned how the fame of Stephanie Tatin’s amazing tart spread far and wide. Restaurants sent spies so they could recreate the dessert. Even legendary restaurateur Louis Vaudable of Maxim’s Paris added the tart to his menu. The rest is history.

As we pulled the tarts from the oven I worried that they would stick, making for an ugly presentation. “Don’t worry, I’ve never had one stick before,” Alx reassured me. I ran a knife around the edges to loosen things up and silently asked the cooking gods to be good to us. Both tarts dropped easily onto their platters as a delicate caramel scent filled the air.

“Always serve Tarte Tatin warm, never cold,” Alx advised. “I like it with thick cream on the side—not too sweet.” My Parisian guests were thrilled to see the tart, while my family thought it was a fancy open-faced apple pie! Everyone agreed this should become a regular on my table.

The great thing about Alx’s easy tarte tatin recipe is the brilliant use of bottled caramel sauce and pre-made pastry dough. Things come together quickly, making it a real option for a weeknight dessert or unexpected guests.

Here’s to you, Stephanie Tatin, for not abandoning your burning apples. What would apple season be without your wonderful creation?

Get a printable copy of this easy tarte tatin.

Give me a plate of Chef Gianni Audieri’s gnocchi with a glass of wine and I’m a very happy lady. So when Gianni offered to teach me how to make these classic Italian potato dumplings in his Fior d’ Italia kitchen, I was out the door.

Gianni greeted me at the bar and we made our way through the restaurant to the kitchen. There I met master gnocchi maker, Jesus Avarca, who had prepared everything needed for the day’s gnocchi production and my lesson. Gianni smiled and said “he’s the best around—faster than a machine.” We moved to a station stacked with freshly baked potatoes that filled the air with their warm, earthy scent. Gianni picked up his sharp knife and began cutting the potatoes in half and scooping their flesh into a large stainless steel bowl. He worked quickly at what seemed like a huge amount, but I realized that the home chef would only require four potatoes, not fifty.

Soon there was a pile of potato skins and I confided that they were my favorite part of roasted potatoes. Gianni told how he used to fry the skins and serve them at the bar as munchies, “but people are watching their fat today so we don’t do it so much anymore.”

Jesus took the potatoes to a large food mill and began processing them, then offered me a turn. As I turned the mill, Gianni stressed how important this step was to produce fluffy potatoes for the dough. At home, a potato ricer would work well.

Next, Jesus mixed the butter and egg yolks into the potatoes. I wondered if the potatoes were too hot for the yolks, but Gianni assured me that while the butter would melt, there would be no scrambled eggs today. “It’s important that you not add too much butter or egg yolks, because the excess fat will make the gnocchi fall apart when cooking,” he counseled.

Jesus began adding the flour—a small, consistent amount at a time—and mixed it to form the dough. “Barbara, do you know the secret to perfect gnocchi?” asked Gianni. “Add as little flour as possible or the gnocchi will be tough and chewy. I use Idaho russet potatoes because they are low in moisture and require less flour.”

Soon there were two large balls of dough that Jesus began dividing into equal parts. Both men worked to roll the pieces into long snakes the width of a finger. Then Jesus took over, cutting the snakes into ¾-inch gnocchi with lightning speed. My photographer nudged me and said that he was having trouble photographing Jesus because he was moving too fast—even using the camera’s sports setting, the images were a blur. Gianni laughed heartily, “see, I told you—he’s better than a machine, and they are all perfect!”

It got even more impressive as Jesus took a simple table fork and gently pressed each tiny dumpling against the back of the tines, while at the same time creating a perfect thumb indentation on the reverse side to capture the sauce later. Amazing! They both laughed and handed me a fork. “Here, you try it.” I gave it my best shot—slowly—but the tines went too deep. The thumb print was pathetic, flattening the gnocchi beyond recognition. Gianni threw my attempts back in the dough. “Practice and you’ll get the hang of it quickly,” he reassured me. “Jesus has been doing this for 26 years at Fior.”

Within minutes there were hundreds of tiny dumplings. Gianni scooped some onto a tray and dumped them into a large pot of salted, boiling water on the stove. “Barbara, cook them for about 3 minutes. They’ll float to the top when they are done.” Like popcorn, they began popping to the surface. Gianni removed the large basket from the water and plunged the gnocchi into a huge waiting ice water bath to stop the cooking.

“You can serve them right away without the bath, but we store them for our daily orders. I drizzle them with olive oil, give them a good toss and store. At home you could refrigerate them for several days.”

“Now, tell me—what’s the secret to perfect gnocchi?” chef Gianni asked. With the pride of a student, I replied, “Use as little flour as possible or the gnocchi will be tough and chewy.” He was charmed, and with a twinkle in his eye offered a final note of encouragement. “Practice with the fork and thumb. You’ll get the rhythm in no time.”

All that education had given me quite an appetite, and the sauce station was right in front of me. Which one did I want for lunch? Gorgonzola looked good; marinara would be tasty. Then I saw a beautiful pinky-orange tomato cream sauce—salsa di pomodoro Napoli—and knew that it was the one.

I left the kitchen and got comfy in a quiet back booth, ordered a glass of wine and was delighted when Gianni arrive with two large bowls of the freshly made gnocchi. Each bite was heaven as the sauce clung to the perfectly-formed dumplings. This was a wonderful day; a respected friend shared a treasured recipe, and I have a new skill to practice and—hopefully—perfect. Now, it’s your turn. Salute!

Get a printable recipe for Gnocchi and Tomato Sauce, and an illustrated, step-by-step How To Make Gnocchi.

Read more about Giannia Audieri in Barbara’s blog—”Secrets of Squid Frying Calamari at Fior d’Italia“.