All of this culinary wizardry is fun and has made dining out much more of an adventure than it has ever been. But it has distracted us from the kind of eating that we used to enjoy on a daily basis – full of distinct and satisfying flavors, comforting textures and food memories that stretch back generations.
Chef Daniel Agüera sparked the idea for this book when he posted a recipe on social media of a simple meal of tomato sauce over rice topped with a fried egg – arroz con huevos, a traditional basic dish from his childhood in northern Spain.
I began to think of similar dishes from my own youth, like pastina in chicken broth, fried peppers with egg and potato, rice pudding with big juicy raisins, Davy Crockett toast smothered in confectioner’s sugar, eggs poached in pasta with peas. The richness in these dishes doesn’t come from expensive ingredients or the complexity of their preparation, but rather from the warmth of the memories they evoke of simpler times.
Chef Daniel and I were blessed to have had loving grandmothers who taught us about food from the time we could walk – immersing us in flavors and textures that somehow became part of what we knew as love. His Spanish abuela showed him how to cook from the heart, trusting his senses and skills. My Southern Italian “Gram” performed small miracles in her tiny Brooklyn kitchen every day. On Sundays, my sisters and I would climb up on chairs at her kitchen table to trim green beans, shape meatballs or mix chopped parsley into the ricotta. Again, the simple pleasures.
Buon appetito!
DANIEL
During the final phase of my culinary education in Spain, the first assignment was to interpret a classic dish, to take a standard recipe and make it our own. Until this point, we were expected to do as we were told. But now we were asked to approach our work not only as craftsmen, but as creators. The purpose of this exercise was to help us begin to develop and strengthen our own unique viewpoint and master the ability to express this vision on a plate.
I completed that assignment a long time ago but think of it often, especially when I try a dish that is offered as a “fresh take” or “new twist” on a classic recipe. Sometimes the remix is delightful; often it is just puzzling, making me wonder whether the person responsible for a particular interpretation is really familiar with the original version. In those cases, the chef might have been better off simply creating something new.
But I’m no purist. I’m as intrigued by new ingredients, preparations, techniques and flavors as any chef. Experimenting in the kitchen is a chef’s chance to play. That’s important. Equally important is the way that making and eating food creates connections among people – individuals and generations, staff and customers, families and communities. Maybe you’ll create an edible work of art using a palette of flavor, texture, scent and color. Or maybe you’ll make a sandwich. The point is, very simply, to cook for one another.
Buen provecho!
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Our book brings together recipes from our families’ best-loved comfort food traditions, and from American comfort food classics that should always have a place at the table. In all cases, the ingredients are accessible and the cooking techniques are basic and intuitive.
We encourage you to make these recipes with and for your children so they can develop a palate based on essential flavors and textures. You will be giving them food memories they will carry through life and pass on to their own children.
Enjoy!
SIMPLE TOOLS
There is a modern myth that presumes you need a special tool in order to be successful in the kitchen. Our counters and drawers are cluttered with spiralizers, frothers, choppers, poachers, separators and “magic pots.” There is an entire industry devoted to kitchen gadgets.
Chris – I will confess to my own cluttered collection of peelers, scoops and spatulas and I couldn’t get by without my stand mixer, food processor and stick blender. But there are several tools that have stood the test of time and fit well into the concept of simple cooking. Chef Daniel and I have assembled a short list:
BENCH SCRAPER
Chris – This rectangular square of metal may get the most use of any utensil in my kitchen’s “junk” drawer. I use it to work dough on my wooden kneading board, portion out dough for loaves or rolls – even to rough chop vegetables and herbs and to smash garlic cloves.
CAST IRON SKILLETS
How do we love them? Let us count the ways: Inexpensive, indestructible, best pans for heat retention and distribution, non-stick and impervious to metal utensils.
CHINA CAP
The mesh is so fine on the china cap that you can use it in place of cheesecloth to strain the moisture from homemade cheese. It also gives a beautiful clear broth when you use it to strain your chicken stock. Think strainer on steroids.
FOLEY FOOD MILL
The genius of the food mill lies in its ability to simultaneously puree cooked foods and vegetables and to separate skins, seeds and stems from the finished product.
Chris – It’s my favorite for Sunday Sauce and Applesauce.
MICROPLANE
Say goodbye to the scraped knuckles from grating cheese on a box grater. Based on the woodworker’s rasp, microplanes come in a wide variety of sizes for everything from shredding mozzarella to finely grating nutmeg.
MORTAR AND PESTLE
With the advent of home food processors, it may seem as though the need for this primitive looking kitchen device has diminished. But there is something satisfying about grinding your own spices to the exact texture and consistency you like for your recipes.
Daniel – At home, my grandmother had a small wooden mortar and pestle with garlic and sea salt in it at all times. A little smash, a little rub, and the freshest garlic salt was ready.
The mortar and pestle is so universal in Spanish kitchens that its absence in U.S. kitchens surprised me. Here and there, you’ll find cooks like Chris or my friend Marla who keep a mortar and pestle handy. You should try using them, too. Nothing extracts the oils and flavors of herbs and citrus like a good smashing with the pestle! That fresh aroma takes over your kitchen and leads you on the journey to a great dish.
PARCHMENT PAPER
This simple tool makes us feel like wizards in the kitchen when