Celebrated chef and restaurateur Tom Colicchio answers the question “Why I cook” in his new book, which is both a gastronomic treatise and partial recipes.
The head judge of the reality cooking competition Top Chef told Good Morning America that the motivation behind the book – which was under contract for 15 years – was the opportunity and feeling of creative passion outside the walls of the world. The kitchen or on your TV.
“While amazing opportunities continue to come my way, I feel confident enough these days that unless a proposal excites me creatively, I’m not interested,” he said.
Colicchio also shared that his personal view of success is no longer guided by accolades and acclaim — despite having received eight James Beard Awards that include Best Chef and Best New Restaurant, as well as 11 additional nominations.
“My definition of success has gone beyond James Beard Awards and stars in the New York Times to include the health of my relationships with my loved ones and with the people I’ve had the pleasure of working with. I still work closely with my chefs in restaurants, but I’m no longer running around at night, mostly because “Because I want to eat dinner with my kids, and also because my knees and back don’t like it.”
Tom Colicchio lounging around with his flat envelope wallet.
Evan Song
…I’m cooking more than ever
He continued, “However, people might be surprised to know that I’m cooking more than ever before. I find the greatest joy in cooking for family and close friends. It never gets old. This – nurturing the bonds of those relationships is why I cook.”
Through 10 memoir chapters and 60 recipes, the Elizabeth, New Jersey native reflects on everything from his earliest memories in the kitchen to working in the award-winning kitchens of New York City’s best restaurants and, of course, shares some delicious dishes for home cooks to recreate in their own kitchens. Private kitchens.
Check out two full recipes below from Why I Cook.
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Radicchio, fennel and pear salad
Chef Tom Colicchio shares his recipe for Radicchio Salad with Fennel and Pear.
Evan Song/Excerpt from Why I Cook by Tom Colicchio
“In the fall, I can’t get enough of the bitter Italian greens: Trevisano and Castelfranco Radicchio, among others. I tend to like bitter flavors, which is why I’m a fan of chicory and negronis, too,” Colicchio wrote in the magazine. Book next to this recipe. “Bitterness is an overlooked but important component of a meal. In this salad, the bitter greens work well with the sweetness and acid in your mouth. For a little earthiness and crunch, top the salad with some walnuts, if you like.”
Serves 8
ingredients
Vinegar sauce
A quarter cup of honey vinegar (preferably Lindera Farms honey vinegar) or apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
authority
8 cups (9 ounces) torn bitter greens, such as Treviso, Castelfranco, or chicory
1 Bartlett pear, thinly sliced on a mandolin
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced on a mandolin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup toasted walnuts (optional)
Directions
To prepare the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, mix the vinegar with the shallots. Season with salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until a consistent sauce forms. Taste and season with more salt if necessary.
Assemble the salad: Place the bitter greens, pears, and fennel in a large bowl. Add the vinaigrette and mix gently. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish the salad with toasted walnuts, if using, and serve.
Chef Tom’s tips
Choose any bitter vegetable that looks good at the market: I like Treviso, Castelfranco, or chicory
The bitter greens tasted great with sweetness and acidity. Your mouth will thank you
Top salads with walnuts for an earthy, crunchy flavor
My mother’s pasta with broccoli…not really
A bowl of broccoli pasta from Tom Colicchio’s new book Why I Cook.
Craftsmen’s Books/”Why I Cook”
“For my entire childhood, my mother made cavatelli with broccoli every two weeks. I never saw her use a measuring cup. She used her eyes to check whether a dish looked ‘right’ or not,” Colicchio recalls in his new book. “She wouldn’t put it that way, but what my mother was looking for was proportions. Specifically, the amount of broccoli there was compared to the pasta. That amount came not from the recipe but from years of feedback from the Colicchio boys. (This recipe for broccoli is what I like it (my brother Mike prefers less broccoli but that’s my book, not his.) So, my advice is don’t get hung up on quantities in this or any other recipe. Quantities are the least important part. Do you want less broccoli? Well, do you want to add some chickpeas? Do you want more chickpeas than broccoli or more chickpeas?
Serves 4
ingredients
Kosher salt
1 pound orecchiette, cavatelli, or other pasta shape
2 to 3 broccoli, cut into small pieces
1 head of garlic, separated from its cloves and cut into thin slices
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup fresh grated pecorino cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground Calabrian chile pepper (optional)
Directions
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions. About 5 minutes before the end of cooking time, add the broccoli to the pasta bowl and stir. Continue cooking the pasta and broccoli together. In the last minute of cooking, add the garlic slices to the pot with the pasta and broccoli. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, drain the pasta, broccoli and garlic and return them to the pasta cooker.
Chef Tom’s tips
Choose your favorite pasta: I like orecchiette or cavatelli for this dish
Adjust the broccoli-to-pasta ratio to satisfy your family’s tastes. I prefer the ratio of broccoli to pasta to be approximately equal; My brother Mike prefers less pasta
Add chickpeas for more protein if you like
Recipes adapted from the book Why I Cook by Tom Colicchio. Craftsmen’s books. Copyright © 2024.
“Why I Cook” by Tom Colicchio
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