The delight of Big Love Cooking is to create delicious, transporting comfort food with fresh ingredients that are readily available at the supermarket. So there’s no wild goose chase here. Growing up, my mom stored ingredients on a lazy Susan that spun around to reveal a treasure trove of olive oils, spices, and herbs that were essential to the magic she created in our South Philly row house. Being a New York City chef with a tiny restaurant space, and an even tinier apartment, storage is reserved for only the most necessary ingredients. Just a note on fresh items: In all of my recipes, I use large organic brown eggs, whole milk, and unsalted butter.
I use organic unbleached all-purpose Beehive flour and I recommend that you look for any hard, red winter wheat flours. These hard wheat flours are the most versatile and are excellent for making pizza dough, biscuits, and fresh pasta. The protein content is higher than a softer cake flour, resulting in a well-structured, toothsome pasta and pizza crust. Also, all-purpose flour is excellent for my recipes since I use fresh yeast as a leavening agent. Other recipes that call for a specific flour benefit from the use of a natural starter instead of yeast. The choice of some chefs to use semolina in their pasta recipes and tipo 00 flour for pizza dough speaks more about cooking style than any hard-and-fast rule. For making homemade pasta and pizza, I also keep cornmeal around for dusting any surfaces the dough contacts to prevent it from sticking. For whipping up my Whole Wheat Pancakes with Berries (page 33), you’ll want to have whole wheat flour on hand. Look for Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur flours. For a deliciously nutty topping for a variety of seasonal fruit crumble desserts, use almond flour.
The herbs used in these recipes are fresh, with the exception of dried, wild Calabrian oregano. Fresh herbs are just better for my taste. My grandmother would use fresh oregano in the summer and dried in the winter, and you can do the same. Fresh oregano is great in Spaghetti and Clams (page 107), but I prefer to use dried in my grandmother’s pizza dough.
Use these fresh herbs in big love cooking: garlic, fresh bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, chives, cilantro, tarragon, basil, mint, dill, fresh horseradish, and Italian flat-leaf parsley. They are all easy to find, but even easier to grow! I have an outdoor terrace set up with pots of herbs, peppers, and tomatoes in the spring and summer. But fresh herbs grow just as well indoors on a windowsill. And it feels good to snip off a little at a time, just when you need them.
Note: When using woody-stemmed herbs, like rosemary, thyme, or tarragon, you can simply de-stem them by pinching the stem near the top and running your fingers down the length of the stem. For soft herbs, such as parsley, basil, cilantro, and dill, remove the leaves from their stalks by gently picking them off and chopping, as called for in the recipe.
Additionally, you’ll want to stock your cupboards with these dried spices and herbs: dried bay leaf, celery salt, red pepper flakes, chili powder, Madras curry powder, cumin, coriander, cayenne, paprika, Coleman’s mustard powder, turmeric, fennel seeds, whole black peppercorns, whole white peppercorns, nutmeg, clove, ground cinnamon, and cinnamon sticks.
I use a spice mix that was developed years ago while I was the executive chef at Jimmy Bradley’s restaurant, the Harrison. We were the first restaurant to open in Tribeca after 9/11. It became a beacon where so many neighbors and New Yorkers sought solace, connection, and community through our food. Big love at its peak. This spice mix is my signature funk and flavor on the Little Owl Bacon Cheeseburger (page 51) and my Curried Leek Home Fries (page 100).
Salt is one of the most vital ingredients in the kitchen, but it is grossly taken for granted. I use kosher salt for cooking because it sticks to food better and Maldon sea salt as a finishing salt for its delicate flakes that enhance a dish rather than overpower it. And I can’t impress upon you enough how important it is to generously salt your pasta water so that you can season your pasta. I prefer fine sea salt for that job. It has just the right level of saltiness that makes the difference between a pasta dish that makes you want to sing and one that falls flat. Your pasta water should be “salty like the sea,” that old kitchen adage. As a guideline, I recommend 2 Tbsp fine sea salt per 1 lb [455 g] pasta.
Cooking wines found on the grocery store shelf are filled with additives and are of such poor quality that you would never want to drink them. So why would you cook with them? The alcohol burns off in the cooking process and the flavor profile of the wine becomes part of the dish, so think quality, enjoyable wines. I cook with dry, crisp Italian or French white wines, like Pinot Grigio, Chablis, or Sauvignon Blanc. Avoid buttery or oaky American Chardonnay for cooking, as it shows up in the dish. And reach for an excellent dry Italian red wine, like Chianti. An added advantage when choosing a good wine for a recipe is that you can pour yourself a glass while you cook!
Dry vermouth is used for my Littleneck Clams with Juicy Bread (page 168) and Spaghetti and Clams (page 107). And since it keeps for a long time in the refrigerator once opened, you can save it to make a martini. Or just use it as a substitute for white wine in any recipe. A nutty, Sicilian Marsala is terrific to have on hand and is integral to making my super-duper Veal Marsala (page 157). And because you are sharp, you’re going to buy a good one! Which means you can whip up a little tiramisu with it or kick back and drink it after dinner one night. For desserts, an excellent dark rum is needed for my Birthday Rum Cake (page 238). It’s not a party if somebody isn’t a little giggly from their cake. And choose your favorite fine brandy for making my shortcut version of Brandied Cherry and Apple Strudel (page 259) that even Arnold Schwarzenegger would love.
I like to think of vinaigrettes as the sixth mother sauce (see “My Mother Sauce,” page 69), and sherry vinegar, which is a touch sweeter and much softer than red wine vinegar, is what I use for my very versatile Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette (page 69). You’ll want to make a big batch of this and keep it in your refrigerator, where it will keep for up to two weeks. It’s a delicious and beautiful dressing that is used on its own in my Sunflower Salad with Golden Beets (page 74) as well as spun into a marinade and base for several other vinaigrettes throughout Big Love Cooking.
Rice wine vinegar is my go-to for quick pickled vegetables. And have somebody treat you to a bottle of aged balsamic vinegar. Look for the words Traditional Balsamic Vinegar di Modena along with a red stamp on the bottle to signify the authentic stuff, which is unctuous and sweet (and very expensive!). Dragging a shard of Parmigiano-Reggiano through a few drops of this liquid gold is a classy way to end a meal. A less expensive store-bought balsamic vinegar, however, works great for my Warm Radicchio, Pancetta, and Gorgonzola (page 79). Through the reduction process, it will mimic the syrupy texture of the superior aged balsamic and save you some money.
Unless otherwise noted, I use extra-virgin olive oil for finishing dishes. And because everyone always asks, the oil that you find on your table at Little Owl is Gerbino organic extra-virgin olive oil, from brothers Gunther and Klaus Di Giovanna in Sicily—the same family that makes our Little Owl Rosso red wine. I use olive oil for cooking at low temperatures. For frying and cooking with high heat, 10 percent blended oil (90 percent vegetable oil, 10 percent olive oil), which is commonly referred to as a neutral cooking oil, is best. Be sure to keep all of your oil stored in a cool, dark place to prevent them from going rancid. Heat and light destroy oils. That means far away from the stove and off a sunny countertop. And let’s talk about truffle oil: I use drops of this heady, aromatized oil for truffle vinaigrette. You can drizzle it on asparagus and eggs or even over toasted bread. But if you are going to use truffle oil, I think it is best to skip the grocery store and purchase truffle products from a reputable online purveyor like D’Artagnan.
For my all-star Italian lineup, freshly grated Parmesan is called for throughout these recipes. Please don’t buy the inferior commercial version that is already grated. There is no love in that cheese, only caking agents. Some recipes call for pecorino, which is a sheep’s milk cheese with a sharper flavor I prefer for finishing many of my pasta dishes. Grana Padano is a less complex and less expensive cow’s milk cheese. Fresh ricotta cheese is used for the Ricotta Cavatelli with Tomato Broth, Bacon, and Fava Beans (page 117), and in my house we always had some in the refrigerator. My dad would top any red sauce pasta dish with a dollop of fresh ricotta. For a delightful and easy gnocchi, use fresh goat cheese as a quick base for a luscious sauce. Gorgonzola is an Italian blue cheese that is spicy, salty, and strong. And when it meets the sweetness of the balsamic and the fatty punch of pancetta in my warm radicchio salad, it’s a divine combo. Spanish Cabrales is a great blue cheese alternative for Italian Gorgonzola. Keep some Italian mascarpone and Philadelphia cream cheese in your refrigerator, specifically for two of my favorite South Philly desserts: Birthday Rum Cake (page 238) and Philly Cheesecake with Blueberry Agave Sauce (page 255). Gruyère and fontina are excellent melting cheeses and serve as the bubbly topping to my Onion Soup Gratin (page 61). When choosing an American Cheddar for your burger, look for Wisconsin Cheddar at the store, because their slogan is “Wisconsin Cheddar—nobody does it better.” I second that. And while technically not a cheese, crème fraîche is a very high-fat French cultured cream that makes sauces smooth and creamy.
Sambal chili paste is an Indonesian spicy paste with a base of chile peppers. I use it in several dishes to add heat. Look for it in the Asian section of your grocery store. Once opened, store in it the refrigerator. Oyster sauce, a savory Asian brown sauce, adds “ohh-yum!” to my Sesame Green Beans with Mint, Chile, and Oyster Sauce (page 90). And please, I would never strap you with a laborious restaurant recipe like veal demiglace (which can take up to 4 days to make), but I do have to tell you that it is the secret to adding a meaty depth of flavor to a dish or sauce. You can purchase store-bought veal demi-glace and it will work well.
Pine nuts are the base of each pesto recipe, and sesame seed–topped bread from Sarcone’s Bakery in South Philly was always on our table. Turn slider buns into sesame seed breadsticks by coating them with toasted sesame seeds. Slivered almonds are a pleasurable crunch in salads as well as in several of my desserts. Sunflower seeds say, “Hello, summer!” while pumpkin seeds usher in the fall and elevate Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Mushrooms with Pepita Salsa Verde (page 87). And have some dried cherries and dried cranberries on hand to add tartness and sweetness to salads and desserts.
Japanese panko bread crumbs are all I use for my meatballs. And in dessert. And on salads. And everywhere! I love them. And they don’t take up a lot of space. Buy the unseasoned, plain variety and make Panko Crunchies (see page 78) for a textural topper on a pasta dish, or add them to my Little Gem Caesar (page 78) for a crouton feel without breaking a tooth (large, hard croutons are the worst). An excellent baguette is recommended for slicing, toasting, and spreading with Chicken Liver Mousse (page 140) or any number of quick crostini. I also love a crusty baguette to dip in Sunday Gravy (page 211) for bread n’ gravy when no one is looking. And for my School Days Sausage and Peppers Sandwiches (page 49), use excellent store-bought sesame seed Kaiser rolls—you need something to hold up to the delicious juices once you take a bite. The secret to my Brioche French Toast with Stewed Strawberries (page 35) is brioche bread that has a high egg and butter content, making it dense and rich and fabulous.
Buy San Marzano whole peeled canned tomatoes. You can squish them right into the pot, or just let them sit and simmer for a long time and break down in my Simple Marinara (page 106), which, by the way, is a huge part of big love cooking. You can use marinara as a flavorful addition to vegetables or as a base for pasta, and it’s the secret to a fast and easy Italian Fish Stew (page 193). Stock up on tomato paste, the thick, richly concentrated paste in a tiny can—just a spoonful is excellent for adding to marinara to make a crazy-good South Philly–style thick and sweet Mom-Mom Pizza Sauce (page 43).
Let’s talk garnishing seafood pasta dishes with cheese: Just do it. I do! It’s delicious. OK, done.
