Inga's Adventures

“Come in, come in,” a boisterous voice commanded the welcoming voice of Chef Giovanni.

Stepping from the warmth of a spring day in downtown San Rafael on a Monday morning, we were transported to a more romantic place within minutes of entering the cozy Sicilian restaurant, Ristorante Mezzo Mezzo. Owner Chef Giovanni de la Renta’s charming Sicilian-accented voice greeted us warmly as he seated us at a central table. No other diners were present as we were there for a private cooking class so we were able to soak up the personal attention from Giovanni and his lovely wife, Simonetta.

We sat down to a lovely table of freshly baked bread, still warm from the oven, accompanied by several  spreads, including pistachio, citrus marmalade with orange, lemon and pineapple, and my favorite, a spicy, robust eggplant. With many courses ahead I tried to pace myself, but it proved difficult with so many sweet and savory flavors.

Now fortified, Giovanni led us back to his friendly and slightly cramped kitchen, which lent itself to feeling like we were cooking as a family, rather than in a demonstration kitchen. Giovanni led us through the steps to create two delectable salads, using ingredients that he had, for the most part, thoughtfully prepped so we didn’t have to waste a lot of time endlessly chopping. The first, ‘Nzalata Di Arancia, was comprised of sliced fennel, orange segments, radish and arugula tossed with a house-made vinaigrette. The preparations gave Giovanni the opportunity to extol the virtues of the fresh, abundant organic produce we have available to us here in Marin County, California at farmers markets and local supermarkets. The unusual watermelon radish, also known as an heirloom Chinese daikon, looked like a smooth skinned, pale green turnip on the outside, while the inside delighted with a strikingly beautiful bright pink interior that looked surprisingly like a very firm watermelon. Only available for a couple of months in the spring, we reveled in tasting this rare treat, which is like a very mild radish in flavor. We passed communal plates and sampled the mild but distinctive flavors melding together while standing around the prep area—true family style. The second salad, ‘Nzalata Sicialana, was made with boiled, cubed potatoes, capers, kalamata olives and baby greens. Not being a fan of typically mushy and overly-mayonaised potato salad I delighted in the fresh, light flavors of the Sicilian version. The salads provided a cool respite from the heat blasting from the grill.

Next, Giovanni ran us through some basic cooking techniques, such as slicing, dicing, and knife selection. Using the ingredients used during his demonstration he created Pasta Trapanese and then had each of us prepare our own, varying the ingredients and proportions to our individual taste so that each dish was unique. We lined up along six burners and almost looked like professional chefs as we sautéed bell peppers, onions, capers and garlic, tossing the linguini while learning how to shake the pan and flick the food up in the air without causing disaster. Back in the dining room we dug in happily until Giovanni reminded us to save some room as we had more courses on the way. This caused us to pause mid-bite. We slowed down for the Bisteca alla Firorentina, tender filet mignon smothered in spinach and mushrooms, and we all managed to devour the delicate yet intense Tiramisu, the perfect cap on a wonderful meal. 

Chef Giovanni was serious about sharing his love of Sicilian food and his commitment to freshness but kept up a lively stream of amusing stories about his previous experiences working with executive chefs who earned their reputation as being high-strung. Simonetta provided a nice counter-balance and kept things running smoothly behind the scenes.

Exiting the cool sanctuary of the restaurant into the glaring sun we were a bit sad to leave our little slice of Sicily behind, but we had flavorful memories to treasure and recipes in hand.

Information:

Chef Giovanni was raised in Sicily and trained in cooking by his Grandfather. Since coming to the United States, he has worked for Hard Rock Cafe, Grupo Andersons (In Mexico), Marriott International, Santa Barbara Restaurant Group, Ramada Plaza International, Emporio Rulli, and he was the owner/Chef of Ristorante Mezzo Mezzo in San Rafael where he attained the “Best Chef of Marin County 2008″ award by the readers of the North Bay Bohemian Newspaper.

Chef Giovanni has moved on from Ristorante Mezzo Mezzo and has ventured off on his own to bring the restaurant experience to one’s home, offering catering, cooking parties and special events through Chef Giovanni At Home (http://www.chefgiovanniathome.com/).