slideshow

Name: Rich Vitale.

Background: I grew up in suburb south of Detroit. My Mother is Italian and my Father is Italian and Hungarian. The area in which I grew up had many different ethnic neighborhoods and restaurants which contributed to gaining an appreciation for many different styles of food. I relocated to LaGrange in 2009 when my job transferred me to support the launch of the Kia plant. At the time of the move I was working for one of the suppliers.

Family: I have been married to Colleen for 9 years. We share our home with our cat, Osiris, and dog, Bailey; they are the best of friends.

Job: I am the Engineering and Facilities Manager for Kellogg in Columbus.

Hobbies, Activities: Colleen and I are both very active in our church, St. Peter’s. I am in the Knights of Columbus and Colleen is in the CCW (Council of Catholic Women), both organizations are involved in supporting charitable causes within the church and the community.

How did you learn to cook?

I watched my mom cook when I was growing up. When I moved out, I would often call and ask how to make some of the dishes that she always made; from there I just tried things for myself. One minor issue with my cooking experience is that I cook large quantities. This is a learned habit just in case unexpected guest drop in, there will always be enough food. This translates now into freezer opportunities and ready leftovers.

What is your favorite memory of cooking or being in the kitchen?

The smell of fresh-baked bread.

What ingredient is always in your pantry or refrigerator?

Olive oil.

What is your favorite cooking tool?

A sharp chef’s knife.

Do you have a favorite cookbook?

The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook. This was the first cookbook I owned and it was a housewarming gift from my sister-in-law.

What would people be surprised to find your kitchen?

A full complement of Indian spices.

When you go out to eat, what is your favorite thing to order?

Typically Chinese food, a good spicy chicken dish as this is something I won’t typically cook for myself.

What recipe is your comfort food that reminds you of home and why?

Homemade spaghetti sauce — this was the staple of family gatherings at Holidays and Sunday dinners. This was the first thing recipe from home that I learned how to cook for myself.

Do you have a favorite cost-saving cooking idea?

I like to buy whole pork loins when they are on sale. I then cut it into good thick boneless chops to freeze for later use.

What was your biggest disaster in the kitchen?

My bad habit is underestimating the size of pot required for the dish I’m cooking. This results in a secondary transfer often accompanied by splatters.

What is your “old faithful” recipe that you rely on time after time?

I like to cook a roasted kielbasa and kraut dish. It’s a great one to take to a potluck.

Sweet and sour red cabbage

1 medium head of red cabbage, chopped to a fine-to-medium confetti

1 medium sweet onion, diced

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup white vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar (use Splenda if you prefer)

1 teaspoon dill weed

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large open pan over medium-to-high heat, a wok will also work. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the cabbage and continue to stir until well coated with the oil. Add the vinegar and sugar and continue to stir. Mix in the dill weed and add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Stir frequently until the cabbage becomes tender, typically about 45 minutes to an hour. Vinegar and sugar can be adjusted based on personal preference. This is a great side dish for pork. About 20 years ago I made several visits to Germany and this became one of my favorite side dishes. My wife Colleen has also become a fan of this dish.

Creamed peas

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons sugar (use Splenda if you prefer)

1/2 cup of milk

1 15 oz. can of peas undrained

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a pan and slowly stir in the flour to make a roux. Add the peas with liquid and stir thoroughly. Add milk and sugar and continue to stir over medium heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Additional milk can be added sauce becomes too thick. This dish is well paired with pork or chicken and is quite tasty when put on top of toasted bread. This was a common side dish growing up and is Hungarian in origin.

Spaghetti sauce

1 large can of crushed tomatoes

2 large can of tomato sauce

1 small can of tomato paste

1 pound of ground beef, browned and drained

1 medium onion – chopped very fine or run through a food processor

4 cloves garlic – minced

1/3 cups olive oil

2 tablespoons ground sweet basil or about 5 tablespoons fresh chopped basil

3 bay leaves

1 teaspoons garlic powder

1 t Onion Powder

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup red wine (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil over medium-high heat, add onion and sauté. Add garlic and add a little salt and pepper stir until onion is translucent. Add tomato paste and stir thoroughly and often to prevent sticking or burning. Allow the tomato paste to become slightly caramelized. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce and stir in browned ground beef. Add basil, bay leaves, onion powder and garlic powder, stir thoroughly. Add wine and sugar and stir until well blended. Add salt and pepper to taste and reduce heat to a simmer and lightly cover with a lid. Allow to simmer at least 1 hour and preferably longer to allow flavors to peak. Stir often to prevent sticking.

This meat sauce is best served with hollow shaped pasta such as rigatoni, mostaccioli, penne or dhells. This is the sauce that my mother taught me how to make. The ground beef can be omitted to create a very nice marinara if you prefer. Growing up, at Christmas and Easter this base sauce would be joined by meatballs and roasted Italian sausage. When adding meatballs or sausage, it is important to brown those items first and try to remove some grease by patting with a paper towel prior to adding to the sauce.

Chicken parmesan

Prepare the spaghetti sauce above without the ground beef (marinara style).

1 pound chicken breast cutlets

1 cup plain bread crumbs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 tablespoon parsley flake or 2 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

2 eggs beaten

1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese

1 cups grated mozzarella cheese

1 pound spaghetti (I recommend angel hair)

Combine bread crumbs, garlic powder, onion powder and parsley, mixing together and thoroughly adding salt and pepper as desired. Spread the bread crumb mixture on a plate. Line a cookie sheet with foil to aid in cleanup later on. Prepare your assembly area as follows: plate of chicken cutlets, shallow plate with beaten eggs, plate of bread crumbs and cookie sheet. Use one hand to dip the chicken into the egg and transfer to the bread crumb, use your other hand to coat the chicken in the bread crumb and transfer to the cookie sheet. Arrange your cutlets with a little space in between each other on the cookie sheet.

Place the cutlets into an oven pre-heated to 350 degree and bake for about 20 minutes. Spread some of the marinara on each slice of chicken and top with the parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and return to the oven until cheese is melted.

Prepare your spaghetti by placing into boiling salted water. Cook until desired tenderness is reached and drain without rinsing. I prefer combining my sauce and spaghetti together before serving, but you can serve directly on a plate with sauce on top if you prefer. Add a piece or two of the chicken for each serving. You can serve four to six with this recipe and you may have leftovers or you may have people going back for seconds.

Kielbasa and kraut

1 small head of green cabbage, cored and chopped to fine-to-medium confetti size

1 small onion, diced

1 bag of sauerkraut, drained

2 pounds Polish kielbasa, sliced into half-inch-thick slices

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. You can use a large Dutch oven if you have one available. Add the onion and cabbage and sauté about 15 minutes then add sauerkraut and continue to sauté until sauerkraut starts to show signs of browning. Add brown sugar and vinegar and stir thoroughly.

If using the Dutch oven add the sliced kielbasa and stir to mix cabbage mixture and kielbasa. If a Dutch oven is not available, combine cabbage mixture and kielbasa into a roaster with a lid. Place the Dutch oven or roaster into an oven heated to 350 degrees and cook for 90 minutes, or until cabbage is tender.

This dish was frequently served at weddings and other events when I was growing up as it is easy to make for large groups.

Biscotti di Vino (Italian wine cookies)

1 cup white wine

1 cup sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

5 3/4 cups flour

pinch of salt

1 egg beaten

Combine wine, sugar, salt and oil, and slowly add in the flour mixing as you go. A stand mixer with a dough hook will make easier work of this task. Remove the dough and continue to knead on a clean hard surface using the additional flour to prevent sticking. Take small pieces of the dough and roll out into a rope about 1/2-inch diameter. Cut a small piece about 2 or 3 inches in length from the rope. Form a small close flat coil with this dough and place on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Using the beaten egg as an egg wash; give each cookie a light brushing before baking. Place cookies in an oven pre-heated to 400 degrees. Use a middle rack and bake for about 12-15 minutes using or until bottoms are a golden brown.

These cookies will keep for extended periods in an airtight container, and are excellent when served with strong coffee or tea. I remember my great aunt always having a supply of these cookies on hand whenever we would visit. These cookies will be somewhat hard on the exterior with a soft middle.