Massimo Capra, chef and author of Massimo's Italian Kitchen, was born and raised in Italy, and earned his chef's toque in a three-year program at Salmaggiore in the northern province of Parma. He worked in fine restaurants across the Italian and European culinary landscape, then moved to Toronto, bringing both his exuberance for Italian food and his own creative imagination with him. He opened the restaurant Mistura which was greeted with rave reviews and developed a celebrity clientele. After that resounding success he opened a second restaurant, Sopra. Now, with Massimo's Italian Kitchen, he gifts the home cook with his celebrated recipes.
The art of authenticity is a subtle especially one when crossing borders, but Chef Capra has Italian cooking in his bones. His is a creative menu, not one locked into stale tradition, but one that embodies the philosophy of Italian cooking: good food should be simply cooked so that the ingredients may shine. The home cook is not burdened by a long and extensive shopping list, or locked into many time-consuming steps that require a chef's well-staffed kitchen. And Capra tosses in the greatest luxury of all - these are one pot dishes. To add savor, each recipe has a short paragraph that introduces the dish by capturing Capra's own memories with charm and wit.
The recipes reflect the traditions of Italy, but have the sparkle only a great chef can bring to a meal. There are classics, such as Risi e Bisi and Fegato alla Veneziana, Pollo alla Fiorentina, and Caciucco (Seafood Stew) which Capra learned in Tuscany's Versilia region. But Capra likes the wilder shores of cooking where he can play. Try Risotto with White Asparagus, Black Pepper, and Wild Strawberries, perhaps an innovative risotto made for dessert with chocolate. Try a Fava Bean Polenta with Chicory, or Roasted Sea Scallops with Bacon. If you want a meat dish there are rich recipes such as Braised Short Ribs in Red Wine, or Pan-seared Pork Chops with Lemon Sage, and, for the more daring, a Rabbit in Apricot Sauce.
If you are looking for dessert, you'll find an assortment of temptations, from Chestnut and Chocolate Semifreddo or a fruit dessert of Balsamic Roasted Pears with Whipped Goat Cheese. The Italian imagination knows no limits.
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