In the early 1970’s, Marcella Hazan was busy working on The Classic Italian Cook Book—her first of six books that would change the way Americans view and cook Italian cuisine. Across the country in my tiny San Francisco kitchen, I was perfecting an awesome version of spaghetti and meatballs. Unlike my friends who poured canned tomato sauce on overcooked pasta, or worse yet, opened a can of Spaghetti-O’s, I sautéed onions and garlic with ground beef, added dried herbs, a little wine and canned tomato sauce. Who knew my proud creation bore little resemblance to the classic sauces and pasta of Hazan’s world? Life was about to change.

Decades later I, along with millions of American and international home chefs, have learned the cooking techniques and classic recipes of Italy through Hazan’s books. Others more fortunate have attended her popular cooking schools in New York, Bologna and Venice.

Earlier this week, Hazan came to town for the Cooks with Books dinner celebrating her life and latest book, Amarcord: Marcella Remembers. Fans packed the Left Bank restaurant to meet and share a meal with the woman they know as the godmother of Italian cuisine—a woman knighted in Italy and the recipient of two Lifetime Achievement awards from the James Beard Foundation and the IACP.

I arrived early, but started socializing and ended up at the back of the check-in line. As it turned out, the long wait was a great chance to learn a bit more about the star of the evening. One lady mentioned that Hazan had survived World War II and a series of terrifying air-raids with her family on an Italian farm. Another guest added that Hazan has two PhD’s in science. I knew that that Hazan had married Victor, love of her life, greatest supporter and writing collaborator, 53 years ago. Personally, I hoped that he’d be there as I’m a sucker for a good love story.

Some might say we owe a debt of gratitude to Victor for all that Marcella has given us. A native New Yorker and accomplished food and wine expert in his own right, Victor moved his bride to the city in 1955. Marcella did not speak English and found herself in a completely alien world with no friends or family. She couldn’t work in her field, and worst of all did not know how to cook. What to do? Victor gave her his favorite Italian cookbook, Ada Boni, with lots of encouragement. Before long she was teaching classic Italian cooking in her small apartment.

Somebody poked me excitedly and said, “Look!” There sat Marcella Hazan, now 84, dressed in red with her snow-white hair glowing under the lights. The CWB staff had seated her comfortably with Victor standing at her side. She greeted her fans in a low, husky, accented voice, smiled easily and signed their books.

Hazan’s assistant told me that she was a little tired, having been on this grueling book tour for three weeks. Others observed that Marcella and Victor had a great sense of humor and took good care of each other. Both are still passionate about food and constantly talk about where to eat out next as they travel.

The Cooks with Books dinners are always prepared from the author’s book, but Amarcord is a memoire with no recipes. Therefore the chef chose a menu from Hazan’s earlier work, Marcella Says…

Amuse Bouche
Avocado and Parmesan Crostini
Sweet Pickled Onions

First Course
Mushroom and Potato Soup with Sundried Tomatoes

Entrée
Lamb Chops Calabria Style with Tomatoes, Peppers and Olives

Dessert
Apple Cake with Raisins and Rum

As guests enjoyed their dessert, Hazan took the microphone for a question and answer session. When someone yelled out, “Do you still cook every day?” Hazan replied coolly, “Do you eat everyday? Of course I cook.” The crowd roared.

When a woman in the back asked about salt, I was reminded of a fascinating passage in Amarcord, where Hazan relates how precious salt was to her family during the war years when it was almost unobtainable. Luckily, her uncle worked for the local electric company and did not have to pay for his home supply. His clever wife plugged in a small electric heater and constantly boiled seawater from their nearby lagoon until only salt remained. Carefully she gathered and packaged her treasure and shared it with her sister’s family. They kept some, and used the remainder to barter for honey and fresh milk from their neighbors. In the context of such stories, one finds new appreciation for the value of even the most humble ingredients.

The evening hit a high note when a group of Hazan’s former students gathered to share old photos and mementos. Hazan’s emotion was apparent as her students expressed how profoundly she had touched their lives.

Indeed, all of us have richer culinary lives because of the love and passion for Italian cuisine that Hazan has shared for decades. She is a legend of enormous talent, but also someone we can all relate to. After all, like most of us, she started out in the kitchen with nothing more than a cookbook and the love and encouragement of family.

Cheers and long life to Marcella and Victor!

Get a printable copy of Marcella Hazen’s Apple Cake with Raisins and Rum.

There is a small cabin at Lake Tahoe that always embraces me with its quiet beauty and ability to shut out the chaos of modern life. Earlier, a long walk along the beach enhanced my appetite and sent me happily into the cabin’s tiny kitchen where I made a large pot of homemade French onion soup for dinner. This simple meal-in-a-bowl melds the complex flavors of a rich beef broth, brandy, dry white wine and caramelized onions with crunchy toasted slices of French bread and gooey, bubbling cheese.

The family deserted me for a racy, loud Scrabble game by the roaring fire in the living room. I settled in for some alone time, gathered all my ingredients, and started peeling and thinly slicing 12 cups of onions for the soup. They were more pungent than usual and I teared up quickly. It didn’t matter what I did, my eyes were suffering. Soon everyone in the other room was complaining and opening doors to escape the onions. Ultimately, they fled outside.

Obviously I had to stay with it, but wondered if the poor people of ancient Rome and Greece had this problem when they prepared onions for their original soup, or if their naturally grown produce was milder than what we find in our markets today. Did they know how to prevent tearing? Guess I’ll never know.

As I began sautéing the onions the tears receded and the house filled with that wonderful scent that tells you something delicious is coming. I poured a glass of red wine, the others returned to their Scrabble game and we all breathed deep.

Later, as I served steaming bowls of soup topped with the toasted bread and melted cheese, everyone laughed about the burning eyes but agreed that the soup was almost orgasmic in taste. I told them that King Louis XV of France created this classic at his hunting lodge during the 1700s. Apparently Louis got hungry and discovered that the cupboard was basically bare. He rummaged around and found some onions, butter, and champagne for soup, along with some stale bread and cheese. We all raised our glasses to King Louis, and agreed that even a King couldn’t help but slurp a soup this tearfully good.

French Onion Soup

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
10–12 cups thinly sliced onions*
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon sugar
4 teaspoons flour
8 cups homemade beef stock*
¼ cup brandy
½ cup dry white wine
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 1-inch thick slices French bread, toasted
3 cups cheese, grated***

*For an accurate quantity, do not separate the slices into rings until after you measure them.

**Use homemade beef stock for best flavor. If you use canned broth, try chicken broth, which has better flavor than canned beef broth. Keep in mind that canned broth is quite salty, so you may want to reduce the salt in the recipe.

*** Gruyere, Parmesan Reggiano, Swiss, and Asiago chesses are all good choices.

Instructions
1. Combine the butter and olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium-low heat.

2. Add the onions and salt and sauté for several minutes, then cover with a lid and cook 12–15 minutes, until the onions become translucent.

3. Remove the lid, increase the heat to medium, add the sugar and toss well. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are a deep golden brown—approximately 30 minutes.

4. Add the brandy and deglaze the skillet.

5. Add the flour and stir to coat the onions evenly. Continue cooking for 2–3 minutes.

6. Remove the onions from the heat and add the stock, wine, and pepper.

7. Return the pot to the stove, turn the heat to medium-high, partially cover the soup with a lid and bring to a lively simmer. Continuing cooking for 30 minutes.

8. Remove from the heat and adjust the salt and pepper.

9. Ladle the soup into individual, heat-resistant soup bowls and top each with a toasted slice of French bread and a generous portion of grated cheese.

10. Place under the broiler until the cheese melts and turns pale golden brown.

11. Serve immediately.

Serves 6–8

Get a printable copy of French Onion Soup.

I love Indian food and could happily eat it forever. So when it came time to develop the Beyond Wonderful Indian section several years ago, I asked my great friend, Leela Manilal to help create the recipes and how-to cooking techniques with me. Leela and I have cooked together for 25 years and I knew that she would be the perfect International Home Chef, India.

A retired journalist who divides her time between New Delhi, India and the San Francisco Bay Area, Leela is returning state-side next month and staying through March. That means lots of cooking sessions and new recipes for you—and better yet, it means great eating for me. I’m also making plans for my tenth trip to India, coming this spring. I’ll blog regularly from the road, sharing recipes and culinary adventures.

To get in the mood for all things Indian, I’ve cooked a special dinner for my family tonight: chicken curry, a big pot of Basmati rice and chana masala. While chopping and sautéing, it occurred to me that chana masala—a simple dish of garbanzo beans (chickpeas) with onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes and spices—is an easy introduction to Indian cuisine for novice cooks. Plus, like many Indian dishes, chana masala gets more flavorful the longer it sits. Make lots and you’ll have wonderful leftovers for lunches the next day. For Western cooks, this adds an exotic element to your menu, and it’s gentle on the food budget.

Hungry? Check out all of our Indian recipes catalogued on Leela’s International Home Chef page.

Chana Masala

Ingredients

1 medium onion
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1–2 green chiles, seeded and minced*
½ teaspoon red chili powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cup water
2 cups canned chopped tomatoes, drained**
3 15.5-ounce cans garbanzo beans, drained
1 tablespoon amchur powder***
1 teaspoon garam masala

 * Use Thai or serrano chiles. The heat of chilies changes with the seasons, so use your judgment when adding them.

** Use canned tomatoes from Modena, Italy or Pomi brand tomatoes found in fine grocery stores—Their flavor is superb!

*** Amchur powder is made from dried green mangoes and available online at ecommerce stores like http://www.namaste.com, or at Indian grocery stores. While it enhances the recipe, it’s not absolutely essential.

Instructions

1. Peel and quarter the onion, place it in the food processor, and process until smooth. Disard the extra liquid.

2. Heat the oil in a medium, heavy-bottomed skillet over a medium-high flame. When very hot, add the onion and cook until browned, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed so that the onion does not burn.

3. Stir in the ginger and cook for 2 minutes; add the garlic and cook for another minute.

4. Add the green chiles, chili powder, coriander, cumin and turmeric, and mix to blend.

5. Lower the heat to medium, add 1/2 cup of the water and the tomatoes. Continue cooking and stirring for two minutes.

6. Add the remaining water and mix well.

7. Stir in the garbanzo beans.

8. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes.

9. Add the amchur powder and garam masala and mix well. Cook for two minutes and remove from the heat.

Yield: 6 servings
Preparation time: approximately 30 minutes

Get a printable copy of Chana Masala for easy reference.