A grandma's gnocchi know-how
I was 2 years old, peeking over the counter and carefully watching my Grandma Jenny twist and turn dough atop her kitchen counter.
A working mother who managed to make every meal from scratch, Grandma Jenny still found time to teach me how to cook.
It was out of those many trips to her three-flat in Cicero that I grew to understand flavor. Thus began my fervor for food.
Gazing into her oversized old-fashioned pantry, I grew accustomed to only the finest of ingredients.
"Start with the best ingredients," she would say. "If the ingredients aren't perfect, nothing will ever turn out."
A native of Ragusa, Sicily, Grandma Jenny acquired her culinary talent from her mother-in-law, whom she eventually surpassed in skill.
She spent her free time in the kitchen, at D'Andria's, a local specialty store where she found the freshest of ingredients, or in her garden, tending to her tomatoes.
A ball of fire, my grandmother could do it all. She prepared an entire dinner in an hour and a half after a whole day's work. Her comprehension of flavors was exceptional.
She taught me that a good chef balances flavors and recognizes the elements necessary to bring the dish to the next level.
I inherited her meticulous character. Through her diligence, I learned to make things the right way without cutting corners, and I utilized my classical French training at the Culinary Institute of America to perfect it.
One dish Grandma Jenny was very particular about was her gnocchi. The large, billowy pillows she created left me in wonderment of Italian cooking.
My grandmother's gnocchi were absolutely perfect. It is a recipe that has been passed down through generations with few variations. While my gnocchi recipe is more French-inspired, with tomato nage and sauted vegetables, the process remains the same.
In keeping with my grandmother's advice, there are a few things to remember when cooking gnocchi. It's important to use fresh cheese; make sure the potatoes aren't too wet or overcooked, and mix in the flour and eggs by hand.
My grandma had a touch I have never seen; she frequently experimented and began making white pizza before anyone else I knew. A variation of that very same pizza remains a staple dish on my menus at my restaurants Zealous and Duchamp.
Her influence remains a large part of my culinary philosophy. Providing good food for her family was a golden rule that I like to think I carry with me.
While I might change the flavors of my grandmother's recipes, her culinary perspective will forever remain engrained in my kitchen and in my life.
Michael Taus is the chef and owner of Zealous, 419 W. Superior, and Duchamp, 2118 N. Damen.