Raising the bar on bar food

BOOKS FOR COOKS | Recipes draw from years of traveling and eating along Mediterranean

Wine bar food, a tradition in Mediterranean cities long before American foodies embraced the "a-little-bit-of-this-and-a-sip-of-that" mentality, now moves from bars and tapas-like restaurants into the home, thanks to the passion and straightforward advice of Chicagoans Tony and Cathy Mantuano.

The Mantuanos -- he's best known as chef of Spiaggia, 980 N. Michigan, she has a reputation as an expert on pairing wine with food -- became so smitten with the Mediterranean custom of unwinding after work with a bite of something incredible and a sip of wine that they turned their lifetime of experiences living in Italy and traveling across Europe into Wine Bar Food (Clarkson Potter, $27.50).

While their inspiration came from enjoying Manzanilla sherry with locally caught fried fish on the coast of Spain and dining on steak tagliata with arugula and a bottle of Chianti Classico with friends in Tuscany, they are earnest about home cooks duplicating the authentic flavors of the Mediterranean.

Their 208-page cookbook offers tips on stocking a pantry with time-saving, top-quality canned or jarred ingredients including dolmas from Greece, piquillo peppers from Spain and caper pesto from Italy.

Married 25 years, the two insist that simplicity and good quality are crucial to wine bar food.

"Whatever you do, don't over-think it," Cathy says. "It's about respecting good food, good wine and simple techniques."

Tony adds that wine bar food is like Italian cooking. The most important ingredient is the one you leave out.

The two agree that pairing several wines with an assortment of cheeses from different types of milk and of varying ages and textures is the best approach for first-timers entertaining with wine bar food.

Cathy recommends pairing a sparkling wine with Parmigiano and Spanish reds with goat cheese. Tony suggests a sweet dessert, Riesling or Austrian fruity wine with Gorgonzola.

The couple, who authored The Spiaggia Cookbook: Eleganza Italiana in Cucina in 2004, stress the importance of tasting cheese before buying. If that's impossible, they say, "Give it a good whiff. If it smells like ammonia, it has not been stored properly and you should pass it by."

The Mantuanos, who live in Old Town, highly recommend Caputo Cheese Market in Melrose Park and the domestic and imported cheese sections of Dominick's, Whole Foods, Fox & Obel and Treasure Island. For wine, they recommend House of Glunz, 1206 N. Wells.

Tony's favorite recipe in the book is Pork Ribs with Garlic, Chilies and Tomato, based on the flavors and aromas he enjoyed at his grandmother's Sunday dinners growing up in Italy.

"It's my soul food," he enthuses.

Cathy, who grew up in Italy watching her grandfather make wine in jugs in his cellar, is a fan of rose wines and Nice. She adores the recipe for Flatbread with Chickpea Puree, Fried Garlic and Fried Parsley: "It's like a hummus pizza, but not as filling. It has Mediterranean flavors, and dusting it with [powdered] sumac makes it so pretty."

Sandy Thorn Clark is a Chicago freelance writer.