Cuisine: Talent is where you find it

Sometimes circumstances force the most unlikely people to take up cooking.

Islander Tom Cinquini, who grew up in Massachusetts, was never interested in the subject. Through a series of events in his family, he wound up over the years being a caregiver for a lot of people at one time or another: his mother, his uncle and his sister's six children.

In addition, Cinquini managed to finish college and later earned a master's degree. He went into the field of health care administration, and medical records.

He and a friend once took a flyer and purchased a German restaurant. They were totally inexperienced, but the property was cheap and included two buildings and some acreage. They eventually changed it into an American cafe specializing in appetizers, adding a full bar. However, the business was not a roaring success, and they sold it just in time to break even. (It's now a Chinese place.)

Toward the end of his mother's life, Cinquini was buying prepared meals and restaurant food for the two of them, finding it very boring and expensive. A friend suggested he should acquire a cookbook and get to work learning how to prepare meals himself.

Cinquini chose The Joy of Cooking, and took to it like a natural. He soon began creating very innovative and fancy meals. He preferred things which he could make ahead of time, and tended toward stews and casseroles which wouldn't dry out over a period of time.

Today, his preferences are still the same, only his creations have gone far beyond the pages of the original cookbook, and he's an accomplished chef. French and Italian dishes are among his favorites, and he loves entertaining in his new condo here.

The condo is another adventure in his life. He became acquainted with Marco and purchased a unit in 2004 being built on the south end of the island. You will recall a couple of storms came our way that year, and another the next year. Cinquini has harrowing tales of his many auto trips back and forth from New England, storms encountered on the way, construction problems here and being evacuated for a fire in a building where he was staying.

His decorators from New England had to bow out of his plans, and left him with a half-painted apartment and no clue about what procedures to follow.

Somehow it all got done, and he is now able to utilize his new kitchen, cooking for himself and friends. Here are two of his favorite recipes.

Chicken cacciatori

This traditional Italian dish has as many recipes as there are cooks in Italy, but Cinquini's version is an easy one and quite appetizing.

2 ounces olive oil or more, as needed
1 large sweet red pepper, seeded and chopped
2 bunches chopped scallions
½ cup snipped Italian parsley
3 cloves minced garlic
4 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms
1 tablespoon each minced fresh basil and oregano (less if dried)
2 15-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes
4 to 6 ounces dry white wine as needed
4 to 6 ounces chicken stock as needed
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut in bite-sized pieces
Flour for dredging
Salt and pepper

Heat 2 to 3 ounces olive oil in sauté pan and add red pepper, scallions, parsley and garlic. Stir and cook for a minute, then add Baby Bellas. Next stir in tomatoes, herbs and 4 ounces each of the wine and stock. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle flour over chicken pieces in a bowl and mix by hand to coat, then add chicken to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and cook slowly until chicken is done — this won't take long. You may wish to thicken the sauce with additional flour slurry made from the wine or stock remaining.

When the dish is done, taste for seasoning and correct if necessary. This dish is usually served with pasta of your choice and grated Parmesan cheese.

NOTE: Some traditional recipes call for the addition of black olives and anchovy fillets — take your choice here.

Seafood sauté

This is a Florida recipe Cinquini devised, based on the one above.

1 large sweet red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 bunch chopped scallions
½ cup snipped parsley
3 cloves minced garlic
2 ounces or more olive oil
4 ounces sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill weed
Salt and pepper
4 to 6 ounces dry white wine
8 ounce bottle of clam juice
½ pound cleaned scallops
½ pound shelled and deveined shrimp
½ pound salmon or swordfish cut into 1-inch pieces
Flour to coat seafood

In a large sauté pan, heat 2 ounces olive oil and add red pepper, scallions, parsley and garlic. When vegetables begin to soften, add mushrooms and dill weed, salt and pepper. Continue to cook and stir for 5 minutes, then add ½ cup each of the wine and clam juice. Lower heat and simmer an additional 5 minutes.

Coat seafood with flour and add to the pan. Lower heat and simmer about 5 minutes. Adjust liquid as necessary and taste for seasoning. When sauce is thick and seafood cooked, serve over hot white rice.

Caprese Italian tomatoes

This began life as a simple combination of sliced fresh tomatoes, olive oil, basil and mozzarella. It has grown a lot, and you will have to select what you wish from these ingredients.

4 large tomatoes, diced
14 ounces diced mozzarella
1 diced red onion
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
1 clove minced garlic
Salt and pepper

Combine selected ingredients in a bowl and marinate overnight. Some people serve this with flavored croutons, and some prefer it chilled. It goes well with the dishes above.

I am frequently asked what my favorite cookbook is. As a bride, I soon acquired Irma Rombauer's The Joy of Cooking, and I still use it. I also own a 1995 edition of the same book, and find both of them valuable.

If you are a fan of the Rombauer books, you would enjoy reading the often hilarious history of them in Stand Facing the Stove by Anne Mendelson. The title comes from the advice of an elderly German cook to a young bride. It's a good summer read.