We rarely see chefs making our food and on even fewer occasions do we see them cook for family while holding onto a baby cooing with pleasure. But the pandemic changed this, and we are all the better for it.
In April, Chef Stefano Secchi of Rezdôra restaurant, a lauded osteria in Manhattan that specializes in Emilia-Romagna cuisine of Northern Italy, started an Instagram series, “Lessons with Luca”, with his toddler son Luca and wife Lauren in their Manhattan home.
“We shot them so parents could cook the recipes easily and seamlessly while holding true to authentic Italian food,” he said.
Each episode racked up thousands of views since the debut on April 18. The videos, which are beautifully edited, are dedicated to Chef Stefano’s family members in Sardegna and the great Italian chefs Chef Stefano cooked under in Italy. The show is informative and entertaining, displaying a map with the origin of the Italian dish, a full recipe at the end, and plenty of instant replays, so you can catch up-close Luca’s cute little baby fingers picking through a bowl of fresh peas. But the best part of all is the ending, watching Luca struggle or swoon over his father’s cooking.
In “Lessons with Luca,” Chef Stefano proves that toddlers’ reputation for finicky eating can be circumvented–most of the time–with delicious Italian food. Seeing father and son whirl about the kitchen pressing pasta dough onto forks for gnochetti sardi, stirring polenta with a large wooden spoon, and of course, salting with fingers, shows that every step of a recipe can be a joyful gesture and an entertaining battle.
Does that mean Luca will eat the end result? Not always. On more than one occasion Chef Stefano questions his son’s Italianità when Luca swerved and the fork looped with fresh pasta fell onto his baby apron. (This part, arguably the best moment of the show, is the “Judge’s Table,” where Stefano pleas for his son’s approval by tempting him to eat every bite.) Although this rarely happens, the two of them make you want to get cooking anyway. And as Chef Stefano said that is precisely the goal of the series.
Chef Stefano’s precision and speed can be intimidating at first, so we asked him for some general tips for feeding toddlers, like how to stock the refrigerator and to present a dish.
“The best way to get Luca to eat greens is to simmer them in a tomato soup, blend together and serve with a side of penne pasta or crusty bread to dip,” he said. So, don’t forget to stock the refrigerator with spinach, arugula, chicken stock, peeled tomatoes, and have bread on hand.
Another tip, aside from facciamo il volo (“doing airplane” in Italian), is to eat out of the same bowl. “It helps,” said Chef Stefano. “Because he always wants what I'm eating.”
And, of course, giving Luchino the reigns to flavor his own meal like a real chef goes a long way, too. In the Secchi kitchen, they keep a small wooden bowl of salt, a perfect size for a curious toddler to dig his hands in.
“He's learned to salt now, so getting him to help "make" his dinner has been a great way to get him involved, AND eating!”
Check out nine “Lessons with Luca” recipe videos on Instagram. Chef Stefano promises there are more to come!
In the meantime, here’s the recipe for Pizza al Taglio, Luca’s favorite lunch.
Pizza al Taglio by Stefano Secchi
Ingredients:
For the dough
3 ½ cups of bread flour
2 ¾ cups of water (room temperature)
2 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp & 2 Tsp sea salt
For the tomato sauce:
1 Can of plum tomatoes (from San Marzano, Italy, if possible)
7 Basil leaves torn
1 Tbsp sea salt
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
For the toppings:
Shredded Mozzarella
Olive Oil
Basil leaves
Parmigiano Reggiano
Method:
Prepare the dough by mixing the ingredients all together and let sit for one hour covered. Then refrigerate overnight and pull out one hour before cooking.
Preheat oven at 475 degrees.
Mash all the tomato sauce ingredients using your hands in a ball and season to taste.
Transfer the dough in a rectangular shaped pan. Spread the tomato sauce on the dough add mozzarella, some basil leaves, and some olive oil.
Put the pizza in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
After removing the pizza from the oven, add grated Parmigiano Reggiano and olive oil.
Enjoy!