Ecco La Cucina: In-depth Interview with Italian Chef Gina Stipo

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Ecco la Cucina - Kristen Hess

I recently took a Tuscan cooking class with Gina Stipo at the Institute of Culinary Education in NYC and had the opportunity to interview her on her culinary training and background and her new cookbook Ecco La Cucina. Gina is an Italian American who specializes in Italian cooking from the Tuscany region and does food and wine tours and hands-on cooking lessons in Tuscany and central and southern Italy.

Can you tell me a little bit about your culinary and professional career background?

I feel as if my life has always been food focused, I have so many early memories of different foods I loved. Growing up in an Italian family, meals were very important. We celebrated with food, we made special trips to buy the right ingredients, and we ate together as a family. When I was six years old we moved to Italy for four years and the beauty of the country, the food that is such an integral part of their lives, made an indelible mark on me that formed a basis for the way I relate to both the beauty of my surroundings and food.

When did you realize you wanted to be a professional chef and cooking instructor?

For a long time as a young adult my dream was to live in New York City and go to culinary school but I didn’t know what I wanted to do with it. I lived that dream when I was in my late 30’s and then worked in restaurants for several years to gain experience, but I still hadn’t found my niche. In 2000, some friends who own an estate in Tuscany asked me if I would come and do some classes for their guests. I set up cooking classes and found that I’m really good at it, that my innate curiosity and constant study of the subject before I went to culinary school had given me a lot of information that people are interested in.

Can you tell me about your culinary training abroad in Italy?

I went to the Institute of Culinary Education in New York and also trained in Italy, at a school in Bologna as well as by talking to little old people and home cooks about their food and cooking with them in the kitchen. It’s important to have an open mind and realize that, no matter what you’ve studied or for how long, you don’t know it all, there’s always something new to learn.

How did you get started doing food and wine tours in Italy?

After I started doing classes for the estate in Tuscany I hit upon the idea of doing a tour for their guests and taking them around the area to great restaurants and wineries, sharing with them the intricacies of the regional foods. That grew a little every year. Meanwhile I did single day classes for people who come to Tuscany. In 2005 my sister came to work with me and is my partner in the States, coordinating the weeklong tours and coming to Italy when we have a group.

Tell me about your cookbook Ecco La Cucina, and what inspired you to write this?

My cookbook is a simple compilation of the recipes we use in my area of Tuscany and was put together by the requests of many of my students. It’s all about making it friendly and comfortable, like Italian cooking should be.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

I’ve really enjoyed living in Italy, studying the foods of the regions and getting to know the people who make the food and preserve the roots of their cuisine. I love being able to share that with visitors and help them to better understand Italy, to build memories and enjoy their vacation.

Homemade Potato Gnocchi

• 2 lbs red skinned potatoes
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups flour
• Salt

1. Bring potatoes to a boil in salted water until cooked through, being careful not to cook too much or they become water logged. A fork should enter easily with no hard center.
2. Peel and then put through a ricer onto your work surface.
3. Make a well and add the egg and half of the flour and work until incorporated and evenly mixed, adding the rest of the flour as you go.
4. Knead the dough until it's just pulled together and you don’t see tiny potato pieces. Try not to overwork the dough.
5. Form into logs, cut off half-inch sized pieces and roll them on a gnocchi board or fork.

• 4 tbsp (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6-8 fresh sage leaves
• 8 oz gorgonzola cheese
• ½ cup cream
• Fresh ground pepper
• Salt to taste

1. Saute the onion in butter until soft, add sage leaves and continue to cook gently without browning.
2. Add gorgonzola and cook over low heat until melted, stirring occasionally.
3. Add cream and heat through, being careful not to boil.
4. Season with ground pepper and check for salt; some cheese is saltier than others.
5. Serve over homemade potato gnocchi and top with some fresh ground Parmigiana cheese as garnish.

• 1 cup walnuts, chopped fine
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano cheese
• 4 tbsp (1/2 stick) butter
• White pepper, ground
• Salt

1. Put the cream, walnuts, Parmigiano, and butter in a saucepan and heat. Salt and pepper to taste; bring to a simmer and then turn off heat.
2. Allow to remain hot until pasta is cooked, then toss and serve with a sprinkling of more Parmigiano and finely chopped parsley. (Because gnocchi or pasta continues to absorb liquid, you will need to save some of the pasta water to add when you toss the pasta, as it may seem dry.)
3. Serve over homemade potato gnocchi and top with some fresh grated Parmigiana Reggiano cheese as garnish.

Kristen Hess - Artful Gourmet. Celebrating the creativity of food and cooking through writing, styling and photography.

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