By:Nicole Falco
A Central High School alumnus is one of five chefs featured on a new cooking show created and produced by Martha Stewart Living Television Productions.
John Barricelli, who graduated in 1978, brings 27 years of professional experience as a chef to the show, "Everyday Food," which began airing nationally on PBS stations Jan. 10.
Produced in association with PBS presenting station WETA in Washington, D.C., the series - which airs locally on Mondays at 8:30 p.m. on channel 21 - offers viewers practical recipes for preparing quick and easy meals. The recipes are designed to be prepared in 30 minutes or less using readily available supermarket ingredients. The series was created as a complement to Martha Stewart Living magazine, which was launched in September 2003.
Barricelli, a senior food editor of the magazine who has been featured on more than 140 episodes of the television show of the same name, auditioned for the role, as did his four co-chefs, Lucinda Scala Quinn, Allie Lewis, Margot Olshan and Sarah Carey. All work for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in one capacity or another.
"I come across as being the baker, because I do a lot of dessert segments," Barricelli said. "However, I do cooking also. [We] all try to get around the kitchen as much as possible. This way, we aren't labeled."
Growing up in Valley Stream
Barricelli and his seven brothers grew up in Valley Stream. His mother's untimely death when he was in third grade ushered John into the kitchen at a young age.
"After my mom died, I used to help prepare dinners for my dad - that might have helped spark a little interest in cooking," Barricelli said. "I was just at the right age where I was mature enough and my father trusted me to help."
That experience, coupled with a family history of time spent in the kitchen - John's great-grandfather owned a bakery in Williamsburg, and Barricelli rarely missed a Sunday dinner at his grandmother's - made his career choice a natural one. "I kind of liked the kitchen more than I liked going outside to play football," Barricelli recalled.
When he attended Central, the school didn't yet offer the culinary arts classes that have become so popular among students over the past decade. In fact, Barricelli said he remembers taking plumbing classes. While still in high school, however, he took his first step toward making cooking his future. He began an apprenticeship at the famed River Cafe under the Brooklyn Bridge.
After Barricelli graduated from high school, his mentor at the cafe, Rick Steffan, sponsored his attendance at the Culinary Arts Institute in Hyde Park, N.Y. Barricelli entered the prestigious program in April 1979, and graduated in November 1980.
During his career, Barricelli has used his talents in the kitchens of many highly regarded Manhattan restaurants, including the Water Club, Waters Edge and the Four Seasons, as well as restaurants in the Pierre and Palace hotels. And for 12 years in the 1980s and '90s, Barricelli owned Cousin John's Cafe, a bakery restaurant in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Cooking with Martha
After selling his share in Cousin John's, Barricelli spent time traveling in Europe studying cooking in places like Milan and Bologna, Italy. It was there that he learned how to make gelati, or Italian ice cream. According to Barricelli, it was his ice cream recipes that first caught the attention of Martha Stewart. He met Stewart in 1998 while working as a consultant at a friend's restaurant.
"She loved my ice creams, and pretty soon I was working with her," Barricelli said.
Twenty-six episodes of "Everyday Food" have already been taped. Besides the series, Barricelli and Olshan are preparing for the grand opening of the SoNo Baking Company and Cafe in South Norwalk, Conn., this spring. Barricelli lives in Connecticut with his wife, Michelle, and children, Nola and Nikolai.
Comments about this story? NFalco@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 208.
John's recipe for banana pudding
To be featured on "Everyday Food" on Feb. 7
Ingredients: 2 cups skim milk, 3 large egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar; 3 tablespoons cornstarch, a pinch of salt, 4 medium ripe bananas thinly sliced, crumbled cookies (optional), whipped cream (optional).
Preparation:
1. In a large pot, bring two inches of water to a simmer. In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together milk, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt until smooth.
2. Place bowl over simmering water. Cook, whisking, until thick, 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Divide bananas among six 8-ounce ramekins (or use a 1 1/2-quart dish). Pour hot pudding mixture over bananas. Smooth tops, submerging bananas. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until set, from 1 hour to overnight. Garnish with crumbled cookies and whipped cream if desired.
Serves six. Prep time 20 minutes. Nutrition information per serving: 192 calories, 3.1 grams fat, 5 grams protein, 37.8 grams carbohydrates, 1.3 grams fiber.
