Gabriele Corcos

About me

I am not a chef, I am just a very hungry guy, therefore I cook!

I cook for myself and the pleasure that gives me to eat the things I like the most... the things from Tuscany and its surrounding regions.

I cook for my daughters and my wife: to feed my kids right, and to possibly get laid at least twice a week.

I cook for my Mother, that taught me most of the things I now about Tuscan Food.

I cook for my Grandmother, who taught my Mother.

I cook for my Father, that one day put me in front of the fireplace and told me: "Let's make dinner"!

I cook for my brother, the very first person I ever cooked for.

I cook for all the people that know how to eat well, or want to know how to do it better, The Tuscan Way .

I cook to keep traditions alive, and because my kitchen is the warmest place in my house... if you exclude my bedroom, at least twice a week.

I was lucky enough to find the woman of my dreams and breed with her.

I was lucky enough have the opportunity to turn my passion for cooking into a real job.

I am a visionary and a romantic, and to me Tuscan Recipes are a part of my country's history.

I blog because "writing history" to me sounds much better than "opening a restaurant".

Now I have to go do 3rd grade homework, then give my girls a bath and after that it will be time time for dinner! Thankfully tonight we are having leftovers!

Tonight it's Wednesday, and I might get laid.

(I write music, play the drums, take pictures, print my own t-shirts, grow vegetables, clean dishes, play with Barbie... and I ride real hard my second wife "Berta", my Italian motorbike!)

Connect with me

My recent posts

Gabriele
Author Gabriele Corcos

Posted 02/09/2012

Penne ai Quattro Formaggi (Super Tuscan Mac ‘N’ Cheese)

It is interesting how different cultures have very similar recipes that fall into the category of “Comfort Food“: Mashed Potatoes, Meatballs, Mac ‘n’ Cheese just to name a few.

Each and every family that I know has a few recipes that are executed “on demand” whenever it might feel appropriate: if somebody is sick, if the kids are driving you nuts, if grandma is coming for a Sunday dinner. We are no different! Continue Reading…

Gabriele
Author Gabriele Corcos

Posted 02/07/2012

The Flaming Mandarin

A couple of years ago we celebrated one of our dear friend’s birthday at Katsuya Restaurant in Hollywood. It was a real treat: private room, a fantastic menu, and a continuous flow of amazing cocktails that put the smile on everybody’s face. Since that evening The Flaming Mandarin has become one of our obsessions, and every time the same group of friends now gets together, this is what we drink, regardless if we are dining or not… we are just incredibly proud we could re-create a recipe that is now become even better than the original one. Continue Reading…

Gabriele
Author Gabriele Corcos

Posted 02/02/2012

Olive Oil Gelato

Who does not have childhood memories associated with food? Our first birthday cakes, the special treats that grandma used to sneak us, or maybe the first thing we cooked, or attempted to cook? BUT, do you actually remember the first food item you ever purchased on your own? I am talking about that very specific moment when you finally were able to exercise your right to choose, without mom around to judge or suggest; that moment when the little cash floating in you pocket actually was handed out to somebody in exchange for food. What did you buy? Continue Reading…

Gabriele
Author Gabriele Corcos

Posted 02/01/2012

Nutella Cake

There is no Holiday season without treats!

Let us then present you with a luxurious recipe to make sure your taste buds can celebrate properly this coming Christmas.The main ingredient of this recipe is an Italian stable: NUTELLA!This fantastic hazelnut and chocolate spread is an ingredient that everyone loves in the Bel Paese, and there is not one kid (or adult for that matter) that would not hesitate one second to praise its taste and history. Nutella was introduced to the Italian Market in 1964 by Michele Ferrero, who further developed one of his father’s recipes, the “Supercrema” (Super-cream); in the past few decades its production has reached the incredible number of 179.000 Tons per year… and that’s only for the Italian Market. Nutella is a spin-off of “Gianduja“, a sweet mixture containing 50% hazelnuts and/or almonds and 50% chocolate, developed in the Piemonte region of Northern Italy in the mid 1800s, and its recipe is closely guarded by the Ferrero company. Continue Reading…

Gabriele
Author Gabriele Corcos

Posted 01/28/2012

Porcini Carpaccio

Porcini mushrooms are truly a gift of nature, and a blessing for anybody with a passion for food. Leonardo Da Vinci is quoted saying that “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”; nothing could be more true about this wonderful ingredient.

The following recipe for the carpaccio is extremely quick and easy, and in its incredible simplicity will deliver the pure flavor of the Earth to your palate.

Gabriele
Author Gabriele Corcos

Posted 01/20/2012

Homemade Pasta

Making fresh home made pasta is easy but a little lengthy. For the most part, in hour house we use regular dry pasta for all of our recipes however, when the right ingredients like a fresh hunted duck or a succulent chunk of Boar come around, nothing better than prepare some fresh pasta to go with it, on the spot!

When I learned to make my very own fresh pasta from my grandmother we never used a scale, a measuring cup or a pasta rolling machine. She used to have a metal spoon, like the ones you used to find in groceries stores that sold beans, lentils and other dried goods… Continue Reading…

Gabriele
Author Gabriele Corcos

Posted 01/20/2012

Straccetti con Speck e Porcini

Porcini Mushrooms are a “Northern Hemisphere” delicacy that can be purchased fresh from mid Autumn until mid Winter, depending on temperature and rain precipitation. These Fungi should preferably be eaten fresh, but given the limited time they can be sourced through the year, it is very convenient to purchased them dried which makes for easier storage and convenience of use.

Needless to say, if you know mushrooms there is no comparison between the fresh Porcini and the Dried ones, however if we exclude recipes that call for raw mushrooms like salads and carpaccio, both version are totally interchangeable. Continue Reading…

Gabriele
Author Gabriele Corcos

Posted 01/15/2012

Extra Virgin Wins “Best Home Chef in a TV Series” at The Taste Awards

When Debi and I started posting our Tuscan family recipes on Youtube about 5 years ago we never thought about “What Could Happen”. It has always been a labor of love and joy, a way to keep our family traditions alive, a game to do with our daughters and a creative outlet… a delicious one!

Then the Cooking Channel came around, and thanks to the vision of Bruce Seidel, at the time VP of programming at the Network, our home project was turned into a real TV show, with all the bells, the whistles and the added production value that it needed. Debi and I had the fantastic opportunity to shoot 26 episodes in the past couple of years; we have learned a lot, we have grown, we have developed so many new fantastic recipes, and we finally got to share it all with a wider audience. Continue Reading…

Gabriele
Author Gabriele Corcos

Posted 01/14/2012

Tiramisu’

Let’s not be of any disgrace to the common Italian Stereotype, and introduce this recipe for what it is…
Tiramisu’ is the Italian food equivalent of Viagra, and it comes without the risk of the “4 hours” side effect!
Eggs, creamy cheese, sugar, cookies chocolate and coffee; in the right proportions this recipe will keep you going for a few days. Just remember, in case you have kids, to use decaffeinated coffee (or prepare two separate trays of cake)… On adults the effects of this cake are spectacular, on kids however, it would not be excessive to describe them as catastrophic! Continue Reading…

Gabriele
Author Gabriele Corcos

Posted 01/11/2012

Prosciutto, Taleggio and Radicchio Sandwich

In Italy Panini are everywhere. In every bar, at any roadside stand and gas station… It is our go to quick fix in between meals, and very often a preferred lunch substitute.

It is true that in general Italian Sandwiches are extremely simple; this has to do with the incredible amount of cold cuts, cured meats and cheeses that you can source throughout our peninsula. Good meats and good cheeses do not require much company when trapped between two slices of bread. In Tuscany for instance unsalted bread is the favorite way of preparing most of our panini, that allows us to enjoy the flavor of whatever we put inside at its best. Continue Reading…

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