Chef Anna Altieri in Chadds Ford JunXion Magazine

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FORD

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JA N UA R Y 2 0 2 1

F O R R E S I D E N T S , BY R E S I D E N T S

Growing up Hannum Stories from the Area’s Foremost Equestrian Family

ALSO INSIDE: Jen Panaro’s five New Year’s resolutions for an eco-friendlier life

The life and times of local photographer Jim Graham

Chef Anna Altieri’s window into the new JunXion Cafe & Market

6 Chadds Ford JunXion • January 2021

January 2021 • Chadds Ford JunXion

7

6 Chadds Ford JunXion • January 2021

January 2021 • Chadds Ford JunXion

7

SALT EARTH OF THE

The new JunXion Café and Market’s Chef Anna Altieri brings her philosophy of cooking from the land to Chadds Ford

44 Chadds Ford JunXion • January 2021

spice of life By resident Georgia Jacobs

It’s only a few days before JunXion Café and Market, next to the Brandywine River Antiques Market on Route 1, opens its doors, and a frenzy of decorating and building is taking place: a corner leather booth is brought in, the shiplap counters are nailed in place, some light fixtures hung. Tools, boxes, and cleaning products are scattered around.

It resembles George Orwell’s famous description of the inner workings of a restaurant in his 1933 book, Down and Out in Paris and London—minus the raging and swearing. But through the doors to the kitchen, the chef, Anna Altieri, is the picture of calm as she prepares 10 orders of candied yams to accompany catered Thanksgiving dinners to be picked up that day. Taking orders before you’ve even opened is a bold move, but one she’s ready for.

No pre-opening jitters here. “I’m not nervous at all,” she says. “I’m excited.

It’s going to be fun.”

Her confidence comes from a wealth of experience she’s accumulated since childhood and fortified with a two-year degree from the Culinary Institute of America, and a professional career with stints in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and more. She’s been a sous chef facilitating pop-up dining events, headed up the culinary operations for the recreational cooking school Brooklyn Kitchen, and worked with international pizza consultant Anthony Falco, editing and contributing to his cookbook. She’s worked at Talula’s Table, albeit not in the kitchen, and, ironically, now returns to the place where her restaurant career began at 14 doing basic cooking at Mushroom Café, now JunXion Café and Market.

She’s landed on the same spot, but this time she’s running the kitchen, and she’s glad to be home. “It’s been a funny string of events, but it’s worked out each time,” she says.

“But cities are not my space.”

Born in Kennett, Anna grew up on the Haskell Farm, graduated from Unionville High School, and worked at SIW from the age of 12. “Before that I was the farm stand little kid menace, but that’s probably when I started getting interested in food,” she says. “My grandmother is a great cook and cooking was always a big part of my childhood, but what’s also important to me is having a close connection to the earth.”

She grew up traveling to Italy and brought back an appreciation of cooking from the land. “I’m really into foraging, and grabbing foods around here that grow natively,” she says. “Wild garlic, ginger, broccoli rabe, mustard greens, things like that get utilized in my cooking a lot.” Her voice rises to an excited pitch as she describes her favorite local ingredients. “Mushrooms and nettles are really fun.

Wine berries are amazing in the late summer. We also have paw paws that are incredible; they’re like a native mango, creamy, and tropical tasting and delicious. Persimmons are also native to the area.”

And, she says, knowing the farmers in the area is key to sourcing the freshest produce. “You won’t find a better ear of corn than SIW’s.”

It all jives with her love of peasant food. “I feel most passionate and comfortable with Italian or African, those foods from people who only have access to the food around them, like soup, stews, and braises,” she says. They pair perfectly with the classic French techniques she was trained in and her ties to the Italian food she cooked with her grandmother as a kid. “I never met a noodle I didn’t like,” she jokes.

All of this is reflected in the market café-style concept and menu she’s designing. “We want to provide healthier fresh-cooked meals, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and coffee in a centralized location,” Anna explains. They’ll have classic market-style food, like pre-made sandwiches, salads, and soups, breakfast sandwiches, and baked fare, and sell provision-style goods, like butter, cheeses, condiments, and other grocery items.

But the bigger draw is how it’s all pulled together by her personal style. “What I’m really into—and what will keep people interested—is a highly seasonal and rotational menu,” she says. “We have really fun soups and all different cuisines from other cultures to get people excited about trying new things because we don’t have much like that around here.” She’ll have large-format heat-and-eat dinners that can be picked up or

January 2021 • Chadds Ford JunXion

45

SALT EARTH OF THE

The new JunXion Café and Market’s Chef Anna Altieri brings her philosophy of cooking from the land to Chadds Ford

44 Chadds Ford JunXion • January 2021

spice of life By resident Georgia Jacobs

It’s only a few days before JunXion Café and Market, next to the Brandywine River Antiques Market on Route 1, opens its doors, and a frenzy of decorating and building is taking place: a corner leather booth is brought in, the shiplap counters are nailed in place, some light fixtures hung. Tools, boxes, and cleaning products are scattered around.

It resembles George Orwell’s famous description of the inner workings of a restaurant in his 1933 book, Down and Out in Paris and London—minus the raging and swearing. But through the doors to the kitchen, the chef, Anna Altieri, is the picture of calm as she prepares 10 orders of candied yams to accompany catered Thanksgiving dinners to be picked up that day. Taking orders before you’ve even opened is a bold move, but one she’s ready for.

No pre-opening jitters here. “I’m not nervous at all,” she says. “I’m excited.

It’s going to be fun.”

Her confidence comes from a wealth of experience she’s accumulated since childhood and fortified with a two-year degree from the Culinary Institute of America, and a professional career with stints in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and more. She’s been a sous chef facilitating pop-up dining events, headed up the culinary operations for the recreational cooking school Brooklyn Kitchen, and worked with international pizza consultant Anthony Falco, editing and contributing to his cookbook. She’s worked at Talula’s Table, albeit not in the kitchen, and, ironically, now returns to the place where her restaurant career began at 14 doing basic cooking at Mushroom Café, now JunXion Café and Market.

She’s landed on the same spot, but this time she’s running the kitchen, and she’s glad to be home. “It’s been a funny string of events, but it’s worked out each time,” she says.

“But cities are not my space.”

Born in Kennett, Anna grew up on the Haskell Farm, graduated from Unionville High School, and worked at SIW from the age of 12. “Before that I was the farm stand little kid menace, but that’s probably when I started getting interested in food,” she says. “My grandmother is a great cook and cooking was always a big part of my childhood, but what’s also important to me is having a close connection to the earth.”

She grew up traveling to Italy and brought back an appreciation of cooking from the land. “I’m really into foraging, and grabbing foods around here that grow natively,” she says. “Wild garlic, ginger, broccoli rabe, mustard greens, things like that get utilized in my cooking a lot.” Her voice rises to an excited pitch as she describes her favorite local ingredients. “Mushrooms and nettles are really fun.

Wine berries are amazing in the late summer. We also have paw paws that are incredible; they’re like a native mango, creamy, and tropical tasting and delicious. Persimmons are also native to the area.”

And, she says, knowing the farmers in the area is key to sourcing the freshest produce. “You won’t find a better ear of corn than SIW’s.”

It all jives with her love of peasant food. “I feel most passionate and comfortable with Italian or African, those foods from people who only have access to the food around them, like soup, stews, and braises,” she says. They pair perfectly with the classic French techniques she was trained in and her ties to the Italian food she cooked with her grandmother as a kid. “I never met a noodle I didn’t like,” she jokes.

All of this is reflected in the market café-style concept and menu she’s designing. “We want to provide healthier fresh-cooked meals, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and coffee in a centralized location,” Anna explains. They’ll have classic market-style food, like pre-made sandwiches, salads, and soups, breakfast sandwiches, and baked fare, and sell provision-style goods, like butter, cheeses, condiments, and other grocery items.

But the bigger draw is how it’s all pulled together by her personal style. “What I’m really into—and what will keep people interested—is a highly seasonal and rotational menu,” she says. “We have really fun soups and all different cuisines from other cultures to get people excited about trying new things because we don’t have much like that around here.” She’ll have large-format heat-and-eat dinners that can be picked up or

January 2021 • Chadds Ford JunXion

45

ordered ahead, like lasagna, meatballs, pulled pork, chicken parm, eggplant parm, which will be seasonal as well. And then there’s soup. “I’d have it as a soup café if I could,” she exclaims.

“I like to keep my meat consumption to a minimum.

I’m not a vegetarian, but I like to be conscious of that,” she says. That translates into chipotle chili with tempeh and soups like coconut curry, carrot and ginger, butternut squash, or seasonal vegetables, minestrone, and Italian wedding soup, and naturally, a Kennett classic. “The pressure is on to compete with Mushroom Café’s mushroom soup, which will be different in style, but delicious nonetheless,” she says. “I’m cooking everything from scratch, so you won’t find the same recipes here.

We’re going to stick to highlighting the main ingredient, so a soup that’s really mushroomy and delicious with fresh wild mushrooms from Kennett, but not a heavy-cream based soup.” Although, Anna is toying with the idea of having it sometimes because she knows people enjoy it. “I love a fun mix-up or flair. I don’t like to box myself in, and I don’t want to give JunXion any kind of labels in terms of cuisine style,” she says. “I’m keeping it opened ended and keeping people interested by having something that’s really exciting and different.”

As a self-described rebel, Anna has always been attracted to diverse cuisines, like Japanese and Asian foods and their condiment-style cooking. “I love it and it will definitely be a big part of the kitchen here whether people know it or not,” she says. “Things like miso, soy and fish sauces, and Keep Well vinegars are going to make their way into the cooking because it brings such a depth and flavor to dishes. People might not be able to pinpoint it, but they’re an amazing complement to the local ingredients.” She’ll also serve

46 Chadds Ford JunXion • January 2021

fresh pasta. “I love all shapes and kinds of noodles,” she says.

The market side of JunXion will offer a selection of Anna’s favorites. “My philosophy is that I like to support local, but I also like to find the best. A lot of items are sourced from my travels around the United States. I’ve got a lot of products from Michigan and purveyors and food artisans I’ve met there, like Cellar Door Preserves’ jams and cocktail cherries.

It’s a good reflection of my travels and my experience with food,” she says. A Anna with her grandmother, Dot Altieri lot of fresh ingredients and produce will come from local farms, like Crow and Moss chocolate, Keep Well vinegars, Righteous Felons craft jerky, and Ajiri Tea Company from Upper Black Eddy.

Anna credits three people with inspiring her style. “Fundamentally and my biggest inspiration in cooking and that carries over into life is my grandmother, who is just the best. We grew up making gnocchi in the kitchen, and she’s the one who really got me into it. She has such an incredible outlook and has been my guide throughout life,” she says. Professionally, the Michelin-stared chef, Netflix star, and restaurateur David Chang has influenced her. “He’s always been a big inspiration in terms of his roots and getting me to try different things, and he taught me to be really good at the few things I do.” Finally, Anna calls the late writer, chef, and television personality Anthony Bourdain “one of her favorite people she’s never met” and credits him with shaping her travels.

“When I was in culinary school my roommate and I listened to him every night on repeat until we fell asleep. I can probably recite all his episodes.”

Perhaps the most important thing Anna and the owners of JunXion Café and Market share is a desire to create a unique space that will grow the Chadds Ford JunXion community. “The café is a space where people can come together to have great food and great conversation,” she says. “What I’ve always loved most about food is that it’s such a great way to show people you care about and love them. That’s our guiding philosophy.”

January 2021 • Chadds Ford JunXion

47

ordered ahead, like lasagna, meatballs, pulled pork, chicken parm, eggplant parm, which will be seasonal as well. And then there’s soup. “I’d have it as a soup café if I could,” she exclaims.

“I like to keep my meat consumption to a minimum.

I’m not a vegetarian, but I like to be conscious of that,” she says. That translates into chipotle chili with tempeh and soups like coconut curry, carrot and ginger, butternut squash, or seasonal vegetables, minestrone, and Italian wedding soup, and naturally, a Kennett classic. “The pressure is on to compete with Mushroom Café’s mushroom soup, which will be different in style, but delicious nonetheless,” she says. “I’m cooking everything from scratch, so you won’t find the same recipes here.

We’re going to stick to highlighting the main ingredient, so a soup that’s really mushroomy and delicious with fresh wild mushrooms from Kennett, but not a heavy-cream based soup.” Although, Anna is toying with the idea of having it sometimes because she knows people enjoy it. “I love a fun mix-up or flair. I don’t like to box myself in, and I don’t want to give JunXion any kind of labels in terms of cuisine style,” she says. “I’m keeping it opened ended and keeping people interested by having something that’s really exciting and different.”

As a self-described rebel, Anna has always been attracted to diverse cuisines, like Japanese and Asian foods and their condiment-style cooking. “I love it and it will definitely be a big part of the kitchen here whether people know it or not,” she says. “Things like miso, soy and fish sauces, and Keep Well vinegars are going to make their way into the cooking because it brings such a depth and flavor to dishes. People might not be able to pinpoint it, but they’re an amazing complement to the local ingredients.” She’ll also serve

46 Chadds Ford JunXion • January 2021

fresh pasta. “I love all shapes and kinds of noodles,” she says.

The market side of JunXion will offer a selection of Anna’s favorites. “My philosophy is that I like to support local, but I also like to find the best. A lot of items are sourced from my travels around the United States. I’ve got a lot of products from Michigan and purveyors and food artisans I’ve met there, like Cellar Door Preserves’ jams and cocktail cherries.

It’s a good reflection of my travels and my experience with food,” she says. A Anna with her grandmother, Dot Altieri lot of fresh ingredients and produce will come from local farms, like Crow and Moss chocolate, Keep Well vinegars, Righteous Felons craft jerky, and Ajiri Tea Company from Upper Black Eddy.

Anna credits three people with inspiring her style. “Fundamentally and my biggest inspiration in cooking and that carries over into life is my grandmother, who is just the best. We grew up making gnocchi in the kitchen, and she’s the one who really got me into it. She has such an incredible outlook and has been my guide throughout life,” she says. Professionally, the Michelin-stared chef, Netflix star, and restaurateur David Chang has influenced her. “He’s always been a big inspiration in terms of his roots and getting me to try different things, and he taught me to be really good at the few things I do.” Finally, Anna calls the late writer, chef, and television personality Anthony Bourdain “one of her favorite people she’s never met” and credits him with shaping her travels.

“When I was in culinary school my roommate and I listened to him every night on repeat until we fell asleep. I can probably recite all his episodes.”

Perhaps the most important thing Anna and the owners of JunXion Café and Market share is a desire to create a unique space that will grow the Chadds Ford JunXion community. “The café is a space where people can come together to have great food and great conversation,” she says. “What I’ve always loved most about food is that it’s such a great way to show people you care about and love them. That’s our guiding philosophy.”

January 2021 • Chadds Ford JunXion

47

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