TASTE • DINE
‘Peace, Love and Pasta’
Chef Scott Conant revisits his family’s favorite meals in book
By Alex Gallagher
C
hef Scott Conant has been delighting diners with his award-winning cuisine for 35 years and has captivated audiences with his tenure as a judge on the Food Network shows “Chopped” and “Chopped Sweets.” More recently, he has inspired readers with his latest cookbook, “Peace, Love and Pasta: Simple and Elegant Recipes from a Chef ’s Home Kitchen.” As the fourth cookbook to be penned by Conant, he wanted this cookbook to be more personal. “‘Peace, Love and Pasta’ is genuinely me cooking from my home kitchen, while my earlier books were much more restaurant focused,” the Scottsdale resident says. While he has been cooking in kitchens across the world for over three decades, it was the dishes he procured in his home kitchen that shine in the book. “It wasn’t until I had children that I started to cook more at home and, frankly, it wasn’t until the pandemic that I was cooking at home every day,” Conant says. “While I was testing these recipes, I was also putting dinner on the table for
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the girls and having fun doing it. This book is a culmination of that and truly about me cooking for my family.” For the New England and Italian recipes, Conant revisited the recipes that his grandparents made — mostly out of ingredients grown in their garden. “My grandparents absolutely influenced me to cook Italian food, 100%. The nostalgia of their garden growing up continues to inspire me every day,” he says. “I always say I can’t smell Chef Scott Conant is hosting two dining events to celebrate the basil without thinking release of his book, “Peace, Love and Pasta” at his restaurants of my grandfather and The Americano and Mora Italiano. (Submitted photos) standing together in his garden.” out to me like, ‘This is fennel. These are Conant credits his grandfather as being borlotti beans. This is basil,’ and so on.” one of his first culinary arts teachers. he says. “My decision to cook Italian food “Throughout my childhood, my stems from them, while the decision to grandfather would constantly point things be a chef came from experiencing the
OCTOBER 2021 | NOVEMBER 2021 NORTHVALLEYMAGAZINE.COM
