Fresh is watchword at Vessia Ristorante

Franco Vessia, owner of Vessia Ristorante in Irvine, arrived at his restaurant carrying two bulging bags, one crowded with plump 3- inch carrots, the other with fleshy fava beans.

With new-father style pride, he handed the vegetables he had handpicked from his home garden to Chef Gino Buonanoce, who, like himself, was born in the Puglia region of southern Italy.

Both men recognize the value of fresh vegetables in authentic Italian cuisine, and no doubt, their customers appreciate it in such traditional southern Italian fare as Lasagna Parmigiano, a lasagna layered with eggplant slices. But it's the restaurant's Seafood Risotto that really gets their attention.

"Pasta isn't the only Italian comfort food," Vessia said. "Risotto is creamy comfort food."

This seafood-rice dish, a customer favorite, is crowned with a colorful array of seafood - mussels, clams, calamari and shrimp - but Vessia says the dish lends itself to customization. If you don't like shellfish or can't get it, use chunks of halibut, he said.

Q: With whom would you most like to "do lunch"?

A: My wife. With kids and work, it's not easy to get time together.

Q: What's your favorite dish to make at home?

A:I love tomake Rigatoni con Broccoli. It's a pasta dish with broccoli and caramelized onions . . . very healthy and very simple. You could add some chicken if you like.

Q: What culinary gadget could you not cook without?

A: Tongs (spring-loaded). They're like extensions of my fingers.

Q: What three ingredients could you not cook without?

A: Olive oil, of course, and Italian parsley and salt. Salt is the essence of knowledge.

Q: When it comes to eating, what's your guilty pleasure?

A: Raw oysters and clams. I love raw fish. Sushi, too.

Q: What's your favorite restaurant?

A:I love P.F. Chang's. The consistency from one location to another is terrific.

Q: What cooking tip can you offer to readers to make their time in the kitchen easier?

A: Clean as you cook. First of all it eliminates clutter. Second, after a couple of glasses of wine, you don't want a big mess to clean up at the end.

Q: What's the biggest mistake you ever made while cooking?

A: It's a standard joke in our family. Just before we eat, I put bread in the oven to warm, but I never put on the alarm. Sometimes it turns black and smoke comes out of the oven. Now I give somebody the job of watching the bread.

SEAFOOD RISOTTO (RISOTTO AI FRUITTI DI MARE) Yield: 6 servings

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided 3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced 1 cup chopped Roma tomatoes 3 cups clam juice 6 ounces scrubbed mussels 6 ounces scrubbed clams, such as littleneck clams 1/4 pound calamari (squid), cut into rings 1/ 4 pound shelled and deveined shrimp, cut into bite-sized pieces if large 1 pound arborio rice 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley 2 tablespoons butter Salt, to taste (optional)

Cook's notes:

Arborio rice is a short-grain rice that is higher in starch than other short-grain rices. Arborio is traditionally used for risotto because its higher starch content lends this classic dish its requisite creamy texture. It's sold in Italian markets, stores that specialize in imported food products and some supermarkets.

Procedure:

1. In large saut pan or Dutch oven, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until it begins to turn golden. Add tomatoes and cook about 1-2 minutes. Carefully add clam juice and increase heat to high. Bring to boil.

2. Add mussels, clams, calamari and shrimp. Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Strain seafood, reserving broth.

3. In large saut pan or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add rice and stir 2 minutes. Add a ladle of seafood broth. Cook, stirring frequently, until liquid is almost entirely absorbed. Add another ladle of seafood broth and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid is almost entirely absorbed. Repeat, adding 1 ladle at a time, until rice is cooked al dente (soft but with a little resistance), about 18-20 minutes.

4. Add seafood, butter and parsley. Stir 2 minutes over low heat. Taste; add salt if necessary. Serve immediately.

Nutrition data per serving, without optional salt:

Calories 520 (35 percent from fat); 20.3 g fat (sat 4.9 g, mono 11.6 g, poly 2.1 g); protein 27 g; carbohydrates 56 g; fiber .95 g; cholesterol 127 mg; sodium 380 mg; calcium 60 mg.

Source: Franco Vessia, Vessia Ristorante, Irvine, Calif.

Copyright 2003
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