Nancy Silverton - Chi Spacca: A New Approach to American Cooking

by Ryan DeNicola

I cannot imagine what this book would look like without Carolynn Carreo. She guided us in every stage to ensure all bases were covered. Whether it was taking our words and turning them into something readable, or testing recipes for accuracy, she did fantastic work. I will never look at a cookbook the same way because of Carolynns guidance.

The sous-chef at Chi Spacca, Joe Tagorda, has been a rock who made Chi Spacca run smoothly while we wrote this book. His hard work and dedication make books like this possible.

Hilario Cruz Molina and Miguel Zavala are the hidden gems of Chi Spacca. They helped develop many of the recipes in this book and have been instrumental in the quality of food at Chi Spacca since the doors opened.

The beautiful desserts in this book are due to the talents of our pastry chef, Dahlia Narvaez, and her sous-chef, Marissa Takenaka. They developed and tested all of our desserts, with the help of Shiri Nagar and Cecily Feng.

The diversity of the recipes in this book is due, in part, to the help of the other restaurants on the corner. Liz Hong and Herbie Yuen gave us support in testing and developing many of the recipes.

Anna Nguyen is responsible for the gorgeous salads featured in this book. Anna is the reason this meat-focused cookbook has so many salads.

I constantly relied on the help of many cooks and sous-chefs on the corner, especially Hayley Porter, Ben Giron, and Francis Chua. They helped test and develop numerous dishes.

When I started as sous-chef at Chi Spacca, the chef at that time, Chad Colby, told me he was going to teach me every part of his job. He did just that, and was instrumental in the early years of Chi Spacca. Many of his dishes are featured in this book.

While many cooks and friends tested recipes, Heather Fogarty was indispensable in the outcome of the recipes. She tested most of the recipes in her home and provided text photos almost every night to show us how they turned out. The food in this book would taste very different without Heather.

We spent many hours in the dining room of Chi Spacca, where Ricardo Martinez and Nathalie Urbina made us feel comfortable with their hospitality.

The photographer, Ed Anderson, and food stylist, Valerie Aikman-Smith, embraced our rustic style and made our food look so beautiful throughout the book.

Cassandra J. Pappas did fantastic work designing the cookbook, with help on jacket design from Kelly Blair. They made this book beautiful from cover to cover.

Nancys agent, Janis Donnaud, is the reason this book came about in the first place. Our editors, Peter Gethers and Tom Pold, found all of our mistakes, of which there were many!

Kate Green, Nancys assistant, and her administrative help kept us organized: Kate called, copied, printed, e-mailed, and shipped throughout the whole process.

Michael Krikorian, our corner security and psychiatrist, kept us calm during every part of this book.

My parents, Dr. Gregg and Mary DeNicola, not only gave me guidance throughout the process, but also kept Chi Spacca open by being our best customers! My beautiful girlfriend, Zoe Stathopoulos, supported me and kept me on track in life.

Our regulars at Chi Spacca, of whom there are many, were our guinea pigs, trying new dishes, and they have kept Chi Spaccas doors open from the beginning.

Last and most of all, Nancy Silverton, my mentor and inspiration. Even when I think a dish is perfect, Nancy shows me ways to take it to the next level. She is making me a better cook every day and with every dish we create together.

ALSO BY NANCY SILVERTON

Mozza at Home

(with Carolynn Carreo)

The Mozza Cookbook

(with Matt Molina and Carolynn Carreo)

A Twist of the Wrist

(with Carolynn Carreo)

Nancy Silvertons Sandwich Book

(with Teri Gelber)

Nancy Silvertons Pastries from the La Brea Bakery

(in collaboration with Teri Gelber)

The Food of Campanile

(with Mark Peel)

Nancy Silvertons Breads from the La Brea Bakery

(in collaboration with Laurie Ochoa)

Mark Peel & Nancy Silverton at Home

(with Heidi Yorkshire)

Desserts

(with Heidi Yorkshire)

A NOTE ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Nancy Silverton is the co-owner of Osteria Mozza (which was awarded a Michelin Star in 2019), Pizzeria Mozza, Chi Spacca, and Mozza2Go, in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California. She is the founder of the La Brea Bakery and is the only person ever to be awarded both the Outstanding Chef and Outstanding Pastry Chef awards from the James Beard Foundation. In 2014, Silverton was listed as one of the Most Innovative Women in Food and Drink by both Fortune and Food & Wine magazines, and in 2017, she was profiled in an episode of Netflixs award-winning docu-series Chefs Table. Silverton is the author of ten cookbooks, including Mozza at Home, The Mozza Cookbook, A Twist of the Wrist, Nancy Silvertons Sandwich Book, Nancy Silvertons Pastries from the La Brea Bakery (recipient of a 2000 Food & Wine Best Cookbook Award), Nancy Silvertons Breads from the La Brea Bakery, and Desserts. She is planning to open two new restaurants, an Italian steakhouse in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel called The Barishnamed after her ancestors, who were cattle ranchers in Saskatchewan, Canada, during the early twentieth centuryand Pizzette in Culver City.

Instagram: @nancysilverton

Twitter: @NancySilverton

Ryan DeNicola, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, is the executive chef of Chi Spacca in Los Angeles. Ryan began cooking as a child, inspired by his grandmother and father. He worked in kitchens across the country, but has found most inspiration from working in Los Angeles at the kitchens of Son of a Gun, Michaels, and Pizzeria Mozza. Ryan was named to Zagats 30 Under 30 list in 2015 after taking the reins of Chi Spacca at age twenty-seven.

Carolynn Carreo is a writer whose essays and feature stories have been published in The New York Times Magazine, Saveur, Gourmet, Bon Apptit, Food & Wine, Playboy, Tu Ciudad, the Los Angeles Times, and the Los Angeles Times Magazine, among other publications. She is the author or co-author of more than fifteen books and is currently working on a memoir, Cooking My Way to Mexican, about food and family. She lives in San Diego and Mexico City.

Spuntini

Spuntini means snacks in Italian, and thats what these recipes are: delicious finger foods to put out while youre waiting for guests to arrive. The recipes, from whipped lardo and pork pts to marinated olives and warm, salted dates, dont even require serving plates and forks. Theyre meant to be enjoyed with a cocktail napkin in one hand and a glass of wine in the other, as you, your family, and friends look forward to the feast ahead.