Danzas Do Dinner

By Warren Rojas

Courtesy of Scribner

When it comes to home cooking, Tony Danza is not afraid to admit he might not be the all-time “boss” of Italian cuisine. But he does have a few lessons he’d like to pass on.

In “Don’t Fill Up on the Antipasto,” Danza reflects on the joy of watching his own father weave together their nightly feasts (“An interesting thing happens when you see your father in the kitchen … it’s no longer just woman’s work, and there is no stigma attached to cooking or being in the kitchen”) and the challenges of holiday dining with the family (Thanksgiving brought a full turkey dinner AFTER all the favorite pastas).
The intimate cookbook sprinkles candid snapshots, colorful anecdotes about cherished relatives and quickie cooking lessons amidst recipes plucked from a lifetime of sit-down dinners, as well as some modern interpretations of classic Italian offerings by Tony’s son, chef Marc Danza.

Noteworthy entries include red pepper- and Parmesan-filled baked clams (an uncle’s favorite dish), Sicilian-style pizza (Grandma’s recipe), meatball-laden lasagnas (Mom’s recipe), pan-fried rib eye steaks (Tony’s father’s recipe), spicy pesto-chicken pasta (one of Marc’s creations), chicken-avocado tortilla soup (contributed by Tony’s longtime domestic) and arugula-cannellini beans-red onion salad (borrowed from family friend and chef Lidia Bastianich). Danza even includes a recipe for a curious aloe throat tonic dubbed “The Broadway Elixir,” which he touts as a great salve.

“Don’t Fill Up on the Antipasto: Tony Danza’s Father-Son Cookbook.” Tony and Marc Danza. Scribner, 256 pgs., $22.

(June/July 2008)

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