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IN THE KITCHEN

FUN RECIPES FROM THE MASTER PIANO TUNER


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IN THE KITCHEN WITH... 
EMANUEL "MANNY" LOIACONO, 56, ROSWELL 
Striking all the right notes when it's time for dinner

Nominated by Janice Hersch:

"A few years ago, my brother-in-law of almost 30 years, Manny Loiacono, began to develop an incredible appetite (no pun intended) for food preparation. We had started a monthly get-together to pool our talents and prepare a family meal. However, over the years he has branched out and begun to prepare his family's meal almost every night. He bought new cookware and utensils, and several appliances. "Manny has explored and located all the gourmet markets close to his Roswell home. My sister, a high school teacher and an adequate cook in her own right, has no objections to this role reversal, not even complaining that she feels compelled to clean up and do the dishes.

"I am nominating this man because he has gone the extra mile to learn what cooking is all about -- not just the ingredients and how they are prepared, but how they are plated and displayed. I almost never miss an invitation to join them for dinner because I know the meal will be great, as will the ambience and the company."

Manny Loiacono was brought up in a home where "food is a religion and the kitchen table is a sacred place and the meal itself is a celebration of the day." While this joyous attitude was always part of his life, it became even more so when he got up from the table and started cooking himself.-- Family/background: "I was born in Astoria, N.Y. My wife, Phyllis, is a French teacher at Woodstock High. My children are Vito, 27, an attorney; Rachel, 22, who recently graduated from Georgia Southern with a degree in fashion merchandising; and Manny, 17, a senior at Woodstock High." -- Career: "I've been a piano tuner/technician since 1965. I apprenticed at Steinway Piano Co. in New York. I am an ear tuner, which is a lost art. There are fewer than 1,000 in the country. Everybody tunes electronically, which to me is like eating frozen dinners. No soul. My company is Roswell Piano Tuning by Ear; our Web site is www.pianotune.net."-- Hobbies, interests: "When I was younger, I was a nightclub singer using the name of Rick Daniels. I sang everything from opera to rock 'n' roll. I had a five-year contract at the Copa in New York, I was on 'The Tonight Show' a few times and toured all the Playboy clubs. That's how I discovered Atlanta. When I met my wife, we started writing music and had a record contract. We decided we didn't want the lifestyle of traveling with a band when we had kids, so we called it a day. I still love all kinds of music, cooking, history, politics and current events."-- Who taught you to cook? "When I was growing up, my mother and my sister were in charge of the kitchen. They were very territorial; you could come and visit, but you couldn't get in their way. I started learning to cook by necessity. My wife teaches day school and night school, and she would come home and have to start cooking. She is a very good cook with very little time. That's when I started to become interested -- to help her out. I started out barbecuing, then salads, and then I started making my own dressing. I watched cooking shows, bought books and learned as much as I could. When I decided to learn how to make sauce, I called my sister and mother and niece and found out they all had different recipes. That's when I learned that a lot of it is personal taste and creativity." -- Early food memory: "Meals with 15 to 20 people -- aunts and uncles, cousins -- and meals that lasted for hours. No matter who came through that front door, there was always room for more. I remember being upstairs in my room and smelling all the good smells in the kitchen and going downstairs to steal a meatball." -- Cooking style: "Italian gourmet." -- Culinary achievements: "Every night around 7:30!" -- Culinary ambitions: "To attend a culinary institute in Tuscany."-- What is the most enjoyable aspect of cooking? "Putting on the first act of 'La Boheme' on the CD player, opening up a bottle of merlot, and then beginning the meal."-- Specialties: "Chicken Francese, chicken Marsala, veal scaloppine, pasta e fagioli, marinara sauce, chicken parmigiana, chicken picante, vinaigrette salad dressing, linguine with clams in white wine sauce, linguine aglio olio [garlic and oil], zeppole, rum cake." -- Memorable flop: "The first real meal I ever cooked was from a recipe called the Spring Fling in Parade magazine. It called for a 7-pound leg of lamb over an au gratin dish with sliced tomatoes, potatoes and onions, swimming in white wine with fresh thyme, garlic, salt and pepper and olive oil. My sister-in-law Janice showed me the ropes for such a complicated meal. A year and a half later I bought another leg of lamb and invited her over to show her what I could do without any help, thank you very much. Halfway through the meal, when it was time for the third or fourth baste, when I slid the lamb out of the oven -- a potsholder in one hand and the baster in the other -- the leg of lamb came flying off the rack and onto the floor, vegetables and all. I guess that's why they called it the Spring Fling! We ate it anyway." -- Do you favor a particular ingredient? "Extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, dry white wine, Italian parsley and capers."-- Best thing about your kitchen: "The big double pedestal oak table that seats 12."-- Most memorable meal you ever prepared: "Stuffed chicken breast with feta cheese, fresh tomatoes, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic, topped with sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce. It was culinary heaven!"-- What's the magic ingredient that makes some cooks turn out great food? "Passion." -- Do you have a tip for today's cooks? "Use twice as much wine as what they call for. Try Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio wine (dry red or dry white) to drink with your meals. It's a great $20 bottle. Also, try Puccini on the CD player."-- Favorite chefs: "Mario Batali and the Barefoot Contessa."-- When I eat out, I like to order: "I like to order meals that I make at home. If it is really good, I make sure I talk to the chef. Two of my favorite Italian restaurants in the area are Casa Nouva in Alpharetta and Salvatore's in Roswell." -- Favorite cookbook: " 'Italian Immigrant Cooking' by Elodia Rigante. It's been out of print since 1997. It's hard to find but well worth the effort. It brought a tear to my eye the first time I looked through it." -- If you could prepare a fantasy meal for anybody, who would it be and what would you cook? "I'd prepare linguine aglio olio for my mother and chicken Kiev for my wife." -- Betty ParhamMAIN DISH Chicken Francese Makes 4 servings Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes "This is great for special occasions," Loiacono says. "It's popular in restaurants but easy to make at home."1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth 1/2 cup dry white wine 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or to taste 2 large eggs 1 cup all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley Zest of 1 lemon Lemon wedges for garnish

Pound the chicken filets between wax paper to 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a bowl, mix chicken broth, wine and lemon juice and set aside. In a bowl, beat the eggs. Put flour in a plate. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil and butter (don't allow butter to brown). Dip the chicken in the flour, then the egg. Place in skillet, leaving room between pieces, and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Remove chicken from skillet and cover to keep warm. Add the broth mixture to the pan. Increase heat, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any bits that might have stuck, and cook until sauce starts to thicken. Reduce heat to low and stir in the parsley and lemon zest; return the chicken pieces to the skillet and let them cook in the sauce. Adjust seasonings and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Per serving: 436 calories (percent of calories from fat, 48), 44 grams protein, 8 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, 22 grams fat, 169 milligrams cholesterol, 345 milligrams sodium.
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