IN Keystone Oaks Summer 2014 | Page 16

in Good Taste Candid conversations with the dining scene’s most engaging chefs Chef Gloria Fortunato of Wild Rosemary Bistro 1469 Bower Hill Rd., Upper St. Clair; 412.221.1232, wildrosemary.com Photo by Calista Knight Q&A Wild Rosemary Bistro Why did you become a chef? My mother Julia’s talent and love of food and cooking inspired me to become a chef. On the Menu: Eclectic Mediterranean Fare Recently, Bon Appetit named Pittsburgh the best new food city of 2014. For the past few years, Pittsburgh has become a hotbed of trendy new restaurants with some of the best chefs in the country. Last year, Bar Marco made Bon Appetit’s Top 50 New Restaurants, and in April, The Huffington Post claimed Prantl’s burnt almond torte as the best cake America has to offer. New restaurants are popping up in neighborhoods north, east, south and west of the city, and we want you to know the chefs behind some of the best food our region has to offer. We’ve added a new department called “IN Good Taste,” that will feature candid conversations with the dining scene’s most engaging chefs in your area. In addition, we’ll feature the chefs’ favorite recipes online at icmags.com. What led you to work as a chef? We [friends and co-owners Cathleen Enders and Lynne Bielewicz] had always wanted to open a small, ten-table bistro [now with 28 seats]. We were waiting for the right space to come to us. Then we found it in this building where one wouldn’t think of ‘dropping’ a restaurant! Who has influenced your cooking the most? My mother influenced me the most. One of the first dishes she taught me how to make was Cioppino—a classic seafood stew. Favorite kitchen tool? A bench scraper. Best advice for a novice? Hang in there and stay on the road. Favorite quick meal to prepare at home? Crunchy pasta with bread crumbs. Enjoy! Chef Gloria Fortunato Favorite place to eat within walking distance of Wild Rosemary Bistro? I never have the opportunity to go out, and when I do the places I want to go have the same hours as we do! Next dining trend? Mimicking Wild Rosemary—I’m always the jokester! —Reese Randall Visit us online For one of Chef Gloria Fortunato’s fave recipes, go to icmags.com/recipe Grilled Scallops By Gloria Fortunato, Chef and Co-Owner, Wild Rosemary Bistro Serve immediately Makes 2 servings Ingredients 4 tbls butter, divided 1 1/2 tbls extra virgin olive oil, divided 2 minced shallots pinch of crushed red pepper 2 ounces white wine 8 ounces chicken stock 2 green onions, chopped 1 bunch asparagus, chopped 6-8 (U/10-size scallops) pinch of sea salt pinch of cracked black pepper 8 ounces cooked spaghetti roasted grape tomatoes (see note) 1/4 cup ParmigianoReggiano cheese, shaved or grated 1 tbls parsley 14 724.942.0940 to advertise | Keystone Oaks Directions Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Add the minced shallots and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Saute for 3 minutes. Add the white wine and chicken stock, and reduce by one-third. Add the green onions and asparagus. Heat the remaining butter and olive oil in another pan. As soon as you stop hearing it bubble, place the scallops in the saucepan. Don’t shake the pan, because you want a crust to form on the scallops. Cook for 3 minutes. Add a pinch of sea salt and a pinch of cracked black pepper to the scallops. In the meantime, add the cooked spaghetti to the sauce, and heat through. Place the spaghetti on a plate, place the cooked scallops on top of the spaghetti and add the roasted grape tomatoes on top, along with the shaved cheese and parsley. NOTE: Roast several grape tomatoes at 250 degrees for 4 hours and rotate them halfway through the cooking process. Cut in half lengthwise.