Julie Platt-Opanhoske is used to cooking for a crowd. At home in Sennett, near Auburn, she cooks for her husband, Chris, and four kids (ages 10, 16, 18 and 20). And as owner of Carriage House Catering, she cooks for gatherings of 50 to 100 or more.
Opanhoske (pronounced Ah-PEN-ah-ski), 43, has been cooking all of her life. Her grandfather DeMassi was a cook in the Army and he and her grandmother, "Nana Rose,'' cooked Italian-American specialties and regularly hosted family dinners with adults and kids crowded around the table. "I think that's where I get my 'cook for an Army mentality,''' she says. Prior to launching her catering business, Opanhoske worked alongside Culinary Institute of America-trained chef Chris Lego at The Restaurant at Elderberry Pond, where she "soaked up as much knowledge as I could to refine my skills.''
For Opanhoske, life in the time of coronavirus is an opportunity to cook comforting food for her family and to plan the next level of her business, which will include a learning kitchen and interactive dining. She plans to offer cooking and baking instruction as well as brunches and dinners with herself, guest chefs and others in the Central New York hospitality industry.
How long have you been cooking? I have been cooking my entire life. My grandpa DeMassi and Nana Rose were always cooking something and it was usually straight from the garden. Zucchini fritters with the flowers, broccoli raab drowning in olive oil and garlic and pots and pots of tomato sauce and meatballs. Between my Italian grandparents and my Irish grandmother, I developed a love for not only cooking but for feeding people. My Irish grandmother, Mary, always had a knack for creative cooking. She would start one day with a soup, then the next it was a casserole just by adding a few other ingredients. I suppose she learned that from raising eight children. It didn't matter which grandparents house I was at cooking and feeding people always brought me incredible joy.
How would you describe your style of cooking? I would describe my style of cooking as "simple." I like food to taste like it is intended without too much manipulation from its original state.
Do you have a signature dish? I would say any kind of soup, but to be more specific, "Pasta Fagioli" (pasta and beans) -- at least this was the consensus after asking my friends and family. I learned from my grandpa and Nana Rose many years ago. I have probably put my own spin on it through the years but I can say that every time I make it, the smell alone brings me back to the good old days and I'm right back in the tiny kitchen on Garrow Street in Auburn, sitting around a cramped table, elbow-to-elbow with all my cousins, indulging in grandpa's Pasta Fagioli and sipping on mini glasses of wine.
Favorite cookbook or cooking show? I would say my favorite cooking show would be "Lidia's Kitchen.'' I love her simple way of cooking easy recipes. Cooking should be fun and simple.
What have you been cooking during "quarantine life"? I have been cooking everything. Last week I made Bolognese sauce and pasta, roasted pork with rosemary and thyme served with butter potatoes, Pigs In a Blanket soup and last night I made a creamy Cajun sausage pasta. I have lots of kids here to feed, so I'm doing my best to keep them satisfied with comforting food. Oh, and the baking: carrot cake cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, cheddar garlic bread and banana muffins on the menu for today.
Favorite place to shop: I try to shop local and organic as much as possible. Living in New York, that's hard to do this time of year. I buy all my meat from Indelicato's Market in Auburn. They are wonderful people who've run a successful, high-quality market for over 100 years. When she's open for business, I source all my vegetables from Jacqui McCarthy at The Produce Station in Elbridge. She does a beautiful job growing local, organic produce for the community.
Any advice for people who are new to cooking: Keep it simple and use the best ingredients you can get. When you start good you end good. Whenever I try something new, I follow the recipe to a T, then I change what I need to to fit my taste. A lot of cookbooks and cooking shows can be overwhelming. I would suggest "Lidia's Kitchen" and "Barefoot Contessa." I have used many of their recipes and they are very easy and always good.
Photos courtesy of Julie Platt-Opanhoske
Pasta Fagioli
From Julie Platt-Opanhoske
2 pounds dried Great Northern Beans (preferably Goya)
1 smoked picnic ham with bone (approximately 12 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
6 to 8 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch celery, chopped (including leaves)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1/2 cup white wine or dry sherry (optional)
2 14.5 ounce cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
4 or 5 bay leaves
1 pound ditalini pasta
Prepare beans: Place beans in a bowl and soak in cold water overnight in the refrigerator. Make sure beans are covered by a few inches. The next day, drain beans, rinse, and set aside.
Prepare ham: Cut off any excess fat and cut remainder into large chunks but small enough to stir in the pot, including the bone.
Prepare soup: In a 12-quart stock pot, heat olive oil on high. Add onions and celery, cook about 10 minutes then add garlic. Cook five more minutes then add tomato paste and let it toast on high heat until it begins to caramelize. Add 1/2 cup white wine or dry sherry to deglaze the pan. This step is optional but does add some dimension to the flavor. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, beans and ham chunks (don't forget to use the bone) and fill with water to the bottom of the handle rivets. Toss in the bay leaves, bring to boil and reduce to a simmer.
It usually takes about four to five hours to really cook the beans down and make the ham tender. You may need to add more water as the beans absorb it. When the ham is tender, remove all the large chunks (including the bone) and let cool for a few minutes while you put water on for the pasta. Cut the ham into bite-size chunks and add back to the soup.
Cook pasta al dente then add to the pot. Serve the Pasta Fagioli with a topping of Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Mangia! Makes about 24 two-cup servings.
Notes:
• Recipe can be cut in half.
• Soup will keep for about a week in refrigerator.
• If you plan to freeze soup for later use, portion it off before adding pasta.
A charcuterie spread for one of Julie's catering events
Comments