Tony Danza on cooking
Posted by Lorrie Lynch
I go back with Tony Danza to Taxi. But our Kathy Rowings is young enough to remember watching Danza in Who's the Boss? when she was a kid. So she got a kick out of talking to him today. In fact, they just got off the phone. Here's Kathy to fill you in:
Tony really made my day with such a fun conversation. I absolutely loved Who's the Boss? so I was really excited to get to talk to him, about one of my favorite topics — food! We were chatting about his new cookbook, Don't Fill Up on the Antipasto: Tony Danza's Father-Son Cookbook, due in stores May 13. (Be sure and check out that link -- you'll see a very fun video of Tony and his son, Marc Danza.) The book is chock-full of 50 recipes straight from his Italian family, and has great personal anecdotes throughout.
Growing up, Tony's dad was the one who did all the cooking for their family, because he got home from work first. And Tony loved watching his dad cook, so he spent a lot of time in the kitchen, too. But he says he really started cooking when he went away to college — and when he realized it was good way to impress women. Speaking of impressing women, Tony said his mom taught him to always iron his clothes — a lesson that stuck with him so much that he and a friend started an ironing business in college. "Our slogan was 'We'll make your jeans look like dress pants,'" Tony said.
But back to the cooking, Tony's favorite recipe is for meatballs. "Once you can make a meatball you can make just about anything else. It's all about the seasoning." He also told me that Marc's great in the kitchen, too, "but he'll make stuff like mango salsa." He said that with a bit of disdain, though, so I asked if Tony was anti-mango. "Oh no, I like it!" he said. "But I just wouldn't make it. I'm a garlic and oil guy. That's me."
During our conversation, I'd told Tony that I wasn't much of a cook (but I can bake like nobody's business). When we were getting off the phone, he made sure to tell me, "I want you to know that you will be a good cook." I'm still not sure I'll ever be a master chef, but I do know I'll be giving Tony's recipes a try.
(photo © Capitol Concerts)
Comments (3)
The Poor Chef and the new Poor Chef Magazine www.thepoorchefmag.com is the newest entree on an extensive menu of iron chefs, 30 minute meals, and exotic cuisines. With the success of his NBC segment that has aired on 'Daytime' for the past year Charles is set to release his first magazine. The poor chef magazine is a cross between food meets health meets life, Charles wanted to take the best of what is on the market now and fuse it with real life and real people. The poor chef magazine can be found www.thepoorchefmag.com and is set to debut in Tampa, Orlando and Miami and will grow to more cities with each issue, Charles already has a who's who of name in the magazine that have contributed stories,famed actor and director Bill duke, PR giant Terrie Williams and many more.
With deep roots in the Caribbean and raised in the melting pot of New York, Charles Mattocks is that breath of fresh air taking both the online and traditional media by storm. His down to earth cooking show, The Poor Chef, is as good for your soul as his delicious repertoire of healthy low-budget meals are great for your wallet. With a signature line of pabulum-inspired products–coupled with a program that speaks to everyday people, The Poor Chef is poised to be America’s Next Top Cooking Star.
As multi-talented as Charles Mattocks is, designing The Poor Chef and the brand that surrounds it is definitely his calling. Charles brings a new flavor to the online and television communities by showing his audience how to prepare complete meals with a healthy edge for a mere seven bucks. And as if eating great for less isn’t incentive enough, viewers can check out The Poor Chef in action and get recipes and other helpful hints on his website 24/7.
Insider tips and frugal planning aren’t the only ingredients The Poor Chef brings to the kitchen. Charles uses this platform as a means to reach people in a way the average TV star hasn’t. He uses the universal language of food to nourish his viewers’ souls. Along with recipes made with spinach, pasta and olive oil, fans of The Poor Chef get a healthy helping of inspiration and real-life insights that last longer than any seven-course meal at Le Bec-Fin ever could.
“Charles is more than a guy with his own line of products who shows you how to prepare a meal. He has a warm spirit that speaks to you through his work, and the camera just loves him. The Poor Chef is a best kept secret that won’t be for long. This has “big network” written all over it and the potential for a long run,” says Camille Suzi of Stock Suzie Productions.
The Poor Chef is syndicated in close to ten NBC affiliate markets nationwide, and is garnering support from a variety of places. This breakout program is seeing tremendous success across the board–including the West Indian and Latino communities, as they have traditionally been underrepresented by consumer brands. In a major effort to accommodate these fascinating markets, Charles has developed a Latin American adaptation of The Poor Chef that is currently in production. The sweetest carrot (no pun intended) from The Poor Chef, however, is the opportunity afforded to viewers to showcase their cooking skills. Fans of the show can join Charles in the kitchen and create their own signature $7 dishes.
The passion Charles has for his work and the people it impacts is evident, and he’s utilizing several mediums to reach this faction of viewers who desire a healthy lifestyle and a better quality of life. For more information about The Poor Chef, to view his videos, check out the programming schedule, or to reach Charles Mattocks directly, please visit www.thepoorchef.com or email info@thepoorchef.com.
There is a serious error in the meatball recipe. It calls for 1 TBs. of salt !!! Should be 1 tsp.
I hope that all fans of Tony's gets this book because the recipes are just so mouthwatering (my personal favorites are the Sicilian pizza, and the ricotta cheesecake). He's such a great cook that it's amazing how thin we both stay!