For Philly local Hope Cohen, life is fast-paced, delicious and not slowing down anytime soon. She is a mother, accomplished chef, host of her own cooking show and now author. I had the chance to chat with Hope just a few days before she took off for a culinary adventure across India.
Town Dish: I love the story you refer to in the intro for your new cookbook, Fast Fresh + Simple. Tell me more about how your family influenced your love for the kitchen.
Chef Hope Cohen: There was always a lot of food. My grandmother once told me that our relatives in Russia were in the catering business. I think it’s genetic. It’s funny because my son is at the University of Michigan studying engineering and he’s the designated cook in his house. He’s always sending me pictures of the things he’s cooked! Really I just spent a lot of time hanging out with relatives who loved to cook. Cooking is my art. I can’t paint or sing. Instead, food is my medium. It just feels natural to me.
What were some memorable moments for you as a young chef?
HC: Whenever I travel it’s part of my routine to seek out a kitchen. During one of my trips to Italy I had the opportunity to cook with an Italian grandmother. We didn’t share a language but because we both spoke “cooking” we had no problem communicating. We spent hours together—it was about showing, not explaining. Whenever I’m making pasta I think of her.
What an amazing experience it must have been working on The Chef’s Kitchen. Tell me more!
HC: I worked with some truly incredible chefs. Each show was a mini private lesson. Morimoto was on the show several times. I remember this moment when he took a daikon in one hand and his big chef’s knife in the other, and the next thing I knew he had carved the daikon into a thin, rectangular piece of paper! I was just standing there on camera with my mouth hanging open. I did close to 500 shows and it really opened a lot of doors for me.
What are a few items you always have in the pantry?
HC: That’s tough. I always have olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, wine of course, garlic, chick peas, olives, really good canned Italian tomatoes and Italian pasta.
With the weather slowly getting warmer, what ingredients are you getting excited to use again?
HC: Asparagus comes to mind. When asparagus first comes to the market I get really excited! Rhubarb, too. I just made the best rhubarb strawberry crisp.
This talk of favorite foods has me wondering … what’s your “death-row” meal?
HC: Pasta. It’s hard to choose, but I think it’s actually something in my cookbook. I’m fairly certain it would be the Perciatelli with Tomato, Pancetta and Onion. It’s just really fresh.
With your cookbook Fast Fresh + Simple finally on the shelves, you must finally be able to take a breath. What did you learn about yourself during the process?
HC: It was really a labor of love. This is something I couldn’t have done alone, and I was lucky to have a great team. I learned that it takes a lot more to publish a cookbook than I had ever imagined but I really enjoyed the process. Now that the book is out I feel much more comfortable. It’s just exciting! I would definitely do it again.
Click here to order your copy of Fast Fresh + Simple today! Also, be sure to catch Cohen at her upcoming greater Philadelphia area book signings at Suburban Square‘s Williams-Sonoma on May 4, 1-4 p.m., Barnes & Noble Rittenhouse Square on May 5, 1 p.m., or at Kitchen Kapers on May 11, 1-4 p.m.
Photographs credited to HopeCooks.com.
