Cinema & Cibo: The Culinary Muses of Chef Jordan Frosolone

In our ongoing series, Cinema & Cibo, we talk with the Chicago born and raised chef, Jordan Frosolone.

One of New York’s most sought after chefs, Frosolone's range of culinary talent is limitless. He can satisfy the most carnivorous of palates one minute and make a mind-blowing vegan truffle risotto the next.

He's been a member of New York's Gruppo Italiano since 2017 and is currently the executive chef/partner at The Leopard located inside the Upper West Side’s legendary Hotel des Artistes. He was recently recognized for one of his signature dishes there, an eggplant timballo.

Visiting Frosolone's website will give you the opportunity to step inside his world through photographs of antique pasta-making instruments and captured moments of his culinary adventures through Italy. There is also a section featuring detailed gourmet recipes.

Having enjoyed that decadent vegan truffle risotto at an event in New York last year to mark the launch of the Veneto Film Commission, I became curious about his background and inspirations. So I asked him a few questions about where it all started.

How and when did you discover your passion for food?

My passion for food starting at a very young age…at the dinner table with my family.

Can you tell me something about your time studying and working in Italy at the beginning of your career?

Living in Italy changed my worldview. The initial time spent living there opened my eyes to the everyday lives of the people of Italy, it was an amazing first step on a journey that continues to this day.

How do your culinary creations reflect your Italian origins?

I am always looking to Italian traditions and culture when trying to find new dishes to interpret, in an authentic way, that are respectful to my Italian origins.

Tell me about your infamous timballo.

The timballo is inspired from a baked pasta I had in Sicily and also the film the "Big Night." Over the past 5 years or so, I have been working to prefect the dish. We are getting pretty close.

Speaking of film, do you have a favorite?

I cannot say I have a favorite movie; there are so many films that have meant so much to me at different points over the years. I will say that my favorite movie that I have seen over the past months is the 1962 film "Il Sorpasso."

If you’re in New York, experience Jordan Frosolone's creations first hand at The Leopard, which is providing delivery and takeout during the coronavirus closures, or explore his talents online at www.jordanfrosolone.com.

Comments

The Legend of Alberto Sordi - Rome's Eternal Son

′′They will always judge you, whether you behave well or if you behave badly. So screw it and live as you want but above all don't listen to anyone.′′ - Alberto Sordi By giving his fellow Italians something to laugh about during tumultuous times, he emerged as his generation’s King of Comedy. One of Italy’s best-loved personalities, Alberto Sordi played a pivotal role in Italian cinema from the end of World War II to the postwar economic boom of the 1950s. During those tumultuous years, he gave his countrymen a hearty laugh when they might have otherwise cried. Former Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi perhaps said it best: “Alberto Sordi interpreted the feelings of Italians, especially in their most difficult and tough moments.” Born in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome in 1920, Sordi grew up in a creative household. His mother was an elementary school teacher and his father, a professional musician for the Rome Opera House. A young Sordi joined the children’s choir o...

Alessandro Gassmann: Born to Act

Alessandro Gassmannin his directorial debut "Razzabastarda" Alessandro Gassmann is the son of the iconic Italian actor/director Vittorio Gassman and French actress Juliette Mayniel. He was born in 1965 and grew up around cinema royalty. He made his cinema debut in 1982 at the age of 17 in his father's autobiographical film, "Di padre in figlio." He went on to study his craft under his father's direction at the Theatre Workshop of Florence. Vittorio Gassman was very active in theater and seemed just as comfortable on stage as he did in front of the camera. Known for his powerful interpretations of Dante's "Inferno" and "Paradiso," it is no surprise that he nurtured his son's acting aspirations on stage before he launched his career in television and film. One of Gassmann's strong qualities, which he undoubtedly inherited from his father is his incredible range and ease in going from genre to genre. He can play ...

Federico Fellini: A Look into the Life and Career of an Icon

A Fellini family portrait “The term became a common word to describe something on the surface you can say is bizarre or strange, but actually is really like a painter working on a film,” said Martin Scorsese when asked to define “Felliniesque,” an adjective inspired by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. The oldest of three children, Federico Fellini was born in the seaside town of Rimini in 1920. His father was a traveling salesman, so his mother was left to do the bulk of raising the children. One can argue that Fellini was born for his destiny. “You could tell that even as a child, he was different and unique. He was very intelligent, well above average. He was always the one to organize things, direct the others, make up games. He could control the other kids with just a look, said Fellini’s sister, Maddalena, in an interview with journalist Gideon Bachmann. Not only was Fellini directing the children, but he was also putting on shows and charging ...

Portrait for a friend: 'How Strange to Be Named Federico'

Ettore Scola on the set of 'How Strange to Be Named Federico' A sentimental portrait for a friend, Ettore Scola’s 2013 “Che strano chiamarsi Federico” (“How Strange to Be Named Federico”) is both a tribute to Federico Fellini and a reflection on friendship, and an artist’s passion for filmmaking. Scola created a personal and imaginative film that moves between documentary, fiction, memory, and fantasy, bringing to life important moments he shared with Fellini during their decades-long friendship as well as highlights from Fellini’s own life and career while showing how deeply Fellini influenced Scola himself. The result is an inviting, nostalgic, and at times playful portrait of one of Italy and the world’s most beloved filmmakers. The film opens on the beach where a figure depicting Fellini sits in a director’s chair and watches performers audition for him. The beach is likely symbolic of Fellini’s roots in the seaside town of Rimini and his beach-going days on the c...

The Timeless Vision of Pier Paolo Pasolini

Pondering his films and poetry, I wonder if the uniqueness of Pier Paolo Pasolini's films was rooted in his unconventional childhood. Born in Bologna in 1922, Pasolini's father was a lieutenant in the army, and his family was always moving. He grew up in various small towns in Northern Italy. After his parents separated, he spent most of his time in his mother's hometown of Casarsa, in the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. There, he grew to respect the area's peasant culture and began to write poetry in the region's dialect. He studied literature and art history at the University of Bologna and was drafted into the army during World War II. The war proved to be especially tragic for his family as his younger brother was executed by Communist partisans. Following the war, he returned to Casarsa where he worked as a teacher and ironically became a leading member of the Communist party there. Pasolini was later expelled from the party due to allegations of homo...

Italian Cinema Today

Search This Blog