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

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 ...

Ornella Muti: Five decades of Acting and Still Going Strong

Ornella Muti was born Francesca Romana Rivelli in Rome in 1955 to a Neapolitan father and an Estonian mother. She began her career as a model during her teenage years and made her film debut in 1970 with “La Moglie più bella” (The Most Beautiful Wife). Her follow-up role was in the 1971 film, “Sole nella pelle” (Sun on the Skin), in which she played the daughter of wealthy parents who runs off with a hippie they don’t approve of. The film offers a telling journey through Italian society in the seventies, with its political climate, breathtaking seaside, and the styles and cars of that time. Much of the film is set amid the sunny Italian seaside and captures the innocence and beauty of first love. Muti made her American film debut in 1980 with "Flash Gordon." She played the role of Princess Aura. She’s appeared in two other American films, including “Oscar,” directed by John Landis and starring Don Ameche, Chazz Palminteri, and Sylvester Stallone. In 1992, she w...

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 ...

Model/Actress Anna Falchi

Anna Falchi was born Anna Kristiina Palomaki, on April 22, 1972, in Tampere, Finland. Her mother, Kaarina Palomaki Sisko, is Finnish, while her father, Benito "Tito" Falchi, is from Romagna, Italy. Growing up in Italy, Anna was a tomboy, and had a fervent imagination. She is known mostly for her prolific career in modelling. However, she tried her hand at acting and landed a role in one of my favorite Italian comedies, Nessun messaggio in segreteria . I consider it my one of my favorites because it brought together so many amazing, talented filmmakers during a time when they were all just starting out. Those filmmakers, Pierfrancesco Favino, Valerio Mastandrea, Luca Miniero and Paolo Genovese are now huge names in contemporary Italian cinema, so it's great to look back and see their work in a low-profile film completely different from the bigger-budget stardom they now know. Watch the trailer . Anna Falchi started her career as a...

Cineuropa's Interview with Michele Placido

It was announced this week that Michele Placido's new film, "7 minuti" will be shown at this year's Rome Film Festival. 11 amazing actresses women star in "7 minuti" by Michele Placido , a drama co-produced by Italy, France, Spain and Switzerland and being distributed by German company Koch Media. The cast features Cristiana Capotondi , Ambra Angiolini , Fiorella Mannoia , Maria Nazionale , Ottavia Piccolo , Violante Placido , Sabine Timoteo , Anne Consigny , Mimma Lovoi and Clémence Poésy . The film is based on the play of the same name by Stefano Massini, who wrote the screenplay with Placido, and is the story of 11 women, a mixture of manual labourers and office workers, who are called to the negotiation table when the owners of the textiles company they work for sell the majority of their shares to a multinational. In a short space of time they must decide, for themselves and on the behalf of their fellow colleagues, whether to accept the...

Italian Cinema Today

Search This Blog