A 'conscious' effort creates a healthier cuisine

It's lunch time and you're feeling a bit peckish. If you work for ABN AMRO, soon to be Bank of America, in Chicago a short elevator ride takes you to the corporate cafe where executive chef Massimo Gaffo of Palatine provides upscale and authentic cuisine to 4,000 people a day.

Gaffo, 37, an Italian chef from Rome, works for Flik, a food-service organization with a client list that includes some of the most prestigious financial and legal institutions.

The cafe is comprised of stations including grill, carvery, pizza, deli, multicultural cuisine, baked goods and action where a dish is cooked to order.

"Nothing is cooked in advance," according to Gaffo, "we use all fresh ingredients a lot of which are organic."

Twice a week, Gaffo leaves his kitchen and heads over to the kitchens of Kendall College where he teaches baking and pastry classes, and twice a month, he trains customers in appliance use for Dacor Appliances.

Does he do the cooking at home, too? "Yes", says Gaffo, father of three, "my wife, Michele, has the groceries ready and I cook."

What brought you to this country? Eleven years ago, while working at Bice, an Italian restaurant in London, I came here on vacation and took a job working for Mia Cucina in Palatine. I ended up staying and marrying my next door neighbor. Michele is a great wife; she makes me who I am.

When did you know you wanted to be a chef? The first time I made pasta with my grandmother; I was 7 years old.

How is your cooking influenced by your heritage? I cook with a lot of vegetables, fruits and olive oil. I also believe in "conscious" cuisine and try to eliminate fats, cook light and use organic products.

Are there differences between chefs in the United States and those in Italy? Chefs are more "hands on" in Italy. Here they have a lot of supervisory duties.

What do you think of America's interpretation of Italian cuisine? The basic ingredients that compose the dish like tomatoes, pasta and water are different which affects the taste. Also the dishes differ because words are translated wrong.

What do you miss about Italy? My mom and her cooking. She starts early in the morning and makes fresh pasta. She never worked.

Describe your typical day. I take the train to work. When I get in I organize the daily menu, meet with station chefs and do an overview of the production for the day, demonstrate and teach, place orders and develop new dishes, menus or promotions.

What do you find stressful in the kitchen? It's stressful when I don't receive my delivery on time or when I don't receive the quality I need because everything is made fresh daily.

Do you have a favorite ingredient? Saffron. I love the color and flavor. You have to know how to use it, though, because it can be overpowering. I use it in sauces, risotto, bread, focaccia and pasta.

What is your favorite dish to prepare? Risotto and sushi. I also love to use the grill; I use stones to make pizza and dessert.

Do you have a favorite kitchen tool? A convection oven. I use it for all baking and roasting.

Do you have a favorite cooking memory? I was cooking at a golf course in France. On the night before a big outing that included Sean Connery and Michael Douglas, a gentleman came into the kitchen and asked if I would make pasta for the two of us. So I did and we had a little wine. He said his name was Gary. The day after, he called me out on the green to thank me and I found out he was Gary Player, one of the all-time golfing greats. We posed for pictures with the French press.

What cooking tip would you offer to home cooks? Stay simple and light; don't overpower dishes. Also, be creative and explore new things.

What do you enjoy most about teaching? I can pass my experience and knowledge on to younger generations to make sure the art of cooking will never die. The future is important; cooks need to have respect for what they do and for the traditions of food service. Cooking is not hard, it's precise.

What do you like to do in your spare time? Work out, spend time with my family and watch Formula 1 car racing. I have a special-edition Volkswagen Rabbit and one year I participated in Tail of the Dragon in Deal's Gap, N.C. There are 318 curves in 11 miles.

What has your livelihood taught you? Appreciate what mother nature has to offer and respect the fact that one day it may all go away. Also it has taught me the importance of relationships with people.

Tell us about this recipe: This salad has both sweet and savory elements and makes a nice presentation.

Baked Apple Salad with Red Wine Reduction

6 Red Delicious apples

½ liter red cooking wine (about 17 ounces)

½ cinnamon stick

½ cup sugar

12 ounces baby green salad mix

6 ounces blue cheese

12 cherry tomatoes

6 ounces walnuts

5 ounces extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash apples, cut the bottoms of the apples to make them level and remove the cores. Place the apples in a baking pan and add the red wine and cinnamon stick. Sprinkle the apples with the sugar. Bake 35- 50 minutes or until the apples are cooked but still firm; the skin should be tight and not wrinkled. The apples will spring back slightly when touched.

Remove the apples and put the red wine in a sauce pan. Reduce the wine over medium-high heat until thick, about 2 cups.

Wash and clean mixed greens. Cut the blue cheese into small pieces and cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Whisk the olive oil into the red wine reduction and season to taste.

Combine the greens, walnuts, blue cheese, tomatoes and dressing. Slice the baked apples into thirds horizontally and layer the salad between the apple slices. Garnish as desired.

Serves six.

Cook's note: The recipe can easily be doubled for more servings.

Chef Massimo Gaffo, ABN AMRO, Chicago