Father-son team cooks up food, fundraisers

Whether they are whipping up Sunday dinner for a family gathering of 40 or collaborating on the next big fundraiser for their favorite children's charity, Jim Pesoli and his son consider themselves more than parent and child.

"We are better friends than father and son," says Jim Jr., 27.

"Absolutely," says Jim Sr., 53. "The trust and respect and bond between us is pretty neat."

The cooking links directly to their Italian heritage. Both started tinkering in the kitchen as young boys, Jim Sr. watching his grandmother; Jim Jr. observing his father.

Dad always brought a sense of humor to the enterprise.

"He would lift up a dead octopus as if it were coming out of the sink ready to attack," says Jim Jr., an attorney with a Rosemont firm.

"It became Fear Factor," laughs Jim Sr., owner of Icon Electrical Contractors, Inc., Arlington Heights.

The charitable work arose from Jim Sr.'s nearly lifelong battle with Hodgkins lymphoma that started when he was 19. The cancer returned for a fourth assault in the 1990s and ultimately retreated.

After the second round of treatment in 1985, the elder Jim founded Kids Fight Cancer to raise money for an activity center for young cancer patients at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

The goal of the kid-friendly area is to "keep fears down and spirits high," Jim Sr. says.

The younger Jim was only 4 or 5 when the first golf outings and bar parties were planned.

"My job was to stuff golf balls in goody bags," he says. "Later, in college I shared the (Kids Fight Cancer) story and picked up a huge following."

From 250 people at the first parties the Pesolis are now hosting dressy dinner dances for more than 1,000. The 24th annual fall gala is set for Saturday, Oct. 18, in the grand ballroom at the Donald E. Stevens Convention Center (details below). Proceeds will be used for the activity center and cancer research.

You won't find the two in the kitchen that night. Years ago the Pesolis had to throw in the towel after preparing steaks dinners for 265 people after a charity golf outing.

"That was tough," Jim Sr. says. "I decided we can't do that anymore."

Home-cooked goodies are reserved for friends and family, an extensive tribe. Both fellows, who live separately in Arlington Heights, cook several nights a week at home, Jim Sr. for his wife, Susan, and Jim Jr. for anyone with a big appetite. Other than Italian specialties, they both love Asian, Hispanic and a wide variety of other cuisines.

Recently the Pesolis organized an impromptu Labor Day dinner at the younger Jim's that grew from four to 18 people.

As the guest list multiplied, "I raced to the grocery store," says Jim Jr., grabbing ingredients for tomato and eggplant stacks, roasted red peppers, seasoned burgers, Caribbean marinated chicken, taco dip, and bread to dip in olive oil with asiago cheese and roasted garlic.

"We were two whirlwinds," Jim Sr. says. "He made one thing, I was grilling. It was as easy as that."

For big family gatherings, the team might cook for two days, opening 200 clams and oysters for the holidays because "we don't want to do something standard," Jim Sr. says.

The kitchen fills with family members, a distraction for the garrulous older Jim.

"I'm always yelling at him to stop talking to everyone in the kitchen," his son says.

"I know I have good backup so I can slack off," dad protests.

Together the work somehow gets done.

"Having that bond, cooking or raising funds for kids, it's a really great feeling to have something that special," Jim Jr. says.

For tickets to the fall gala, visit www.kidsfightcancer.org; click "upcoming events."

Write to me • Do you know a cook? to suggestsomeone to be profi led in this column,send the cook's name,address and phone number to Laura Bianchi c/o Cook of the Week,Daily Herald Food section,P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006 or e-mail us at food@dailyherald.com.

Roasted Red Peppers

6-8 red bell peppers

Extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves

Fresh basil

Sea salt

Pepper, freshly ground

Sugar

Set oven to broil.

Place peppers on nonstick baking sheet and put in oven. Broil until skins turn black, flipping until all sides are roasted. Place in bowl and cover for several minutes to cool.

Remove stem gently, slice open and remove remaining seeds. Peel off blackened skin. Slice peppers into #188;-inch strips and place in mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic, basil, salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Stir gently to combine.

Use in eggplant stacks or reserve for use in dishes like bruschetta, salads and pizza.

Filet Mignon With Salsa Verde

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

#189; cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)

#189; cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

#189; cup scallions, chopped

#188; cup mint leaves, chopped

#188; cup salted capers, drained

3 lemons, zested

1 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper flakes

4 cloves garlic, minced

3#189; teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons black pepper, ground

4 filets

In a large bowl combine oil, lemon juice, parsley, scallions, mint, capers, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and half the salt and pepper.

Place filets in baking dish; season with remaining salt and pepper and the garlic. Pour half the salsa verde over the meat; refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably 24 hours.

Heat grill to medium-high and cook filets 5 to 6 minutes per side or to desired temperature. Serve with remaining salsa.

Serves four.

@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per serving: 670 calories, 60 g fat (9 g saturated), 12 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 24 g protein, 60 mg cholesterol, 1270 mg sodium.

Penne Pasta With Fresh Tomato and Mascarpone Cheese

2 cups sun-dried tomatoes, in oil or dry pack

8 plum tomatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sea salt to taste

1 pound penne pasta

4 cloves garlic

10 basil leaves, chopped

4 tablespoons butter

8 ounces mascarpone cheese

1 cup Asiago cheese, grated

Bring water to a boil for pasta.

In the meantime, drain sun-dried tomatoes or reconstitute dry-pack with hot water for 10 minutes.

Score the fresh tomatoes in four equal parts, just to break the skin. Blanch in boiling water 2 minutes; remove with slotted spoon.

To the boiling water add oil and salt to taste. Add pasta and cook to desired texture, about 8-10 minutes.

In the meantime, cut sun-dried tomatoes into thin strips and add to a saucepan. Peel fresh tomatoes, add to pan and mash with a fork into chunks. Add garlic and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in basil.

Drain pasta and return to pan. Add butter, tomatoes and mascarpone cheese and mix well. Season with salt. Serve with Asiago to pass.

Serves four to six.

@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per serving: 670 calories, 35 g fat (19 g saturated), 69 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 19 g protein, 85 mg cholesterol, 980 mg sodium.

Roasted Eggplant, Tomato and Red Pepper Stacks

1 large (about 1 pound) eggplant, peeled

Sea salt

#189;-#190; cup extra virgin olive oil

#8531;-#189; cup balsamic vinegar

Black pepper, ground

2 beefsteak or vine-ripened tomatoes

4 roasted red bell peppers, havled (see recipe at left)

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 basil leaves

8 ounces goat cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut eggplant in -inch thick circles, about 10 pieces. Lay on cooling rack with pan underneath to catch juices. Heavily salt both sides and let sit 1 to 2 hours. Rinse eggplant under cold water to remove remaining salt. Pat dry with paper towel.

Lay eggplant on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Brush generously on one side with olive oil. Flip and brush other side with balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with pepper.

Cut tomatoes into -inch slices. Place on second baking sheet lined with foil. You'll need one tomato slice for every two eggplant slices. Sprinkle garlic over tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil.

Roast eggplant 12-15 minutes; leave in oven and slip tomato slices into oven. Continue roasting 12-15 minutes more. Remove both trays. Place each tomato slice onto an eggplant slice. Top with goat cheese and another eggplant slice. Return to oven for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove, top with red peppers and another drizzle of olive oil. Garnish with a basil leaf.

Serves four to five.

@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per serving: 470 calories, 37 g fat (13 g saturated), 23 g carbohydrates, 7 g fiber, 13 g protein, 35 mg cholesterol, 720 mg sodium.