Born and raised in the Cleveland suburb of Seven Hills, 37 year old Andrew Carmellini has spent the past 17 years building a stellar reputation as a chef, earning honors from the James Beard Foundation and Food & Wine along the way. He set out with a degree from the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park in 1991 and went on to establish his kitchen expertise and professional credentials by working in Italy, France, and renowned New York City restaurants. His resume includes stove time at San Domenico in NY and Imola Italy, Lespinasse, Le Cirque, and Café Boulud, where he was chef de cuisine until 2005. A year later he opened his own place, A Voce where he consistently wowed diners until he left last spring. Looking to the next challenge, Carmellini is currently developing plans for a new restaurant.

Known as a hard-working and down-to-earth guy and a chef who’s highly respected by his peers as well as the critics, Carmellini insists he’s not chasing celebrity. But he recently released his first cookbook, written with his wife Gwen Hyman, and it just may turn the chef into a star. Called Urban Italian: Simple Recipes and True Stories from a Life in Food, it’s as much autobiography as easy-to-follow instructions for preparing wonderful dishes. The goal is to share his love for good food and inspire home cooks. Equal parts entertainment as education, Carmellini promises lots of laughs with the how-to’s of making linguine with broccoli rabe pesto.

He was happy to talk with us about the new book, his hometown roots, and how he got his start.

Fabulous Food Show: What inspired you to write a cookbook?
Andrew Carmellini: I come from a family that loves to cook and eat. I think sitting around the dining room table together is important. I wanted to put something together that would help regular people make beautiful, delicious food, even after spending the day at work. Nothing is overly complicated and I included lots of one pot dishes. I sent all the recipes to friends and family who are not in the business to test.

 
FFS: Where did you get your ideas?
AC: After I left Café Boulud and before opening A Voce in 2006, I started preparing meals in our tiny apartment kitchen. I had no assistants, no fancy equipment. I did all the shopping, carried the bags of groceries myself. I’d never had time to do this before, and those experiences became the basis for Urban Italian.

 
FFS: This book is more than a recipe collection. What else is in it and why?
AC: I wanted to do something really personal, and fun to read. So I decided to include my adventures and travels from the past 20 years- disasters, behind the scenes stuff, memories.

 
FFS: When did you know you wanted to be a chef?
AC: I started bussing and serving at a restaurant in Valley View when I was in high school. At first it was just a job. I was more interested in music. Then I went to work at Chez Francois in Vermillion with Chef JohnD’Amico and got serious about cooking. He was the one who got me thinking about going to culinary school. It was a pretty radical thing back then, in the 80’s, more blue collar than white collar. There was no glamour to being a chef like there is now.

 
FFS: Any special memories from your Cleveland days?
AC: When I was a kid, I’d go to the Westside Market every Saturday with my parents. It’s such a great place. There’s nothing else like it anywhere else I’ve been. We’d always eat a bratwurst and then go to Farkas Bakery nearby for napoleans. I still do that when I come back to visit. And I always go see John at Chez Francois and my friend Michael Symon. Last time I was in town I had lunch at Dante. Dante Boccuzzi and I were at the CIA together.

 
FFS: Any kitchen wisdom for us non-professionals?
AC: Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. The most important thing to remember when cooking without a recipe is that it’s always easier to add ingredients than take them away. So use salt, spices, water in small increments. Taste often and make adjustments as you go. The more you cook, the better you’ll be at it.

Andrew Carmellini will appear at the Fabulous Food Show in Cleveland, Ohio on Friday, November 14, 2008.