Page Returners

plates Align: Joanne Weir (here) and local chef Alison Barshak (below) found they spoke the same culinary language during last year's The Book and the Cook collaboration.

Cookbook authors on why The Book and the Cook brings them back for second servings.

"A good Philadelphia chef usually has his or her nose down, chasing the next recipe. What we can do is to open that up a little bit." When Judy Faye discusses the potential of The Book and the Cook, the annual festival that brings national cookbook authors to local kitchens, she emphasizes the value to chefs of sharing recipes and ideas. Past years have seen happy collaborations between London Grill and fearless turkey-fryer Hoppin' John Taylor and repeated visits by John Mariani. The draw of the longstanding relationships will grow in 2005: Beyond the 10-day festival, there are plans to bring chef-authors to town all year round.

Below, four returning food experts explain why they can't stay away. Faye points out their appreciation tends to show up in print. "I could find a dozen cases [in recent cookbooks] where authors have introduced a Philadelphia Book and the Cook recipe or anecdote." --Juliet Fletcher

Joanne Weir, two-year veteran with Alison Barshak

Sun., March 13, seating begins 4 p.m., three-course prix fixe menu, $55, BYOB, Alison at Blue Bell, 721 Skippack Pike, Blue Bell, 215-641-2660.

With last year's rerelease of her popular From Tapas to Meze (named by Julia Child as one of her top 12 cookbooks of 1994), Joanne Weir and local chef Alison Barshak designed a three-course prix fixe menu from the book, a task that turned out to be much harder than expected. The recipes are all Mediterranean-style small dishes, so they had to select three or four complementary dishes (e.g., one meat, one starch and one vegetable) to create the entrees. Diners choose one of four options for each course, so the collaboration required both chefs to speak the same culinary language to work out the details of such a large selection. Their work together at last year's event gave them the confidence they could pull it off. "She understands my restaurant, she understands my customers," Barshak says. Weir says she's also looking forward to familiar faces in Blue Bell. For her, The Book and the Cook is "more for authors to be out there and talking to people." —Adrienne Saunders

Stephen Beaumont, five-year veteran at Monk's Café

Beer-matched dinner, Tue., March 15, 7 p.m., $65, Monk's Café, 264 S. 16th St., 215-545-7005.

"There's little question that Monk's dinners are by far the most adventurous and interesting" of the beer dinners he hosts, says Stephen Beaumont, author of Premium Beer Drinker's Guide. "Philadelphians understand food at its essence. It doesn't matter whether it's five-star cuisine or it's a cheesesteak." This year, he'll feature entirely vintage-dated beers, including a three-year-old keg of Brooklyn Saison and a beer called Orion Strong Ale from the defunct Neversink Brewery. With aged beers, he says, "You need fairly high alcohol content and aggressive bodies, so generally speaking, the beers will be bigger, and the food will be hearty to match. The [four- or five-course menu] hasn't been decided on yet, but Monk's being Monk's, you'll want to come with an appetite."--Tami Fertig

Christina Pirello, two-year veteran at Fire Fighters' Union

Fri., March 11, call for time, $45, Philadelphia Fire Fighters' Union Hall, 415-427 N. Fifth St., 215-440-4414.

As Sergeant at Arms Mike Conroy tells it, Christina Pirello invited firefighters to her TV cooking show and hosted dinners with them after 9/11. Last year was Pirello's first collaboration with them for The Book and the Cook, to benefit the Hero scholarships for children of firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty. "Firefighters came out with their boots and pants and suspenders," Conroy remembers. "Some of the guys took their T-shirts off and were dancing." Pirello reckons, "We're going to be serving a lot of sexy foods to go with the [Peek-A-Boo Revue] burlesque show. Pasta with vegetables and capers, spicy shrimp, sweet potato fries, onion rings, stuffed mushrooms — a lot of finger foods." There'll also be a salad station: "We disguise the fact that it's healthy with lots of different treats in there." Conroy assures us she's surrounded by fans: "A lot of [our] guys watch her show. But it's hard to cook her meal when you're in the firehouse. You're constantly getting runs in the middle of cooking." --T.F.

Mary Ann Esposito, three-year veteran at Davio's

Sun., March 20, seating begins 5 p.m., four-course prix fixe menu, $75, optional three-course wine flight, $20, Davio's, 111 S. 17th St., 215-563-4810.

Mary Ann Esposito was first introduced to Davio's through her friend, Boston Davio's owner Steve DiFillippo. This year she contributes recipes from her new book, Ciao Italia in Tuscany. Davio's Northern Italian cuisine suits Tuscany's hearty country fare, such as the penne with tomato-olive sauce and Tuscan meatballs Davio's will serve, and Esposito's warm personality. Davio's general manager Ettore Ceraso says the staff particularly enjoys Esposito's visits. "Mary Ann's got this really wonderful presence about her that people flock to her," he says. A New England resident, Esposito feels at home in Philadelphia's historic neighborhoods. Since first attending The Book and the Cook in 1992, she has noticed a growth in the number and quality of local eateries. "Philadelphia is enjoying a tremendous renaissance as a food city," she says. --A.S.

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