Welcome to the 5th anniversary issue of the Coco Pazzo Bollettino! We love all of you who take the time to read our news each season. We want to make this a pleasant reading experience and if you have any ideas for improvements or want to share something in the newsletter, we welcome your thoughts. For the first time we are featuring a special customer in our newsletter. His name is Jerry Olson and he will reach his 1000th dining occasion at Coco Pazzo Café this September! Since peak farm market season is finally here, all three chefs, Chris, Eric and Stephanie share a summer recipe you can make after a trip to your favorite farm market. And there's some remarkable news on the wine front! Tamra Weiss will introduce you to orange wines. Italy has become a leading producer and Coco Pazzo is now serving Coenobium Rusticum. Read more below about this fascinating wine. We really appreciate Pat Bruno of the Chicago Sun Times mentioning our truffle risotto in PatPourri. White truffle season is just around the corner. (late Oct. - early Nov.) We’ll let you know when they arrive! Read more here > We're proud to be one of the first restaurants Phil Vettel profiled in his "Out To Lunch" column in the business section of the Chicago Tribune. Read more here > Time Out Chicago included Coco Pazzo Café in the August 11 - 17 New & Approved restaurant listing and added us to their website. Check it out > Coco Pazzo is turning 20 this January! And we are sure that through 20 years, many of you have memories to share about dining at Coco Pazzo. Please take a minute to share your story and photos with us. Our favorite story writer will receive 2 tickets to our gala benefit for the Lyric Opera's Ryan Opera Center on January 26, 2011 (Approx. $200 value). And all storytellers who give us permission will be published in our winter newsletter and on our website. There are two ways to send us your Coco Pazzo stories and photos. You can post them to our Facebook page (click here >). Or you can send them to: memories@cocopazzochicago.com We will also be sharing some of our favorite memories in the winter newsletter. Boy, do we have stories to tell. Hope you do too! Despite being made from white grapes, orange wines are made much more like red wines, with extended soaking of the juice with the crushed skins of the grapes which gradually imparts a deep orange color and greater extraction of flavor. Orange wines are bold and deliver a complex mélange of fruit which is more concentrated than most white wines. This makes orange wines a great pairing with many meats. Coenobium Rusticum, which Tamra has secured for Coco Pazzo, is made by the Cistercian nuns of Monastero Suore Cisterci, about 30 miles north of Rome. (Coenobium is Latin for monastery.) The organic vineyard is tended by hand and planted with Trebbiano, Verdicchio, Malvasia and Grechetto grapes. These resourceful sisters managed to enlist the help of Giampiero Bea, the son of famous Italian winemaker Paolo Bea, to make their wine starting in 2005. And, like the rest of the Bea portfolio, the wine is made without commercial yeasts or additives, no fining or filtration before bottling, and only the smallest amount of sulfur added prior to bottling. An old world tradition that creates a wine that is truly a product of nature. You don't have to be told that from now to October is peak produce, fish and farm market season. So our chefs have created great seasonal recipes for you with Alaskan salmon, peaches, tomatoes, herbs and a bounty of summer ingredients. Cured Alaskan Salmon with Fresh Veggies from Chef Eric Summer is wild caught salmon season in Alaska and at our Café. Alaskan salmon is known to be the most sought after and tastiest salmon in the world. Copper River and Yukon River salmon are legendary for their taste and buttery texture. Chef Eric always makes sure to feature Salmon Marinato on his summer menu. His unique recipe walks you step by step through the simple process of curing your own salmon. Eric uses a mélange of fresh vegetables, herbs, salt and sugar plus the added kick of Sambuca. Make sure you plan ahead when making this recipe. It is simple but it takes a few days for the salmon to cure. But it's worth the wait. You'll love the impressive fresh texture and flavor of this beautiful summer dish. view recipe > Chef Stephanie can't recall anyone ever telling her they didn't like peaches. Those golden orbs of fragrant juice are packed with summery flavor. You really don't need to do anything complicated to enhance the flavor of ripe peaches when creating a dessert. Instead, you should look at complementing the flavor of peaches. All you need to do is to give them a short soak in a marinade (macerate) and then pair with a delicate shortcake. Stephanie serves her shortcake with candied ginger gelato and blackberries, but served with fresh whipped cream or a vanilla bean ice cream is simple and delish. view recipe > The charm of Chef Chris's Farro and Bean Salad recipe is that it has the potential to contain all the beautiful colors you see at farm market in one bowl. The recipe is very flexible and you can combine any type or color of bean or tomato you find at the market on any given day. The cooked farro adds a nice texture and earthy flavor that plays well with the vegetables. It’s nice that this salad can be made a day ahead of time and is safe to serve at room temperature. A perfect dish to serve at a picnic. view recipe > When did you start going to Coco Pazzo Café? Soon after it opened in 1996. What is it about the Café that attracts you? Of course I love the food but I also love the Café staff. They are really my extended family and we talk philosophically all the time. Do you have a favorite table? Yes. Table 72. It’s right inside the patio doors and I sit there as often as I can. What's your favorite dish? I really enjoy the duck breast. Chef Eric knows how much I love green beans so he'll always add those on the side if he's making them that day. A favorite wine? Yes, I think the Pinot Nero Saracco goes well with . . . everything! How would you describe Coco Pazzo Café? Coco Pazzo Café is like the piazzas in Italy where you linger and enjoy the food as well as the people you're dining with and around. It’s just good for the soul. Even in almost 100 degrees, we had a terrific time at the Green City Market Chef's BBQ. Chef/Partner Chris, Pastry Chef Stephanie, Chef Rachael and team created savory and sweet dishes using the same ingredients of zucchini and fresh farm cheese. Chris made grilled ciabatta piled high with marinated zucchini, mint and cheese, and Stephanie made zucchini cake and farm cheese gelato sandwiches. We'd love to know what you would like to see us put in our newsletter (or take out). Email us by clicking here. We also want to know about your experience at our restaurants. There is a feedback form on our website.