Erica De Mane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Erica A. De Mane
|
|
|---|---|
At the Union Square Farmer's Market, September 2003
|
|
| Born | December 3, 1953 Rye, New York
|
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Known for | Books and journalism about southern Italian cuisine |
Erica De Mane was born on December 3, 1953, in Rye, New York. She is an American chef, food writer, and teacher. Erica is famous for her amazing Italian cooking, especially dishes from southern Italy.
She has written several popular cookbooks. These include The Flavors of Southern Italy and Pasta Improvvisata. She also helped write the Italian cooking section for the Joy of Cooking in 1997. Erica is part of important food groups like the Slow Food movement. This group works to keep traditional and local foods alive.
Contents
Erica's Journey to Cooking
Erica first became interested in cooking when she was a teenager. She learned many recipes from her family's kitchen on Long Island. Her family cooked delicious southern Italian–American meals.
She studied journalism at the Fashion Institute of Technology and New York University. Later, she went to the New York Restaurant School. In 1985, Erica started cooking in famous Manhattan restaurants. These included places like Le Madri and The Florent. She even wrote a funny play about cooking called Kitchen Arts. It was performed in New York City in 1987.
Discovering Southern Italian Flavors
Erica's cooking style is all about being creative and improvising. Her dishes are inspired by the rich tastes of southern Italy. Imagine the bitter taste of olive oil, sweet oranges, or honey mixed with sour flavors (called agrodolce). She also uses salty anchovies, capers, and olives.
Her family's food came from inland Apulia. It had flavors like tomato, garlic, and wild greens. This inspired Erica to explore more. She traveled to Sicily, Naples, and Calabria. There, she learned about traditional cooking from the whole region. She expanded her cooking skills and started to improvise. Yet, she always kept the special flavors of southern Italian cooking.
People from southern Italy recognize Erica's dishes. Even her most creative meals feel truly southern Italian. This is because she always looks for the best and most real ingredients. Erica says she never cooks a dish the same way twice. This is different from her family, who followed strict cooking rules!
Books and Food Writing
Erica's first articles about food appeared in Food & Wine magazine in 1993. She also worked in their test kitchen. Later, her writing was featured in The New York Times, Gourmet, and Fine Cooking.
From 1997 to 1999, she wrote a monthly food column for Marie Claire magazine. She also wrote about the Mediterranean diet for an online publication called MyCurves. In 2015, she started creating recipes and writing for Weight Watchers.
Her first book, Pasta Improvvisata, came out in 1999. The New York Times chose it as one of the best cookbooks that year! She then wrote Pasta for Williams-Sonoma in 2003. Her book The Flavors of Southern Italy was published in 2005. Both Publishers Weekly and Food & Wine magazine named it one of the best cookbooks of the year. Erica is currently working on a collection of essays about Italian flavor combinations.
Media and Public Appearances
Since 1998, Erica has shared her recipes and cooking ideas on her blog. It was first called Skinny Guinea and is now Improvisation Italian-Style. Her blog also features her thoughts on cooking and reviews of her books. She has a popular section called "Women with Fish" with artwork.
Erica has appeared on many radio and TV shows. These include Food Talk with Arthur Schwartz and shows on the Food Network. She has also given cooking demonstrations at many places. These include gourmet shops, bookstores, and farmers’ markets. She also teaches private and group cooking classes. In these classes, people can learn about southern Italian cooking and diet.
About Erica's Life
Erica De Mane is married to Fred Allen. He is an editor at Forbes magazine. They live in Manhattan with their cat, Red, who is a Japanese bobtail.
