cooks at home
START YOUR ENGINES
Tony Marini is passionate about food, family, and classic cars.
WRITTEN BY MARNIE MCARTHUR
PHOTO BY JAMIE KINGHAM
What do chefs and classic car collectors have in common? Tony Marini, the energetic executive director of Hot August Nights, will tell you that one driving force compels both.
“Chefs are passionate about creating great food,” Marini says. “Classic car collectors are passionate about cars and the 1950s-’60s era of rock ‘n’ roll. The focus is different; the passion is the same.”
A third-generation Italian-American, Marini is passionate by nature. Family and food are at the forefront of everything he does.
Food ties
Marini’s family history reads like a Who’s Who of food and wine in Reno. His maternal grandfather, Dario Bevilacqua, was pasta chef at the Eldorado Resort Casino in Reno for nearly 20 years. His mother’s sister is Rhonda Carano, co-owner of both the Eldorado and Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery in Napa Valley. His father-in-law, Bob Capurro, prepares cioppino for the always-packed, 34-year-old Cioppino Feed at the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows in Reno. The Marini men were all firefighters, where cooking was part of the job description. All family members have huge gardens, and everything focuses around meals.
Cooking in the Marini home is a collaborative effort, with wife Jennifer and daughters Talia, Gianna, and Ella. His mother, Charleen, an excellent home cook, often is involved, especially when the dish is bagna càuda.
“At 38 years old, I still get taught by Mom,” Marini says, laughing. “I don’t dare cook the bagna càuda without her. She stands right over my shoulder!”
As a child on Christmas Eve, Marini helped his grandfather, Dario, and Aunt Rhonda make cioppino. The two did not see eye to eye on the recipe.
“Grandpa would sneak into the kitchen and add more spices, especially salt,” Marini says. “When he left, my aunt would walk in to taste it, adding other ingredients so it wasn’t so salty. Two strong Italian personalities were the highlight of Christmas Eve. No matter how the cioppino turned out, those times are good memories.”
Hands-on education
Marini’s culinary education continued at the Eldorado. At age 12, he was dropped off in the afternoons and learned to make pizzas alongside his grandfather in the La Strada kitchen. At 20, he was working in the back of the house, doing everything from dishwashing to food preparation. Maître d’ Michael Vertucci and then-executive chef Luciano Pilisi were mentors from whom he learned a hard work ethic, attention to detail, and customer service. After a short stint as food operations manager at the Eldorado, Marini chose to explore new horizons.
He now uses skills developed in the food and hospitality industry to lead a staff of four and inspire more than 500 volunteers, many of whom work all year on Reno’s premier special event (it’s estimated that about 800,000 people attend during the week-long event, July 29 – Aug. 3 this year). Striding through the offices of Hot August Nights, Marini jokes with volunteers who respond with laughter.
“I’m having a great time!” Marini says. It’s obvious everyone else is, too.
Despite long hours preparing to host the largest classic car show in the U.S., Marini makes family a priority. He is currently shopping for a 1970s Blazer or Bronco convertible to drive his girls around in. In the evening, home-cooked meals always are best, with one exception.
“During Hot August Nights,” he says, “there’s nothing better than a corndog with Mayor Bob Cashell!”
Reno writer Marnie McArthur has cooked many Italian meals for her two half-Italian sons. She also drove a classic red 1952 MGTD during college in the 1960s. Sadly, the car is gone, and will not be seen during Hot August Nights.
Bagna Càuda
(courtesy of Charleen Marini. Serves 5 to 8)
¾ cup olive oil
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) butter
12 anchovy fillets (start with 6 and add to taste)
6 large garlic cloves, minced
Assorted fresh vegetables, cut into bite-size pieces
1 large loaf crusty Italian or French bread, cut into 2-inch cubes
Cubes of Swiss or Monterey Jack cheese, as desired
Meat of choice (beef, chicken, shrimp), cut into cubes
Add olive oil, butter, and minced garlic to electric frying pan or large, heavy sauté pan. Cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sauce will separate. Add whole anchovies. Cook until the garlic becomes brown and anchovies dissolve. Once everything is dissolved and hot, use a fondue fork to dip food of choice.
Cioppino
(courtesy of Charleen Marini. Serves 5 to 8)
4 large cloves, or 1 bulb, garlic, minced (depends on how much garlic you like)
2 medium onions, finely chopped or diced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup olive oil
5 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1½ cups red or white wine (your preference)
1 cup chicken broth
1 (2-pound) king crab leg, thawed if frozen
18 small (2-inch) hard-shell clams (1½ pounds) such as littlenecks, scrubbed
1 pound skinless cod or fillet of sole, cut into 1½-inch pieces
1 pound large shrimp (16 to 20), shelled (tails and bottom segment of shells left intact) and deveined
¾ pound scallops, tough muscle removed from side of each, if necessary
¼ cup each fresh flat-leaf parsley and basil, finely chopped
In a heavy pot, cook garlic, onions, and Italian seasoning in oil over moderate heat, stirring until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and wine, and bring to a boil, 5 to 6 minutes. Add broth and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
While stew is simmering, cut crab leg through shell into 2- to 3-inch pieces. Add crab pieces and shelled clams to stew. Cover and simmer until clams just open, 5 to 10 minutes. Lightly season fish fillets, shrimp, and scallops with salt and add to stew. Cover and then simmer until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Gently stir in parsley and basil. Serve immediately in large soup bowls.
