Secret No More: Luscious Local Food
by Cait Johnson

Review of Hudson Valley Mediterranean: The Gigi Good Food Cookbook by Laura Pensiero. William Morrow, hardcover, 336 pages, $30

Laura Pensiero’s gorgeous new cookbook was recently featured in O Magazine, so now the secret is out: the Hudson Valley is an unparalleled source of fresh, seasonal food, and Laura’s unique combination of Hudson Valley bounty and healthful Mediterranean flair is a winning one.

Laura is owner and chef of Gigi Trattoria, the popular Rhinebeck eatery, so the phenomenal success of Hudson Valley Mediterranean comes as no surprise. Back when the economy was still rosy with health, you could often find me seated cozily at Gigi’s, comforting myself with seasonal risotto and a Barbina salad because, while my personal issues can get pretty stale, the ingredients at Gigi’s are always fresh and completely delicious. Well, dining out has now become a blue moon-type treat, but with this new cookbook in hand, I reasoned, maybe I could learn to make the Barbina at home! Or the huge white beans with rosemary, another personal fave. Or the broccoli rabe. Or, heck, just about anything from the extensive Gigi menu. Hudson Valley Mediterranean delivers all that and more, but even I, fervent Gigi fan that I am, was unprepared for the beauty, depth, and passion in this book. I found out that Laura Pensiero is a woman with a mission, and it happens to be one that we can all get behind.

Concern about health, both personal and environmental, is resulting in a national trend toward choosing seasonal and often organic food from local sources. It makes sense—fresher food, especially when grown in an eco-conscious way, is more nourishing and better for us. It’s also better for the environment, since we’re not spewing toxic chemicals around or wasting fossil fuels to get the stuff from there to here. But while doing the right thing may be good for the soul, the real way to our hearts is through our taste buds, and that’s where Laura Pensiero’s message makes such sense. As she says, “There is no better way to show people how to have a healthier, more pleasurable lifestyle than to put it on a plate. It has to taste good.” I heartily agree. Having come of age in the Era of Soy Grits, I abhor the cardboard quality of many so-called “health” foods and applaud Laura for her commitment to flavor. “Fresh seasonal food just tastes better,” she says emphatically, and the recipes in Hudson Valley Mediterranean give us myriad ways to delight our senses while we promote better health for ourselves and for our planet. This is edible philosophy at its finest.

The book is divided seasonally, offering useful information on the produce available during each, and it gives recipe variations so you can use what looks best at the market to make a dish that’s all your own. Included are photos of local farms, and recipes inspired by their products—Wiltbank Farm Mushroom Ragu, for instance, or Northwind Farms Autumn Brasato, a savory stew of meat and vegetables with warm autumn spices, a Hudson Valley riff on a dish popular in Italy during the chilly months. And therein lies the key to Laura’s core beliefs around food. “I buy from at least 40 local purveyors for the restaurant,” she told me, “and I have a friendly relationship with each of them. I believe in getting to know the human face behind the food we serve.” This is a far cry from the faceless corporate agri-business model, but then, personal relationships are key for Pensiero. After all, Gigi Trattoria was founded with her then-husband. After their break-up in 2002, Laura bought him out and rose from the ashes to run Gigi on her own. That’s when it began to find its niche as the go-to place for the freshest and best local foods. “I see the Gigi experience as a great adventure. Since the opening of Gigi Market in 2006, our focus has been increasingly about local products. Maybe it’s our proximity to New York City and the restaurants there,” she muses, “but our purveyors seem more willing to experiment and get creative. And we certainly benefit.”

Not only is she the High Priestess of Gigi, Laura is also owner of the Gigi Market and Café in Red Hook, where you can buy many of the tasty items offered at the restaurant, and she created the menus at the Just Salad chain of healthy fast eateries in New York City. This is a busy woman. Although, having already penned the noted Strang Cancer Prevention Center Cookbook, she is no stranger to writing, “Still,” she says, “I wouldn’t have had time to write the book without my wonderful management team.” But why write this particular cookbook? “I’ve always been involved in cooking and in health,” she says. “I’m a registered dietician, and I’ve worked in acute and preventive care in the city. And I believe in the value of good food and the local food movement, This was a chance for me to integrate those passions.” And so we are doubly lucky: first, to live in this region which more than one friend refers to as Foodies’ Paradise, and second, to have this inspiring guide to cooking and eating the Hudson Valley’s offerings. Hudson Valley Mediterranean emerges as a celebration of the region’s food growers, and of one woman’s imagination, heart, and vision around good food.