Joe Lagnese still cookin' after all these years
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Joe Lagnese, local author of "Cookin': Recollections and Recipes of Joe Lagnese."
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At age 82, most people don't want to write a cookbook, and certainly not a first book. But this project didn't scare Joseph Lagnese, who is proud to present his new memoir/cookbook, "Cookin': Recollections and Recipes of Joe Lagnese."
Cooking is just one of Mr. Lagnese's passions, or "avocations," as he would say. He's also a sculptor and a jazz composer, arranger and musician, playing clarinet and sax in his working, swinging group, Swingtet 8. The sheet music for his song, also titled "Cookin'," is the background of his book's cover. If that weren't enough, he still sometimes works at his day job as an environmental engineer, designing sewage treatment plants, plus, occasionally, he's a forensic witness on wastewater treatment issues.
A father of six sons, this Pittsburgh native and Hampton resident began cooking when his wife, Patsy (Pat), suffered debilitating morning sickness during her pregnancies. He cooks Italian, inspired by his heritage and the food he grew up enjoying, including polenta, pasta, frittatas, roasted meats and well-cooked leafy greens ("not mushy, but not crunchy") flavored with plenty of olive oil and garlic.
Mr. Lagnese still makes his own sausage, rolls out his own "delicate" ravioli and bakes bread twice a week. His favorite bread is ciabatta and he learned the secrets of his special loaf from the baker at Breadworks.
The genesis for this book came about when a daughter-in-law, Muriel, wife of his eldest son, Les, developed cystic fibrosis. The couple had no children, although there are 12 grandchildren from the other sons.
While all the Lagnese sons live in Pittsburgh, Muriel and Les moved close to Pat and Joe, and the four shared many meals. Muriel got sicker, and Joe Lagnese visited her every day, amazed at her courage and strength. He cooked for her the Italian food she had come to love.
"She took control [of her illness]," he says. "I wouldn't say with a smile. That's the way she did everything. She was very brave, enduring six hours a day of intravenous antibiotics. She got hospice for herself."
First Published November 21, 2011 12:00 am
