Hidden Talents: Chef Sadowski Is Author of Two Gourmet Guides

>>> Chef Jeff Sadowski wanted to do something different, so he wrote two books about his passion, cooking. What'll he cook up next?

Chef manager Jeff Sadowski is used to producing for large groups--he cooks for up to 200 students in 1837 Hall daily during the academic year--but his latest work should reach even bigger audiences. Sadowski is the author of two new books on food, French Cuisine: The Gourmet's Companion, and a similar volume on Italian cuisine. Both were recently published by John Wiley & Sons.

Blending elements of traditional cookbooks and travel guides, Sadowski describes how to prepare dozens of classic dishes from each nation's culinary heritage, such as bouillabaisse and spaghetti carbonara. The books are "written in a European style, so if you're a diner, you know what's in a dish, and if you're a chef, you know how to prepare it," Sadowski explains. Also included for each country is a comprehensive section of cooking terms, region-specific vocabulary, and typical ingredients.

Sadowski trained as a chef at Johnson and Wales University and worked in a half-dozen restaurants before coming to MHC two and a half years ago. The first book, on French food, took him three years to write (working "on and off"), but he finished the Italian volume in only six months.

Although working in the paint shop this summer, this fall Sadowski plans to serve students in 1837 some of the fare from his books. He'll probably start with Italian meals, which he says are "more large-quantity-friendly" than the French dishes. Can't you just smell the garlic sautéing in olive oil?