While I’ve eaten more than my fair share of risotto and even have a bag of Arborio rice in my kitchen, the dish’s reputation of being fussy scared me off from making it. It turns out I worried for nothing. As chefs Dean Zanella and James De Marte taught me at a recent risotto class at their cooking school, Tutore, the dish is actually fairly approachable — and they should know. They have 75 years of professional culinary experience between them, and both grew up with Italian grandparents who had a passion for cooking. Now they’re sharing that knowledge with home cooks.
Tutore, which opened in June at 2755 West Belmont Avenue in Avondale, offers two-to-four-hour classes ($97 to $200), ranging from basic techniques (gnocchi, pasta, and risotto) to more elaborate affairs, such as the Sundays at Nonna’s class (think Sunday gravy, braciola, and focaccia). At the end of class, students gather to share the meal (a liquor license is in the works; for now, bring an Italian bottle to enjoy alongside). Zanella and De Marte pack a lot of personality into the intimate space: There’s custom wallpaper depicting their own recipes, vintage family photos, and shelves stacked with their favorite Italian cookbooks and ingredients like carnaroli rice, pistachio spread, and white truffle honey that are available to purchase.
The two met working at Grappa, a now-closed Italian restaurant in Streeterville. After years of cooking — De Marte worked in Italy, and Zanella was most recently at Chicago Cut Steakhouse — they’d grown weary of the daily grind. Their passion for cooking, however, remained. Zanella floated the idea of opening the school, where they could share their skills as well as the home-cooking traditions of their families. “I go back to my youth,” says Zanella, reminiscing about all-day kitchen projects with his grandmother. “We can’t lose that knowledge of Italian cuisine.” De Marte was on board, and he had the perfect spot: his recently closed restaurant, Pisolino. “I didn’t want to own a restaurant anymore,” he says, “but I still wanted to participate in the industry because it’s what I love.”
That’s where I found myself recently, along with 10 classmates. Each station is equipped with induction burners and thick cutting boards. We first made vanilla panna cotta and an apple and hazelnut salad before tackling the evening’s headliner: mushroom risotto. Throughout the two-hour class, Zanella and De Marte were quick to offer advice as they walked through the space handing out premeasured ingredients. “People think risotto is this magical thing,” Zanella told us. “But it’s just rice.”
De Marte offered a tip he learned while cooking at two-Michelin-starred La Peca in northern Italy. To know if the rice is done, take a grain and smear it on your cutting board. It should break into three pieces: “the Padre, Figlio, and Spirito Santo,” he said, offering the Italian version of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. “You should taste every grain of rice,” he added. While I don’t know if my risotto had a higher calling, it tasted divine. That bag of Arborio rice will be put to good use soon.