Chef Dennis Sammarone has worked for over 50 years in the culinary industry. Many New York foodies know him around town from working in some big New York kitchens for half a century, and that is undoubtedly a lot of work. But don’t expect him to be hanging up his apron anytime soon.
Sammarone, a child of Italian immigrants, is the third generation in his family to turn cooking into a career. Over the years, his kitchen skills have included some impressive stops. He was the executive chef for the Daily News, personal cook for New York real estate mogul Leona Helmsley, and the executive chef at the Meadowlands Racing and Entertainment in East Rutherford, NJ.
Retirement, however, has not slowed him down. After all, he’s not really retired. Sammarone is on to the next chapter of his culinary career.
These days, New Yorkers — and the world — can find Sammarone dishing up delicious eats online, an idea that was sparked during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is taking his culinary talents from the professional kitchen to the internet, where he is teaching home cooks how to make everything from simple everyday Italian meals to more advanced dishes to give menus some extra Italian pizzazz.
“Instagram and Facebook, I just walked into it. I didn’t know anything about social media. I cook,” shared the chef, a former Daily News columnist. “When my son had the insight to say, ‘Hey dad, why don’t you post something on Instagram?’ So I did.”
From there, his wife Gina began filming, the chef began cooking, the pair began posting and viewers began learning how to make delicious dishes.
Today @chef_dennis_sammarone on Instagram has nearly half a million followers.
Recipes in the new cookbook: Buona Cucina!
But it is not all about online success. The written word is part of Sammarone’s ongoing success in the form of a new self-published cookbook called “Buona Cucina!” Released in March, it is Sammarone’s first-ever cookbook.
The 204-page cooking guide is a collection of recipes rooted in Sammarone’s Italian heritage and decades of experience working in New York area kitchens. It serves up a little bit of everything, from comforting classics to Sammarone’s own chef specialties. Readers will find recipes for linguine with white clam sauce, tomato sauces with meatballs, seafood dishes and more traditional Italian fare.
In the delightful guide, Sammarone proudly shares the story of his family’s roots — especially their cooking roots. Throughout his childhood, he watched his grandfathers and grandmothers cook at home. His earliest cooking lessons came from his mother, when he would help her bread chicken cutlets in the kitchen — a simple task that would set the foundation for a successful career in food.
Cooking at home.Gina Sammarone
“I wanted to share my story about my cooking, and I wanted to share it through the light of my family,” the chef explained. “Because I’ve been to Abruzzo’s Province of Chieti, a special area in Italy, where my mother and father were born, and I was very intrigued to see the people, the culture. This was back when I was a teenager.”
He also described his father as his “hero” and an “incredible cook and a devoted provider.” At one point, Sammarone was able to open his own restaurant in New Jersey and named it after his father, calling it “Serafino’s.”
You don’t have to stick to the script
Although “Buona Cucina!” is a recipe book, Sammarone stresses to readers and aspiring chefs that they do not have to follow the recipes exactly as written. It is more about tasting, adjusting and adding a little bit of personality along the way.
A pasta and meat dish by Sammarone.
“My recipes are from the heart. Given to me, handed down,” he explained. “Actually, I say in the book, you can’t go by the recipe. The recipe is a foundation. You have the opportunity to have your own expression. You can express yourself from a base recipe and change it a little bit.”
In other words, Sammarone explained, do not be afraid to add a drop more olive oil, another slice of fresh mozzarella or a longer sprinkle of oregano to add a personal touch to that special Sunday meal.
Delicious dish of seafood, vegetables and pasta prepared by Sammarone.Photo by Gina Sammarone
Sammarone said he loves what he does. Even though he has become a professional at it, he wants everyone to know, especially beginners, that cooking Italian food is easy.
“I want people to take away from the book the confidence of knowing that cooking Italian is simple, that it’s not hard,” he said. “And this is for newcomers or the newlyweds. You can do it. There’s no reason you can’t. Have the confidence and the knowledge of ingredients.”
More information about Chef Sammarone and “Buona Cucina!” is available at dchefsammarone.com.
Dining and Cooking